The first four work perfectly, the fifth one looks nicer but exhibits odd behavior. They are high-res EGA monochrome, Hercules, low-res EGA color, CGA, and high-res EGA color. So I made a setup tool that lets the user select one of five graphics modes.
The bug seems to be tied to the graphics mode. The various geopolitical maps generally don't work some countries will never be shaded when they should, which harms gameplay. Instead of highlighting Argentina, the engine will highlight the entire ocean. An easy one to reproduce is to start a game, click on the South America menu, and choose Argentina. The version that you have has some bugs in it. As far as I know, there aren't any abandonware sites with any versions of BOP for DOS that work correctly.
I've put together an improved package for Balance of Power (1985 DOS version) that adds graphic options and fixes some gameplay-affecting bugs. International cold war politics at its best!Ī retrogamer provided a fixed version of the DOS game: The game, not surprisingly, attracted many non-gamers to the field and inspired countless books on the subject. You must use diplomacy, make treaties, issue risky, covert CIA or KGB actions, or riskier, direct military intervention to prop up 3rd world countries or help their insurgents and win them to your governmental philosophy: Capitalism or Communism.
When he first released this seminal game in 1984, Crawford single-handedly established the political simulation genre and left a lasting legacy on how to design good diplomatic models in a game that gives a nod to reality. Balance of Power is among the first political simulation that emphasizes diplomacy and politics over outright aggression.