Multiwinia

Multiwinia
Developer(s)	Introversion Software
Publisher(s)	Introversion Software (Windows) Ambrosia Software (Mac OS X)
Distributor(s)	Pinnacle Software (Windows) Valve Corporation (Steam)
Platform(s)	Windows Mac OS X Linux Xbox 360
Release date(s)	Microsoft Windows EU September 19, 2008 Mac OS X EU 5th March Steam September 19, 2008 Xbox 360 Early 2010
Genre(s)	Action and Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone PEGI: 7+
Media/distribution	CD-ROM, download (Windows) FTP download (Mac OS X) Steam download (Windows) Download (Xbox 360)
System requirements 2000 MHz CPU 512MB RAM 60MB hard disk 32MB graphic card, Internet access for multiplayer

Multiwinia is the fourth video game made by Introversion Software, the creators of Uplink, Darwinia and Defcon. It is a real-time strategy game. It is included with the Darwinia+.

Plot

Multiwinia follows its predecessor Darwinia, in which a computer scientist, Dr Sepulveda, created a digital world that existed within a computer network. This world, Darwinia, was inhabited by a two-dimensional digital life-form called Darwinians and was to become "the world's first digital theme park". In Darwinia, the player eradicated a computer virus that infected the world and threatened the life of the Darwinians. After this, Dr Sepulveda deemed the world safe again. However, the virus had changed something in the Darwinians, and over time they became more aggressive, dividing into factions and fighting. Now labelled Multiwinians, the tribes continue to fight each other.

Gameplay

Multiwinia's icon

Multiwinia is a real-time strategy game with six different modes.^[1] Each mode is designed to support between one and four players (human or CPU) and up to 50 unique maps of varying difficulties.

• Domination

Each team fights to control the entire map.

Teams fight over the spawn points dotted around the map in order to capture them and achieve a dominant position that will enable them to control the entire map. This game mode will continue until one team is victorious, or a timer can be used to limit the game to a set time limit. After that time the team with the most spawn points will win the game.

• King of the Hill

Two multiwinia tribes battling in the King of the Hill game-mode

Occupy key tactical zones around the map to score points.^[2]

On each map there are a fixed number of Scoring zones - for a standard sized two-player map there are up to four zones. Each team can score points by occupying these zones with Multiwinians - scoring one point per second for every zone under their control.

Scoring zones often become areas of heavy fighting, and are frequently occupied by several teams at once, all in intense combat. In this case, the team with the largest share of the zone will be scoring the points, and this is shown by rendering the Scoring zone as a "pie chart", showing the team colours occupying the zone and their relative percentages.

• Capture the Statue

Multiwinians must lift the giant stone statues that appear in the Statue Zone, and carry them safely back to their base to score points.^[2]

Large numbers of Multiwinians are required to lift the heavy statues, and they move very slowly. If the Multiwinians carrying a statue are killed, it is dropped and remains where it is until more Multiwinians pick it up. If it is dropped heavily (e.g. on the edge of a steep hill) the statue shatters, and re-appears randomly in one of the Statue Zones.

Each team has a base near their start point, into which they must lift the statue to score a point. The winner is the team that has successfully carried the most number of statues to their base.

• Rocket Riot

Each team has a giant rocket at their start point, and in order to win they must refuel and occupy the rocket, and perform a successful launch.

Each team must complete several stages in order to successfully launch their rocket. First it must be refueled, and then occupied by 100 Multiwinian astronauts. Once occupied a launch countdown begins and upon completion the rocket launches. The team that first launches its rocket wins the game.

Fuel for the rocket is generated by several fuel pumps, located around the map. These fuel pumps are the key to winning Rocket Riot - the team must occupy and control the solar panels which work the fuel pumps, in order to divert their fuel into the rocket.

At any point during these phases, the rocket is extremely vulnerable to explosions. If the rocket is successfully attacked by an enemy team it will explode, burning all the fuel and all the Multiwinians inside, and resetting the rocket to its starting point.

• Blitzkrieg

Each team tries to capture the enemy's flag while defending their own.^[3]

Each team starts with a flag. A number of other flags are spread across the map, and in order to win the game, a team must capture flags which link their own flag to their opponents' flags. When a team loses its flag, it is eliminated from the game - the last team standing (the one which has kept hold of its flag until the end of the game) wins. Each team's flag is well protected, and each team receives regular reinforcements of Multiwinians throughout the match.

• Assault

One team must defend a weapon of mass destruction(WMD) that will explode within a defined time period, whilst the other team must attack and destroy the WMD before the time period elapse. Play then switches around and the attacker becomes the defender and vice versa. The winner is the team that successfully attacks in the quickest time.^[2]

The attacking team receives a constant flow of reinforcements whilst the defending team is heavily armed with turrets, but has a limited force. The attacking team must build up a force and attack in waves to capture machine gun turrets, pillboxes and sabotage the three control stations connected to the bomb. The constant reinforcements provided to the attacking team ensure that eventually they will break through - the challenge is for the defending team to hold off for as long as possible.

Units and Buildings

• Spawn Points

Spawn points create Multiwinians for the team occupying it. Some maps contain spawn points which can be captured from enemies by killing all of the Multiwinians controlling the building and then reoccupying them with ones own, while others contain ones that cannot be captured.

• Crates

A team captures the crates that randomly fall from the sky by surrounding the area of the crate with their Multiwinians in order to harness the special power-ups they contain. These Power-ups are either helpful e.g. an air strike or gun turret, or hurtful, e.g. Virii (from the original Darwinia) to the player.

• Officers

A Multiwinian can be promoted into an officer which can move Multiwinians into formation mode to present a more formidable attacking force to the enemy, or order Multiwinians to move to a certain location.

• Squad

Heavily armed and armored Multiwinians. They are similar to the ones found in Darwinia.

• Armour

Armours can carry up to 100 Multiwinians across the map. They can easily cross steep, mountainous terrain and water. Armours are vulnerable to attack and a severely damaged armour will start to flicker before being destroyed. When an Armour is destroyed, the Multiwinians inside will be killed.

• Trunk Port

Trunk Ports are gateways to other parts of the Darwinian world. In some modes trunk ports, are purely decorative. In others they can spawn Multiwinians at a regular rate to reinforce the teams' armies in Assault, Rocket Riot and Blitzkrieg.

• Turrets

Turrets are stationary platforms that shoot a variety of munitions, depending on their type. They come in three types: gun, flame and rocket. Gun turrets shoot high powered rounds at a fast rate to mow down enemy Multiwinians. Flame turrets are short ranged, but they can turn large groups of Multiwinians to ash in seconds. Rocket turrets are medium range heavy ordinance launchers. They are slow firing, but each shot has a large area of effect. The player can control the turrets manually if he choses to, but they can also be automatic.

• Radar Dish

Radar dishes can be used to move Multiwinians across the playing field. By taking one and aiming at another, a path will be illuminated, which Multiwinians can then slowly float across in soul form. As with spawn points, enemy Multiwinians can kill the current controlling Multiwinians and take control of the radar dish. If the connection between two radar dishes is severed, all Multiwinians en route perish.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	7.9/10 [4]
Metacritic	7.5/10 [5]
Review scores
Publication	Score
GameSpot	7.5/10 [6]
GamesRadar	8/10 [7]
GameWire	9.0/10 [8]
IGN	7.6/10 [9]
PC Gamer UK	79% [10]
VideoGamer.com	7/10 [11]

Eurogamer rated Multiwinia 8/10, calling it "a quirky but devilishly compelling distillation of all that strategy games can be".^[12] IGN rated it 7.6/10, citing the crate power ups as the game's "most questionable element" and stating "while it's still undoubtedly fun as a lightweight experience, it's far from being cerebrally rewarding or especially clever."^[9] Strategy Informer rated Multiwinia 8.7/10, calling it "A true triumph".^[13]

Development

• On 2007-02-27, Introversion announced a multiplayer game based on the world of Darwinia, codenamed Multiwinia, expected to be released in 2008.
• On 2008-03-05, Introversion announced that beta testing was going to begin soon.
• On 2008-03-13, closed beta testing of Multiwinia started.
• On 2008-07-22, The release date of 2008-09-19 was announced.
• On 2008-08-05, The gold master was burnt.
• On 2008-08-25, Introversion started accepting pre-orders.
• On 2008-09-19, Multiwinia was officially released.

References

1. ^ Gillen, Kieron (2008-06-19). "RPS Exclusive: Multiwinia Hands-on". Rock Paper Shotgun. http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/06/19/rps-exclusive-multiwinia-hands-on/. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Robinson, Martin (2008-07-03). "Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest Preview". IGN. http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/885/885731p2.html. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
3. ^ Martin, Joe (2008-07-15). "Multiwinia Hands-On Preview". Bit-tech. http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2008/07/15/multiwinia-hands-on-preview/1. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 
4. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest for PC - GameRankings
5. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest (pc) reviews at Metacritic.com
6. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest Review for PC - GameSpot
7. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest Review, PC Reviews | Games Radar.com
8. ^ [1]
9. ^ ^{a b} IGN: Multiwinia Review
10. ^ Stone, Tim (December 2008). "Multiwinia". PC Gamer UK. 
11. ^ Multiwinia Review for PC - VideoGamer.com
12. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest Review - Page 1 // PC /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More
13. ^ Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest PC Review, Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest Player Reviews

External links

• Official website