Creating Eastern Front (1941)

[Chris Crawford]

I'm not sure if any of you folks have seen this photo, but I ran across it in an archive just now and thought that perhaps you might get a laugh out of it. It's just a photo of me while I was working on Eastern Front (1941).

[Almost Rice]

have not seen the pic, but loved the game back in the day. I would play it hours on end.

[+Ransom]

You were really getting into character!

[Magic Knight]

Pure Professional; Just how i visioned the game should be played to its full max!

[MrFish]

I'm not sure if any of you folks have seen this photo, but I ran across it in an archive just now and thought that perhaps you might get a laugh out of it. It's just a photo of me while I was working on Eastern Front (1941).

EasternFront.jpg

 

Haha... perfect!

 

What model is the Sony you're using there? I've never seen one of those before. It looks like a pretty cool monitor.

[Magic Knight]

Chris - dying to ask - but did you ever have trouble getting the highest score possible on the original version whilst play testing the game?

[Chris Crawford]

Haha... perfect!

 

What model is the Sony you're using there? I've never seen one of those before. It looks like a pretty cool monitor.

I can't recall. It *was* a really great monitor -- very crisp image, fit perfectly on a short stand behind the Atari.

[Big Player]

I know I have seen that picture sometime before I was on the Internet. If I can remember correctly, that picture was in the instructions in the version of Eastern Front that I owned. Can anyone else confirm it? Sadly, I threw away all of my 8-bit stuff when my 800XL died in 1992.

[ledzep]

I'm not sure if any of you folks have seen this photo, but I ran across it in an archive just now and thought that perhaps you might get a laugh out of it. It's just a photo of me while I was working on Eastern Front (1941).

EasternFront.jpg

Haha, that would be a great Limited Edition, comes with an Allied or Axis uniform that you have to wear while playing the game.

 

If I may ask a couple questions, I always wished for an Atari 5200 version of that game coming out. Would that be something you might consider doing? Also, was there ever a plan to add different "fronts" or war eras to the game in the form of sequels or a naval element?

[Chris Crawford]

Chris - dying to ask - but did you ever have trouble getting the highest score possible on the original version whilst play testing the game?

I cannot recall; during playtesting, scores are all over the map as different elements of the game are brought into focus. I do recall that when I made the second (cartridge) edition, I set as a goal making the game harder to win, because the first edition was too easy to completely clobber.

[Chris Crawford]

I know I have seen that picture sometime before I was on the Internet. If I can remember correctly, that picture was in the instructions in the version of Eastern Front that I owned. Can anyone else confirm it? Sadly, I threw away all of my 8-bit stuff when my 800XL died in 1992.

I'm pretty sure that it was not in the instructions to the game. I have the instructions that accompanied the cartridge version and it's definitely not in there. My guess is that you saw it in some press story.

[Chris Crawford]

Haha, that would be a great Limited Edition, comes with an Allied or Axis uniform that you have to wear while playing the game.

 

If I may ask a couple questions, I always wished for an Atari 5200 version of that game coming out. Would that be something you might consider doing? Also, was there ever a plan to add different "fronts" or war eras to the game in the form of sequels or a naval element?

I never did anything for the 5200; I actually did a little work on "Western Front 1944" but never finished. The game could certainly be applied to different theaters. However, the AI would probably not work well in a broken front environment.

[Goblin]

Chris - I have a real vague memory of you presenting a talk on this game at a Jersey Atari Computer Group meeting at Bell Labs in the early 80s. I would tag along with my Dad, I couldn't of been more than 8 or 9 at the time. I haven't thought about this game in years.

[carmel_andrews]

Chris....Didn't Atari Inc. use mainly/mostly Apple II's for games dev, I find it interesting that you have an A800 there

[Big Player]

Chris....Didn't Atari Inc. use mainly/mostly Apple II's for games dev, I find it interesting that you have an A800 there

 

Sure they did. You might not know that Microsoft mainly uses Mac's at their corporate headquarters.

[Wally1]

here's more proof of not-brand loyalty:

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gear4+-+Atari+Logo+Folio+for+Apple%AE+iPad%AE+(3rd+Generation)+-+Red/White/6814033.p?id=1218807854179&skuId=6814033&ref=25&loc=SHP&srccode=cii_45538312&cpncode=30-259526780-2

[ClausB]

Eastern Front is cool but what I really loved was your 1981 series of articles for BYTE magazine. I had been reading BYTE since 1976 and was disappointed it did not cover the excellent Ataris much. Your articles finally brought the best 8-bit computer and the best computer magazine together. I had also read the 400/800 technical references but your fine articles put it all together for me. I remember reading your DLI tutorial and then sitting down to write my snowy Christmas tree demo. Thanks for that!

[Jetboot Jack]

Eastern Front was a total inspiration to me as a young man, a wargamer used to recreating WWII battles with model soldiers and plastic tanks it was a revelation!

 

When the source code was released via APX I poured over it - trying to understand how it worked.

 

It's the reason I got into programming and later designing games and have been a professional game developer for over 26 years as a result - thank you!

 

sTeVE

[Heaven/TQA]

as I am not a chess player... When Dune and Warcraft was released... Chris, did you ever thought that RTG thing earlier? So actually leave turn base behind? F.e. Like Archon?

[Heaven/TQA]

I mean archon with realtime battles or Mail order Monsters

[Gury]

Hello Chris, I am glad you came to visit AtariAge forum. Legionnaire was one of first games on Atari I played and enjoyed in my childhood.

 

Regards,

Gury

[carmel_andrews]

Eastern Front and Legionaire

 

Mr Crawford, Is it true that you redid Legionaire (from the orig. version you did) after eastern front was released (since it uses the same game engine)