Bolo (1987 video game)

Bolo is a video game initially created for the BBC Micro computer by Stuart Cheshire in 1987, and was later ported by Cheshire to the Apple Macintosh. Although offered for sale for the BBC Micro, this version is now regarded as lost. It is a networked multiplayer game that simulates a tank battlefield. Currently, a Windows version known as Winbolo remains in operation and continues to have a small but active player base.

Name

According to the Bolo Frequently Asked Questions page: "Bolo is the Hindi word for communication. Bolo is about computers communicating on the network, and more importantly about humans communicating with each other, as they argue, negotiate, form alliances, agree strategies, etc."

Another tank game with the same name was created for the Apple II in 1982. In the user manual, Cheshire wrote that this was "an unfortunate coincidence".

Bolo is also the name for a class of self-aware tanks in a series of stories initially published in 1960 by science fiction writer Keith Laumer.

Description

File:Pillwar.png

Screenshot from the game

Networking

The Macintosh version of Bolo supported up to sixteen concurrent networked players, using AppleTalk over a Local Area Network, or UDP over the Internet. All AppleTalk network connection types were supported, including LocalTalk, EtherTalk, TokenTalk, and AppleTalk Remote Access. The current Windows version continues to support 16 players, who join via an active games page or the game's Discord channel.

Further reading

• Andrew Wilson and Stephen Intille, "Programming a Bolo Robot: Recognizing Actions By Example", MIT Media Lab Fall 1995 - this paper describes using Bolo as a system for developing a programming by example system.
• Silberman, S. (1995). O Bolo Mio. NetGuide Magazine, May issue. Archived from on 5 June 2020.

External links

• Bolo home page
• Stuart Cheshire, the author of Bolo
• Winbolo game download page
• Winbolo player hub website