[Review] Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

[NANO]

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game (RTS) developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, and published by Interplay Productions in Europe. The first version, for MS-DOS, was released in North America on 23 November 1994 and the Classic Mac OS version followed in early 1996. The MS-DOS version was re-released by Sold-Out Software in 2002.

Although Warcraft: Orcs & Humans was not the first RTS title to offer multiplayer games, Blizzard's game persuaded a wider audience that multiplayer capabilities were essential for future RTS games. The game introduced innovations in its mission design and gameplay elements, which were adopted by other RTS developers.

Blizzard's main emphases in Warcraft games were on: skillful management of relatively small forces, and on development of characterization and storyline within and between games played in the same fictional universe. Sales were fairly high, reviewers were mostly impressed, and the game won three awards, and was a finalist for three others. The game's sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, became the main rival to Westwood Studios' Command & Conquer series, and this competition fostered an "RTS boom" in the mid– to late 1990s.

Game play

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy game (RTS).The player takes the role of either the Human inhabitants of Azeroth, or the invading Orcs. In the single player campaign mode the player works through a series of missions, the objective of which varies, but usually involves building a small town, harvesting resources, building an army and then leading it to victory.In multiplayer games, the objective is always to destroy the enemy players' forces. Some scenarios are complicated by the presence of wild monsters, but sometimes these monsters can be used as troops. The game plays in a medieval setting with fantasy elements. Both sides have melee units and ranged units, and also spellcasters.

Modes

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans's gameplay expands the Dune II "build base, build army, destroy enemy" paradigm to include other modes of game play.These include several new mission types, such as conquering rebels of the player's race, rescuing and rebuilding besieged towns, rescuing friendly forces from an enemy camp and then destroying the main enemy base, and limited-forces missions, in which neither side can make further units, and making efficient use of one's platoon is a key strategy element.In one mission, the player has to kill the Orc chief's daughter.

The game also allows two players to compete in multiplayer contests by modem or local networks, and enables gamers with the MS-DOS and Macintosh version to play each other.Multiplayer and AI skirmishes that are not part of campaigns were supported by a random map generator.The game also allowed spawn installations to be made.

Economy and Power

Warcraft requires players to collect resources, and to produce buildings and units in order to defeat an opponent in combat.Non-combatant builders deliver the resources to the Town Center from mines, from which gold is dug, and forests, where wood is chopped.As both are limited resources which become exhausted during the game, players must collect them efficiently, and also retain forests as defensive walls in the early game when combat forces are small.

The lower-level buildings for Humans and Orcs have the same functions, but different sprites.The Town Hall stores resources and produces units that collect resources and construct buildings. Each Farm provides food for up to four units, and additional units cannot be produced until enough Farms are built.The Barracks produces all non-magical combat units, including melee, ranged, mounted, and siege units. However all except the most basic also need assistance from other buildings,some of which can also upgrade units.

Each side can construct two types of magical buildings, each of which produces one type of spellcaster and researches more advanced spells for that type.These advanced buildings can be constructed only with assistance from other buildings.The Human Cleric and Orc Necrolyte can both defend themselves by magic and also see distant parts of the territory for short periods.The Cleric's other spells are protective, healing the injured and making troops invisible,while the Necrolyte raises skeletons as troops and can make other units temporarily invulnerable, at the cost of severely damaging them when the spell dissipates.The Human Conjurer and Orc Warlock have energy blasts, wider-range destruction spells and the ability to summon small, venomous monsters. The Conjurer can summon a water elemental, while the Warlock can summon a demonic melee unit.

User Interface

The main screen has three areas: the largest, to the right, is the part of the territory on which the player is currently operating; the top left is the minimap; and, if a building or unit(s) is selected, the bottom left shows their status and any upgrades and the actions that can be performed.The status details include a building's or unit's health, including its progress if being constructed, and any upgrades the object has completed.The Menu control, at the very bottom on the left, provides access to save game, load game and other menu functions.

Initially most of the main map and minimap are blacked out, but the visible area expands as the player's units explore the map. The mini-map shows a summary of the whole territory, with green dots for the player's buildings and units and red dots for enemy ones. The player can click in the main map or the minimap to scroll the main map around the territory.

All functions can be invoked by the mouse. Keys can also invoke the game setup, some of the menu options and some gameplay functions including scrolling and pausing the game.Players can select single units by clicking, and groups of up to four by shift-clicking or bandboxing.To move units, players can shift the mouse to select units on the main map, move to the unit menu to select an action, and then back to the main map or minimap to specify the target area; shortcut keys can eliminate the middle mouse action in this cycle.

Story line

The Orcs originated from another world, Draenor, where the orcs, once a peaceful race, became bloodthirsty from the blood of a pitlord. However, their Warlocks remained aloof, devoting their time to the research of magic. The Warlocks noticed a rift between the dimensions and, after many years, opened a small portal to another world. One Warlock explored and found a region, called Azeroth by its Human inhabitants, from which the Warlock returned with strange plants as evidence of his discovery.

The Orcs enlarged the portal until they could transport seven warriors, who massacred a Human village. The raiding party brought back samples of good food and fine worksmanship, and a report that the Humans were defenseless. The Orcs' raiding parties grew larger and bolder, until they assaulted Azeroth's principal castle. However, the Humans had been training warriors of their own, especially the mounted, heavily armed Knights. These, assisted by Human Sorcerers, gradually forced the Orcs to retreat through the portal, which the Humans had not discovered.

For the next fifteen years, one faction of Orcs demanded that the portal be closed. However a chief of exceptional cunning realized that the Humans, although out-numbered, had prevailed through the use of superior tactics, organization, and by magic. He united the clans, imposed discipline on their army and sought new magics from the Warlocks and Necromancers. Their combined forces were ready to overthrow the Humans.For the next fifteen years, one faction of Orcs demanded that the portal be closed. However a chief of exceptional cunning realized that the Humans, although out-numbered, had prevailed through the use of superior tactics, organization, and by magic. He united the clans, imposed discipline on their army and sought new magics from the Warlocks and Necromancers. Their combined forces were ready to overthrow the Humans.

System Requirements

• Operating System: MS-DOS 5.0
• Processor: Intel 386DX 20 MHz
• Memory: 4MB RAM
• Graphics Card: VGA graphics, 256-colors capable, 320 x 240 resolution
• DirectX:
• Sound Card: Sound Blaster compatible sound card
• Hard Drive Space:
• Drives: 3.5" Disk Drive or 2X CD-ROM Drive
• Controls: Keyboard & Mouse
• Multiplayer: 14.4 Kbps modem or IPX network card