This game will be epic. It's on my already massive list of must-haves.
Everything from here on is copypasta.
Plot In the EndWar story, the United States is trying to end strategic nuclear war through an anti-ballistic missile shield with their ally, the European Union (EU); Russia designs her own missile shield independent of the US or EU. As the major economies of the world consume natural resources at an increasing rate, Russia, the owner of most of the oil deposits, benefits from the skyrocketing price of oil and begins to upgrade her military, creating tension with the West. While the US is launching a space station that will house first-response military units, a terrorist attack against the launch pad leaves the superpowers on the brink of war. In 2011, the U.S. and European Union (EU) sign the historic SLAMS (Space-Land-Air Missile Shield) Treaty, agreeing to co-develop technologies for a comprehensive, interlocking anti-ballistic missile system. Left out of the treaty, Russia accelerates development of its own system. SLAMS is activated in 2014. The U.S. and EU launch test salvos against each other. SLAMS is a success: Each nation's missile shield destroys 100 percent of the dummy missiles fired against it. The U.S. and EU governments pronounce "the end of strategic nuclear war," and the world celebrates a new age of peace and security.
However, in 2015 it is found that major oil companies have "overstated" the number of recoverable oil reserves. The price of oil spikes to USD 200 per barrel, shocking stock markets in New York, London, and Tokyo into a massive downturn. Energy security becomes the explicit priority of governments around the world. Only Russia, already the world's No.1 supplier of oil and natural gas, benefits from the energy crisis, spending its petrodollars on a revitalized, technologically sophisticated military. Tensions between the world's three superpowers mount.
In 2018, the United States reveals plans to launch the "Freedom Star" space station into high orbit by 2020. While partly designed for civilian research purposes, the station will also house three companies of US Marines, who can deploy anywhere on Earth within 90 minutes. International reaction is extremely negative, to say the least. In 2020, when the final module of the Freedom Star is set to launch from Kennedy Space Center amid international outcry, it comes as little surprise when a group of terrorists attack the launch site. In investigating the source of the attack, the U.S., Europe, and Russian Federation find themselves at odds, rolling with unstoppable momentum toward full-scale global war.
Gameplay Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 216 contained an interview with the game's lead designer, Michael de Plater. He confirmed the game to be a Real Time Strategy game, but not in the traditional sense. Units will gain experience as they are used in battle. The emphasis will be more on smaller scale battles rather than the overarching campaign. Clans will also be included in the game for coordinating battles and creating a unified strategy for attacking or defending.
There are 3 playable factions in EndWar: The Russian Spetsnaz Guard Brigade, the European Enforcers Corps, the United States' Joint Strike Force; as well as a fourth NPC terrorist faction.
A prominent feature of the game is the Massively multiplayer online real-time strategy feature. Players choose a faction and engage in combat with players from opposing sides in roughly 40 battlefields spanning North America, Russia, and Europe, contributing to their side’s overall success and changing the front lines on the global map. In a Game Reactor interview, it was revealed that players will have a personal character, and each day the front lines of the overall war will be reset based on smaller battles that have taken place. A briefing before each match will inform the player of his or her previous actions and the current global situation, as well as the possible effects of the battle that they are about to fight. There can be hundreds of battles that last an indefinite amount of time in a single territory, with the victor being the side that was the most effective; there are plans to include game play recordings of the best players' battles. There will be multiple ways to initiate new combat on a continent that's already been captured by the enemy, some examples that were given were a "D-day" style invasion of France, amphibious landings in southern or northern Europe, and a mass invasion of Siberia through Alaska. there will be several different types of gameplay like Attrition, Siege, and Sabotage. If one faction completely defeats the others, the developers can create a new scenario based on the previous outcome and start the war over again. Also, according to Erik Brudvig, "Ubisoft didn't rule out a little 'interference' on their part if one faction was getting a little overambitious."
De Plater hinted at the game being "streamlined" with regards to units, resource management, etc. He stated that "every time [they] cut features out, it just made the game better." For example, only 12 units are allowed under control at once, creating a "Madden at war" style of battle. Also, the resource system will be stripped down compared to other RTS games. Each unit costs the same amount of resources, which are gained by capturing strategic points on the battlefield. There will also be "no magic" in EndWar, meaning all new units must be transported onto the battlefield by a transport vehicle.
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