Included in part 3 is information on the recently released Semper Fi, Schwerpunkt's upcoming Storm in the West, some various new patches, and new releases that are just over the horizon.

　　Semper Fi ReleasedInteractive Magic this week released Semper Fi, a traditional hex-based simulation of modern warfare from the point of view of the United States Marine Corps.

　　Semper Fi covers the full range of operations the USMC has prepared itself for, including arctic, temperate, and desert conditions, amphibious operations, and armored clashes.

　　Three campaigns and 15 stand-alone scenarios are included in the title (ranging from hypothetical situations in the Middle East and Cuba to situations in Korea and Bosnia). Semper Fi also includes a scenario editor where the player will be able to create any number of battles - with forces typically ranging from companies to battalions in size. Head-to-head modem, network, and Internet play are also included.

　　Semper Fi was designed by Stanley Associates, whose previous titles have met with a mixed reaction in the gaming community: specifically Wooden Ships & Iron Men, which was marred by implementation more than anything else, and Fifth Fleet, which wasn't bad for a board game conversion but was somewhat limited.

　　Initial impressions of Semper Fi seem to be mixed as well, but only time (and a few reviews) will tell.

　　Watching for the Storm in the WestFor a few years now a small computer wargaming company in Pearland, Texas, called Schwerpunkt, has been producing a relatively inexpensive but pleasurable series of games called the War in the East. Each sold for about US$30 and featured operational areas along the eastern front during World War II - an area that has typically received little or no attention in either computer or board game fields.

　　The games played very much like a computerized board game, with decent artificial intelligence and play-by-e-mail capabilities. The graphics were simplistic and the interface wasn't exactly intuitive, but it was an acceptable sacrifice. In the end it turned out that these games were pretty good for everything that had been working against them, and Schwerpunkt kept churning them out.

　　Out of a planned ten games in the series, five have so far been produced: Izyum, Rostov, Crimea, Kiev, and Leningrad. Recently, Schwerpunkt revised the entire series with a better interface and other features. After revising each title, Schwerpunkt has put the War in the East series on hold for a bit while it concentrates on its next title, Storm in the West.

　　Detailing the operational campaigns in France during 1940 and 1944-45, Storm in the West will feature the entire western front at an operational level. Five scenarios will be included: Breakthrough 1940, Patton's Drive, Liberation of the Low Countries, Bulge/Nordwind, and Crossing the Rhine.

　　A campaign scenario encompassing the liberation of Paris all the way to crossing the Rhine (August 1944 to March 1945) is also included. These six scenarios in all offer a multitude of features to the player as well as some optional and "what if" rules like political squabbling, German early jet aircraft effects, and more.

　　Typically Schwerpunkt titles are not available in stores but can be ordered through Schwerpunkt or online retailers. Unlike the War in the East titles, which sell for $30, Storm in the West will sell for $40 (not including shipping).

　　See Schwerpunkt's web site for more information.

　　New Beta Patches of InterestAtomic Games has released a new beta patch for Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far. The patch does little more than restrict the use of German infantry using the Panzerfaust against Allied infantry.

　　The new version 2.0 beta for Total Annihilation by Cavedog Entertainment features multiplayer opponent AI, gives the AI the capability of building those new units Cavedog keeps releasing, tunes AI in skirmish mode, and adds support for ICQ.

　　Bungie Software has also released the first version 1.2 beta for Myth: The Fallen Lords, which just fixes the Fetch chain-lightning bug.

　　See the links on the right for downloading these beta patches. Remember that these patches are in "beta"; that means they are not officially supported by the publisher's tech support people and adopt a "use at your own risk" policy.

　　Upcoming Titles of InterestElectronic Arts is set to release Dungeon Keeper Gold around mid-March (apparently just the compilation of the original game), the Deeper Dungeons add-on, and whatever the latest patch happens to be.

　　Talonsoft's East Front Campaign Disk #1 is also set for release at about the same time (March 10 is the latest date).

　　Later in March, I-Magic's Liberation Day is finally supposed to be released, as well as Soldiers at War and the Steel Panthers III: Brigade Command Campaign Disk from SSI.

　　By the end of March one can expect to see the first campaign disk for Dark Reign and two more tank simulations: iPanzer '44 from I-Magic and the much-anticipated M1 Tank Platoon II from MicroProse.

　　Screenshot UpdateThis week we've included three screenshots of the recently released Semper Fi, four screenshots from Road to Moscow depicting the order of battle and main game engine areas, and a new one from the Operational Art of War, Volume 1, showing the only other near-completed campaign, Kharkov.