World in Conflict

Infobox VG
width = 264px
title = World in Conflict


caption =
developer = Massive Entertainment
publisher = Sierra Entertainment
distributor =
designer = Magnus Jansén
license =
series =
engine = Masstech Game Engine
version = 1.0.0.9 / July 02, vgy|2008
released = vgrelease|NA=September 18, 2007 vgrelease|AUS=September 20, 2007 vgrelease|EU=September 21, 2007
genre = Real-time tactics
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings = vgratings|BBFC=12|ESRB=T|OFLCA=M|PEGI=16
platforms = Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
media = DVD, Blu-ray Disc

"World in Conflict" (also known as WiC or WIC) is a real-time tactical video game developed by the Swedish video game company Massive Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment for Microsoft Windows. The game was released in September of 2007. [ [http://beta.massgate.net/read.php?182,24804 Massgate.net :: Propaganda ] ] A version for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles by Swordfish Studios was scheduled to be released by fall 2008 under the name ""; [cite web |url = http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6172457.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;8 |title = 360 entering World of Conflict |accessdate = 2007-09-10 |author = Thorsen, Tor |date = 2007-06-13 |publisher = GameSpot ] cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/worldinconflict/news.html?sid=6168562 | title = Interview with Nicklas Cederström | accessdate = 2007-09-19 | author = Randolph Ramsey | date = 2007-04-16 | publisher = GameSpot] however, the game has since been dropped from its productions by Activision.http://ps3.ign.com/articles/894/894587p1.html]

The game is set in 1989 during the social, political, and economic collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the title postulates an alternate history scenario where the Soviet Union pursued a course of war to remain in power. [cite web |url = http://gamereplays.org/WorldinConflict/task.php?nameid=world_in_conflict_background |title = World in Conflict Background Information |accessdate = 2007-07-22 |date = 2007-07-20 |publisher = GameReplays.org ]

Generally considered a real-time strategy (RTS) game, "World in Conflict" includes gameplay typical of real-time tactical (RTT) games.

Gameplay

"World in Conflict" does not offer base-building or resource gathering. Instead, players are given a pre-determined amount of in-game reinforcement points to buy units. 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. Tactical gameplay lacking base- and unit building is similar to real-time tactics (RTT) games, some of which feature intermittent reinforcements. Another example of the genre is "Ground Control" by Massive Entertainmentcite web | last =Bedigian | first =Louis | title =Tactical Combat and an Ongoing Online Experience are the focus of “Ground Control II” | publisher =GameZone | url =http://pc.gamezone.com/news/04_30_04_08_37AM.htm | format =HTML | accessdate =2007-10-27 ] , sometimes considered "World in Conflict"'s spiritual predecessor. In fact, the game's designers considered the game to be an RTT.

"World in Conflict" contains three main factions: USA, Soviet Union & NATO, all playable in multiplayer games. However the Soviet Union is not playable in the single-player campaign, which is experienced from the USA and NATO perspective. The USA and NATO are pitted against the Soviet Union throughout the story as well as in online play.

The player may choose one of four roles in battle: infantry, air, support or armor. Each role has its own exclusive units, that aren't available for purchase from other roles. The basic units of each role can be purchased by everyone but are more expensive for players with a different role. The infantry role gives access to various infantry squads such as anti-tank teams, snipers, and light transport vehicles whereas armor allows players to use various classes of tanks, the dominant direct fire land combat unit of the game. Players choosing the air role have access to anti-armor, air superiority, scout and transport helicopters. Finally, the support role contains anti-air, artillery, and repair units.

Most units have special offensive and defensive abilities that recharge after use. For example, standard infantry has the offensive grenade launcher attack and are capable of a defensive sprinting maneuver. "World in Conflict" uses a tactical aid system similar to that of "". Tactical Aids allow the player to perform special actions such as calling in airstrikes, deploying paratroopers and carpet bombing.

ingle player campaign

The single player campaign, owing to inspiration from "Call of Duty" and "Medal of Honor" (see the 'Influences' section below), gives the player the role of Lieutenant Parker, an officer in the United States Army, in charge of a company. Meanwhile the AI handles the remainder of action on the battlefield. This contrasts the approach of most real time strategy (RTS) titles, in which the player is in charge of whole armies and thus responsible for most of the action on the battlefield. The player experiences many different locations in the United States, Europe and Russia.

The campaign mode differs from the skirmish and multi player modes in that it restricts the units that can be deployed. It is narrated by Alec Baldwin.

Multiplayer

Multi-player games support up to sixteen players and can be played on a LAN or over the Internet. Three types of maps are featured: domination maps, where players must control command points to win the game, assault maps, where one team defends a series of command points which the other teams assaults, and tug of war maps, where teams must fight to capture a series of command points on the front line, whereupon the line shifts towards a new set of points closer to the losing team.

The game host can add bots to play on the server. The AI is quite proficient, using different techniques for different game types and using a variety of forces together, so there are few weaknesses. Bots adapt quickly and react well to changing situations on the battlefield, and are also quite good at using tactical aids effectivelyFact|date=March 2008. Bots try to obey commands given by the player by replying on-screen.

The online component of the game uses the in-game massgate system, which is derived from "Ground Control"Fact|date=March 2008. The system helps players keep track of friends, allowing them to see whether they are online or playing a game. Clans can be created and kept track of in-game, with features such as ranks and clan matches. Massgate includes leader boards and a ranking system based on US Army military ranks. Players can increase their rank and leader board position in a way similar to Battlefield 2, by accumulating earnings and scoring points, medals, and badges. Achieving higher ranks becomes progressively more difficult. The leader board also keeps track of clan rankings.

Interface

The game interface for "World in Conflict" is smaller than that of with other strategy gamesFact|date=December 2007. 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, whereas the top right hand corner contains the expandable reinforcement procurement list. The mini map is in the bottom left hand corner, while the bottom right hand corner contains the special abilities buttons (including unit formation). Overall, the smaller interface gives players a bigger view of the battlefield, allowing players to micromanage more easily than in other strategy games. Players can also use a messaging system that is designed to allow conversation between individuals regardless of whether they are on the same server or playing the same game.

"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 also move the camera very close to the units on the ground.

Plot

The game is set in an alternate 1989 in which the Soviet Politburo elects to take military action to preserve the crumbling Soviet Union, rather than see it fall apart. Their plan was to blackmail Western Europe to get the needed aid, but, failing to achieve this diplomatically, the Soviet Union invades Western Europe.

The player assumes the role of First Lieutenant Parker, a United States Army officer under the command of Colonel Sawyer. At the time of his introduction Parker was on leave in Seattle when a camouflaged Soviet amphibious assault force launches a surprise invasion of the city. A combination of regular U.S. Army and National Guard soldiers engage the invading Soviet forces in an effort to buy time for the local civilians to evacuate before retreating south toward Pine Valley, Washington. Here elements of the 5th Battalion under the command of Colonel Sawyer make a stand, and with the aid of the battleship "Missouri" ultimately force the Soviets to halt their invasion and tighten their defensive lines. During this brief respite Sawyer's battalion is reinforced by Oregon National Guardsmen under the command of Colonel Wilkins.

After a month of consolidation, the Soviet invaders renew their expansion, heading east into the Cascade Mountains towards Fort Teller in order to disable the United States' Strategic Defense Initiative. While the project was a bluff, the threat of its existence has thus far kept the Soviet Union from launching a nuclear strike, and thus the defense of the facility takes top priority. Sawyer and Wilkins engage in a series of delaying battles while en route to the Fort, with Sawyer electing to make a stand in Cascade Falls, Washington. At first the stand appears to work, but when overwhelming Soviet forces enter the area the Americans are forced to resort to nuclear weaponry to stop the Soviets, leaving a group of volunteers lead by the disgraced Captain Bannon (responsible for an accidental massacre of unarmed Russian civilians while serving in the Soviet Union) behind to pin down the Soviet ground troops while a tactical nuclear missile is fired at the town; upon its arrival and detonation the nuke annihilates both the town and the Soviet invaders.

The game then flashes back to the outbreak of the war, in the process revealing that diplomats from both sides had labored for a month to prevent the outbreak of the war and had ultimately failed. The game then shows Parker's service in France, in the Soviet Union, and fighting off a limited invasion of New York City by Soviet Spetsnaz, centered around Liberty Island, Ellis Island and Governors Island. In the latter scenario, the Soviets intend to store chemical weapons inside the Statue of Liberty and release them over Manhattan. Sawyer is forced to call in an air strike that would certainly annihilate the Statue, but thanks to Parker's effective assault Liberty Island is retaken and the strike is called off, saving the icon from destruction by American forces.

After the flashback, the game returns to the sequence of events after the destruction of Cascade Falls. As the scattered remnants of the U.S. Army defenders from Cascade Falls attempt to regroup and reorganize the United States receives word that the People's Republic of China has entered the war on the Soviet side. Chinese troops occupy Mongolia and launch attacks into Taiwan, South Korea and India; additionally, the People's Liberation Army Navy sends an invasion fleet to reinforce the Soviet beachhead in Seattle. After mulling over the available options the President orders the surviving U.S. Army units from the attack on Cascade Falls to attack Seattle, and as a back up plan orders a nuclear strike against Seattle should the attempt to recapture the city fail. In the final series of missions Parker's commander, desperate to avoid "...another Cascade Falls" on a much bigger scale, orders his forces into a desperate attack aimed at breaking through the Soviet lines to reach Seattle and destroy the heavily fortified Soviet headquarters before the Chinese land. The Americans manage to retake Seattle from the Soviets before the Chinese fleet arrives, thus delivering a decisive blow to the Chinese as they lack the material to launch an amphibious assault. Consequently, the Chinese fleet turns back to China.

The game concludes with a statement that Parker may be called upon to fight later on, hinting of an expansion or a sequel, as fighting continues in Europe and elsewhere. Notably, the late entry of the PRC and the attacks into both India and South Korea are not part of the WIC solo player campaign, suggesting they may form the basis for a expansion or sequel.

Development

Influences

The game's designers have cited the 1984 film "Red Dawn" as one of their key influences [http://www.wic-journal.com/] . 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 [http://www.wic-journal.com/ 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 ' for inspiration. The game play is reminiscent of "Conflict Zone", as the camera angles and basic troops are similar. The plot is also reminiscent of ', featuring a Soviet invasion of the US.

Also, the mission where hostages need to be rescued from three small islands of the shore of New York, has been very likely inspired by the movie "the Rock" [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rock_(film)] in which the air strike on the Alcatraz is aborted when the green smoke signals the success of the mission in destroying all the poisonous gas targeted at the nearby city of San Francisco, in an almost identical way to the end-mission sequence in the game.

Collector's edition

The collector's edition of "World in Conflict" comes in a limited edition collector's box art cloth packaging (with a Soviet flag on one side and Russian wording of "World in Conflict", and the USA Flag on the other with English "World in Conflict") and includes an authentic piece of the HS-390 headset (Europe Only). [cite web |url = http://www.worldinconflict.com/collectorsedition/ |title = World in Conflict: Collector's Edition |accessdate = 2007-09-15 |publisher = World in Conflict official website ]

The collector's edition in Poland is 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 Trust Hs-2200 headset. [cite web |url = http://www.gram.pl/news_9greGO3_World_in_Conflict_wizualizacje_Edycji_Kolekcjonerskich.html |title = World in Conflict - wizualajce Edycji Kolekcjonerskich |accessdate = 2007-09-15 |author = CD Projekt |date = 2007-09-11 |publisher = gram.pl ]

The collector's edition available in Taiwan, is also 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. [http://www.gump.com.tw/products/Product.aspx?Id=1767] [http://buy.gamer.com.tw/atmItem.php?sn=3620]

Reception

VG Reviews
EuroG = 9/10cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=83539|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=Eurogamer|author=Whitehead, Dan|date=2007-09-18|accessdate=2007-10-01]
GI = 9.25/10cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/38CB1991-968B-4909-B691-C85D821F5AD1.htm?CS_pid=646909|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=Game Informer|author=Biessener, Adam|accessdate=2007-10-04]
GSpot = 9.5/10cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/worldinconflict/review.html|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=GameSpot|author=Ocampo, Jason|date=2007-09-18|accessdate=2007-10-02]
IGN = 9.3/10cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/818/818867p1.html|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=IGN|author=Adams, Dan|date=2007-09-07|accessdate=2007-10-01]
PCGUK = 8.8/10cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=172757&site=pcg|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=PC Gamer UK|author=Gillen, Kieron|date=2007-09-27|accessdate=2007-10-04]
PCPP = 9/10
PCGUS = 93/100
PCZone = 92/100cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=172003&site=pcz|title="World in Conflict" review|publisher=PC Zone|author=Wallace, Suzy|date=2007-09-13|accessdate=2007-10-04]
XPlay 4/5
GR = 89/100cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/932462.asp|title=Overview over "World in Conflict" reviews|publisher=Gamerankings|accessdate=2007-10-29]
MC = 89/100cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/worldinconflict|title=Overview over "World in Conflict" reviews|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=2007-10-29]
rev1 =
rev1Score =8/10cite journal | last = Neigher | first = Eric | year = 2007 | month = October | title = World In Conflict: Shall We Play A Game? | journal = Games for Windows: The Official Magazine | issue = 11 | pages = 65 | publisher = Ziff Davis Media ]

World in Conflict has generally received excellent reviews. It topped weekly sales charts in North America, Germany and Australia in the week it was released cite web|url=http://www.sierra.com/en/home/news/product_news/100907_-_wic_top_seller.html|title="Sierra press release"|publisher=Sierra online|accessdate=2008-03-26] . It has received "generally favorable reviews" from game critics according to the review aggregator Metacritic, where the game has an average score of 89%. Gamespot, a popular online game site, called the game "the studio's masterwork". They gave it 95 points out of 100 and the editor's choice award. The game also received the editor's choice award from IGN.com and the Australian gaming magazine PC PowerPlay, as well as PC Zone's classic award. PC Gamer US awarded the game its editor's choice award, as well as naming it the 2007 RTS game of the year.

Prior to its initial release in September 2007, "World in Conflict" received several awards from its E3 presentation in 2007.
*IGN: Best PC Strategy Game, Best Strategy Game (All Platforms), Best Of E3 2007cite web|url=http://games.ign.com/articles/806/806770p4.html|title=IGN's Overall Best of E3 2007 Awards|publisher=IGN|date=2007-07-20|accessdate=2007-10-04] cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/806/806820p2.html|title=PC Best of E3 2007 Awards|publisher=IGN|date=2007-07-20|accessdate=2007-10-04]
*Gamespot: Best Strategy Game Of E3, E3'07 Editors Choice Awardcite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/editorschoicee307/genre/index.html?page=9|title=E3 07 Editors' Choice Awards|publisher=Gamespot|accessdate=2007-10-04]
*GameTrailers.com: Best Strategy Game Of E3cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22514.html|title=Best of E3 2007 Awards - Best Strategy Game|publisher=GameTrailers|date=2007-07-18|accessdate=2007-10-04]
*Game Critics: E3 2007 Best Strategy Game, The Best Of E3 07 Winnercite web|url=http://gamecriticsawards.com/winners.html|title=2007 Game Critics Awards|publisher=Game Critics Awards|date=2007-07-31|accessdate=2007-10-04]

The game was played in the 2007 Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) World Tour. [cite web |url = http://www.cplworldtour.com/?p=tourgames |title = 2007 CPL World Tour: Tour Games |accessdate = 2007-09-10 |publisher = Cyberathlete Professional League ]

Expansion

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault

A new edition of the game, called "World in Conflict: Soviet Assault" [ [http://kotaku.com/372773/details-on-world-in-conflict-console-version World In Conflict: Details On World In Conflict Console Version ] ] , will be available by fall 2008 for home consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. It will be released for PC versions as a purchasable expansion pack. The new edition will include a brand new campaign with the obligatory switching of sides. Reinforcements in the new edition can be called to the battlefield either by using the context menu or voice communication using the headset, just as in Tom Clancy's EndWar. New maps will be included as well as new movies and cutscenes. There will be no new units included [ [http://www.massgate.net/read.php?3,178561,178982#msg-178982 WiC Expansion "Soviet Assault" Revelead ] ] .

The console version will lower the maximum number of connected players from 16 to 10, and lack cross-platform play. Camera controls in the console version will be mapped onto both analog sticks (as in a first-person shooter) with the possibility to zoom or pause the game completely.

On July 29, 2008, Activision dropped "World in Conflict: Soviet Assault" from its productions, along with a number of other games, putting the future of the game in question.On August 6, 2008, Activision Blizzard put up Massive Entertainment for sale.

References

External links

* [http://www.worldinconflict.com/ "World in Conflict" Official website]
* [http://wiki.massgate.net "World in Conflict" Official Map and Mod wiki]