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Type of play is also varied. The traditional "Deathmatch" free-for-all is available, of course, but pales to the "Capture the Flag" mode. Here, skill and craftiness is needed to slip out with the flag rather than just shooting an opponent who'll just re-spawn and come back at you in seconds. The third option is "Team Play" and may be the most interesting. Strategy and tactics are at a premium here; players must have a plan and the wherewithal to execute it without being Rambos. The patch encourages team play as many vehicles allow for more than one occupant. Thus, a plane has a pilot and a gunner and a zeppelin can carry an entire team for parachuting behind the foe. Run out of ammo? Slip into that AA gun and provide cover for your buddies.
Fig. 8. AA and a 2 player crew bomber tangleNo multi-player technical option is overlooked. Players can play by LAN (IPX), TCP/IP (Internet) or through the Gamespy gaming site. The first two are free, of course, and the Gamespy connection is available, avoiding the $20 life-time fee. TCP/IP play can be done into ways. If the IP address of a running game is already known, the address can be entered at the log-in screen. Alternatively, the "Join Game" option at the Multi-player screen allows for scanning all band-widths for the game. Opponents are already out there. As CombatSim's Editoral Manager was blasting your humble scrivener repeatedly in a TCP/IP game, two other players showed up and joined the melee.
Conclusion
Fig. 9. Capture the Flag - Try and take it!
Codename Eagle has warts that prevent it from being a great game. The curious mouse/keyboard movement requires a high degree of hand-eye coordination. Red can only walk or run; not crouch, creep or crawl. Vehicle movement is crude. The key concept is "fun" however. Action gamers should flock to this game while "serious" gamers should kick back and just enjoy.
