Just Call It Antie Maim

It may be hard to imagine an electronic ant colony, but that’s what Maxis’ “SimAnt” tries to be. The concept is inventive and clever. While the gameis not 100% successful, it can be a great deal of fun.

Maxis, maker of the popular “SimEarth” and “SimCity” programs, calls its simulations computer “toys.” Although the programs entail winning or losing, they are not games in the usual senses of the word.

Rather, they are models that you build and manipulate in a practically infinite number of ways.

“SimAnt” is a sophisticated model of a complex society competing for space and resources. As the well written manual points out, ant societies have provided computer scientists with valuable insights in the development of artificial life and intelligence systems.

In “SimAnt,” you play the role of the black ant colony. You are the intelligence of the colony, directing the individual ants as if they are cells of a single, greater being.

Your opponents are nearby red ants and the humans, who own the land and house where you live. You direct the activities of the colony, dividing chores among worker ants, breeders, soldiers and the like. You want to kill the red ants and take over the humans’ domain.

There are three levels of play: the Quick game where you compete against only the red ants; the Full game where you must campaign across the back yard and into the house, and the Experimental game in which you are a human playing with, observing and--if you’re so inclined--obliterating a colony.

“SimAnt” is not easily mastered. There are many variables, and the tutorial program is not much help. We also ran into a pesky glitch when we sent our pointer to the top of the screen. Maxis’ support staff said that could be fixed only by installing a more up-to-date mouse driver.

SimAnt

Rating: ****

IBM & compatibles, Macintosh, Amiga; 640K; mouse highly recommended. List: $59.95.

Computer games are rated on a five-star system, from one star for poor to five for excellent.