- Platform
- DOS
- Release Year
- 1988
- Publisher
- Electronic Arts
- Developer
- Interplay Interactive
By 1998, distrust between the United States on one side, and the Soviet Union on the other side grew to an all-time high. The US had recently launched a space station called "Citadel Starstation", which the Soviets claimed was nothing but a military base in space. A number of neutral countries took note of this allegation, causing most of South America and Africa to take the side of the United States, with the majority of the remaining nations siding with the Soviet Union.
Then, as tensions continued to rise, Citadel broadcast an SOS signal. The reason behind it never was discovered, as shortly after all satellites orbiting the earth failed, causing military on both sides to be completely in the dark. With both sides assuming the enemy was behind it, nuclear missiles were launched, covering most of the planet in nuclear fall-out.
A few spots remained untouched, one of which was a patch of desert where the United States Army Rangers was building bridges. The engineers managed to occupy a nearby prison, and survived there, growing their numbers with reputable groups of local survivalists. Thus, Ranger Center was born.
As time passed, the inhabitants of Ranger Center came to realize they were not the only survivors of the war, and were determined to help other communities. This led to the creation of the Desert Rangers.
You take command of a squad of four rangers, and are tasked to investigate disturbances in the desert to the west of Ranger Center. You will focus on the town of Highpool, the nearby Agricultural center, and the Rail Nomad's camp. You start off with 4 rangers, but along your journey can add or dismiss members of the team.
You can either accept the default team suggested by the game, or hand-pick your own team. Each member will have a specific set of abilities and skills, and ensuring you have a well-rounded team means you will find it easier to navigate certain challenges in the world. As an example, you will at some point encounter a cave, which is riddled with rubble and rocks. You will need a team member with the ability to climb in order to move past the rocks.
As your team progresses through the world, they will gain experience, which will allow you to improve their stats and/or skills. You will also come across numerous items, some of which will be vital for game progression, while others are consumables, weapons, or utilities.
Can you ensure the team survives, and help figure out what's going on?
During the game, you might come across references to a "Paragraphs". These are/were included in the manual, and will tell part of the storyline. I'm assuming this was done in order to have the final game be smaller. The Steam version of Wasteland unfortunately does not include the manual or the book of paragraphs, but you will ind them attached here.
Then, as tensions continued to rise, Citadel broadcast an SOS signal. The reason behind it never was discovered, as shortly after all satellites orbiting the earth failed, causing military on both sides to be completely in the dark. With both sides assuming the enemy was behind it, nuclear missiles were launched, covering most of the planet in nuclear fall-out.
A few spots remained untouched, one of which was a patch of desert where the United States Army Rangers was building bridges. The engineers managed to occupy a nearby prison, and survived there, growing their numbers with reputable groups of local survivalists. Thus, Ranger Center was born.
As time passed, the inhabitants of Ranger Center came to realize they were not the only survivors of the war, and were determined to help other communities. This led to the creation of the Desert Rangers.
You take command of a squad of four rangers, and are tasked to investigate disturbances in the desert to the west of Ranger Center. You will focus on the town of Highpool, the nearby Agricultural center, and the Rail Nomad's camp. You start off with 4 rangers, but along your journey can add or dismiss members of the team.
You can either accept the default team suggested by the game, or hand-pick your own team. Each member will have a specific set of abilities and skills, and ensuring you have a well-rounded team means you will find it easier to navigate certain challenges in the world. As an example, you will at some point encounter a cave, which is riddled with rubble and rocks. You will need a team member with the ability to climb in order to move past the rocks.
As your team progresses through the world, they will gain experience, which will allow you to improve their stats and/or skills. You will also come across numerous items, some of which will be vital for game progression, while others are consumables, weapons, or utilities.
Can you ensure the team survives, and help figure out what's going on?
During the game, you might come across references to a "Paragraphs". These are/were included in the manual, and will tell part of the storyline. I'm assuming this was done in order to have the final game be smaller. The Steam version of Wasteland unfortunately does not include the manual or the book of paragraphs, but you will ind them attached here.