Archon (computer game)

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Archon: The Light and the Dark
Studio United StatesUnited States Free Fall Associates
Publisher United StatesUnited States Electronic Arts
Senior Developer Jon Freeman , Anne Westfall , Paul Reiche III
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 1983
platform Atari 8-bit , Apple II , C64 , Amiga , PC ( DOS , Mac OS ), NES , Amstrad CPC , ZX Spectrum , PC-88
genre Strategy game
Subject chess
Game mode Single player , multiplayer (2)
medium Diskette , cartridge , datasette

Archon: The Light and the Dark is a 1983 computer game by Jon Freeman , Anne Westfall (together Free Fall Associates ) and Paul Reiche III . It is a form of chess with action elements, inspired by a holographic chess game shown briefly in the movie Star Wars , in which the pieces fight each other. The game was developed for the publisher Electronic Arts and had a direct follow-up title with Adept . Over time, Archon has been ported to a variety of platforms in partially expanded versions.

Gameplay

Archon I differs from normal computer chess in several ways:

  • the playing field has 9 × 9 fields,
  • In addition to the usual light and dark fields, there are neutral fields, the color of which changes from move to move in a cycle,
  • the color of a field influences the strength of the figure standing on it, i.e. H. light figures are stronger in light fields, dark figures in dark fields,
  • Pieces cannot be captured directly: If a piece moves to an already occupied space, a short battle scene occurs between the two pieces, in which each one has its own weapons and thus strengths and weaknesses.

In Archon I there is a wizard on both sides who can use a spell instead of a turn. These are spells that can only be used once in a game (e.g. resurrecting a character, conjuring up an elemental force, healing a character). The playing field consists of some magical fields. No spells can be cast on figures that are on these spaces, neither negative (shackles, inciting elements, etc.), nor positive (healing) nor neutral ones (swapping places, teleporting). The fields have three different colors: black, white and changeable. The changing fields change color after each turn of both players, getting lighter and lighter from black to white, and then getting darker to black again. Light pieces have a clear hitpoint bonus on light and white fields (the lighter the more), analogous black pieces on dark fields. The winner is the one who occupies the 5 magical fields, wipes out the opponent or disables them. The latter is possible by tying the last figure of the opponent with a spell.

Versions

The following versions exist: Archon: The Light and the Dark: 1983 for Atari 800

Ports: C64 (1984), DOS (1984, ported by Mission Accomplished, Inc. and Kent M. Dolan ), Apple II (1984, ported by Jim Nitchals ), ZX Spectrum (1985), Amstrad CPC (1985), Amiga ( 1986), NES (12/1989)

Archon Ultra: 1994 for DOS

A remake newly programmed by Toys for Bob with an additional, new weapon for each game figure and revised graphics: the figures are much more detailed and the playing field has a 3D look. The program code is based in part on Star Control 2 and, in addition to the revised graphics, offers digital music and a multiplayer option via modem.

Archon Classic: 2009 for iPhone, iPodTouch

with additional game boards and a campaign mode

Archon Classic: 2010 for PC

Up to 4 players at the same time, in the game types Team and "Free for all", secondary abilities of the characters, otherwise like the IPhone / Touch version.

successor

Following the success of Archon, Free Fall Associates developed Archon II: Adept, published by Electronic Arts in 1984, with significant changes to the playing field and sequence.

Gameplay

In Adept (Archon II) the 17 × 9 field board is divided into different "rings" which represent the 4 elements (fire, air, earth and water). Each party (chaos and order) has 4 adepts at the beginning, who can conjure up different characters depending on their magical power, whose energy is drawn from moving energy points. The winner is whoever collects all energy points, brings the opponent to zero residual energy or wins the all-important final battle of the apocalypses. The apocalypse final battle can be triggered at any time by a spell from an adept. However, this costs energy for the triggering side, and in the final battle the current energy of both sides is used as hitpoints, so you should only do this if you have a significant energy advantage. The apocalypse final battle will start automatically when one side has lost all of its adepts in battle. In this case, no starting energy has to be used.

While in Archon I the dark and light sides each have different, albeit comparable, figures (Knight - Goblin, Golem - Troll, Wizard - Sorceress), in Adept Archon II only the "lower" figures of the game parties are different (e.g. Z. Ifrit - Thunderbird). "Higher" figures (e.g. Wraith, Jugernaut) are identical for both parties. It should also be mentioned that the "lower figures" are each assigned to one of the elements; the hitpoints of a figure depend on whether it is in its “home element” or in a foreign element (as well as the healing rate and the damage that the figure deals). So z. For example, a fire being can theoretically be used in the water sphere, but is then at a disadvantage compared to a water being. Adepts can freely control their shots; Since the computer controls practically perfect and almost never misses, it can only be beaten in Archon II with the right approach, while in Archon I it is relatively easy to defeat with a little practice and a little tactics.

Winning strategies

  1. Accumulate significantly more energy than the enemy and trigger apocalypse. If the excess energy is so large that a single hit is enough, you can win. To do this, you have to defeat your opponent's adepts beforehand.
  2. The Medusa can slow down adepts with each hit, after which adepts can also be defeated with other characters.
  3. Even a golem or giant can defeat an adept by taking advantage of AI weaknesses and suitable cover (earth).
  4. Weakened Adepts can also be defeated with Ifrits, because you can often get a hit.

Versions

Archon II: Adept: 1984 for C64 and Atari 800

Ports: Apple II (1985, ported by Jim Nitchals ), Amiga (1988), ZX Spectrum (1989), Amstrad CPC (1989)

Archon III: unofficial hacked version of Adept

Literature and web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c title screen
  2. ^ Brian Crecente: Archon Arrives on iPhone. kotaku.com, June 23, 2009. (English)
  3. ↑ Gamers Plus: Archon Returns. ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.gamersplus.de