Apocalypse is a futuristic aerial combat game written by Gordon J. Key for the Acorn Archimedes computer. At the end of each mission, the Royal Guild of Spacing would deliver their verdict on your performance. These debriefings were often amusingly sarcastic or hyperbolic, so I decided to resurrect the Guild using JavaScript. During the conversion process, I found and fixed several bugs in the original program. The screenshot was taken using ScreenGrabber and animated using InterGif.
All images, algorithms, and text reproduced on this page are © 1990 The Fourth Dimension. The storyline below is directly from the game's instruction manual.
The time is the future. Computers have evolved so that they are mobile, can think for themselves and can even reproduce. They have become the Rakonans.
The Rakonans have developed to such an extent that they no longer need humans and have set out to establish their own colonies. They took over their first planet some time ago and are now well established. Their first action was to ruthlessly destroy all carbon-based life forms and then mine all the silicon for their reproductive purposes. This leaves the planets flat and barren. Rakonans are not "green".
Once all of this has been acheived the Rakonans multiply and then swarms are despatched to take over further planets. They have been very successful.
All human defences have proved helpless against them so The Royal Guild Of Spacing has hurled all resources into developing the Llanerk. The Llanerk is a kind of flying saucer, driven by a highly advanced black hole type mechanism which is even more powerful than the Rakonan craft. You have been chosen to pilot the Llanerk, an honour indeed, and much is expected of you.
Your task is to "sterilise" all colonised planets, that is to say you must destroy the colonies to the extent whereby the Rakonans can no longer thrive. The Guild will then recolonise the planet with human and other carbon-based life forms.
At the end of each individual mission you will be assessed. You must perform well as the Guild will not tolerate anything but the best.
The ROYAL GUILD OF SPACING
Results of final debriefing
Rakonan Units destroyed
Third sortie : 403
Previous sortie's : 5816
Two Planets encountered
After that appalling performance we conclude that you have as much courage in battle as a Peruvian turnip and that you are condemned to stand for 14 hours beneath a flock of incontinent seagulls.
Overall status : LESS THAN USELESS