Warzone 2100
| Developer: Pumpkin Studios | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Eidos Interactive | Sound: |
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| Year: 1999 (2000 in Europe) | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Real time strategy | Lastability: |
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| Number of players: 1* | Rating: |
7/10 | |
(*) Multiplayer “skirmish” mode for 2 players via local network and up to 8 players over the Internet or IPX network (don’t ask me!).
This is the type of game I want to highlight: somewhat forgotten, one that introduced new ideas in its time, didn’t successfully implement all of them, but left me with an indelible memory (I played the PlayStation version, from which the above images are taken).
You work for The Project, a group of nuclear war survivors searching for lost military technologies. Why? To restore love and peace. How? With kind words and missiles…
The plot is rather conventional but engaging, somewhere between Mad Max and Terminator, supported by “low-budget” video briefings typical of the ’90s: low resolution, heavily compressed and overloaded with sound effects (in the future, everything must beep). Despite this, the narrative remains flat compared to the delightfully kitsch cutscenes of Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun (1999), filmed with real actors. I mean, real people trying to act…
Warzone 2100 distinguishes itself from its contemporaries through its 3D representation and extensive unit customisation. The player “designs” their own tanks by choosing a propulsion type (wheels, tracks, hovercraft…), a chassis (light, medium, heavy) and a turret (machine gun, cannon, flamethrower…). Combined with this, a technology tree system similar to Mega lo Mania allows for developing a wide array of weapons, as well as a plethora of guard towers, bunkers and other defence systems.
Graphically, the 3D engine was impressive for its time. I remember being blown away by the ability to control any unit individually from a first-person perspective (chase cam) on PlayStation. However, the environments seemed monotonous. Lots of brown, grey and emptiness. Not too bothersome in a post-apocalyptic universe. Nevertheless, I would have liked to see more rubble, especially after destroying a building. Cosmetic rubble, mind you, that tanks can drive over, because we have enough problems as it is! I imagine they wanted to keep their game running smoothly, with good reason. Let’s agree that the game is smooth and ugly. Note, however, the presence of subtle but appreciable weather effects (rain rippling on water surfaces, snow).
I like the continuity between missions. You keep the same base, the same units, but the map expands. You really feel a sense of progression. Another point that struck me was the scale. In the first mission, you’re confronted with bandits, foot soldiers and light vehicles, barely perceptible as they’re so small compared to our starting tanks, which are already the size of a house!
A poorly explained element in the game: the only resource is “power”. It’s consumed when producing units, repairing them, or allocating it to the “research and development” department. Power isn’t directly produced by your power plants but through oil combustion. Your power plants simply serve to activate your pumpjacks (how we learn here! Still holding a grudge over Baldur’s Gate 3?).
Thus, only the number of operational oil wells under your control determines your power production. You need exactly one power plant (placed anywhere) per group of four wells to ensure optimal efficiency. There’s no point in building more.
Other games of the genre focus mainly on prospecting and securing resources, then mass-producing combat units. Less so here. The deposits are right next door, in limited numbers, and the computer doesn’t seem particularly keen to seize them (in “campaign” mode at least). Moreover, the power gain, though constant, is severely limited, encouraging you to repair or recycle your old units rather than sending them to their doom without a second thought.
The developers clearly sought to deepen the gameplay system. In addition to the elaborate orders that can be bound to keyboard shortcuts, introduced by Command & Conquer and refined by Total Annihilation (patrol, defend something, attack multiple targets in sequence…), you can automate certain tasks, such as producing and delivering new units wherever you want, or commanding units to return independently for repairs. Furthermore, they gain combat experience, accompanied by rank promotions, making them more effective. Finally, there are various somewhat complex synergies with special units: the infamous “commanders” and several types of radars used to guide artillery pieces.
In my youth, I remember trying in vain to use the command units, meant to automatically coordinate small groups of tanks by making them fire at the same target and granting them attack bonuses. I experimented extensively during my recent session. It works quite well at first, when facing accommodating enemies, but I became disillusioned when my commander started getting pummeled and initiated a “tactical retreat” for repairs; because all units under his command followed him, leaving my artillery on the front line… And when I tried to salvage the situation by clicking on the retreating units, I realised, in a state of panic, that I could no longer direct them, or even select them individually!
Like most players, I ended up abandoning command vehicles in favor of clever keyboard shortcuts (on PC, of course). I primarily use the following two in tandem: selecting all units equipped with a certain type of propulsion (tracks, for example), then order troops to retreat at 50% damage taken. By pressing the two buttons, one after the other, I automatically summon repaired units stationed at base, but not those awaiting repairs. Of course, I’ve been careful not to give tracks to my construction trucks or artillery!
This method allows you to manoeuvre a group of tanks like a school of fish, bringing damaged units to the centre whilst fresh troops circle the periphery, so the enemy can’t concentrate fire on the same unit. It’s quite effective … when the terrain permits. You must be very careful with bottlenecks. The maps incorporate elevation and narrow canyons (the first campaign takes place in Arizona), and if a unit decides to turn around in a corridor, it blocks everyone. It works better early in the game, while you’re driving light, manoeuvrable tanks.
Useful tip, by the way: right-click on a factory to give “default” orders to units being built.
Moreover, I’ve never been certain of the added value of the two types of mobile radar units, nor of the benefit gained by “assigning” them, that is, delegating control of my artillery pieces to them. The disadvantage, however, is obvious: finding my howitzers wandering about aimlessly minutes later, blocking my tanks’ path, or more often, never finding them again… I stopped using radars and continued blandly sending my tanks forward with artillery just behind, “by hand”, and it worked adequately.
Similarly, I practically never use light or medium chassis, nor (cybernetic) infantry, nor aircraft. The restriction of units in play to 100, the rank system, and especially the perpetual power shortage, excessively favour heavy tanks and the “conservative” approach. A shame, for a game based on the variety of tools at one’s disposal…
Let’s talk about the frustrating bits now. The game suffers from two massive flaws:
Number one: the artificial intelligence, particularly how the computer calculates unit pathfinding. It’s infuriating to watch two tanks collide head-on, like rutting moose, and come to a standstill; incapable of passing each other on a road wide enough for three! It’s infuriating to see a damaged unit flee through the enemy base rather than turn around and exit the way it came in!
The opposing side seems no better off. I witnessed an aircraft attack, apparently set to “retreat if damage exceeds 50%”. They flew over my base under anti-aircraft fire, then suddenly turned back without striking their target. They took hits on the return journey, and as soon as they left the range of my turrets, they turned around again! Second pass, same route. They were shot down to the last one before my bewildered eyes…
The second, astounding flaw comes from the conservation of power between missions. Missions generally have a time limit of one to two hours, which is more than enough to complete objectives, rebuild forces and fund research. But after doing all that, you’re left with diddly squat, and if you want to ensure success in the next mission, you’ll be strongly inclined to wait for your power level to rise, taking care to leave one last enemy building intact to stretch things out as long as possible. They could have simply awarded a power bonus at the end of a mission in proportion to the remaining time. Instead, we spend twenty minutes playing, then the next hour letting the game run while watching telly. What nonsense!
To conclude with a brilliant transition, Warzone 2100 is to the real time strategy genre what Exhumed is to first-person shooters: an ambitious prototype, albeit a bit rough around the edges, and sadly overlooked … with the notable difference that its remake doesn’t cost 17 quid!
I’m really not a fan of remakes in general. I barely mention their existence in footnotes, usually; but when the remake in question brings significant graphic updates whilst remaining faithful to the original title, corrects its major flaws, greatly improves ergonomics and the installation process, is free, open-source, and regularly updated by enthusiasts for over two decades…
Well, it deserves its own dedicated page!
If you want to try the original version, you have two options:
The PlayStation version, easier to set up on an emulator, suffers from reduced resolution and frame rate. The game was compatible with the PlayStation mouse. I recommend the ePSXe emulator. If it crashes at startup, check “x1” in “Options > CPU Overclocking”. To connect the mouse, click on “Configuration > Gamepad > Port 1 > Pad 1”. In the top right, specify “1: DirectInput” and “[SCPH-1090] Mouse/Digital (F5)”. Set up the buttons anyway just in case, then in-game, press “F5” to switch between controller or mouse control.
I used the “self-installing” version offered by Abandonware-France. No need to download the patch, as it’s already included. This version only works in stretched fullscreen and you’ll need to fiddle with your graphics card’s display settings to enable scaling. Other problems I couldn’t fix: the sound options don’t seem adjustable (no music) and an unsightly “dgVoodoo” logo is embedded in the bottom right.
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