Heroes & Generals
| Heroes & Generals | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Reto-Moto |
| Publisher(s) | Reto-Moto |
| Composer(s) | Jesper Kyd |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | First-person shooter, strategy video game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Heroes & Generals is a free-to-play first-person shooter and strategy video game developed and published by Reto-Moto. Reto-Moto was founded by some of the original founders of IO Interactive and the Hitman series.[1] The developers called it a "mass participation game" in contrast to a traditional massively multiplayer online games, where the actions in the FPS-part of the game reflects into the strategy-part.[2] The player can use weapons from Nazi Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union.
FPS Game
Heroes & Generals is an online war game with multiple game modes accessible from multiple platforms. Play the game as the hero on the battlefield, the officer making the tactical decisions to win the battle, the general command devising the grand strategy and everything in between... Every player’s action has consequences for the war effort.— mmosite.com[3]
The main part of the game is a team based first-person-shooter, but it ties into a persistent game world. The player initially begins with a soldier from each faction (USA, USSR, Germany) and can buy additional soldiers with in-game credits. These soldiers are equipped with a default rifle and can play the Encounter game mode immediately. The player, when entering a battle, is greeted with an interactive map, showing terrain and which team controls which control points. In the Skirmish and Encounter game modes, the player must click on the spawn point of their team (or called faction) and can choose whether to spawn on foot or in a vehicle. In the Assault game mode, the same rules apply, except players can also spawn on control points captured by their team. Teams will always consist of soldiers from the same nation, unlike some World War II games that have teams of mixed nationalities.
There are currently three game modes for the FPS-part of the game: Assault, Skirmish and Encounter.
Assault:[4] In assault, one team will be defending from an offensive team, or in rare cases, two offensive teams. The goal of the offensive team is to capture control points in order to seize two or three (depending on the map) main control points, while the defensive team has to defend the points. The offensive team wins if it captures all main control points, while the defensive team can win by either holding out with all control points until a timer runs out, or capturing all the offensive team's control points. Assault cannot be played by players until one of their soldiers reaches rank 5.[5] This moves the character into Tier 2, after which all soldiers can play assault regardless of rank.
Skirmish:[6] Skirmishes are basic games that can be played by any character that has reached Rank 1 (i.e. completed one Encounter battle). Skirmishes consist of two teams that each have a spawn point. These teams must then fight for control over three control points (A, B, and C). When a team is holding a point, a bar for that team at the top of the screen gradually fills up. The more control points occupied, the fast the bar will fill. The game ends when one team succeeds in holding multiple control points for long enough.
The game includes World War II era tanks, planes, and land vehicles. Infantry units are also a vital game play aspect. Tactical decisions made by officers in grand campaigns affect in-game support, reinforcements, and logistics. Players will encounter a variety of terrain, from fields and countryside to large cities.[7]
Features
Heroes & Generals also has unique features sets it apart from other World War II games. The use of vast terrain vegetation has allowed players to hide in brush and tall grass without worry of being spotted by snipers.[8] It is a free to play game, but, unlike other free to play online shooters, it has a campaign, various vehicles, and various small details which would make it comparable to games such as the Battlefield series or the Call of Duty series. Also, the game's command mode is able to be played using a tablet or smartphone. However, they have a different role in the game, in which they are commanders, or people who move troops and assault teams. The player takes his/her soldier through a career, choosing what weapons they will specialize in and where they will fight. The soldier can also be made to switch roles as they progress.
Infantry: The default class, the infantryman has access to most weapons as well as several vehicles such as jeeps, motorbikes and halftracks.
Tank Crewman: Most tanks and tank destroyers are available to this class.
Pilot: This class can buy aircraft to assist the ground forces with bombs and machine guns.
Paratrooper: Parachutists are dropped from AI-controlled airplanes deep into enemy lines, with some having access to unique weapons.
Recon: These snipers can buy a variety of sniper scopes to eliminate the enemy at long ranges. They can also utilize motorcycles and armored cars.
Development
Heroes & Generals is being developed using Reto-Moto's own browser based 3d game engine, called "Retox",[9] and is currently in the beta stage. The development-model is referred to as "User Driven Development", and the idea behind it is to show how the game is being made, and in the making the developers hope to get feedback from the players.[2]
Marketing and release
On October 7, 2011, Reto-Moto released the first teaser trailer for Heroes & Generals as an exclusive video on GameTrailers.[10]
It was released for Microsoft Windows via Steam as a pre-release beta on July 11, 2014.[11]
References
- ↑ "It’s Battlefield 1942...2011, With Strategic Stuff to Boot". destructoid.com. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- 1 2 Jesper, Kristiansen (2010-10-16). "Reto Moto om Heroes & Generals – Interview". Eurogamer.dk. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
- ↑ "Game Overview". mmosite.com. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ↑ "Assault - Official Heroes & Generals Wiki". heroesandgenerals.gamepedia.com. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ "Action Game - Official Heroes & Generals Wiki". heroesandgenerals.gamepedia.com. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ "Skirmish - Official Heroes & Generals Wiki". heroesandgenerals.gamepedia.com. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
- ↑ Andersen, Kenneth. "Heroes & Generals Press Release". Heroes & Generals. reto-moto. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
- ↑ "Large scale terrain vegetation". heroesandgenerals.com. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ↑ "Heroes & Generals: Jacob Andersen Interview". mmorpgitalia.it. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ↑ "Heroes & Generals community site". heroesandgenerals.com. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
- ↑ "Heroes & Generals Now Available on Steam". Retrieved 2014-07-24.