Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness

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Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Boxart
Developer(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	PC, Mac OS Blizzard Entertainment (North America) Ubisoft (Europe) Saturn, PlayStation Electronic Arts (North America, Europe) Electronic Arts Victor (Japan)
Designer(s)	Ron Millar
Platform(s)	MS-DOS, Linux, AmigaOS 4, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	PC, Mac OS NA December 9, 1995 EU 1996 Saturn, PlayStation NA August 31, 1997 EU August 31, 1997 JP November 27, 1997
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T OFLC: G8+ ELSPA: 15+
Media	CD-ROM
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse, gamepad,

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is the sequel to the popular real-time strategy game Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in December of 1995. Users play as either orcs or humans in a fantasy medieval world full of swords and sorcery.

The game was originally written for MS-DOS; there was also a Mac OS version of the game. Blizzard also released an expansion pack, developed by Cyberlore Studios, known as Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal on April 30, 1996. Blizzard released Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness for Microsoft Windows, combined with its expansion, in 1999, under the name Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition. Changes made for this release included multiplayer support via Blizzard's online gaming service, Battle.net. There is also a sequel to this, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, released in July 2002. The game has a linear single-player campaign for each side, and a multiplayer option via a LAN or the Internet, using existing or user-created maps. According to the README.TXT file included alongside the Warcraft II demo version, the graphics are pre-rendered 3D models.

Contents 1 Publication 2 Gameplay 2.1 Modes 2.2 Economy and power 2.3 Story 2.4 Units and structures 2.5 Buildings 3 Reception 4 Utilities, modifications, and conversions 5 Special features 6 Online play 7 Ports 8 References 8.1 Bibliography 9 External links

[edit] Publication

Blizzard Entertainment developed Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness ("WC II"), and released the MS-DOS version in 1995 and the Macintosh version in August 1996.^[1] This was a real-time strategy computer game in a fantasy medieval universe, in which the invading Orcs and their allies fought the Human and their allied. Both sides used melee, ranged, mounted, siege units and spellcaster units.^{[citation needed]} In addition to separate campaigns for the Humans and Orc gamers, the DOS version provided multiplayer games by null modem cable, modem or IPX for DOS gamers, and Mac gamers could also play via TCP/IP or AppleTalk.^[2] The game's map editor allows gamers to develop scenarios for use in multiplayer contests and in single-player against the AI.^[3] The map editor ran under the Mac and also under either Windows 95 or, if the WinG library was installed, under Windows 3.^[4]

In 1996 Blizzard published a expansion pack, Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal,^[5] in which both sides have additional heroes, with similar types of skills as the normal units but much greater power. To take advantage of the heroes, the expansion provided additional campaigns for the Human and Orc sides.^{[citation needed]}

A year later, Blizzard released for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn Warcraft II: The Dark Saga, which combined the campaigns of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. The Dark Saga also allowed gamers to automate upgrade buildings and production of units, and to select more troops at once, facilities that were not extended to the DOS and Mac versions.^[6]

In 2001 Blizzard published the Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition, which combined the original game and the expansion pack, retained the Macintosh facilities and replaced the DOS version with a Windows version that included play by TCP/IP, and provided Blizzard's online service, Battle.net, for multiplayer games.^[7] The Battle.net Edition also added number of groups of units,^[8] and bookmarking locations in the map.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Modes

Warcraft II allows gamers to play again AI opponents in separate campaigns for Humans and Orcs sides. It also provided scenarios, files that self-contained battle grounds, in which gamers could play against the AI or in multiplayer contests agaist up to seven other gamers. In addition to scenarios created by Blizzard, gamers can developed their by using the map editor.^[4]

While most of the campaign missions were of the "collect resources, build bulds and units, destroy opponents" pattern, some had other objectives, such as rescuing troops or forts, or escorting important character through enemy territory.^[6]

[edit] Economy and power

Warcraft II requires players to collect resources, and to produce buildings and units in order to defeat an opponent in combat. The Human Town Hall and Orc Great Hall produce non-combatant builders that collect resources and deliver them to the Town Hall / Great Hall. Both buildings can be upgrades twice, required increasing cost in the upgrades but provides increasing productivity in processing resources.^[9][10] Builders dig gold from mines and chop wood from the forests.^[11][12] As both are limited resources which become exhausted during the game, gamers must collect them efficiently, and must also retain forests as defensive walls in the early game when combat forces are small.^{[citation needed]} Builders of both sides can construction Shipyards, which can produce both combat ships and Oil Tankers, which build construction offshore Oil Platforms and then deliver the oil to buildings on the shoreline. Both sides can increase the productivity of oil processing by constructing Oil Refineries on the shoreline.^[9][10]

Humans and Orcs have sets of buildings with similar functions, but different names and graphics, for producing ground, naval, air and spellcaster units. All but the basic ground units require the assistance of other buildings, or must be produced at buildings that have prerequisite buildings, or both.^{[9][10][13][14]} Many of the buildings can upgrade combat units.^[6]

The most advanced buildings produce spell-casters and their spells, and are different for the two races.^[15] The Town Hall stores resources and produces units that collect resources and construct buildings. Each Farm provides food for up to four units, and additional units cannot be produced until enough Farms are built.^[16][17]

The Barracks produces all combat units, including melee, ranged, mounted, and siege units. However all except the most basic also need assistance from other buildings,^[16] some of which can also upgrade units.^[18] In additionally both Orcs and Human have unique spellcasters, which are trained in advanced buildings unique to each species, and which can be constructed only with assistance from other buildings.^{[16][17][19][20]}

Warcraft supports four spell-casting units, each with a different kind of magic. The Human Cleric and Orc Necrolyte can both defend themselves by magic and also see distant parts of the territory for short periods.^[21][22] The Cleric's other spells are protective, healing the injured and making himself invisible,^[21] while the Necrolyte raises skeletons as troops and can make other units temporarily invulnerable, at the cost of severely damaging them when the spell dissipates.^[22] The Human Conjurer and Orc Warlock have energy blasts, wider-range destruction spells and ability to summon small, venomous monsters. The Conjurer can summon a water element, while the Warlock can summon a demonic melee unit.^[21][22]

[edit] Story

The game is set six years after the fall of Azeroth (the orc campaign ending from Warcraft: Orcs & Humans) in the First War. The Orcs decide to conquer the northern lands and acquire Lordaeron for their empire. The battles that follow will later be known as the Second War.

The Orcish Horde stages a renewed invasion against the Humans. The survivors of Azeroth have fled to Lordaeron and the remaining Human nations band together into the Alliance to withstand the Horde. They are joined by the High Elves of Quel'thalas and the Dwarves of Khaz Modan. The Alliance repels an assault on the southern shores of Lordaeron but comes under siege in Quel'thalas and Khaz Modan. Gradually, the Alliance armies repel the Horde. They face treachery from the Nation of Alterac, which had started working with the Horde when the invasion began.

The Horde itself has become divided when Gul'dan splits off from his Stormreaver clan. Together with Cho'gall and his Twilight's Hammer clan, he searches for the Tomb of Sargeras. Orgrim Doomhammer, Warchief of the Horde, needs to dispatch some of his forces to deal with Gul'dan, weakening the Horde's front.

Eventually, the armies of the Alliance press into Azeroth and lay waste to the Orcish main base at Blackrock Spire, a battle in which the Alliance loses Lord Anduin Lothar, their military commander. The final battle is fought at the Dark Portal, the gateway between Azeroth and the Orcish homeworld (named Draenor or "Exile's Refuge" by the Draenei). The Archmage Khadgar destroys the portal but does not seal the rift between the two worlds. This enables Ner'zhul to stage a new invasion in the expansion pack Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. The Orcs that had not fled to Draenor through the portal before its destruction are either killed or rounded up in internment camps. Orgrim Doomhammer, the leader of the Orcish Horde, is taken prisoner and escorted to Lordaeron.

[edit] Units and structures

Like Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, most of the game's units on the two sides are immediate counterparts to each other. For example, the basic fighting units, the Human Footman and the Orc Grunt, share the same statistics, as do the Elven Archer/Ranger and Troll Axethrower/Berserker. The armies are balanced by their similarity; the only real differences can be found in the spells used by some higher-level units. The number of units has been increased, and the units themselves have more elaborate abilities.

Naval combat was first introduced into the Warcraft series. Again, similar naval units for both sides have equal capabilities and statistics; only their name and graphic design are different. There are transports, oil tankers and attacking ships, such as the destroyer and battleship (the Orcs have their counterpart ships, too).

As an aesthetic change, both sides are allied with three minor races. Humans allied with Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes while Orcs allied with Ogres, Trolls and Goblins.

Some campaign missions feature hero units. Hero units have heightened statistics compared to their normal counterparts, cause mission failure when killed, and each have a unique picture and name.

Playable heroes in the Tides of Darkness campaigns include Uther the Lightbringer, a paladin, Zul'jin, an axethrower, and Cho’gall, an ogre mage. Non-playable characters in the campaigns are Sir Lothar, a knight, and Gul'dan, a death knight. In Beyond the Dark Portal, hero units are considerably more powerful than normal troops and play a greater part in the completion of missions.

One notable flaw of the game balance was the orcish Bloodlust spell^{[citation needed]}. It doubled attacking capabilities of the enchanted units, so many^[who?] players would deem Orcs much better race to play in multiplayer^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Buildings

The player's base is constructed by the side's worker unit. The Peasant or Peon harvests lumber and gold to construct the buildings that are the foundation of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness' technology tree, with new buildings enabling players to build new units and research new attributes. The buildings are again balanced by similarity; every building in one army has a counterpart in the other army.

The basic main structure is the town hall, without which other worker units may not be built. Gold (from any available Gold Mine) and lumber (from the forested areas) can be returned here to add to the player's stockpile. The town hall buildings can be upgraded to make more advanced structures available and increase the gold income. A lumber mill can also act as a local collection facility for wood. One important difference between Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft:Orcs and Humans is that buildings no longer need to be placed next to a road, but rather on any usable area in the game map. This allows players a greater degree of freedom when creating their home base and defensive structures. In multiplayer mode, the new game also allows for the creation of walls.

Other buildings are used to train units, upgrade units or make available more advanced units or town hall upgrades. A third resource, oil, is collected in the sea and is vital to building a navy. Oil tankers can build the oil platform and transport the oil back to the shipyard or refinery.

[edit] Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	95%[23]
MobyGames	79%[24]
Review scores
Publication	Score
Game Revolution	91%[25]
GameSpot	93% (Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness)[26]
IGN	no ratig[27]
PC Gamer US	96%[24]
EW.com	A[28]
The Adrenaline Vault	91[29][24]
Gamezilla	89

Ron Dulin thought Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness added depth and features to the pattern established by Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, and appreciated the improved AI, ability to selected up nine units rather than the limit of four in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. He also enjoyed the SVGA graphics and martial soundtrack.^[26][27]

Fog of war forced players to scouts about continously, especially around their own camps – an innovation in 1996.^[26][27]

"beautifully rendered graphics, clever character animations, and whimsical sound effects".^[28]

Lots of personality:^[30] units responsed amusingly when repeated clicked;^[26] and many of the individual quips was memorable.^[27][30]

Balance strongly favored Orcs with their Bloodlust spell.^[30][31]

Dulin found the original campaigns were rather short, but the scenario builder and multiplayer options were ample compensation.^[26]

"Weather also comes into play in Warcraft 2 as the seasons change from spring to summer, fall and winter. While this doesn't seem to have a direct effect on your units, only a fool wouldn't take account of the weather in battle, as your units can walk on the ice that forms during the winter months. Warcraft 2 demands that you be not only resourceful and cunning, but that you be able to manage your resources as well. Gold mines and oil wells don't last forever so you must budget what you build and take into account your use of such things. So, let's get down to how Warcraft 2 measures up"^[29]

Early missions easy, last ones challenged gamers to build up their froces and techologies, often times multiple opponents.^[27]

Searching for the last surving of a defeated opponent.^[27]

Map editor became custom scenarios common^[27] – in addition to the many ones provided with the game.^[30]

Multiplayer sames common - with help of Kali for building IPX networks,^[27] as most gamers did not have Web connections in 1995–1996.^[30]

Won most of the awards, and sold millions of copies.^[27]

Gamers still playing in 2002, on DOS or using the Battle.net edition.^[27]

WarCraft Adventures RGP canceled.^[27]

[edit] Utilities, modifications, and conversions

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness was an unusual game for the time because a large number of third-party utilities were written for it. Among the first things, Daniel Lemberg reverse-engineered the Warcraft II map file (*.pud) format and created the first third-party map editor, War2xEd, which could do numerous things the bundled map editor could not do, such as editing unit attributes. Although Lemberg did not make the source code for War2xEd public, he did publish the complete Warcraft II map file format, which led to a wealth of new tools, including a Macintosh version of the tool called PudMaster. More importantly, Blizzard began to use War2xEd internally, and it influenced them to bundle a feature-rich editor with their immensely popular game StarCraft, which was released later, in 1998.

The next important breakthrough came when Alexander Cech and Lemberg broke the encryption used in the base game data files. Cech went on to create a program called Wardraft, which allowed users to browse and modify the contents of the game data files, allowing comprehensive modifications. The spawn of extensive alterations became known as "Total Conversions", and a great many projects were in motion for a good long while.

Another important revolution was the introduction of a completely new engine called Stratagus. Instead of using the engine and modifying the images/animations/sounds that the engine uses, Stratagus is a completely re-written version of the Warcraft II gaming engine. (Wargus uses the original War2 units/sounds but it uses Stratagus instead of the Warcraft 2 engine.) Thus, writing a completely different game became possible and that game lives on today as Bos Wars (Battle of Survival). Stratagus and Wargus are no longer developed (although Wargus is essentially complete.) The developers have instead put their efforts into completing BOS.

[edit] Special features

• Humorous unit quotations are a feature of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, following the tradition of the original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. If a single unit is clicked on several times in a row, his or her voice samples change from regular to longer, emotional ones. He or she may start getting angry at the player, or quote lines in reference to movies or games. For example, a footman would say, "don't you have a kingdom to run?" or "are you still touching me?" These phrases differed in the game's demo for the Footman and Grunt units, and were mostly indignations to purchase the full version. In a pre-release version sent to magazines for reviews, these quotations included samples like "I love your publication!" or "Remember: A good review... for Warcraft 2."^[32]

• Clicking on a non-playable critter such as a sheep enough times causes it to blow up.

• If the disk for Beyond the Dark Portal or the original demo is inserted into a CD player, the orchestrated music from the game can be played. In addition, there is a bonus 13th track called "I'm a Medieval Man" which features remixed sound bites from the first game. The track is also available in-game by typing "disco" as a cheat. (This however gives you the status cheater when you finish that mission.) "Medieval Man" is also a cheat code in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness to play the song as background music or in StarCraft to obtain all unit upgrades for free. Also, in StarCraft, if one clicks on an observer while playing as the Protoss, a clip of the song will be played.

• The script that was used in the book positioned in the background screen while the player was informed about mission objectives is the Cyrillic alphabet, but the language in which it is written is English. The text contains a small section of a game story text, mentioning how the Orcish hordes entered the forests of Lordaeron.

• The soundtrack by Glenn Stafford has been released in MP3 format by Blizzard.^[33]

[edit] Online play

Although Warcraft II Battle.net Edition wasn't released until 1999, online play was widespread from the game's release using IPX Emulators such as Kali. Warcraft II (along with Command & Conquer) was one of the first real-time strategy games to be played widely online, and spawned several leagues, including the International Warcraft League (IWL) and singles and teams ladders on Case's Ladder.

The Mac release allowed multiplayer games over TCP/IP. The IRC channel MacWarCraft served as a gathering place for online play, before Battle.net was created (Bfitz was known to play within Irc, also known as Brian Fitzgerald of Blizzard). The AOWL (America Online Warcraft League) was a popular league created by the Macintosh AOL community, it provided a ranking system and helped players find opponents. Another league was later developed called MaG (short for Macintosh Gaming League) that further expanded the competitive network of Mac gaming to include Warcraft II and other games. As for online play today, competitive online play still exists on an independent player run server.

[edit] Ports

Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal were released together for Sega Saturn and PlayStation under the title Warcraft II: The Dark Saga in 1997 by Electronic Arts.

There was also a reverse engineered free software game engine called Freecraft, which allowed users to import the actual game data from Warcraft II and play the game on different platforms and with additional features like queuing unit production, finding idle workers, an improved AI and network connectivity for up to 16 players. In addition to being compatible with Warcraft II, it could also be used with a set of artwork and scenarios made by the Freecraft Media Project (FcMP). Although the actual Freecraft program and FcMP used no art or code from Warcraft II, the project received a threatening cease-and-desist letter from Blizzard, apparently due to similarity to the Warcraft trademarks. Not willing to fight Blizzard, the maintainers canceled the whole project, later rekindling it under the name of Stratagus. By using this game engine through Wargus, the game is also playable on BSD, Linux, Mac OS X, AmigaOS 4 and MorphOS.

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Djordjevich, R., ed (1999). Warcraft II - Battle.net Edition. Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom: Blizzard Entertainment. 

[edit] External links

• Warcraft II Battle.net Edition Home
• Warcraft II Strategy
• Warcraft II on WoWWiki, a Warcraft wiki

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