"Battles In Time" is a wargame with a twist - the strategic and tactical combat elements can be experienced in each of four distinct time eras. The multi-player and modem options substantially expand the value of this game.

Battles In Time is a DOS game that comes on a CD-ROM. I experienced some minor memory problems installing and running Battles In Time with Windows 95 (you have to run it in the DOS mode). Although the game only requires 4 MB RAM, I had to monkey with the setup configuration to maximize the amount of conventional memory available. Once corrected, there were no additional problems.
Battles In Time comes with a 64-page Game Manual that provides an excellent overview of the game. There is no tutorial; however, I found it pretty easy to fumble my way around the game without constantly referring to the manual. You will ultimately want to read the manual because it explains some things that you just can?t get from the game itself.

In Battles In Time, a hostile alien race has descended upon a future Earth where there is no more war and all knowledge of war has been destroyed. To defend our planet, scientists develop the technology to go back in time to re-learn how to conduct war. Battles from four distinct times are included: Prehistoric, Roman, World War II (W.W.II), and 2025. There are three different battles (i.e., maps) for each of the four times, for a total of twelve scenarios. The developer (QQP) states in the manual that other battles in other time frames may be made available as supplements. The battles may be played separately or as a campaign (one battle from each of the four times). In order to fight the aliens, you must complete a campaign with a winning percentage (does not have to be 100%). The campaigns are randomly generated, adding to the replay value. Battles In Time supports from 1-4 players at the same machine, one of which must be human (i.e., the other players will be computer players); if playing via modem or null-modem cable, 1-2 human players can compete with 0-2 computer players.

Battles In Time is a turn-based wargame. This differs from a real-time game (e.g., WarCraft) in that each player must complete his/her turn before the other player(s) can play. Each turn consists of three steps: replenishment (based on your total number of ?buy points”), movement (the strategy portion), and tactical (combat between adjacent opposing armies). You can choose to make all of the choices yourself, or you can have the computer make the choices for you using the ?Auto-Play” feature. Auto-Play continues until the next step in your turn. This is a handy feature for learning the game, and is especially useful if you don't want to get involved in the details, as some turns can be rather long.

Your turn begins with the replenishment phase, where you choose the types of units (this varies depending on the time frame) which make up your armies. In the movement phase, you strategically place each army according to the amount of spaces allowed. The specific makeup of the army and the terrain determine the rate of movement during each turn. Armies can be made of Static Defense Units (SDUs, used for fortification rather than swift movement), Camouflage Units (used to fool and misdirect the enemy), Recon Units (used for obtaining information on actions of the enemy), and the Headquarters Unit (each side only has one of these).

When a unit moves into the same space (i.e., hex) as an enemy unit, the tactical combat phase starts. The computer automatically decides the outcome of naval battles, but land-based battles are played-out on the tactical combat screen. Battles In Time has very good graphics, especially on the terrain maps and the fighting units when in tactical combat. The sound effects during the tactical phases are particularly entertaining, and they are different for each of the four time frames.

Each of the four time frames (Prehistoric, Roman, W.W.II, and 2025) in the game are fun to play, and each has different strengths and weaknesses. When playing a campaign, the remaining forces from each of the four distinct battles are carried over for the final showdown with the aliens, creating the opportunity for some unusual strategies.

Quantum Quality Productions, Inc. (QQP) has a telephone number for technical support (not 1-800), and also has an Internet address (QQP@aol.com).

Bottom Line:  Battles In Time is an excellent wargame with strong strategic and tactical combat elements. The inclusion of different time eras makes for varied and entertaining gameplay. We had a lot of fun with this game; the ability to play with prehistoric era forces was an especially nice touch.

System Tested On:  IBM compatible PC (Gateway 2000) with a 80486-DX2 at 66 Mhz; Windows 95; Sound Blaster-compatible soundcard; 8 MB of RAM & 420 Mb hard drive; mouse

Minimum System:  IBM 386DX/33 or higher, 4 MB RAM (570k conventional memory and 2MB of available expanded memory), MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, 14 MB of hard disk space, SVGA Graphics, CD-ROM drive (300 KB per second or greater, double speed drives provide better graphic quality), 100% Microsoft or Logitech compatible mouse, Sound Blaster or 100% compatible card (supported), 2400 bps or higher modem or null-modem cable (required for modem play)

Quantum Quality Productions, Inc. (QQP), 495 Highway 202, Flemington, New Jersey  08822; phone (908) 788-2799