Special Operations

Special Operations is a video game in the strategy genre and published by M.C. Lothlorien Ltd originally released in 1984. It is currently playable on Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Electron.

During World War II a highly guarded compound has been photographed by a reconnaissance plane hidden in a forest. After much intelligent reporting it has been discovered that beneath the compound is a research complex that is closing in on the development of a bacterial virus and a new type of rocket that when combined will cause devastation and disease. You and a team of four have been tasked with parachuting into the forest around the compound to find its location, and then enter the compound before attempting to enter it. Once in the compound you have to get the blueprints for the virus, the rocket fuel and the guidance system before blowing up the place. Once you have completed the mission, you will need to get to a rendezvous point to be picked up by a plane. However, remember that the surrounding areas have guards patrolling and the compound and complex are heavily guarded.

Before you start you can choose from seven missions, each one more difficult than the last. The first mission is to find the compound and photograph it, while the last mission is to blow up the compound and get to the rendezvous point. You then choose how long in hours (1-9 times ten) the mission will last before the plane arrives. Each move in the forest is worth 20 minutes, while inside the complex is 2 minutes. Once you are satisfied with the options selected, you must choose a team of four soldiers to attempt the mission with you. There are 30 skills to choose from in which you, as the leader, have all 30 but the other soldiers only have two of them. You only know one skill of each soldier so you can interview each one to find the other skill or just select them. Each interview will take you a day, but you only have eight days before the mission starts.

Once you are satisfied with your selections, start the game. You will see the forest from above with the entire forest displayed on the screen. You cannot see any terrain but only the trees. It is shown to you as a flashing square and you can see any objects around you in the North, South, East and West positions. There are places that can be found as you explore the area and they are caves, potholes, lakes or houses. These can be explored to find any equipment that can be left there and next to the forest map is a map of the location you want to explore. You can only see so far ahead, so you have to move around to see more passages of the location. The objects you find can be picked up. Occasionally in the forest you will encounter a patrol and will have to be killed. To the right of the forest map there is again a map of the area where you are showing the positions of your men and those of the patrol. Next, select which enemy soldier any of your soldiers are going to shoot and then move your selected soldier two places. You shoot at the patrol and the patrol shoots back. You then choose which soldier shoots who again and move them until the entire patrol is dead or you are all dead.

Once you have found the compound, the screen shows an aerial view of the entire compound. Here you try to complete the mission you chose at the beginning. It is now up to you how you want to enter the complex and move around remembering that the guard patrols inside cannot be seen. If you manage to enter the complex without being spotted you move through it to complete the missions. Once you have completed the objectives you must leave the complex, then the compound and finally find the rendezvous point to return home. If you are captured you will be interrogated and shot.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.