Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

Role-playing games usually preach to the converted--dedicated enthusiasts who are ready to spend many hours with pen and pencil designing characters and plotting worlds. To the unconverted (and uninterested) the process is about as appealing and pointless as polishing your car with a toothbrush.

New World Computing’s “Planet’s Edge” isn’t just for role-playing gamers. Typical in its

m-destruction-by-searching-and-fighting-your-way-through-the-galaxy-with-a -group-of-sturdy-comrades” plot, it nevertheless has several elements that make it an appealing game. The game designers have provided a huge and complex galaxy with a rich character base that promise many hours of play.

Earth has been taken over by mysterious aliens, and it’s up to the moon colony to save the planet. You, a stalwart, loyal, experienced space captain, are commissioned to save everybody and restore the Earth.

Being a renaissance kind of guy (or gal), not only are you a great captain and diplomat, you’re a shipbuilder. After assembling a ship from spare parts, you collect your pre-assembled crew and hit the road.

That’s the typical stuff. More interesting is that you don’t have to create your characters from scratch. They come pre-assembled with their own history, skills and personality.

To make a lot of progress in the game, hints from New World’s technical support staff will probably be necessary.

And, if you’re not a purist, go for the clue book.

Planet’s Edge

Rating:

IBM & compatibles, Tandy; 640K RAM and EGA or better graphics required. List: $59.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.