The Last War: WWI rts discussion

[Cassador_Chris]

Well, the only two developed titles that featured wwi I could find were the Entente, which bombed because it was basically just a 'spam' game where whoever produced the most won, and of course Empire Earth, which featured WWI as just one period in many. Empires:DotMW is also a notable game.

But no quality games for WWI that execute that time period for both fun gameplay and realism? Now, thats a war crime if I ever saw one.

It seems some people think it would be boring, but I beg to differ. Sure, it would be substantially different than other rts games, but it would be a very fun game to play with countless options to choose from.

To start with, I'm just putting down some ideas.

1. Time frame: Well, I figured a good time frame might be 1850-1925, since the warfare and technology in this time period was relatively operating at the same level. The game could also just focus on WWI, which has its own benefits and handicaps.

2. Civilizations: Quicklist: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, United States. Other possibilities include Mexico, China, Japan, Arabs, Greeks, Moroccans, Zulu, etc.

3. Gameplay: For gameplay in a more modern age, you would have to leave the 'age' concept and focus more on technological breakthroughs. The tank is just one example. Also, instead of a complete annihilation of your opponent, perhaps it might be better to concede victory to the first to hold x% of the map for a certain time, or perhaps the defense of certain objectives. In reality, I see this game as more of a WWI version of Company of Heroes, but we can create our own spin to it, eh?

4. Warfare: Endless options. Obviously, it would be a little more mobile than the actual WWI front, but I see no reason to lessen the carnage.

a. trenches. Build these guys to hold your front, and use them to move men safely around your front lines. Hold key areas with rings of trenches, barbed wire, fences, and other fortifications. Good place to keep machine guns too. Trenches will be your most important functionary of the game, holding lines and providing launch pads for your advances.

b. machine guns. Okay, these are low-mobility killing machines. don't expect to get past these things without artillery, flanking maneuvers, and loads of infantry (or tanks, once you have them)

c. artillery. Not the short ranged stuff from AOE III. These will be long-ranged, capable of hitting anywhere within a fourth the map from where they're positioned. They don't just carry cannonballs anymore either. Expect explosive shells and gas attacks. (here is where weather conditions, like wind, can really effect gameplay)

d. tanks. Yes, these bad boys are available late in the game, break down a lot, demolish trenches, and take machine gun fire like its going out of business. More importantly, perhaps, the provide cover for your men to advance and start digging new trenches.

e. armored cars. Looking for some urban warfare? Armored cars and motorcycles with machine guns might be the ticket. Fast, maneuverable, and not prone to breaking down, they don't have much off-road capability but are pretty nice to have if you have to hold urban areas.

f. cavalry. Fast, excellent off-road capability and god-awesome range, cavalry is none-the-less unarmored and growing quickly archaic. After all, as firearms become much more accurate, what good is a saber and pistol? Regardless, they are good scouts and great for catching infantry off guard while they're digging trenches. Good use of them early in the game will hamper your opponent's trench network, and they will be useful for large maps that are impossible to fully trench.

g. battleships. Need I say more? blast your enemies to platforms on the water!

h. u-boats. The terror of the Atlantic, they will be great for weakening your opponents on a water-based map.

i. aircraft. Good scouts, can occasionally bomb targets with limited effectiveness, but awesome for dogfights.

j. lighter-than-air aircraft. Better bombers, but watch out for those biplanes.

5. Fully destructible and utilizable environment. Can't have a 20th century game without one!

...and so much more! heh, well I'm tired and going to bed. Hope this starts some good discussion.

As Always,

Edited July 27, 2008 by Cassador_Chris

[Mythos_Ruler]

Trenches would be the new "walls". Crossable only by tanks and airplanes (of course). Build machine gun nests instead of defensive towers. You can build observation towers though, and those would be like AOK's outposts.

[Justinian]

In the last age replace Mac. Gun nets with concrete parapet and you are on a winner,

Also, you need to have bombardment and gas attacks.

[PhoenixDog]

A WWI TBS I think could be pretty cool

[Cassador_Chris]

I just had an idea that on some maps, at least, trenches could already exist and the players would have to seize what they deem the most important trenches and then fortify them from the enemy.

Such a rush at the beginning of the game will ensure highly mobile warfare for the first half-hour or so, until everyone gets settled into more or less of a stalemate. Then, of course, the race for tanks would take place, and then we have a fully mobile battlefield all over again!