Tower Of Babel (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Tower Of Babel is a computer game for the Amiga
, Atari ST
and Acorn Archimedes
systems programmed by Pete Cooke
, developed by Rainbird Software and released by Microprose Software in 1990
. It is a puzzle game played on a three-dimensional tower
-like grid viewed in vector graphics
with filled polygons.
. At the height of the tower's construction, while it failed in its original purpose to directly contact God
, it caught the attention of a passing Zantorian alien
spaceship
. The Zantorians descended and left three spider
-like robot
s to help the Shinar
ians in constructing the tower. However, distrust broke out among the two species, and the humans betrayed the robots, stealing their energy packs (called "Klondikes"). Playing the robots, it is the player's job to find the energy packs to be able to get back home to Zantor.
The Zantorians robots are called the Grabber, the Pusher and the Zapper. Each of these has different abilities. The Grabber can collect Klondikes and operate various devices, the Pusher can push things further away, and the Zapper can destroy things. In a tower, players can be assigned any combination of these robots, depending on the tower's design. In each tower, the player's goal is either to destroy a set number of objects, collect a set number of Klondikes, or both. Towers with Klondikes to collect need the Grabber, but the other robots can sometimes be superfluous, and indeed, the destruction of these robots is sometimes necessary for the completion of a tower.
Everything in the game is viewed in a realistic 3D vector graphics view, but the actual movement in the game is far more contained than in games usually associated with such graphics, only allowing square-by-square movement in rectangular directions and vertical movement using special lifts.
Various devices, sentry mechanisms and autonomous robots also inhabit each tower. Some of these can be used to gain an advantage, while some hinder progress.
where players can design their own towers and save them to disk for later play and distribution. The towers can be password
-protected to avoid spoiling them by looking directly at the design.
One feature of the game is the ability to program
the robots. Each robot can be given up to eight orders (for example: Forward, Forward, Left, Fire, Right, Forward). In some levels, programming the robots is mandatory, as they need to coordinate their actions in order to solve the level.
Converter : Changes laser beams into pushing beams and vice versa.
Exchanger : When activated by the Grabber, switches places with it and vanishes. Deflects laser beams back to their source.
Flag : Does nothing but fly in the wind and get in the way. Its only use is to be destroyed.
Force up/down : When activated by the Grabber, moves all lifts not currently holding something either up or down.
Freezer : When activated by the Grabber, temporarily freezes everything in the tower except the robots and the lifts. Once used, takes several seconds to recharge.
Glass block : Can be pushed around. Shooting at it deflects the laser beam back to its source, destroying whoever shot at it.
Hopper : Hops around in a random fashion. Can be destroyed by shooting it.
Klondike : The robots' energy pack. Can be collected by the Grabber.
Lizard : Constantly moves in a straight line. When changing direction, eats away a floor tile. Cannot be shot.
Mine : When it is pushed next to an object, or an object is pushed next to it, it explodes, destroying everything it touches.
Prism : Deflects laser beams at a 90° angle. Can be pushed.
Pushing cannon : Constantly fires a pushing beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Cannot be shot.
Time bomb : When the timer reaches zero, it explodes, destroying everything it touches. Can be pushed.
Watcher : Moves around in a random fashion. Cannot be shot.
Wiper : When activated by the Grabber, eats away all floor tiles in a cross-shaped pattern with itself at the centre.
Worm : Constantly moves in a straight line. Shooting at it makes it reverse direction. When trapped, can be pushed sideways. Moving worms cannot be pushed.
Zapping cannon : Constantly fires a lethal laser beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Can be destroyed by shooting it.
puzzle game for Microsoft Windows
inspired by Tower Of Babel.
Due to its unique nature and the easily usable editor the game has acquired a small, but very dedicated community of fans. Thanks to emulation software like WinUAE the game can be played on modern PCs and homemade towers swapped via the Internet. Currently there is one remake in the making.
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Acorn Archimedes
Acorn Archimedes
The Acorn Archimedes was Acorn Computers Ltd's first general purpose home computer to be based on their own ARM architecture.Using a RISC design with a 32-bit CPU, at its launch in June 1987, the Archimedes was stated as running at 4 MIPS, with a claim of 18 MIPS during tests.The name is commonly...
systems programmed by Pete Cooke
Pete Cooke
Pete Cooke is a famous British computer games programmer, best known for his work published in the 1980s for the 8-bit home computers, especially the ZX Spectrum....
, developed by Rainbird Software and released by Microprose Software in 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
. It is a puzzle game played on a three-dimensional tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
-like grid viewed in vector graphics
Vector graphics
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...
with filled polygons.
Background
The plot of the game is based on the biblical story of the Tower Of BabelTower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
. At the height of the tower's construction, while it failed in its original purpose to directly contact God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, it caught the attention of a passing Zantorian alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
spaceship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
. The Zantorians descended and left three spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
-like robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s to help the Shinar
Shinar
Shinar was a geographical locale of uncertain boundaries in Mesopotamia. The name may be a corruption of Shene nahar , Shene or , or Sumer .It has been suggested that Shinar must have been confined to the northern part of Mesopotamia Shinar (Hebrew Šin`ar, Septuagint Σεννααρ Sennaar) was a...
ians in constructing the tower. However, distrust broke out among the two species, and the humans betrayed the robots, stealing their energy packs (called "Klondikes"). Playing the robots, it is the player's job to find the energy packs to be able to get back home to Zantor.
Gameplay
The actual game play bears no relation at all to Christian belief, but is purely puzzle-based. The famous Tower Of Babel itself does not actually appear; instead there are several differently-configured 8*8*4 towers (four floors of 8*8 squares each).The Zantorians robots are called the Grabber, the Pusher and the Zapper. Each of these has different abilities. The Grabber can collect Klondikes and operate various devices, the Pusher can push things further away, and the Zapper can destroy things. In a tower, players can be assigned any combination of these robots, depending on the tower's design. In each tower, the player's goal is either to destroy a set number of objects, collect a set number of Klondikes, or both. Towers with Klondikes to collect need the Grabber, but the other robots can sometimes be superfluous, and indeed, the destruction of these robots is sometimes necessary for the completion of a tower.
Everything in the game is viewed in a realistic 3D vector graphics view, but the actual movement in the game is far more contained than in games usually associated with such graphics, only allowing square-by-square movement in rectangular directions and vertical movement using special lifts.
Various devices, sentry mechanisms and autonomous robots also inhabit each tower. Some of these can be used to gain an advantage, while some hinder progress.
Editor
Tower Of Babel also includes a construction kitLevel editor
A level editor is a software tool used to design levels, maps, campaigns, etc and virtual worlds for a video game. In some cases the creator of a video game releases an official level editor for a game, but other times the community of fans step in to fill the void...
where players can design their own towers and save them to disk for later play and distribution. The towers can be password
Password
A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access....
-protected to avoid spoiling them by looking directly at the design.
One feature of the game is the ability to program
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
the robots. Each robot can be given up to eight orders (for example: Forward, Forward, Left, Fire, Right, Forward). In some levels, programming the robots is mandatory, as they need to coordinate their actions in order to solve the level.
Game objects
Block : Can be pushed around but cannot be shot.Converter : Changes laser beams into pushing beams and vice versa.
Exchanger : When activated by the Grabber, switches places with it and vanishes. Deflects laser beams back to their source.
Flag : Does nothing but fly in the wind and get in the way. Its only use is to be destroyed.
Force up/down : When activated by the Grabber, moves all lifts not currently holding something either up or down.
Freezer : When activated by the Grabber, temporarily freezes everything in the tower except the robots and the lifts. Once used, takes several seconds to recharge.
Glass block : Can be pushed around. Shooting at it deflects the laser beam back to its source, destroying whoever shot at it.
Hopper : Hops around in a random fashion. Can be destroyed by shooting it.
Klondike : The robots' energy pack. Can be collected by the Grabber.
Lizard : Constantly moves in a straight line. When changing direction, eats away a floor tile. Cannot be shot.
Mine : When it is pushed next to an object, or an object is pushed next to it, it explodes, destroying everything it touches.
Prism : Deflects laser beams at a 90° angle. Can be pushed.
Pushing cannon : Constantly fires a pushing beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Cannot be shot.
Time bomb : When the timer reaches zero, it explodes, destroying everything it touches. Can be pushed.
Watcher : Moves around in a random fashion. Cannot be shot.
Wiper : When activated by the Grabber, eats away all floor tiles in a cross-shaped pattern with itself at the centre.
Worm : Constantly moves in a straight line. Shooting at it makes it reverse direction. When trapped, can be pushed sideways. Moving worms cannot be pushed.
Zapping cannon : Constantly fires a lethal laser beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Can be destroyed by shooting it.
Legacy
Triogical is a FreewareFreeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
puzzle game for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
inspired by Tower Of Babel.
Due to its unique nature and the easily usable editor the game has acquired a small, but very dedicated community of fans. Thanks to emulation software like WinUAE the game can be played on modern PCs and homemade towers swapped via the Internet. Currently there is one remake in the making.
External links
- Triogical 2D remake
- Tower of Babel Remake Project and info at tower-of-babel.info