'Anyone Remember Action Stations?

[Nerazzurri]

Does anybody remember a PC game called 'Battle Stations', around 20 (yes, twenty) years ago? It was set in WWII and involved surface ships from many nations.

A search just throws up results from newer games like 'Pacific' and 'Midway'. But I'm positive I have the correct name.

Thanks all.

[PapaKilo]

Yeah I used to play this game on PS1 of my friend

Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf-nmEpOZgQ

I loved it :cool:

[Nerazzurri]

I'm afraid not PK :cry:

It was even older than that. I think that one was just for consoles too?

Maybe I have the name wrong, but I'm positive it was Battle Stations.

[toolsey2]

Hello
Could it have been Action stations?
it had very basic graphics
cheers

[Nerazzurri]

Hello
Could it have been Action stations?
it had very basic graphics
cheers

YES IT COULD! Fantastic, mate! Thank you very much. Damn, was sure it was Battle Stations. Did you ever play it?

Here's (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Action-Stations-PC-3-5-inch-Disk-Big-Box-Complete-/280734647224?pt=UK_PC_Video_Games_Video_Games_JS&hash=item415d16c3b8#ht_1334wt_910) how I remember it. I was into Naval wargaming, with cast miniatures; and this game was a good reproduction of that for PC. The only trouble was if you used too many guns LOL. So me and my mate used to stick to a ships primary armament; if you used secondary and tertiary too the game disentegrated in front of your eyes!

I'd love to try it again; maybe the fault would go away now too with slightly more powerful hardware than was available in 1990 LOL. In case someone wants to give it a go here's (http://www.myabandonware.com/game/action-stations-130) a link. Screenshots at that link too if you just want a nosey. There's others too if you Google.

Thanks again Toolsey! I can't believe I got the name wrong.

[toolsey2]

Hello
Glad it was right one, yes I had it on floppies cost me £29 quid, great manual, funnily enough been thinking recently of getting it going and using miniatures and having it as some sort of solitaire wargame with paper campaign rules, because there is not a lot of PC Naval wargames about.

[Nerazzurri]

Hello
Glad it was right one, yes I had it on floppies cost me £29 quid, great manual, funnily enough been thinking recently of getting it going and using miniatures and having it as some sort of solitaire wargame with paper campaign rules, because there is not a lot of PC Naval wargames about.

Sounds great. You still have a floppy drive?! Did you experience the programme crashes? I wonder if it was just my mates PC.

That's right, the manual was good.

I've been thinking the same for ages about the lack of proper wargames, rather than sims/strats. How would you use it along with paper rules? Wouldn't the programme dictate your rules for the miniatures?

[Nerazzurri]

Toolsey -

downloaded it (got the manual too in a text document) and an emulator. Couldn't believe it - worked first time, no faffing about!

I'm so happy. Just when I re-installed SH3 after 2 years too. Need to split my time between them. SH3 is slowly coming back to me, but AS will have to be re-learned!

I suppose it's actually quite embarrassing that I can get so excited about a text based game :88)

[toolsey2]

Hi Nerazzuri
sorry bit late replying daughters/grandaughter birthdays got in way, only external floppy drive now but would use download, is it easy to set up in dosbos and does it play ok, also have you seen dosgames Action in the North Atlantic and battle of Midway similar style of graphics available as abandonware I think they are even older than Action stations, as I have got older I get nostalgic for all sorts of things her indoors calls junk.

The thing about what rules to use, I hadn't really thought about it but the very minimum I think would be to use miniatures on a board for situatonal awareness during battles and perhaps cards for each ship to mark off damage,
do you remember concentric circles when a magazine exploded.
I also like fighting steel which has surface battles only no subs or aircraft like Action stations, there is some downloads for that that are very good
cheers

[Nerazzurri]

Hi Nerazzuri
sorry bit late replying daughters/grandaughter birthdays got in way

Don't be silly, no problem.

is it easy to set up in dosbos and does it play ok, also have you seen dosgames Action in the North Atlantic and battle of Midway similar style of graphics available as abandonware I think they are even older than Action stations

I downloaded AS here (http://www.myabandonware.com/game/action-stations-130), and the D-Fend emulator mentioned on this (http://www.myabandonware.com/howto/) page here. I just followed the instructions at the bottom of the 'how to' page and everything went fine, first time.

No, but I'll check them out now you've mentioned them.

do you remember concentric circles when a magazine exploded.
I also like fighting steel which has surface battles only no subs or aircraft like Action stations, there is some downloads for that that are very good
cheers

No, LOL. Thanks, I'll look at that too mate.

[Nerazzurri]

Toolsey, question -

can't see anything in the manual about the visual range of aircraft for spotting, you any knowledge on this?

I've been moving the aircraft just ahead of my target, but I need to check and then enter the co-ordinates every turn - bit of a pain.

Cheers.

[Hitman]

Thread title changes as requested per OP :up:

[Nerazzurri]

the visual range of aircraft for spotting

Found it this morning - 10Kyds. Must've been tired when I looked last night.

Managed to finally 'win' the River Plate scenario on the German side - had to lower the allied ability to get it though! Don't know if it is actually difficult or I'm just rubbish :88) If you engage the enemy too early you get mauled, so I kept my distance - trouble with that is ammo, but luckily the enemy ran out just after I did.

Thread title changes as requested per OP :up:

Thank you HM.

[SilentOtto12]

Looks interesting...

[nikimcbee]

Yeah I used to play this game on PS1 of my friend

Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf-nmEpOZgQ

I loved it :cool:


That looks a lot like Navy Field!:haha:

[simple nuke]

I still play this after all these years. It was my first simulation. It is basically a computerized version of a miniatures game, Battle Stations.

BTW, you do not need to use any type of DOS emulator, as this game will run just fine as-is on XP or Win 7. Just click on the BATTLE box in the AS folder.