"It's Risk on steroids."
13 June 2012 | By Jonah Falcon
"It's Risk on steroids." That's how the Petroglyph senior producer Chris Lena at E3 2012 described the developer's massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game, End of Nations, which has endured a long development cycle, at one point transitioning from a subscription-based payment model to free-to-play.
With the free-to-play model, End of Nations would be using a micro-transactions model, in which players spent both in-game currency and real money to purchase new units. However, the game wouldn't be "pay to win", since players would not be able to purchase units they hadn't unlocked with real money.
However, the game does feature a robust customization feature, allowing players to make their own unique armies with skins and colours. One skin shown off was a "bacon" skin, making every unit look as if it were plastered with delicious strips of fatty bacon.
The game features a war room festooned with a world map with regions that are either owned or contested. Players can join battles that are hotspots, with battles that can range from 2 vs 2 affairs to massive 26 vs 26 major battles.
In preparation, players build loadouts of various units, much like one would build a deck of Magic: the Gathering cards. Judging from the map, players guess what sort of company they want to bring into the battle. They might, for example, bring in an anti-aircraft build, or a mobile heavy armor sortie. If the player finds they brought in a build that is wrong for the enemies they're engaging - the anti-aircraft build is worthless since the opponents didn't employ any aircraft - it can be swapped out.
This company system obviates the need for any sort of base-building. Players simply spawn out their company to go to business performing various tasks such as command point claiming or reconnaissance. There's very little resource gathering as well; there's just a slow trickle of income that can be used to redeploy killed units or place special building types that were included in the loadout. Otherwise, the game is played as a regular real-time strategy game, as players coordinate with each other to dominate their opponents.
The map that I played was a small 2 vs 2 map with three control points. Each team's home base was protected by an impenetrable force field that could only be lowered by claiming two of the control points. My company loadout was a fast group of scouts aided by light tanks, which I used to quickly claim control points. My partner had a heavy armour loadout that kept the enemy engaged. When I lowered the force field, I immediately started harassing the enemy base, splitting their defences in two, allowing the heavies to begin its assault on the base.
After the battle, Commanders on both sides earned experience points based on their performance, which could be used to unlock better versions of existing units or new units.
End of Nations is a promising title that should attract attention with its free-to-play model. It's mix of RTS with Risk and a touch of Magic: the Gathering make for a pleasing combination, and a strangely addictive quality. The game is currently accepting beta applications for early access to the game's release, which will be later this year.
Top Game Moment: Just coordinating with my partner and making mincemeat of our enemies' base. There's a special feeling of satisfaction when you know your tactics simply outclassed your opponent's.
With the free-to-play model, End of Nations would be using a micro-transactions model, in which players spent both in-game currency and real money to purchase new units. However, the game wouldn't be "pay to win", since players would not be able to purchase units they hadn't unlocked with real money.
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However, the game does feature a robust customization feature, allowing players to make their own unique armies with skins and colours. One skin shown off was a "bacon" skin, making every unit look as if it were plastered with delicious strips of fatty bacon.
The game features a war room festooned with a world map with regions that are either owned or contested. Players can join battles that are hotspots, with battles that can range from 2 vs 2 affairs to massive 26 vs 26 major battles.
In preparation, players build loadouts of various units, much like one would build a deck of Magic: the Gathering cards. Judging from the map, players guess what sort of company they want to bring into the battle. They might, for example, bring in an anti-aircraft build, or a mobile heavy armor sortie. If the player finds they brought in a build that is wrong for the enemies they're engaging - the anti-aircraft build is worthless since the opponents didn't employ any aircraft - it can be swapped out.
This company system obviates the need for any sort of base-building. Players simply spawn out their company to go to business performing various tasks such as command point claiming or reconnaissance. There's very little resource gathering as well; there's just a slow trickle of income that can be used to redeploy killed units or place special building types that were included in the loadout. Otherwise, the game is played as a regular real-time strategy game, as players coordinate with each other to dominate their opponents.
The map that I played was a small 2 vs 2 map with three control points. Each team's home base was protected by an impenetrable force field that could only be lowered by claiming two of the control points. My company loadout was a fast group of scouts aided by light tanks, which I used to quickly claim control points. My partner had a heavy armour loadout that kept the enemy engaged. When I lowered the force field, I immediately started harassing the enemy base, splitting their defences in two, allowing the heavies to begin its assault on the base.
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After the battle, Commanders on both sides earned experience points based on their performance, which could be used to unlock better versions of existing units or new units.
End of Nations is a promising title that should attract attention with its free-to-play model. It's mix of RTS with Risk and a touch of Magic: the Gathering make for a pleasing combination, and a strangely addictive quality. The game is currently accepting beta applications for early access to the game's release, which will be later this year.
Top Game Moment: Just coordinating with my partner and making mincemeat of our enemies' base. There's a special feeling of satisfaction when you know your tactics simply outclassed your opponent's.
