Warzone 2100

DEVELOPER : Pumpkin Studios
PUBLISHER : Edios

 

System Requirements Pentium 166MHz, 32MB RAM

Recommended Pentium 200MHz, 64+ MB RAM, 8 megs 3D card

Summary
Pros: Highly accessible 3d engine.Unique campaign structure. Excellent interface, multiplayer. Cons: Slow single-player. Confusing tech-tree.
Interface : 9	Gameplay : 8	Graphics : 8
Audio : 8	Multiplayer : 9	Overall : 8.6

Once again, the RTS market is bombarded with innovations. Eidos's new 3D RTS, Warzone 2100, is trying to focus on gameplay and interface features, leaving resource gathering and repetitive base building in a shadow. Through three campaigns, you will uncover all sorts of technological advances in order to rebuild the world ravaged by nuclear wars.

The Story
The storyline describes an apocalyptic future. The humanity is doomed by a nuclear incident and you have to impose order by force. Sounds familiar? Indeed. The enemies in Warzone 2100 include surviving scattered squads, as well as more organized groups called the New Paradigm, the Collective and the Nexus. By now, you are most likely wondering what this RTS has to offer over and above all the other RTS's on the market.

The Campaign Structure
Warzone 2100 brings an innovative campaign system. There are three campaigns containing 10-13 missions each. Unlike most games of the genre, your initial base will remain in place throughout the campaign. The majority of the missions are based on transporter drops into enemy territory. You will be able to build and research units and technologies at your main base while you are away. The time necessary for the transporter to come back with new troops is variable. You have to wait for at least thirty minutes before you can mobilize an entire platoon. Meanwhile the enemy has enough time to build up his forces but most missions are already designed in his favor. However, it prevents the instant number disadvantage present in all the previous RTS's. One of the main goals of the game is to recover artifacts which can be eventually used to research new technologies such as weapons, defense systems, propulsion devices, concrete, armor and production enhancements.

Interface
The interface is very intuitive allowing the player to use a wide arsenal of controls. There are several aggressivity settings varying from basic commands such as fire at will, return fire, hold fire to advanced commands such as fire at optimal range and retreat when heavily damaged. The pathfinding system is quite solid and, considering all the complications brought by realistic turning, they have done a pretty good job. However, a few frustrating things may happen. For instance, I had a line of mortars directed by sensors, raining death on the enemy base. But when the cranes arrived to repair the damaged units, the realistic turning system forced a battery displacement making them advance one step too far right into the enemy missile emplacements. The LoS (line of sight) is present but the elevations don't affect the units' firing accuracy. It's a common decision taken to prevent certain imbalances or stalemates. There is always a trade-off between realism and gameplay. In conclusion, this is the most advanced interface to date for an RTS.

Design your own toys
One of the most noticeable aspects of the game is the unit designer. Warzone 2100 lets you design your own units much like in Firaxis's Alpha Centauri. There are three elements that form a vehicle, armor, weapon and traction. First you have to research all the artifacts you encounter normally by destroying enemy bases then you have the option to update your configurations and even recycle the old units. The combinations seem limitless but there are a few rules to follow when designing a unit. Each weapon comes with a variable called Body Points. If the body points are rated "Low" then even the heaviest armor will not make a decent tank out of your siege weapon. Another thing that may bring conflicts is the chassis type. A light chassis like Hover or plain Wheels trades speed for armor. So basically you have to be careful when choosing the three components, just be sure they "make sense".

Veterans
There is an experience system based on the number of kills. A unit will achieve the Hero Status after it counts 512 kills. There are a few bonuses, for example the sensors get a percentage from the assigned battery kills and the commander gets a percentage from the total group kills. A unit with more experience gains more accuracy, armor and firepower. Two of the units I finished the game with had reached the Hero Status, an Assault Cannon Python Tracks and a Commander Turret Mantis Tracks. It may sound ridiculous but there are plenty of victims out there and all your units are always carried over to the next mission with their respective experience points intact.

Command Me Baby
A simple and innovative way to organize your troops is to assign Commanders for each group. The Commander attachment is available early in the game provided that you built the Commander Center. Armed with a single long range designator, the Commander paints targets for its squad making concentrated fire easier than ever. It also distributes the given commands to the whole squad. The Commander's capacity (maximum number of units assigned) increases proportionally with his experience until it reaches 16. Always equip them with the heaviest armor as they are always one of the enemy's primary targets. Each factory can be assigned to a Commander, and its units will join him as they are created. Whenever they sustain damage, units will detach themselves, return for repair, and then rejoin the Commander's army.

3D Vision
Warzone 2100 is equipped with the best version yet of the fully 3D rotatable camera.and it's graphics are superb. I liked the effects for explosions, fire and projectiles in particular. 3D rendered units, varied landscape and debris, they all form an immerse battlefield. The game looks surprisingly unimpressive in software mode but both the Direct 3D and the Glide API's are supported. The only complaints would be related to the lack of detail for units and buildings. A few weather effects are featured in later missions but they don't accomplish much in enhancing the atmosphere.

Multiplayer
Warzone 2100 includes a relatively solid multiplayer component. A set of options are provided ranging from unit restrictions and starting configurations to AI levels of difficulty and alliances. Allowing up to eight players over LAN or Internet, Warzone 2100 can feed their need to destroy each other on eleven maps. Additionally, there is support for modem games and for Mplayer.

The bad guys
Every enemy faction has it's own distinct look and style of play. For instance, in the first campaign the enemy will throw at you heavily armored tanks and mortars. I was forced to use armor piercing rockets extensively. In the third campaign you will be fighting the Nexus. Although they have the heaviest armor available, the Nexus adopt a more exotic style of play based on hovercraft and infantry equipped with high tech weapons such as lasers and "needle" guns. As a piece of advise, always check the building time and the cost of the units you design. Adapting to the enemy's style of play is the key-factor in breaking through. The AI doesn't lack flexibility though.

Death from Above
One of Warzone's most subtle set of strategies involves long range fights. Warzone 2100 gifts the siege tacticians with a few excellent ballistic weapons ranging from Mortar Shells to Archangel Missiles. However, to reach maximum range and accuracy you will need a target "painter", in this case a sensor. There are several types towers designed to direct your battery's fire, to detect and counter the enemy battery's fire or to direct VTOL attacks. There are a few superweapons too but unfortunately, they are unresearchable. Just a friendly advise, don't let the enemy test them on you.

Apocalypse Now?
The singleplayer game unfolds slowly. However, Warzone2100 multiplayer is fast paced and should interest anyone who prefers action over micromanagement. The unit diversity is a long debated concept. If you enjoyed Total Annihilation you will love this one. If you prefer quality over quantity don't panic, Warzone's abundance of destructive toys may please you. Warzone 2100 will be remembered most for its refined interface and impressive 3D engine. The bottom line? Sometimes more can be less.

NOTE: The review is based on version 1.01 For the latest patch check http://www.warzone2100.com    I always review the initial build but the skirmish AI was significantly improved over 1.00 and I've made an exception. The latest version at this time is 1.03

Reviewed by Gabe Andreescu