In Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition, Warrior was the name given to the main class group consisting of Fighters, Rangers and Paladins. However, the distinction of the main class groups was seldom if ever exploited in subsequent expansions for the game.

In Third Edition, the Warrior as distinct from the Fighter is an non-player character class, described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. It is strictly inferior to the Fighter, but much better at fighting than many non-fighter-type classes. The warrior class is used as a default template when designing fighting characters of races such as orc. However, there's nothing to stop a DM giving his orcs levels of Fighter, Barbarian or Ranger, and indeed, the second of those three is positively encouraged.

Warrior was an old vector arcade game released by Vectorbeam way back in 1978. This title was produced under license from Cinematronics.

Back in the 1970s a few arcade distributors still held on to the exclusivity rules that were a holdover from the older pinball days. Because of this many arcade game manufacturers had several different names. Atari was also Kee and Horror Games. While Sega was also known as Gremlin. Many people think that Vectorbeam and Cinematronics were the same way. But that wasn't how it really worked with them. Vectorbeam was originally an independent company. They had purchased several titles from Cinematronics in the past, but were a totally different company. But in 1978 Cinematronics bought Vectorbeam so they could have their patents. They promptly released Warrior under the Vectorbeam name, and then shut the company down soon after.

The game

Warrior was the first one on one fighting game ever made, although it could have just as easily been about almost anything, if it had been given slightly different graphics. The object of the game is to force your opponent down the staircase and into the pit. This game is two-player only, there is no one-player mode.

This is one of those games that was really challenging given the correct opponent, it had more in common with games like Pong and Tank than it did with Street Fighter 2. There weren't any special moves, just the simple physics of swinging your sword around and trying to force your opponent into one of the pits near the center of the screen.

The graphics are what really made this game. The two swordfighting "Warriors" were done up using vector graphics, and were very detailed, probably more detailed than any other vector games around. The two warriors and the game score was all that the vector hardware had to draw, the ornate colored playfield was projected onto the screen using a plastic overlay and a mirror, which sounds strange, but actually looked awesome.

The Machine

There was only one way to buy this game, and that was in a dedicated cabinet, and only upright versions were available (and this was one heavy game, weighing in at 280 lbs). This particular title had white sides with sticker style sideart of two Knights crossing swords while a sinister castle loomed above them. The marquee, monitor bezel, and control panel all had graphics of swords and energy beams. There were tow joysticks on the control panel, and they were of a very sturdy design, and were probably the only thing on a Warrior machine that wasn't bound to fail in a few years.

The game used a rather complicated display system that included a 19" black and white vector monitor, a half-silvered mirror, and a detailed plastic display of the game background. Those items all came together to make it look like the action was happening directly on the picture of the background, instead of on the monitor itself.

All of the hardware for this game was prone to early failure, even the gameboards were pretty likely to conk out fairly early in life.

Where to play

You can play this title using the MAME emulator, or anyone of several different vector arcade emulators. This title needs a separate "artwork" file in addition to the ROM archive. The artwork file is basically just the background picture, without it your warriors are just fighting on a blank screen, and you won't even be able to see the stairs or the pits.

You may want to add this to your arcade game collection, but I say stay away from this one. Vector games are very problematic. Cinematronics' designed vector titles are even more problematic. Simply put, this is a title that is going to break down on you, a lot, and the repair parts are pretty much non-existant. Low production numbers, combined with a very cool looking cabinet, combined with the fact that this is a vector game, means that this title is very expensive. Once you factor in the problems, it just doesn't make sense to purchase this game.

The MCV-80 Fv 510 "Warrior" is the current armoured infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV) currently in service with the British Army. First introduced in the late 1980s, the Warrior replaced the ageing AFV 432, and nearly all vehicles had been delivered to their armoured infantry battalions by 1995. 789 Warriors were purchased by the Ministry of Defence, with around 500 in service with the Army at one time (to provide a War Maintenance Reserve).

There are seven variants in total, examples being a mechanised recovery version in service with the REME, a combat engineer variant for the Royal Engineers and an artillery command unit with the Royal Artillery. The original replacement date of the Warrior is 2020, although some infantry units have been receiving improved digitised versions, the "Warrior 2000", so that older vehicles can be used in a support role. The creation of a new "Battalion Assault Support Vehicle" would allow support elements such as 81mm mortars to keep pace with the actual fighting vehicles (a major failing in 1991 when old 432s were used for this).

The Warrior's 30mm cannon is capable of firing single rounds, three-round bursts and automatic fire, although the latter is rarely used, to conserve ammunition. This weapon can destroy enemy APCs at up to 1500 meters. The soldiers in the back of the Warrior can also lend their firepower to the battlefield, as hatches behind the turret can open up to allow them to stand.

The British Army has used these AIFVs with success in both Gulf Wars, and battalions have also used them on operational tours in the Balkans in the last decade. The main training ground for the Warrior is Salisbury Plain in England, with at least one armoured infantry battalion stationed in the nearby Winchester base at any one time (presently the Royal Green Jackets).

Kuwait is the only other country to have ordered Warrior Fighting Vehicles, some adapted to a reconnaisance role with a 90mm gun. This order was in the region of 200-250 vehicles.

Specs:

Length: 6.34 meters
Width: 3.0 m
Height (top of turret): 2.78 m
Weight (loaded): 24, 500 kg
Ground clearance: 0.5 m
Max road speed: 75 kph
Road range: 500km
Engine: Rolls Royce CV8 Diesel
Horsepower: 550hp
Crew: 2 (driver and gunner) Passengers: 1 infantry section (8 soldiers - includes section i/c as commander in turret)
Main armament: L21 30mm Rarden cannon
Other armaments: Coaxial EX-34 7.62mm Hughes Helicopter Chain Gun, Smoke Dischargers (Royal Ordnance VIRSS *)
NBC Proof: Yes
Night Vision: Standard

* VIRSS = "Visual and Infra Red Screening Smoke"


Sources:
www.army.mod.uk
"The British Army: a Pocket Guide".

War"rior [OE. werreour, OF. werreour, guerreor, from guerre, werre, war. See War, and Warray.]

A man engaged or experienced in war, or in the military life; a soldier; a champion.

Warriors old with ordered spear and shield. Milton.

Warrior ant Zool., a reddish ant (Formica sanguinea) native of Europe and America. It is one of the species which move in armies to capture and enslave other ants.

 

© Webster 1913.

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