Balance of Power

It has been more than forty years since the first nuclear bomb exploded. In that time, the shape of the world has changed dramatically. The power to destroy civilization rests in the hands of the superpowers and now, as either the President of the U. S. or as the General Secretary of the U.S.S.R., you have total responsibility for your nation's course. To succeed, you must enhance your country's prestige without infringing too much on your adversary's interests. If you play the isolationist, you will find yourself alone in a world dominated by your opponent. If you are too aggressive, you could unleash the war that annihilates humankind - and both sides lose.

Balance of Power uses a huge statistical database, a meticulously detailed display of the world, and advanced artificial intelligence techniques to put you in command of one of the world's superpowers. You have vast amounts of information available as you press your country's interests and resist the pressure of the other side. Noted game designer Chris Crawford has created a model of the world which will entertain, educate, challenge, and perhaps frighten you in ways no computer game has ever done before.

Source:

Unknown Source

• Soviet division arrives in Tripoli

• Assassinations in Peru linked to KGB

• Iran ignores Russian ultimatum

• Panama inks friendship accord in Moscow

What do you do now, Mr. President?

You already know the stories behind the headlines. But top-secret briefings don't make things any easier.

In Mindscape's Balance of Power’, you are the President of the United States. And the experience is so real you may wonder why you don't have Secret Service protection.

Balance of Power utilizes a huge data base and advanced artificial intelligence techniques to create what The New York Times has called, "one of the most sophisticated strategic simulations in America, other than Pentagon war games."

Tension always escalates in this global geopolitical simulation of the cold war's cruel reality. Knowing when to back down is as important as knowing when to go to the brink.

As you manage overt and covert actions, insurrection and political deceptions, divisions of troops and diplomatic efforts, the nation's prestige will rise or fall. You have an eight-year term in which to win. But you can lose it all, for everyone, in a blinding flash with a foolish move.

Now IBM PC© owners can experience the gamesmanship of brinksmanship that has challenged Macintosh’ owners since 1985. Microsoft Windows’ are part of the IBM version, so Balance of Power is always leader-friendly in an otherwise hostile world.

Inaugurate a new level of challenging software into your library. Secure what Ezra Shapiro of Byte called, "one of the finest programs - of any type - that I've seen on a microcomputer."

When you've experienced history's first desktop presidency, you'll read the daily papers in a different light.

Source:

Advertisement in Family Computing, November 1986