World in Conflict

World in Conflict
Developer(s)	Massive Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sierra Entertainment
Designer(s)	Magnus Jansén
Engine	Masstech Game Engine
Platform(s)	Windows, Xbox 360
Release	September 18, 2007 September 20, 2007 September 21, 2007 October 15, 2007 Q4, 2007
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

World in Conflict is a real-time tactical video game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment for Windows and the Xbox 360. The game was released in North America on 18 September, and was released on 20 September in Australia and New Zealand, and was released in Europe on the 21 September[1], and will be released on the 15th of October for Taiwan [2]and the fourth quarter for mainland China. The lateness in Taiwan and mainland China is mainly due to game translation issues.

The game is set in 1989 where economic troubles cripple the Soviet Union and threaten to dissolve it. However, the title pursues a "what if" scenario where the Soviet Union does not collapse and instead pursues a course of war to remain in power.

The game will be played in the 2007 Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) World Tour.

Generally considered a real-time strategy (RTS) game, World in Conflict includes gameplay typical of real-time tactical (RTT) games. Nicklas Cederstrom, one of the designers of the game, stated that internally, World in Conflict is considered an RTT. Some strategy gamers also believe the game was incorrectly categorized as being in the RTS genre.

Gameplay

File:WIC screenshot.jpg

An in-game screenshot showing a tactical nuclear explosion.

World in Conflict does not offer base-building or resource gathering. Instead, players will be given a pre-determined amount of in-game reinforcement points to buy units with. When a unit is destroyed, the points used to purchase it are slowly filtered back to the player: thus reinforcements can be summoned to the fray. This type of gameplay is similar to most real-time tactics (RTT) games, such as Ground Control—another real-time tactics game by Massive Entertainment, sometimes considered World in Conflict's spiritual predecessor. Because of this gameplay, World in Conflict is a real-time tactical (RTT) game, though it is usually incorrectly called real-time strategy. Nicklas Cederstrom, one of the designers of the game, stated that the developers term World in Conflict as an RTT, rather than RTS.

Features

Factions

World in Conflict will contain three main factions: USA, Soviet Union & NATO. The three will all be playable on Multiplayer games. However the Soviet Union will not be playable for the single-player campaign, as the campaign is based on the USA and NATO points of views. The USA and NATO are allies thus they can't fight against each other, they can only fight the Soviet Union on multiplayer games.

Interface

File:NATO Troops with game interface.jpg

Screenshot of NATO troops and World in Conflict game interface.

The game interface for World in Conflict is smaller compared with other strategy games. There is no framing in the game, so the interface is dramatically reduced especially at the bottom middle. The middle is replaced with a list of units, the top right hand corner is the expandable reinforcement procurement list. The bottom left hand corner is the mini map, while the bottom right hand corner is the special abilities buttons (including unit formation). Overall the smaller interface allows players to have a bigger view of the battlefield, allowing them to micromanage more easily than on other strategy games. Players can also chat with other people in the game, or outside the game as there is a messaging system which can be used to chat with your friends outside the game a player is currently in.

World in Conflict features a fully rotational 360 degree camera. The player uses the WASD keys to move the camera around the map, while clicking and holding the mouse wheel is used to look around from a fixed position, players can move the camera as far down as close to the units on the ground.

Roles

Another feature is a system where the player may choose a one of four roles in battle: infantry, air, support or armor. Each role has its own exclusive units, which aren't available for purchase from other roles. The basic units of the roles can be purchased by everyone but are more expensive for players with a different role.

• Infantry - players have access to specialized infantry squads and light transport vehicles.
• Armor - light, medium, heavy grades of tanks as well as APCs and amphibious troop carriers.
• Air - consists entirely of helicopters suited for different purposes including scout, transport, medium attack helicopters and heavy attack helicopters.
• Support - players have access to repair tank, light transport (doubles as light repair vehicle), medium and heavy anti-aircraft, and artillery units.

Units

Units in World in Conflict have various special features. Most units have special offensive abilities which recharge after use. Examples include infantry with grenade launcher attack, medium tanks with fragmentation shells, heavy tanks with HEAT shells, medium attack helicopters with anti-aircraft missiles, heavy attack helicopters with anti-tank missiles, medium artillery with white phosphorus shells, and heavy artillery with smoke screen shells. In addition, most units also have a defensive ability, e.g. infantry capable of sprinting, tanks with smoke screens, and helicopters with countermeasures. Some defensive abilities, such as smoke screens, affect the player both positively and negatively, allowing a unit to remain hidden but at the same time also clouding its own view.

Tactical aids

Carpet bombing, one of the more expensive tactical aids.

World in Conflict uses a tactical aid system similar to that of Command & Conquer: Generals. Tactical aids allow the player to perform special actions such as calling in airstrikes, deploying paratroopers, carpet bombing, or ordering the launch of a nuclear missile. Tactical aids are available once the player has gained enough tactical aid points, which are accumulated through action on the battlefield, such as destroying enemy units, capturing command points, or building small defenses at command points. There are three types of tactical aids – non-destructive, destructive and indiscriminate. Each type contains five aids, which vary in effectiveness. The more effective the aid, the more points it costs to deploy. In order to balance the game, however, Massive Entertainment have stated that nuclear weapons are only of tactical size and will be very hard to acquire more than once in a single game. Other tactical aids include artillery barrages, additional units, and various forms of air support. In multiplayer games, teammates are able to pool their tactical aid points to a specific player in order to purchase expensive aids.

Modes

Single player campaign

The single player campaign, owing to inspiration from Call of Duty and Medal of Honor (see the 'Influences' section below), will give the player the role of an officer of some importance, in charge of some units, while the AI handles the majority of action on the battlefield. This contrasts the approach of most RTT titles, in which the player is in charge of whole armies and thus responsible for most of the action on the battlefield. The player will experience many different locations from various parts of the United States then to Soviet-occupied Europe then Russia and then back to the United States for the grand finale.

The storyline ultimately forces the player to not have the same reinforcements as the skirmish mode or the multiplayer mode. The campaigns limit what the player can order and where they can deploy. The Single-player campaign is narrated by the famous actor Alec Baldwin. The AI in the campaigns can be said to be not as intelligent as the skirmish mode as their locations and moves are quite predictable. The Friendly AI often gives out lots of hints and tips, this can sometimes make the game too easy while it can also help the struggling player. The campaign can be played on Easy, Normal and Hard. At the conclusion of a mission in the campaign, a small screen will show if the player were awarded any combat medals, ribbons, badges due to the performance in the mission.

Skirmish mode

In the skirmish mode, players can add up to 15 bots to play against. The player can choose the time limit from as short as a 5 minute round to a 40 minute round. The bots can be in various modes including:

• No Bots - Player vs Player (LAN)
• Player(s) VS Bot mode -player(s) vs Bots
• Auto even teams mode - teams of players and bots are even
• Advanced mode - where the player picks how intelligent a bot is and what roles the bots pick.

If a player plays with a total of 4 or less players, they can select the few player mode which gives players around 18000 reinforcement points. The few player mode doesn't allow the player to select one out of the four roles (armor, air, support, infantry) but rather all of them are available and units from each role will be at the same cheap reinforcement price the player would incur if they selected that specific role in a multiplayer game. AI in the skirmish mode is quite intelligent, using different techniques for different game types and uses combined forces meaning that they use a variety of forces together, so there are little or no weaknesses. The bots are good at adaptations, and react well to changing situations on the battlefield. They are also quite good at using tactical aids and place the tactical aids well, which can aid struggling players. Bots will try to obey commands given by the player by replying on screen. There are various modes of skirmish mode including Advanced mode, player vs bot mode and even balanced.

Multiplayer

A large skirmish battle.

The multiplayer for World in Conflict will feature differently from the common RTT games, the player can enter the game any time they wish at the beginning, middle or the near the end of the game. It will feature up to sixteen-player games. The game will feature clans which players can create or can be invited to. World in Conflict uses the Massgate system, which is derived from Ground Control. The game developers have further customised the system to make things easier for players. Clans feature ranks of Grunts, Officers and the Clan Leader. Players can customise their online account such as changing display pictures, allowing people to view their account. Online accounts are based on the Battlefield 2 accounts which feature ranks, medals and badges. Clans can also have tournaments against each other. There are various achievement records that a player can obtain by playing well. Awards show how well the player did in a match, how well you did in that multiplayer mode etc. Rankings show how a player ranks compared to other players, while medals show the player's achievements, they are similar to awards but easier to obtain. Badges also show the player's achievements but are easier to obtain than awards and medals. They are all separated by bronze, silver and gold and honor stars counting as extra rewards. Friend lists and acquaintances will also be included to make finding other players easier. There is also a search tool which allows players to search for clans and players. Leaderboards are also available listing the rankings of clans, players.

Plot

The player controls the game's silent protagonist Lieutenant Parker. He is a World War 3 veteran from Europe and at the beginning of the game is stationed in Seattle.

The Cold War - The end of World War II brought with it the hope of a new world order, where global conflicts dissolved and the wartimer alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States would usher in a lasting peace. But over time their divergences became critically evident, and it was obvious that the two could not exist side by side. The Cold War was on.

The Cold War was a time of tense conflict. With an Iron Curtain across Europe, the Berlin Wall separating the Capitalist west from the Communist East, the two sides regarded each other with caution and contempt. Concerned of attacks from one another, both the United States and the Soviet Union spent untold trillions on development of both conventional and nuclear defenses they silently hoped would never need be used. They poured every effort into strengthening their own image, always trying to outmatch and outsmart the other in every way possible, resulting in a variety of endeavors in espionage and science including a full-blown space race to the moon.

The Soviet Attack - As the 1980s drew to a close, the Soviet Union found itself bankrupt, disorganized and unable to keep up with the United States in the Cold War arms race. Adding to this bubbling cauldron, Presidnet Reagan's US Strategic Defense Initiative, or "Star Wars" project, was threatening to significantly upset the delicate balance of mutual deterrence. Funds required for upgrading the Soviet nuclear arsenal and conventional forces were rapidly becoming scarece within the communist state. This led to increasing cuts in the civilian sector, which in turn caused widespread famines and supply shortages. As a last resort, the Soviet Politburo devised to blackmail Western Europe. They demanded from Europe the aid they needed, or they would invade and take for themselves.

The Western Alliance initially viewed the Politburo's threats as a bluff and attempted to orchestrate an end to the crisis through diplomatic channels. However, though the West's fevered rhetoric, the Soviet Union had already decided on a patch from which there was no turning back. As the crisis wore on, the Warsaw Pact steadily increased its readiness level, compelling NATO to mobilize a defense along the borders of the Iron Curtain. Then in what seemed like an instant, World War III had begun.

During the initial stages of the war, the Soviet Union made significant progress. Though marshaled, NATO was ill-prepared, initially finding itself pushed back on several fronts as the Soviets attacked both along the expected axis through West Germany and with an amphibious assault on southern France. But as the battles wore on, REFORGER convoys were eventually able to resupply the NATO troops with fresh reinforcements and weaponry. Though the fighting was hard and at great cost to the NATO forces, the Soviet offensive in Europe was eventually halted.

However, unknown to its enemies, the Soviets had lightened their European ambitions and turned their eyes to the American foe. With strategic planning on an unparalleled scale, the Red Army launched a devastating surprise attack on the west coast of the United States.

Development

Influences

The game's designers have cited the 1984 film Red Dawn as one of their key influences. The film's main premise is the invasion of America by Soviet and Central American troops. Echoes of the film can be seen in the initial paratroop landings (though in the film they happen in Colorado) and in the use of civilian transports to disguise a Soviet invasion force; again, this differs slightly from the film.

Tom Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising is likely to have some elements drawn from it; as it depicts a conventional war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in West Germany, though much of the action takes place at sea. An added factor was that the co-author of the book, Larry Bond, was the main consultant for the World in Conflict team.

Another influence for the game, according to issue 7 of the WiC Journal, are the first-person shooter game series Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, and how the games give the player a relatively small role in a big conflict and will command small numbers of units at a time rather than whole hordes. The developers, still according to the journal, have also looked to the games Battlefield 2 and Counter-Strike: Source for inspiration. The game play is reminiscent of Conflict Zone, as the camera angles and basic troops are similar.

File:Strategic Air Command DVD.jpg

Strategic Air Command DVD by The History Channel.

Pre-ordering

Customers who have pre-ordered World in Conflict received a Modern Marvels: The Strategic Air Command DVD by The History Channel (United States, Australia and New Zealand only), a Declassified: The Rise and Fall of The Wall DVD by The History Channel (Europe only), a World in Conflict FragMat Mousepad (United States only), exclusive bonus multiplayer maps for beta and demo and exclusive Massgate account privileges (securing online account, creating/joining clan etc.).

Collector's Edition

File:WIC Collectors Edition Box Art.jpg

English Packaging of collector's edition.

The collector's edition of World in Conflict comes in a limited edition collector's box art packaging (Soviet flag on one side, USA Flag on the other) and includes an authentic piece of the Berlin Wall, Modern Marvels: The Berlin Wall DVD by The History Channel, Behind the Scenes DVD and World in Conflict exclusive Creative HS-390 headset (Europe Only).

The collector's edition in Poland will be different compared to collector's editions in other countries. It includes an exclusive World in Conflict wooden container, limited edition collector's box art packaging (Soviet or USA Flag), a full-sized flag of the USA or Soviet Union, an exclusive World in Conflict poster, a t-shirt and cap with the World in Conflict logo and decorations and a World in Conflict exclusive Creative HS-390 headset.

File:World In Conflict Taiwan Metallic USA Design Boxart.jpg

Taiwanese Metallic Packaging of collector's edition.

The collector's edition available in Taiwan, will also be different. As there was no preorder scheme put into place. It includes an exclusive flag of the Soviet Union, a Modern Marvels: Strategic Air Command DVD by the History Channel, Special translated behind the scenes DVD, Metallic packaging featuring the Soviet Flag on the front, and the USA flag on the back.[3][4]

Pre-release

Trailers

File:WIC CES Trailer Screenshot.jpg

A screenshot captured from the announcement trailer.

• Combat Briefing – Introduction by Founder & President of Massive Entertainment. Briefly shows the history background for the game. Explaining how the Berlin Wall fell, and shows some in-game features. Also talks about the design for the game.
• Announcement Trailer - Features cinematics of Soviet troops attack US troops in a shopping mall, US troops attacking Soviet forces in a suburban area, US troops holding a beach on the West Coast and Soviet troops paratrooping from a transport plane in flak filled sky into a now half leveled city on the West Coast.
• CES 07 Trailer - Shows some historical footage of US-Soviet Relations, rewinds the fall of the Berlin Wall as it never happened, and shows various cinematics clips of the Soviet Invasion of Seattle and the West Coast.
• Seattle Invasion – Shows the Soviet invasion forces posing as civilian freighters invading Seattle, with a US counter-attack at Burger King.
• NATO trailer – Shows combat footage of NATO forces in the European Theater.
• Ruling the World – Shows combat footage between NATO forces and Warsaw Pact. Also combined with "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears as background music.
• Looking for Survivors – An army lieutenant and a nurse go on a search and rescue mission in the West Coast village of Pine Valley. The trailer shows flashback battle sequences and, through dialogue between the nurse and lieutenant confirms that cities and towns all over the West Coast have been destroyed.
• US Town - Dialogue between US troops confirming that Soviet troops have entered Parker's Creek, US troops then try to take back the town but is beaten back. US troops then call in various forms of air support and obliterate the town.
• US Airbase – Shows a Soviet tactical nuclear missile annihilating a US airbase in the desert.
• Counterattack - Shows Soviet forces reinforcing the now destroyed town of Parker's Creek, and US forces initiating an attack from a church opposite the town. Featuring lots of in-game footage with various units from both sides.
• Magnum P.I – Shows the characters of the single player campaign.
• Destruction Blues – Shows the tactical aids of the game.
• Exclusive GC 2007 New York Counterattack trailer – Shows the US forces counter-attack in New York City with "Shadow on the Sun" by Audioslave as background music.
• The Preacher - Shows a performer making a partisan broadcast for the radio channel Radio Free Seattle. Colonel Sawyer then disconnects the radio nearby and slams it on a diner counter.
• Washington D.C. (Unreleased. Available only on the bonus Collector's Edition CD) - Shows a fighter pilot tracking a truck along a major highway in the Washington area. The truck actually contains a nuclear device that explodes just as the pilot confirms it as his objective. A brief scene of the Capitol Building and the Pentagon Flag Raising Statue being destroyed by a wall of fire is shown.

Betas and demos

Massive released a closed beta during May and June 2007 and a beta which started on July 11, 2007 ended on August 1.

A PC demo was released on August 24, 2007, featuring a tutorial, a single player campaign mission and various multiplayer modes.

Early Release

Despite some U.S. retailers having sold copies of the game a full week prior to its release, the September 18th date remains unchanged. Those who have acquired software packages prior to the official release date are confined to the single-player aspect. Any attempt to log into Massive's multiplayer servers displays a message stating that the online service, Massgate, will not be open to the public until September 18th.

Reception

Critical reviews

• IGN: Overall 9.3/10, IGN.com Editors' Choice Award[5]
• PCZONE UK: Overall 92/100, PCZONE Classic Award[6]
• PC Gamer US: Overall 93% PC Gamer US Editors' Choice
• Eurogamer.net: Overall 9/10[7]
• Gamespot: Overall 9.5/10 "Editor's Choice" [8]
• Gamerankings.com: Average critic score 91%
• Game Informer: 9.25 out of 10
• JustPressPlay.net: 9 out of 10 [9]
• Press Start Online: Silver Award [10]

E3 Awards

Prior to its initial release in September, World in Conflict has received several awards from its E3 presentation in 2007.[11]

• IGN: Best PC Strategy Game, Best Strategy Game (All Platforms), Best Of E3 2007
• Gamespot: Best Strategy Game Of E3, E3'07 Editors Choice Award
• GameTrailers.com: Best Strategy Game Of E3
• Game Critics: E3 2007 Best Strategy Game, The Best Of E3 07 Winner
• Esports: Real Time Strategy Game Of The Year

See also

• List of Games for Windows titles

External links

• World in Conflict official website
• World in Conflict official forum
• Trailers and Gameplay Videos for World in Conflict