Computer game M1 Tank Platoon

The computer game “M1 Tank Platoon” was released in 1989 for the Atari ST and MS-DOS PCs and in 1990 for the Amiga. The tactical simulation by MicroProse recreated one of the core scenarios of the Cold War: US tanks are to fend off an attack by the Soviet Union in West Germany. The game cost around 130 marks in West Germany, was released on diskette and could be played with a keyboard, mouse or joystick. A keynote overlay was included for the keyboard functions and a 200-page manual which, in addition to explaining the game mechanics, also contained a crash course in tank tactics: “With this simulation, you can test the current doctrine or design your own tactics and theories to see what happens in the heat of battle.” (Quote from the German manual, p. 3)

The game begins with firing training, after which various missions can be played, in which there were two linked game variants: The players could command four US M1 battle tanks on an overview map as platoon leaders and also request infantry, artillery and air support. M1 Tank Platoon was thus one of the first tank strategy games to incorporate the concept of combined arms combat.

The individual tanks of the platoon could also be operated from the first-person perspective of the crew. The different positions in the tank (gunner, driver and commander were playable) placed different demands on the players. A 3D view of the tanks in the field from the outside was also possible.

A special feature of the game was that the commanded tank crews received experience points after completing a mission. With the distribution of promotions and awards, the game characteristics of the respective crew member improved. If the crew members had different amounts of experience points, this could affect the tank’s operational capability in the mission: A slow loader could stop a faster gunner. The awarding of experience points also increased the players’ motivation to use the tank crews more carefully and keep them alive. If the crew was killed in the game, it was again necessary to start from the beginning with an “inexperienced” crew.

In contrast to the real war scenarios of the Cold War in the North German Plain, the game did not contain any nuclear components and stuck to conventional tank battles.

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(short) stories from the depot

Unfortunately, many objects cannot currently be shown in the exhibition for conservation reasons. Here you will find unusual objects and exciting stories of special pieces from the depot