1990 Clockwize
Platform: Amstrad CPC (possibly ZX Spectrum too)
Next into the Games That Weren’t archives is an Amstrad CPC game that never was, called Storm Force. The game was a RNLI simulation which had graphics created by Lee Burns and code by Jeremy Fowler. Unfortunately, it seems that only a few test routines were completed and just some graphic screens were produced which you can see here.
These were recovered thanks to Dean Hickingbottom from a CPC disk. There was some code, but it was just quick routines for displaying the map or panel on the screen. At somepoint we may be able to add the source code for people to have a poke around. Dean did find a game plan for the game on one of the disks, which describes a little about how the game was to play and some of the different sections.
Rather than simply steering a lifeboat around the sea, players would initially take on the role of a coastguard operator. From the main control panel you would monitor incoming weather reports via telex, listen out for radio traffic across multiple VHF channels, answer telephone calls and study a detailed map of the coastline. Distress calls could arrive by radio, telephone, flares or reports from members of the public, requiring you to quickly assess the situation before setting rescue operations into motion.
Once a rescue had been initiated, the game would shift perspective completely. After selecting an appropriate lifeboat or helicopter, you would then assume the role of the coxswain aboard the lifeboat itself, taking direct control as you navigated out to sea in search of casualties. Sea conditions would have a direct effect on handling and speed, whilst weather updates, reports from nearby vessels and further radio messages from the coastguard would continue to arrive throughout the mission.
The design planned a variety of different rescue scenarios, including sinking boats, drifting vessels with mechanical failures, dinghies being carried out to sea, missing people or boats and medical emergencies aboard fishing vessels ranging from heart attacks to serious injuries. Success would depend not only on reaching the casualty safely, but also ensuring that the correct decisions had been made before leaving harbour, as once out at sea you could no longer return to your coastguard duties until the rescue had been completed.
We have included the full plan below, so you can read it for yourself, as well as the graphical assets disk. Hopefully more will surface in the future, and we’ll get to learn more about the plans for the game.
With thanks to Dean Hickingbottom for preserving and passing over to Games That Weren’t.
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