DEFCON (New game). Global Thermonuclear War

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brandons1313

It Wandered In From the Wastes
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8.8 From IGN
http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/732/732711p1.html

Part of the article

That, in a nutshell, is DEFCON, the explosive new strategy game from Introversion - the developer behind the critically-adored Darwinia and lesser-known, but equally brilliant, Uplink. The aim of the game is simple: cause mass destruction on a global scale by launching nuclear attacks on rival superpowers while, at the same time, protecting your own borders from enemy strikes. Refreshingly, it's as easy to play as it is to explain, with many of the elements that tend to overcomplicate strategy games - such as resource management - stripped away to shift focus onto killing every last living, breathing person on the planet.

However, before the bloodbath begins, the conditions of war must first be determined. There are six superpowers fighting for global domination, these being Asia, Russia, North America, South America, Africa and Europe. Players each choose a faction to side with and the remaining powers are either allocated to CPU players or left out of the game entirely. As such there's tremendous scope for playing DEFCON on a number of levels, from straightforward one-on-one conflicts - an obvious starting point for new players - to six-player all-against-all bun fights best left for those who know their silos from their subs.

With superpowers decided, the campaign map opens up - a Tron-style representation of the world - and the countdown to carnage starts ticking. Starting at DEFCON 5, it's the calm before the storm with players unable to initiate strikes on the enemy until the threat alert reaches DEFCON 3. Instead, the time is used to devise a plan of attack, surveying the enemy's position and deploying units accordingly. DEFCON's stylish neon wireframe graphics - taken straight out of the movie WarGames - depict the global battlefield, with cities marked on the map as diamonds. Units can be placed anywhere within the boundaries of your territory, using the mouse and keyboard to move quickly and easily around the map, with the mouse wheel zooming in and out.

There are three main types of unit: radar, airbase and missile silo. The latter is perhaps the most important as it's from these bunkers that each player rains nuclear death on the enemy. However, as the game unfolds, it's quickly apparently that each of the other units plays an important role too, meaning their placement is equally vital. Radars, for example, highlight the position of any enemy units within range so without them you'll be fighting blind. It's therefore wise to line them along the coastal regions of your continent so enemy units are detected before they get within striking distance. Airbases are capable of launching fighters and bombers, the light jets used to scout out beyond the reaches of your radar dishes as well eliminating enemy aircraft. Heavy bombers, on the other hand, are extremely important defensively and can target enemy naval units camped off your coastline.
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Some of the gameplay footage still gives me chills.

The spartan lay out and the simple uncompromising graphics only emphasize the Apocalyptic forces being unleashed.
 
I'd much rather have a good game without the 'ueber next-gen zomg hardcored graffiks' than the other way around.

Plus, the game doesn't look ugly at all, considering.
 
Schuljunge said:
you know that this game only takes place on a stupid blue world map? :roll:

that looks like a one man design job...
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Are you implying that games designed by thirty people are by definition superior to games designed by a one-man team?
 
I prefer supreme Ruler 2010, a really good strategic game. Sorry, but it has only strategy, not good graphics.

Regards
 
Ratty said:
Are you implying that games designed by thirty people are by definition superior to games designed by a one-man team?
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no :look: ... :lol:

Pale Horse said:
I'd much rather have a good game without the 'ueber next-gen zomg hardcored graffiks' than the other way around.
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you know that Street Fighter back then on SNES had ZOMG Graphics? Now nobody calls it Zomg Graphic. The only Problem i have with graphics are those stupid firework effects, especially in roleplay games with magic :? No matter where you look, you always see some color particles flying sensless in the game.

Pale Horse said:
Plus, the game doesn't look ugly at all, considering.
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yes maybe now, but after 10 hours watching at the same blue world map (i guess, there wont be other levels). oh wait:

level 1: blue world map
level 2: red world map
level 3: green world map
... and so on ^^

i guess, we have to wait to hear more about the gameplay, but i dont have like big expectations.
 
It's nothing like the PS wargames game, unfortunately. That was hella-cool. If they made a PC port of that, I'd pay $200 for it. Nevertheless, this also looks pretty cool.
 
Schuljunge said:
Now nobody calls it Zomg Graphic.
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Clearly you've not been on the internets for that long.

Schuljunge said:
yes maybe now, but after 10 hours watching at the same blue world map
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That's part of the game's atmosphere. To give you that Wargames sort of feel. Sort of like you're in some bunker somewhere looking up at a big blue screen and seeing all the troop movements and missile strikes unfold before you.
 
Hmm, yes, seems interesting indeed...
Ah hell, what am I saying, it looks fucking cool.
I looked at that page for five seconds before thinking, "I want it."
 
Defcon went gold, and it's on my Hard Disk Drive, comfortable!

Yes!

My preciousss...


Will post more after I play it!

One word: Awesome namesday present! :D
 
I played it with a friend tonight, and i must say i didn't have any high expectations of this game but if was pretty funny!

I was US and he was CCCP. He was so happy when one of his nukes hit New Your. But my revenge was hard 8)

I took my subs to the coast of india and unleashed all they had + all my silos at once. I don't have to say it was a massacre :roll:

Most people will probably get tired of this game very fast but its fun for a few days and that can be worth 10$, then again there are other ways of getting it :shock:
 
I just downloaded the demo.

Well this game is really fun but it isnt something you are going to want to play for weeks. 8/10

I would love to see this type of game with the visuals like google earth. so you can zoom in on the ground and also see the destrution in real time with effects on the land.


BTW did anyone get creeped out by the fucking music? At one stage I could hear this chick crying.
 
The music is beautiful, and the game addictive as hell... though you have to refine your tactics, very, very much.
 
Would you like to play a game?



Freakin sweetness. Gotta get some shitty old computer stuff to stack around my monitor.
 
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