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AtomSeptember marks the start of DEFCON
I am prophesying that September 2006 will bring the end of the world. We will see a global thermonuclear war, resulting in a near extinction of the human race. Well ok… not really, but you will be able to play it out on your computer. Introversion Software has announced the release of their 3rd title, DEFCON, a Real Time Strategy where the map you play on is a map of the world. Their previous releases, Uplink and Darwinia, were unique in there style. In Uplink, you take on the role of a computer hacker and complete missions for cash. You can spend the cash on new hardware and software. There is almost nothing to speak of graphically, but it makes up for it in addictiveness and creativity. If you have not played Uplink, do so ASAP. But I digress; we are here to talk about DEFCON.
In DEFCON, you play a General hidden deep in an underground bunker. The goal is to direct your forces to eliminate you enemy. With the world as your battlefront, you will make, and ultimately break, alliances to achieve your cause.
Game progression is as follows:
|
Level |
Status |
|
5 |
No hostile action, may move naval units in international waters |
|
4 |
Radar coverage will provide information on units within range |
|
3 |
Can engage the enemy in conventional naval and airborne combat |
|
2 |
Continued and more aggressive hostile actions |
|
1 |
Nuclear attacks allowed |
*The level you are playing at will be dependent on the amount of time that has passed, the lengths of these periods of time are not known yet.
Air and Naval units, as well as ground installations, are the tools at the players’ disposal. Some of the available forces are listed below.
Air Units
- Fighter – Good scouts and effective against enemy aircraft
- Bomber – Carry one nuclear warhead each but are slow and vulnerable to attack.
Naval Units
- Battleship – Anti-ship unit used to detect enemy units and destroy them without the use of warheads
- Submarine – Invisible to radar, but have no radar themselves. Subs launch nukes and torpedoes from any ocean location
Ground Installations
- Radar Dish – All units extend radar coverage but dishes have the most, but they are defenseless.
- Missile Silos – Either launch nuclear warheads or shoot down incoming aircraft and nukes.
DEFCON will have a multiplayer mode, where games can be played with up to a total of 6 people. Though it is important to note, each player is still playing to win and their scores are independent of their allies’ progress. Also at anytime, players can choose to change alliances should a team be looking to acquire and opposing player.
An interesting feature that will be included is the “Office Mode”, designed specifically to be played at work. Hitting the ESC key twice will minimize the game to the system tray, where an icon will change to update players to major events occurring during game progression (Nuclear launches, etc.). This is a dangerous feature for those of us who spend countless hours trolling forums and reading game news, wishing “gee, if only there was a game designed to be played at work”. Introversion Software heard the cries and took an action many would deem to be “irresponsible”. Hopefully Office Mode will run directly off the disc, as most people do not have installation privileges on office computers.
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