Exteel

Infobox VG
title = Exteel


developer = NCsoft
publisher = NCsoft
designer = Shin, Young Taek
engine = Unreal Engine 2.0
version = 2.1.4.0
released = flagicon|KOR December 4, 2007
flagicon|USA December 4, 2007
genre = Third-person Shooter
modes = Multi-player
ratings = ESRB: Teen (T)
platforms = Microsoft Windows
media = digital download
requirements = 800 MHz CPU
256 MB RAM
1 GB available hard disk space
Windows 2000 or XP.
input = Keyboard, Mouse

Exteel is a third-person shooter game published by the Korean game company NCsoft, and developed by NCsoft's E & G Studios.

In Exteel, players control giant customized mechs called Mechanaughts into combat against other online players or against computer controlled enemies (as in Last Stand battle mode), though the game does not have a PvE part. The game features fully customizable mechs, as well as a variety of gameplay modes.

The game was released on December 4, 2007. [ [http://www.exteel.com/us/news/archives/2007/12/exteel_is_live.html Exteel ] ] The game is free to download and play has a micropayment system through the acquisition of NCcoins, the virtual currency of NCSoft which allows players to purchase exclusive in-game weapons, skills, and parts.

= Backstory =On June 27, 2008, the first part of "Exteel"'s official back-story was posted to GameZone.com [http://www.gamezone.com/news/06_27_08_02_16PM.htm official Exteel back-story on GameZone.com]

:The first part describes a long interstellar war for independence was fought in the distant future against various planets controlled by humans. (No mention of an extraterrestrial alien presence is made or hinted at; an indication that none will be included in the game.) A group of colonists settled on the planet of Natha on the untamed continent of Taryn, the primary setting for the game. Over the course of thirty years, as the colony grew and technology progressed, territories were slowly drawn up and borders reinforced by immigrants also trying to escape the Federation from other planets such as Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Because of its origins, weapons and fighting were near-unheard of on Natha in its early existence, and were not easily resurrected. And so to settle these disputes, mercenaries in battle-hardened mechanaughts are hired by the four major nations on the planet: subterranean-dwelling Marston, financially-prosperous Palmo, newcomer & now-independent West Palamo, and technologically-advanced Aiers.

:As small border conflicts grew between the government houses, Marston declared war on Palamo after a village within their territory was destroyed. Palamo, claiming innocence, retaliated, and this began the conflict upon which the game takes place- mercenaries (the players of the game) fighting in endless battles across the developed continent almost without restraint by the governments who have hired them.

As posted to GameZone, the back-story seems to be told as a narrative in the first-person, with this unnamed individual asking when the fighting will end, and who will win the war.

= Gameplay =When a player first begins to play "Exteel", they are given a basic, low-level mechanaught free of charge which they begin their careers off of.

Through the on-going game, the player will acquire credits which can be used for purchasing future upgrades, repairs, weapons, and Skills. [ [http://www.exteel.com/us/gameinfo/featurelist.html Exteel ] ] The player is given the choice to equip various weapons such as swords, spears, shields, SMGs, shotguns, rifles, and hand-held/portable rocket launchers (shoot solid slug projectiles) & cannons (self-guiding explosive or energy round). [ [http://www.exteel.com/us/gameinfo/dictionary.html Exteel ] ] to fully customize their Mechnaught.Similarly, all mechanaughts can be customized for different levels of armor, speed, and heat reduction according to the player's preferences by swapping out the head, core (torso), booster (backpack jump/thruster unit), arms, and legs. Paint colors can also be purchased for limited time (usually 30 days before expiration). Complete pre-arranged mechanaught "sets" (minus customized boosters and weapon arrangements) can be purchased with different playing values.

There are three classes of mechanaught to choose from in the game- "Light" (little armor but greater speed), "Standard" (better armor but slower speeds), and "Heavy" (thick armor but poor speed). All parts of a mechanaught are based around these classes, with some being more balanced for one type than another.

*The basic starting mechanaught set- called the "Pinkett"- is unlike all other mechanaughts in the game in one unique-yet-crucial way. Whereas they all have endurance points which wear out over time whenever a player is killed in any match and requires Repair Points to restore it, the "Pinkett" has an unlimited endurance and can be used forever. While still greatly inferior to all other mechanaughts in the game, this allows a player to continue playing to regain credits even if their customized mechanaught(s) have been rendered useless due to their endurance having run out, and they no longer have credits to buy RPs in the Store. This prevents a player from becoming stuck and unable to continue on in the game.
**All components of the "Pinkett" retains this endurance-immunity even if the set has been broken up; for example, if just the Head remains on an otherwise-customized mechanaught, the Head does not have to be restored with RPs even if the rest of the mechanaught's components do.

Using specific types of weapon pairings, players can then purchase Skills- powerful attacks which can confuse and overwhelm opponents with their speed and fury. Skilled attacks are dependent on how many Skill Points (SP) a player has, and can only be used a limited number of times in a single match. Skills will expire after 30 days of play (not based on calendar days), and will then need to be purchased again to continue their use. When using a Skill, a player's mechanaught will be momentarily invulnerable until the attack is finished. Also, when a melee-range Skilled attack involving physical contact is used (with a sword, shield, and/or spear), the victim's mechanaught cannot be controlled by the player until the attack has ended.

The gameplay is all about fast-paced action. There are 5 gameplay modes available, with a maximum of 16 players (eight per side) at any time, though lower numbers can be set beforehand. If a player's mechanaught is defeated, they can come back ("spawn") at no expense to their credits within a few seconds. However, their number of defeats in any match will appear on their record. All games are limited by a timer, which runs no longer than 12 minutes, and can be adjusted for shorter times.

Modes of Play

Most matches center around specified markers in the battlefield map called "aerogates". These are points of occupation that must be defended against for a positive outcome. An invading player can merely step onto one to begin a capture process which will take several seconds. (Multiple allied players standing on a single aerogate will decrease the amount of time it takes to capture.)

Around most aerogates will also be a small number (usually 1 - 2) of healing pads which will restore the health points (HP) of a player's mechanaught. However, healing pads have both a limited time of use for the allied side, and need time to restore themselves before they can be used again. Enemy players cannot utilize allied healing pads unless they capture the associated aerogate first.

Player-VS-Player Games

Death Match

:A free-for-all, no holds barred fight to the end where players go solo against everyone else in the match. Aerogates and healing pads are not involved here.

Team Death Match

:Called "Team DM", it is the same as above, but you are paired up with teammates for group battles. Aerogates and healing pads are not involved here. But if a teammate has a Rectifier unit, they can restore your Health Points (HP) in-battle.

Territory Control

:Similar to Team Death Match, the main objective is to capture neutral and enemy aerogates. Every team has a main aerogate which is heavily defended, called a base. Capturing the opposing team's base results in victory regardless of the number of aerogates in control. However, in the event that the timer runs out without either team losing a base, the team with the most number of aerogates under their control wins.

Capture the Flag

:Also called "CTF", players are split into two teams. Similar to Territory Control, but with the added objective of making it to the enemy team's home aerogate and stealing their flag. The winning team is decided by which side captures the opponents flag the most within the 10 minutes of game play. If both teams capture the same amount of flags the match ends in a draw. If a player holding a flag is destroyed, the flag is automatically restored to the opponents side after 5 seconds; the exception is, an allied player can grab the stranded flag before this happens.

:Unlike Territory Control, the number of aerogates occupied does not determine the winning team. In other words, if your flag is taken, your team loses even if you occupy the majority of aerogates.

*When a player captures an enemy flag, it appears on the back of their mechanaught everyone to see, and will half the Maximum EN [Energy] output available to the flag runner.

Player-VS-Computer Games

Last Stand

:Also called "LS", players are lumped into one team (which can go up to 8), and they fight together to destroy large numbers of computer-controlled drone mechanaughts. The drones appear in large groups at one location near the allied aerogates. The allies' objective is to defend the aerogates against these assaults. If one aerogate is captured by the drones, the game will end early. The resistance and number of drones appearing at once can be increased only according to the difficulty level set by the master of the room before a game is started. The higher the difficulty level is set (ranging from 1 to 5), the higher score their is with each drone kill for the player(s).

:An enemy base is created in an isolated location. This base is very heavily guarded against by drones and difficult to reach by any other avenues, preventing surprise flanking maneuvers. Once the guarding drones are defeated, players can then engage the 'boss' structure: a glowing sphere atop a small pedestal.

::The allied team can split up or stay together at their discretion in order to engage the enemy base; a typical tactic is for some to remain behind to continue guarding the aerogates from repeated drones, while others assault the base's location. Destroying the base will not affect the rate of appearance or number of drones appearing in an assault. However, it will provide a bonus score to all players (even if they didn't participate in the raid).

*The 'boss', called "Dudley Annihilator" in-game, is both more resistant to attack than drones, and fires an all-range energy grenade weapon which can easily destroy player mechanaughts within a few hits. This weapon is guided, and can follow player's movements once fired within its range. (I.e, if a player leaves its firing range, they will still be hit, even if dodging.)

For both Territory Control and Capture the Flag, stationary drone mechanaughts with powerful long-range siege cannons or rockets will appear to automatically defend allied aerogates. If an aerogate is captured, the drones' allegiance will also switch. Unlike the drones in Last Stand, however, these have better armor, requiring more hits for a single drone. If destroyed, a drone will automatically re-spawn after a few seconds. If an aerogate is neutral (i.e. has not been fully captured), no guarding drones will appear.

External links

* [http://www.exteel.com/us/ Official US site]
* [http://exteel.plaync.co.kr/ Official Korea site]
* [http://eu.exteel.com/eu/ Official Europe and UK site]
* [http://eu.exteel.com/fr/ Official France site]
* [http://eu.exteel.com/de/ Official Germany site]
* [http://eu.exteel.com/es/ Official Spain site]
* [http://exteel.plaync.com.tw/ Official Taiwan,Hong Kong,Machu(Chinese) site]
* [http://boards.exteel.com/ Exteel Guides and Discussion (Official forums)]
* [http://exteel.fun-games.fr/news.php Exteel French community]
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References