Review: World War 2 Online Blitzkrieg
Developer: Cornered Rat Software
Price: $34.99; online service costs $12.99/month with one-month free trial and additional free months for recruiting new players.
Requirements: 800 MHz G4, 512 MB of RAM, 64 MB VRAM, 1 GB free hard disk space, Mac OS X, joystick.
Trial: One month free online, “boot camp” map for unlimited offline practice.
About This Simulation
WW2 Online Blitzkrieg is played online with hundreds of others across the world. Considering its emphasis on detail, it is in more respects a simulation than a game, meaning WW2OL is arguably the first “Massively Multiplayer Combined Arms Cooperative Operation Real Time Simulation” ever.
What separates this war game from all others is its combined arms. It utilizes infantry, tanks, aeroplanes, and ships, and offers the ability to share the operation of a vehicle with another player in a constantly changing strategic environment. This is the most audacious attempt to date at recreating this period of history, and for the most part it has succeeded.
This simulation is set during the 1940 German “Blitzkrieg” across a richly detailed Northern Europe, as French and British forces do their best to stem the tide of the overwhelming German assault. It takes place in a half-scale virtual model of northern Europe. There are huge cities and small villages, connected by roads, rivers, and railroads. The nature of the map offers the option of simply travelling across Europe in an aeroplane or truck, but this will take time. Just to fly to the German border from Dover in England takes an hour and a half in real time!
The object of the game is relatively simple: stop the enemy from capturing territory. The ways of achieving this goal are varied and ever changing. You initially “spawn” in your choice of vehicle or as infantry at your location of choice, do your duty, and if you survive you “spawn out” and receive promotion points. There are dozens of vehicle types and a handful of infantry types available, and you can choose either to join your teammates or to join other groups.
The Germans usually win, upon which point the map is reset, but there is every possibility the Germans could be stalled past the typical two-month game cycle.
A truckload of allies arrives in town, ready for action.
The box contains the game CD, a simple 52-page user manual, and a useful but dated map of Northern Europe. The CD contains additional images and music not found in the downloadable version. The box states some hefty requirements as mentioned above, noting a lack of support for dual-CPU machine configurations, but my experience has shown that it can run quite well on a lesser machine. Cities, aircraft, and heavy action with large groups of players require powerful machines, but if you avoid those you can still have fun using lower end machines.
I have been playing this simulation on my 500 MHz PowerBook G3, with 640 MB RAM and a paltry 8 MB of VRAM. While the game is for the most part playable, a reasonable minimum specification for adequate game play would be a 600 MHz G4 with 512 MB of RAM and 16 MB of VRAM with L3 cache.
It is important to note the L3 requirement, because the G4 iMac, eMac, and new 12" PowerBook which lack this L3 cache perform surprisingly poorly running this game! To use the tanks, big guns, and airplanes, it goes without saying that the game will require a joystick, and a good one at that. Fortunately, quality joysticks retail for as low as $25.
When using the game’s bundled configuration utility, it is best to start with minimum settings and increase over time, starting with the resolution and observing frame rate changes (if the FPS rate is not shown, press the Num Lock key). Higher settings make the environment look better, but may reduce performance. The bottom left ‘?’ button, when clicked, displays detailed descriptions of each of the settings.
There have been a dozen updates to this game since the first Mac version came out (and dozens more on the PC side), but this is the first time I can honestly say it’s a Really Good ThingTM. There is an amazing and constant effort to improve the game, with user polls conducted and suggestion requests accepted. Since I started playing, the developers have added new effects, new terrain, a dozen more towns, one armored car, three tanks, and five new airplanes, pushing the total number of vehicles into three figures. The improvements in version 1.8.4 are substantial. There may already be additional vehicles by the time you read this!
Looking at town from river bridge.
Joining the Squad
With this in mind, it is best to download and use the full game installer from the site (about 99 MB) instead of installing from the CD, which carries version 1.6.8. By default, files install to the “PlayNet” folder within the Applications folder, although this can be changed.
A plug-in for your Web browser is also installed, meaning you should quit your Web browser before installing. As ATPM went to press, this plug-in is incompatible with Apple’s Safari browser, and I have only tested it with Internet Explorer.
To create an account, go to the Web site’s Account/Getting Started area, enter the CD Key found on the case along with some personal and billing information, and take your time to choose a user name and password you’re happy with. You can change your user name at a later stage, but it will cost a little extra. Once you have signed in, you can then choose a squad to join.
Teammates help you play the game, coordinate the missions, and give a sense of familiarity and welcome. The option to play elsewhere or on the opposite side is still there, but once familiarized with the game, joining up will offer great camaraderie. There is a feature in the “radio” window to instantly chat with specific squad members or an individual. Being a member also gives you posting access to the Forum; Support-Mac is very helpful with questions. There is already a vibrant community of players.
As you gain experience, you gain rank and privileges!
War Games
This game is possibly unique, in that it is launched from a Web browser. On the Web site, choose a side (Allies or Axis), read the news and orders for the day, and then click the Join button. This activates the PlayNet plug-in, which quits your browser and launches the game. Once loaded, you are shown a map of recent activity. Use the map to zoom in on an area or view a list of active missions or attacks that you can join. The entry screen also lets you modify the key map, and view your progress to becoming a general.
Once a mission and vehicle are picked, hit Launch and the game drops you onto the map. Most of the time you will spawn in a relatively quiet area and move to the front line by land, air, or sea; but sometimes you may spawn in the midst of heavy action! Just as in the real war, information is scant, and your on-screen display offers basic health meters, a direction indicator, and a short-range map.
The environment is detailed enough to look impressive. There are day and night cycles, but the transitions happen about four times faster than normal. The game follows the laws of physics, from gravity right down to weapons recoil and the swaying motions of vehicles. You can have accidents; if a truck you are riding hits a bump or a tree, people will be thrown out and injured!
Because there are so many vehicles in the game, there are configuration settings for each class and individual vehicle, as well as settings for up to four different joysticks attached to the same computer, or for four players using the same joystick.
The spawn-in locations are either in the field called “FB,” or in a city, called “AB.” What is available depends on how active the location is and on your rank (most units are available at Corporal level). From then on it’s drive, fly, boat, or just plain walk to the action. Of course, you can hitch a ride or be towed by a truck by getting close and jumping on board. While hundreds can be online, there is a limit of 64 for each FB or AB.
The availability of equipment is a deciding factor in most battles. Scoring is based on two factors in defensive missions: how much longer than 10 minutes they last and whether you survive, and (in an attack mission) claiming a kill. This is much easier said then done, as most of the time you are unsuccessful.
RAF out in force, Hurricanes and Blenhimes.
Of all the online games I have played this is the most reliable, even over a 56K modem. Lag, when it happens, has almost no impact on ground operations, at most causing movement jerkiness or a rare delay in updates on flags. I was able to test it simultaneously by operating a tank, using two accounts over a high bandwidth connection. There was a consistent 1/4-1/3 second feedback lag between the two, which is very good. Considering that the servers need to keep track of hundreds of objects, including bullets, test for collisions, and then inform each player’s computer of movement, hits, or other events, one can begin to come to terms with the quality of this simulation.
A successful hit does take about one second to register on your screen. In that time, a signal of a hit is sent to the server, which passes that information to the opponents’ computers. They acknowledge the hit and report damage sustained; this information is passed back to the server, and notice is finally sent back to the shooting players computer, all in the space of that one second. A slow computer with a low frame rate suffers more misses than lag.
Teamwork
The hallmark of this game is cooperation. Two players can share a single vehicle, where one is usually a driver or pilot and the other is a gunner or bomber. Not only can a large gun be operated by two people, but to move it across great distances one needs the assistance of a third player to operate a truck.
In a tank, the driver will select the tank available and request an additional crew member who takes the turret position. It makes for easier spotting of enemies, which is vital for victory, but communication between driver and gunner is tricky. It is easier to be a tail gunner to an aircraft’s busy pilot.
The implementation of this feature is refined, functional, and one of the best aspects of this game. A cross-platform communications software called TEAMSPEAK is being used to great effect to help coordinate vehicle operation as well as squad organization.
German forces moving out.
Details, Details, Details
The key to a great game or movie is in the details. Once, I spawned into a fighter; while grounded, engine off, I fired its guns to observe the light effects and sound. To my amazement, I started moving backwards! I had not expected the developers to model the recoil on fighter aircraft as they did so well on tanks and guns, but they obviously have, to great effect.
These are not cookie cutter objects in different skins; every vehicle is beautifully modeled and behaves differently, as does the recoil of each weapon. So too are the vulnerabilities of each vehicle. Each vehicle contains fuel, ammunition, oil, power, controls, and of course the crew, so a penetrating round may only damage one or two systems, if indeed it hits anything.
With tanks, a shell may penetrate and ricochet off something inside before hitting a vital item. You can swim across rivers, but make sure you are well rested or you will risk drowning. Running takes away from your stamina, but lying down quickly recovers your breath. Damage is variable, from being stunned, to sustaining light wounds, to being mortally wounded, to dying instantly. Did I mention how beautiful the details are?
An 88mm cannon fires at night.
Bugs and Lags
Sadly, no game is perfect. Yet.
A pitfall of the game bemoaned by many is being locked inside a vehicle. There is no means of escape, even if it means losing the vehicle forever. There is every chance a vehicle is rendered immobile but its occupants survive. Yet they can’t get out, and they can’t spawn out of the environment, either.
Occasionally damage is ineffectual, or not properly recorded. An aircraft can on rare occasions take a huge number of direct hits and still fly home, if smoking profusely. Tanks have survived a large number of hits and attacks by sappers. The lag time between computers can also make what is a sure-fire hit to you a complete miss. Another source of gripes is damaged targets spawning out early, where the target leaves before being completely destroyed, robbing the victor of full credit for the kill.
The one aspect of the game I did find wanting are the buildings. Large buildings in cities resemble giant boxes on a Hollywood stage set. This is an unavoidable shortcoming in my opinion, as rendering more detailed buildings means more demands on the computer and server. Regardless, there is for each building a ground level and external stairs to the top. There are a few small buildings and churches with internal stairs, but the window frames are annoyingly thick. I saw one building with no upstairs windows.
The bunkers and fortifications in the game are oddly inaccurate. These bunkers are key positions in the game that must be captured; however as a strong defensive building they are anything but that. They are often positioned next to other buildings, trees, or walls that obstruct any defensive fire, and have large openings that offer a direct line of incoming fire. The system is not 100% efficient; objects and walls do not stop all shells or explosions so it is possible to be hit inside a bunker. Overall, bunkers seem to be a hindrance and many players question their purpose.
This game suffers from occasional freezes and application crashes that occur more frequently on modem connections. On a broadband connection, a crash or freeze may on average occur with every 15th spawn-in, but I am usually finished playing before that happens.
I have read some reports of poor performance even with new, high-end Macs. There are a few map bugs, mainly bases that cannot be captured and trees invisible from one side. Lag is generally unnoticeable—unless you are flying, when that short pause may seem to last forever—but other then that it runs very smoothly, considering the hundreds of players online at once.
Going on a river cruise in a small Fairmile patrol boat.
Play Tips
Be patient! If you rush into combat you won’t last long. Learn how to operate as many individual vehicles as possible before you rush off to battle. Learn to work in teams, as you cannot capture a town alone. The more familiar you are with your vehicles and maps, the more successful you are. Truck runs and defense missions are the best route to more promotion points, but remember to despawn at base after a run. You must play the game for more than ten minutes and survive to receive those points.
The cliffs of Dinant.
Last Call
World War 2 Online Blitzkrieg must not be seen as an arcade-style game such as Quake, Medal of Honor, or Unreal. It is a serious combat simulation that can be enjoyed if treated as such, and gives a good historical perspective of what it was like 63 years ago. This game is most recommended for WW2 hobbyists, serious gamers, and those who like simulation games, but it may still be attractive to arcade gamers.
The camaraderie you will find between players is very noticeable, with players trading humorous war stories or boasts. Perhaps some will be perfectly happy just to drive to a hill top, admire the virtual countryside, and listen to the digital birds.
Copyright © 2003 Joe Kudrna,
joek@wt.net. Reviewing in ATPM is open to anyone. If you’re interested, write to us at reviews@atpm.com.
Reader Comments (107)
It is worth trying out for a month or two. $13.95 is a small price to pay for such a great game.
Second, many players are members of squads. By using Roger Wilco or Teamspeak, communication is done primarily though the voice comms. Some of us read text only when we are not engaged with other duties. So, if someone doesn't answer your question, please ask again.
Finally, vengence is the best part about being killed. You can self-avenge an enemy who has killed you by sneaking up on him and using a pistol on them as just rewards.
This game is very much worth the free trial and continuing it in a squad would be most helpful.
I recommend you spend at least the free trial and one month in the pay zone. $12.99 is very cheap for unlimited play.
A Day Of 109 by Kafuji - 42 mb, 3:35 min
WooHoo by Vanner - 16 mb, 2:16 min
Stuka-Raid on Binche by Wldillons - 32 mb, 2:01 min
Someone starting in the game must be aware they are playing, and paying for development of, an unfinished game--not to mention the experience in having every bit of high-end hardware to play the game, at least to fly at times. Development is slow, support for the game is player-based, and customer PR is lacking at times with little or no answers to the development of the game being subscribed to.
It's pretty much capture the flag and overwhelm tactics for the last two years. Nothing strategic as of yet--at least not yet working. There is no Navy unless you consider a shore patrol as a Navy. The equipment lacks in some personas and others have been in development past the normal 6 weeks turnout.
The game has become better, for the most part, and enjoyable at times, looking back from day one. But it still has major hurdles to overcome to survive and to keep its customer base in the future.
Each map reset sees the best equipment removed and you start off with far superior Axis equipment which, while historically correct, creates a mind killing "ground hog day" situation.
Great job, CRS!
I found another player who thought the same and we started our own squad. Then we joined the official BEF and recruited three more players. THIS is what makes the game fun. It feels like your actaully a member of the army--not just some loser looking for kills.
You never finish World War 2 Online or get bored. One second, you're attacking and feeling on top of the world. The next, you're definding against an onslaughtof tanks, infantry, and air with nothing left in the spawn pool than a handful of riflemen. Real last-stand stuff. :-)
Try it for a month. Join a squad or tally up with them and get ready to be addicted.
The best thing of all is you keep getting updates with extra equipment, FX, and enhancements.
Each reset will see all nations begin in starting positions where they will each have their respective strengths and weaknesses potentially balanced (for example, Axis air power is stronger, whereas Allied armor is far more powerful, but slower), but each will have increasingly enhanced capacity to research and develop ever more potent and advanced designs that could see the respective balances dramatically alter over time (which was what historically happened).
The total area of the WW2OL world has been stated as 2.92 million square kilometers. Currently, only Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern France, some of Poland, a portion of southeast England, and a small portion of northwest Germany have been populated with towns and vegetation etc. The game will continue to grow for a LONG time.
I've been playing for just over a month now and am already a Liutenant Colonel in the Army with access to all the weapons I need (you get access to all vehicles at Corporal, which can be reached within 6 hours playing time.)
As for HQ controlling the production rate, I agree that most people don't get to see the big picture. It is all about gauging what the opposition is going to do. If they increase their planes and we don't, we could lose the air war. Both sides enter into discussion through the week on the forums as to what they want to increase production of and then a decision is made based on the communities' decision.
Controlling where you spawn is another feature that may make or break the game. Being in a squad helps you. Running around randomly in this game will get you nowhere because, without teamwork, you are just cannon fodder for the enemy.
Personally, I'm looking forward to huge air battles and bombing raids on factories.
Nice article. Very fair. Here is hoping we see some more Mac players :)
Dennis T. Moe
After a while, though, in siege battle, it gets to a point where it's no fun at all. =/
Take a little time and get used to it. Find a squad to run around with. If you're Allied, tune to Allied94. We're always doing something.
This game rocks. 'Nuff said.
Most games last just a few weeks - until you figure out the AI patterns, best unit combos, or whatever. That hasn't happened yet with this game, and I don't think it ever will.
I've never run into a situation where I thought "hey that reminds me of another time when..."
Every day is different, unique, interesting, challenging, and whatever else you'd like to add.
The game is about as far from realistic, historical gameplay as exists, and although it presents a large opportunity to gain online friends, thats nothing that can't be accomplished at any chat room on the web. Anyone who is interested in the historical aspects of the war will definetly be turned off by the EXTREME numbers of aircraft (more than 4x the actual historical numbers) and armour (more than 3x). Infantrymen are very few and far between, and spawning one and using it any type of offensive action almost always ends in death by armour or plane.
The naval game is also a joke, destroyers are everywhere, and they camp coastlines blowing the crap out of everything that moves. They can be stopped by almost nothing but ABSURD amounts of bombs and ... (seemingly a glitch) a single TNT satchel placed by a lone infantryman.
Please, don't waste your time with this game. Give it a few years, and maybe then it will be able to present what it originally promised. World War II Online isn't World War II at all.
This year will bring alot of new features that will amaze everyone.. CRS had a great idea when they release this game and are holding true too that idea.. Alot of new things are in store for this game and it will be amazing from CRS has posted on the up an coming ideas..
For you guys that want too know what this game is all about, just download the trial and check it out for yourself, dont listen too these guys that said it sucks!! Trust me, when you get the hang of how the game is played you will find yourself spending alot of time at your computer..
Like a previous player stated, you will start off as a private will little equipment to select from but get out there and make it happen.. Moving up in rank will not take long and you will find yourself being able to select new toys to play with.. Multi crewing tanks,bombers and boats helps out alot..
This game offers alot and will offer more this year with with the next tier vehicles and game features..
But NONE of those games I could stand playing for more than several months.
I have been playing WW2O for 2 years and a half years and I still play it now. There is no other game like it. In every other game you have a vehicle or unit with hitpoints. Not this game. You have to actually aim at certain parts of a target. Range, distance, balistics all affect if your shot will hit or not.
This is NO quake game. This is not meant for gamers who want instant fun and lots of blood. Its a game that requires you to actually think. It is a true war simulation like no other game out there.
Sure BF1942 and IL2 looks nice and pretty.. much they are tiny arenas compared to what you can do in this game.
The game is tough and requires a lot to learn. But its the best game ive ever played.
It has problems, no game is without them, but so far I haven't encountered a problem that is too much to bare.
And the game is fun. A few days ago we (the Allies) captured the German airbas at Gilze. Since then the area around it has been a hot bed of airpower. The Germans trying to set up CAPs over the airbase and the RAF bombing the crap out of the German front lines.
only NPC's are AI AAA, AT and MG emplacements around towns that provide minimal defense. They are easily destroyed or avoided.
BiGPiMpN:
CRS does not release player stats so it is hard to tell, however most people believe the subscriber base to be in excess of 15,000 with perhaps 1200 people online at any one time. And it is continuing to grow.
NEW PATCH (v1.18):
Paratroopers
Mobile spawn points (deploy a truck near town)
4 new planes
And those are just the highlights. I've been playing this game since 6/1/2001 and it gets better with every patch. Patches come out about once every 6-8 weeks.
Try it and see.
Much more immersive than Planetside.A variety of ground troops(including paratroopers),30+ different armored vehicles,20+ different airplanes(including alot you wont see in other flight sims,such as the curtis-hawk 75 and dewontaine 520,destroyers and troop transports,anti-tank guns and anti air guns.
Real strategy and real tactics play a role in this game.
I recommend buying it.
There seems to be a pro opinion of this game all over this forum, with the odd bad review. I have a few questions that I hope a veteran can answer for me..
1) Is the game well presented..?
2) I love world war 2 tactics? Are they accuretly modelled.. For example.. do the german's use the blitzkrieg? Is there an early part of the war where the german tactics are vastly better than the french/polish? Or does the game start at D-Day for example.
3) Are bomb runs like IL 2 ? Do you have to cross a large amount of land to target? Are there huge aircraft formations like in the battle of britain for example?
4) How are the teams allocated? Do the russians play a part? Can the germans ally with another nation or are the teams predetermined..
phew..
thanks guys!!! Look forward to playing soon..
1) The game as fairly accurate equipment, using the real specs of the weapons such as FPS, blast radius, range, ect.
2) The tactics of the game have been developed by the players. The equipment the german posses is very quick and they do have the ability to over run positions if they rally enough players for a major operation. So I guess I can say a aspect of original tactics are used, but not relied on. the germans in my opinion have better eqiupment to start out with after a reset, and and the campain progresses bet equipment is developed and added. Resets involve opposing sides starting out dead in the center of the map.
3) I love being a pilot and that's what intially attracted me to the game. Some bombing runs can be a long flight if your trying to take out major factories and cripple the equipment output of your foe. Other times, you may have a very close air support mission from your airfield. Generally, there's enough airfields on the map that you don't have to fly to long. I havn't played IL 2 so I can't really compare it, however I've been a part of huge formations of bombers with escorts, and now recently, paratroopers have been added along with a transport plant, so they require tending to as well.
4) Team formation is entirley player driven, it all your choose what side you want to play for and what squad you join. Russians are not in the game yet, however I do know for a fact that the Italians are being developed and the African campain will be out probably before next year.
Just another note, CRS recently broke the 64 visible object limit, so now we're up to 128. That's something that no one has managed to do yet. I'v played the game for years, and despite some of the negatives that you hear (this are usually people who prefer more action than tactics) it's still the game that I get the most enjoyment out of.
-Crabtree
One thing about this game that keeps me intriged is the different things there are to do in game. If you get tired of tanking you can jump in a plane and go bomb a factory. Then you can climb in another plane and parachute into a fire fight in town. So much to do you never get bored. Played EQ2 for awhile, got bored of the leveling treadmill.
great game
Paratroops are actually used for a variety of purposes; some real-life, others not so much. Paratroops are often used as advance shock troops to take out fortifications and armor ahead of the main force. They are also droppd on enemy occupied towns to support overrun defenders. Lastly, they are dropped behind enemy lines to interdict supply.
It's not always high drama. As a paratroop in a combat area 75% of the time you can be shot before your feet ever touch the ground.
Frustratingly realistic.
Yes I am a kid, but I am a freak of World War 2. I can't play this game so can you like give me info like sometimes. Like how battels go and stuff. I just want to know how this goes! It sounds cool but you have to pay for it. Can somebody be my buddy and like tell me stuff! Thanks! USA RULES!
Thanks!
idk what anyone says about this game, if you can para drop over some germans and shoot em up with a machine gun, the game has to be grate!!! But i must admit it has its down time, like when ur about to jump and a 88 shoots a bullet the size of your head through the plane and you go spirleing down to the ground in bloodt shambles, then having to fly back there which takes about 5-10 min. Still you get that real life jump when ur floating through the air at 1 am and all u see is the traces of 88's shooting blindly into the sky.
Hope fully this gives everyone a good idea of how ww2ol plays
Dave: I'm sorry, my linguistically challanged friend. The game only launched in late 2000. But your review indicates one of the differences between this game and other WW2 "sims": If you want to stay alive in WW2OL you need to spend 50% of your time planning and not running aroudn like some hopped up Rambo wannabee. that just gets you dead. A lot.
its still buggy as heck
When I first started playing with my friend in April of 2001, I spent hours just wandering around the countryside, learning the game. I took me three weeks before I got my first kill. I can remember it like it happened yesterday. Playing as Axis, I was crouched in the corner of a burned out building, steadying my rifle, when a French Sub Machine Gunner crawled right past me. I totally freaked out, and fired 5 shots into him. I've been hooked ever since.
The game has evolved overtime, the graphics, while not perfect, are still more than adequate to immerse you into the battle, and the sound effects are almost too realistic.
While setting up in a sniper position, I could hear tanks roaring by while aircraft where dropping bombs and machine gun fire is spraying all over the place. A tank fires on me, the realistic sound of the shell impacting the ground near by resonated through my chest. I was so busy concentrating on tracking an enemy infantry for the perfect kill, that I didn't hear the enemy unit sneaking in behind me. When he fired, I jumped, screaming like a little girl.
There isn't enough space for me to adequately describe the sensations realized while playing this game. It is just one of those things that you have to experience.
Fans tend to be people who are willing to spend some time and effort to accomplish their mission. Some of this time and effort is not even in the game server. Our High Commands spend hours of their own offline time planning weapons developement strategies as well as theatre wide operations which are then implemented by the Player run Squads.
Not happy with High Commands decisions? Think you can do better? Then apply for a commission and you too can know the massive amount of detail that goes into planning each campaign.
I am one of those hard core fans. A player since June 2001, I have never played ANY game this long nor this enthusiastically. As to the cost, at 47 cents for 24 hours of gameplay, I spend more on one can of soda pop. How much did the last movie you went to cost?
The learning curve is steep and if you don't have the patience to climb it, you may become frustrated. This is one of the many reasons why Squads are a vital part of this game. Running around by yourself playing Rambo is almost certain to get you killed. A lot.
Teamplay will allow you to hold off or overrun any number of lone Rambo types.
Even if you don't join a squad, High Command instructions and calls to arms are regularly broadcast on the chat channels where everyone can read them and join the operation. There are even help channels where other players are standing by to answer any questions you might have.
Beginners start with the most basic equipment. With experience however you can fairly rapidly gain access to the more advanced peices of equipment. Again, your squadmates can help!
There are games out there with better graphics and effects, but WWIIOL breaks away from the shoebox shooters with its absolutely massive map and its incredibly detailed gameplay.
No Bots, No NPCs, No Clones, No Hit points or Hit boxes, No Hacks or Cheats, If you see ANYTHING moving on this massive map, land, sea or air, then somewhere in the real world (and our players are from ALL over the real world), someone is moving it, and if he sees you before you see him.........
Do YOUR Part for the War Effort! Join World War Two Online Today!
Unfortuanately it has passed its prime and then some. At this point you have a few die-hards playing and a few new players known as "green tags" that just bought the re-release. Other than that it is a huge, empty game world.
The latest release was received so badly that a number of long-time players have decided to walk forcing CRS to lay off staff. This is especially telling considering the formerly almost fanatical loyalty of the fan-base. People have simply given up hope that this will turn into what we all hoped it would.
It has devolved into a contest pitting stopwatches for table timers, and minute attention to the exact order flags are captured in order to take advantage of a rule set that has nothing to do with World War II combat and everything to do with manipulating poorly thought out game logic. In short, what made it fun at one point has vanished.
I'm sorry to say that can can no longer recommend this game to anyone.
A few years ago I was also interested in this game, because AT THE TIME Playnet had told us "fans" that we would fight in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and more in realism squad-based operations, what a LIE!
After years and years they're still playing on the same dumb ugly map of half Western Europe and half of the players are fighting on their own like little stupid school girls running and creeping in a darn wheat field.
And after all these years (when it was supposed to BE patched) there's still a 2 to 4 seconds (YES FOUR!)delay between shoot-kill... how can you have such a terrible delay like that in a strategy-simulation game? that's non-sense.
They call the game "World War II" Online when it has nothing and I mean NOTHING to do with World War II except the fact that units wear authentic uniforms... ooh wow.
Graphics still sucks it's nothing new, but this game is not a strategy-simulation, it is an action-RPG game, period.
There's a time I would have, but now I definitely NOT recommend this game to anyone.
Your mannerism makes it hard for me to belive you are from the "US Forces". And if you are, your use of low class language language and grammar makes me worry about the quality of "US Forces"!
Their is no "Sim" on the market that comes close to the environment WW2 Online provides! Their are respective categories that are better (IL-2 for air, Rainbow 6 and the like for hand to hand), but tell me of any that are so vast! And it is CONSTANTLY being improved, FOR NO COST TO THE PLAYER ONCE THEY PURCHASE THE KEY!
I do not know of another subscription based game that puts the effort to improve everything in the game, not just do bug fixes and add new 'arenas'. And the graphics are very good for size of map. This is NOT an arena, but a real WORLD.
However JR is correct that in recent months the promise of the game is falling short. It is not for lack of trying,
WW2 Online still has huge potential, and I am not giving up on it yet!
Don't expect an exact real-world experience, and you will get hooked!
1.can you fly a plane when you first start or do you have to wait?
2.is the U.S in the game or if it isnt is it coming in a patch sometime later?
3.are there aircraft carriers for the sea or is it again gonna come in a patch?
4.is the game eventualy cover the whole ww2 battle grounds like the pacific african and any other theatres?
The game started with a good new idea but the developers spoilt it.It needs to be restarted with a new game developer-company.
Ups and downs wwiionline:
Unstable game servers,
Terrible damage modeling(infantry can kill armored car crew with his rifle),
Exploits (yes game has exploits,game crashes when you are in middle of something),
Clipper players,(tanks and infantry can kill you behind walls, somehow)
Bugs(yes tons of bugs like silent db7 bombers, invisible units)
I started the game playing with 5-20 fps I never had a chance to fly.Because dirty game code worked good and I learned that a couple of months later.Then I got 50 fps.
This game needs 1 gig ram not less.
The game developer expects from players to play same map for ten years(meaning there is no another theatre-scenario)
There isn't enough useful manual or help docs.Only community-squad sites provide some helpful docs.
The developer seems to be a little on the Allied side, you can't see end of Axis campaing with Battle of Britain, they reset servers immediately.
Limited naval activity,no subs and carriers.
Unhistorical equipment in game. Shermans, Stuarts on French side, Churchils on British side in 1942.
Developer explains that, this was included in land and lease program.
No other strategic targets, only towns and bridges.
Mission menus and rules sucks.You get limited info from menus and maps.
They have a training server but it's dosen't has trainer all times for teaching.
Updates and patchs have trouble, they make the game go worse
They don't fix anything you report.Map has blackholes and unvisible walls, blocked fbs; you can't get out of them.
There is multi crew option for vehicles but it doesn't work very well.
The last thing, developer tries make money out of their beta game, it is not ready for marketing.
You can meet good friends all over the world.
This game is unique.It gives good experience and idea for future multiplayer gaming.
I play it since 3 years, know, he s got some bugs and problem, but it s the only one who can give you a such experience in gaming !
Please make a new review with all the new features !
Steep learning curve, average age 30+ and unique gameplay. Still not for the fainthearted, as seen in this forum, either ppl love it or hate it :P
Recent patches have pushed it more towards "deployment" where equipment can only be spawned where there are brigade units, there is not 700+ inf 30+ tanks 50+ guns in each small belgian village anymore. Which also makes it very important where the High Command moves the brigades.
The new strategic level have made the game more challenging to be in the HC and still provides a lot of action for the players though the strategic level is still only half finished.
But try to join a squadnight with 70+ squadies, raping some nmy town with a detailed plan and groups of players doing their part everywhere, coordinated by officers on TS, is amazing !!!
S!
I tried to get it set up again but when i went to www.worldwariionline.com and it had changed to world war 2 online battle ground europe. so iam just wondering will I have to repurchase the game to play it?
Any suggestions?
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH IT
the programmers need to be drawn and quartered. at first glance playing this is the best thing since sliced bread. once you actually pay attention to how bugged and screwed up it is the game is very aggrvating.
list of retarded gameplay
a british grenadier with rifle grenades can kill all axis tanks.
i hit a british ATG with 4 hand grenades and shot the person twice as he moved around in circles in front of me then despawned
buildings are no cover, you still get shot inside of them from time to time.
vetern players use exploits to look through walls and see people coming when you cant see them.
tank shells hitting in buildings and around an area do not kill troops, you basically have to score a direct hit.
a tank is not really armor, sometimes rounds from one type of tank will bounce of every time then other times the first round will pierce the tank.
the 50mm axis ATG goes in circles constantly and doesnt stop when you let go of the controls.
the movment for gun sights is to blocky and hard to set up an accurate shot at long range(x and y axis control issue).
troops bleed and there are no medics.
and the list could go on and on and on.
THIS GAME IS HORRIBLE
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON IT
Result many left, very very few to do the job which affect all the players. If you an arcade person you just pick a tank or a rifle and try to kill something but people who care about realism, stradegy etc. its a huge problem and drawback.
Also CRS is being favoring 1 site a lot latelly cause the other side had too many wins. Result they have create such conditions that its imposible for the other side to win. In other word they push 1 site or the other to win.
See they have RDP, which is the research of the new weapons etc. They keep the cost and how the thing work hidden from the players. This is on purpose so they can control and provide adv. to one side or the other according to who they think they should win.
That interference on the play game and introducing patches where it will affect your game play severlly for long period of times have made me stop playing.
Unfortunetlly there is no other game out there similar to it but then again enouph is enouph and I do not want to waste my money.
Red Orchestra is the BOMBAY!
The game has come a long way since the first release. I remember when all axis players were blondes.... (just like Hitler wanted) I remember when all buildings, trees, and other objects were all 2D. The game play has improved; graphics have improved, as have sound effects, and all the other elements that bring realism to the game.
I'll admit that I'd take a few months off from playing this game from time to time. Usually, I'd quit around October, and then in December I'd hear about some great new feature added to the game that brought me back. (Destroyers, Paratroopers, and Snipers just to name a few.)
I think that this game is still fun. Depots and mobile spawns do a great job of engaging the axis and allies in combat quickly. No more 20 minute truck rides! However, there is one negative aspect to the game. I am not too fond of the player controlled element. Incorporated into brigade spawning was what I felt as a loss of control of how I wanted to play. I was the leader of a small group of elite players. We specialized in capturing enemy towns. However, once the brigade spawning was added, only high command could post attack orders on towns.... and if none of them were available to order that attack, the town could not be captured.
I like focusing on making war. It's what I do. I am not about to take orders from some 14 year old kid that is off on summer vacation. I'd prefer to choose whom to follow into battle based off of my prior experiences with them.
Give me my panzer, a few good men, and the ability to choose my target, and the axis will prevail.
I'd still give this game a 8 out of 10 rating. I still eagerly read up on all the weekly newsletters, telling me about the new features coming to the game. I'm looking forward to weather, and battlefield clutter. I hope I live long enough to see U-boats. When that day comes, I plan to retire, and dedicate the rest of my life to hunting down allied convoys. WOOT.
Quite often they assume that it is merely a game like bf1942 transplanted to a persistant environment with many more players.
Guys, the thing to remember is that THIS IS NOT A SHOOT EM UP GAME. Far from it. If you think of it as a hardcore simulation rather than a shoot 'em up then you'll have a better idea of what to expect.
To address some complaints made by someone who obviously played the game for five minutes and was crap at it (everybodys crap at it to begin with btw):
LIST OF REALISTIC GAMEPLAY
a british grenadier with rifle grenades can kill all axis tanks
A british rifle grenadier can indeed kill all axis tanks bar the tiger. This is because the historical data shows that the brit HEAT rounds (thats armour piercing explosive btw) could in fact penetrate the hulls of the modelled axis tanks in certain places. Once again, this is based on actual data, not your shoot em up assumption of what is and isn't possible.
i hit a british ATG with 4 hand grenades and shot the person twice as he moved around in circles in front of me then despawned
There is no death animation for the ATG crews so you may or may not have killed them. Admittedly most of the ATG damage models are a little weird and are on the 'to do' list. With practice you can kill them all very very easily as a rifleman.
buildings are no cover, you still get shot inside of them from time to time
If you died inside a building then its because an enemy inside shot you, or someone outside shot you through a window. Buildings are actually much harder cover than they should be - they will stop any kind of incoming round until they are destroyed.
vetern players use exploits to look through walls and see people coming when you cant see them
Lies. There are no substantiated instances of this ever happening.
tank shells hitting in buildings and around an area do not kill troops, you basically have to score a direct hit
The US military has spent many millions of dollars trying to accurately model HE and failed. It's unrealistic, but just as unrealistic as having some fantasy system where a set amount of damage gets applied to whatever is in 'range'. The new stat HE is better than the old system - not perfect, but better.
a tank is not really armor, sometimes rounds from one type of tank will bounce of every time then other times the first round will pierce the tank
Hahaha. This game doesn't deal with damage radiuses, hitboxes or hitpoints - for example you can shoot a tiger tank frontally with a 2lber gun literally a thousand times and not kill it - a 2lb shell is simply incapable of penetrating a tigers frontal armour. Flank to its side or rear where the armour is thinner and you might stand a chance.
You simply had the misfortune to not know the tank you were up against and the limitations of your gun.
the 50mm axis ATG goes in circles constantly and doesnt stop when you let go of the controls
No. You either set your controls up incorrectly or have a faulty joystick.
the movment for gun sights is to blocky and hard to set up an accurate shot at long range(x and y axis control issue)
Assign the sight axes to your mouse, not the joystick. It is deadly accurate once you have done this. This another thing that makes the learning curve very, very steep for new guys - we've all been playing for ages and have our controls tweaked just the way we want them and new guys are still using the joystick to try and aim. I actually prefer the way red orchestra does turret rotation from a gameplay perspective, but using the mouse is probably more true to the accuracy that could be achieved in real life.
Once you get your first armour kill where you were patient and outwitted your opponent I guarantee you'll be punching the air and shouting like a twat :)
troops bleed and there are no medics
Indeed. I understand that in real life most people bleed when shot, they don't take a reduction in hitpoints and then keep on trucking. Medics in the sense you are thinking of them will never happen in this game - a quick wave of the medpack (whatever that is) and you're right as rain again. The devs have too few resources and too little time to be concentrating on something as inconsequential as medics.
You tried the game for a week.
You got your ass handed to you on a silver platter repeatedly.
So you decided to bitch and moan about it without understanding how it works.
This game is very, very hard. Anyone who plays it will tell you that straight off. But it's because of that difficulty that it is also so incredibly rewarding - in every combat encounter you are up against another (or several) humans - probably just as smart as you and as well practiced in their chosen unit. If you succeed it is a truly squishy warm feeling.
It's also the only MMOG game where veteran players are on an equal footing with day one players in terms of equipment (although experience counts for so much more) - no extra hitpoints, special items or powerups. Just you, me, and a rifle each.
It's by no means perfect but it's continually evolving and always fun to play.
NUMBER 1 PIECE OF ADVICE:
JOIN A SQUAD!!!!!!!!
You can leave anytime you want, but a squad will help explain the game to you, take you on more interesting missions and actively help you to rank up quicker. Being in a squad makes the game at least twice as good as being on your own, even if you only log in now and again.
WWIIOL is not just a game.WWIIOL is its own genra.nowhere else can you find a game that evolves as you play.WWIIOL is very stable,way more than people give credit for.shure there are bugs,right now we have an issue where some people lose connection.but overall performance is up.its the nature of an evolving game.and once you get used to it,thats when you (like thousands before you) get hooked.
WWIIOL is so real,morale has a huge impact on the war, just like you would expect.when morale is high,you have big (when i say big,i mean 100+ people on one side alone)glorious attacks that take territory.when morale drops,you suffer desperate retreating defense actions with high attrition/desertion rates.there are days when everything goes right,and days you die as you spawn.
WWIIOL has something for everyone.our mobile spawns with riflemen,anti-tank riflemen,snipers,smg's,lmg's,grenadiers (rifle propelled grenades),engineers (satachel charges)and paratroopers (smg's with extra ammo),somewhat satisfy the instant action cravers,we have an array of tanks and armored cars for the tanker fans,towed anti-tank/anti-aircraft guns,fighter planes and bombers for the flyboys,detroyers and riverboats for navy types.
the 350,000 square mile play area has hundreds of towns modelled so a campaigne takes weeks to play.
Many other things that are wrong with this game.
My only gripe so far is that I cant seem to find a good flight tutorial online to help me out with my shooting skills.. Like how far to lead the target etc..
Years of bugs, mishaps, empty promises...
Not to mention poor ISP providers for that company, wich means poor pings and continuous packet loss.
And the real deal.
"he 350,000 square mile play area has hundreds of towns modelled so a campaigne takes weeks to play."
That's 350,000 square mile of play area with around 200 players online.
Weekends there is around 500 players at server at peak time.
Far from MMO. Fights are small and short. Maybe 1-2 fights in a week wich could be called as battle.
UI sucks, modeling new equipment is slower than my grandmom in running track.
Don't bother to waste your time on this.
I tried it about a year ago and could really accept the fact you had to pay every month to play, but I tried it again and its highly worth it. The latest update to the game was in january 2008, and a new one is coming up fixing and adding to the game.
All the training I went through to learn how to drive fly, and shoot made the game alot more exciting, I really enjoy the RPG aspect of it as you earn rank and more abilities in the game based on what u do and your performance.
My clan(12 guys).www.187thMgDiv.com
have formed our own squad in the game having our own uniqie tags like the other squads in the game. I have recently have been working with the devs to give them feedback and ideas for improving the game as I have some WW2 knowledge.
For those contemplating getting into the game either new or from a previous time, its definately worth it!
i used to play when it was new and i tryed it this year its not any better than playing top down game! Most of the new games are much better and atleast they have more fun things to do operation flashpoint 1985 you can do ww2 and atleast its more real! than WW2 online
wwiionline link
Don't rate this game on the screenshots in here. The graphics are MUCH better!!!
If you are new to this game, take a few weeks before deciding how you feel about it. it is immersive and very challenging!
Being part of an active squad is key. Team involvment increases the reality level 10 fold. See the 111th Rangers (Allied)
Off to war!!
AFSOC Out!
They scream 'realism' at you, but then you go and see your heavy tanks blown up by small caliber HE (high explosive) rounds, not AP rounds. Bugs, bugs, bugs.
Massive amount of area ingame, but due to the AO (attack order) system, they try and cram everyone into 1 or 2 (usually 1) large battle, and due to seven year old code you lag...People with up to date machines, brand new machines, etc, that play the latest games flawlessly lag on this mess of a game. So, all that huge playing area is moot.
Hardly any players on at all during non-US timezone primetimes.
Try it the next free trial, dont take my word for it. Go see for yourself what a mess this game is, lol.
-It's bugged (Ingame map - is white and has to load in first, after 10 secs or so it comes up)
- Clipping errors (So much for realism .. I spawned in a couple of times to find my character below ground .. Buildings disappear but you're able to see everybody and shoot everybody)
1) Composition of the fighting force: You would expect that there would be manny infantry and couple of armour and guns. Well, guess what, everyone is spawning as a tank or gun. The infantry itself is about 20-50% of the force whitch usualy means about 5-25 infantry man per battle. ...unbalanced.
2)Composition of the infantry. From the couple of guys that are playing infantry is everybody wielding LMG, sniper rifle or AT rifle and there are wery few riflemans and SMG guys. They should be the core of the force!
3)Teamwork. The prefered tactic is to silently infiltrate capture point and start spawning your army inside the city. Once the battle starts the game turns to quake inside the city. There are single soldiers running around and others camping. Well, camping is totaly fine if you look from the window or bush on some ground and try to kill enemies going through it, but most people camping on spots with no value (door entrances, steairs...) and just trying to get some kills. ...boring. This could be fixed by motivating (or forcing, like no xp per kills) infantry to hold together in squads. Then the camping would turn to deffending perhaps ambushing whitch would be more realistic and would create more intense firefights.
Im not loosing hope and will give this game a try in a couple of months again.
If you are looking for a Tactical FPS MMO then this is what you have been looking for. Just make sure you join a squad to get the full effect! 505th Panzer Division (AXIS) if you would like a good large squad.
Yeah it has bugs here and there but what MMO does not have bugs and you can't really compare any other game or MMO becuase nothing else out there is of this scale, when it comes to realism and the damage Models!
Yes if this game had a larger developer it may have more money and faster updates but you get to comprimse the issue of SOE like companies stepping in and firing all the head developers that have been around from the start and we will loose everything this game is all about. I would gladly tack slower development and the game that I want then faster development and the game run into the ground by SOE!
Give the game a shot! Its not a huge game when it comes to people. This is to the guy that was complaining about only having 500 People on at a high population portion of the day. Every game has to start some where and this type of game is not as popular as many others just becuase of the very steep learning curve.
Its a nitch Game in my opinion. I play ARMA 2 and Operation Flashpoint as well and these cannot compare in sheer size.
Just try and it and give it a few weeks and make sure to join a Squad. Dont let the few bad reviews outway the many good reviews!
Oh and the Pictures are very out Dated. Infact very soon they should be updated again with the Game Engine that should be out very soon!
This game does it's best to simulate true combat that can still relate to today's combat. Especially the way the Infantry coordinate with Pilots to take out tanks, Infantry, Anti-tank guns, etc. I would invite you all to visit battle ground europe's website and see what they're doing to the game.
CRS is going to add in RAG DOLL EFFECTS! They're also going to improve the tracer fire ( holy crap the night battles will look so real) and will add in weather. Thunderstorms and rain will be added for variety during game play. There are many more improvements to the upcoming patch and it just proves that CRS does indeed care about their game and are trying very hard to make it the best there is.
I invite you all to try it and for any of you old timers that quit, join us again once the patch is released. I promise you WILL NOT REGRET IT. CRS is a very dedicated company. That's all I have to say.
Or maybe you will start as a rifleman, and get sniped from 1 mile without even seeing the enemy. or a tank and get shot instantly.
This is fun for the people with the good gear who have been playing for a long time. But new players unsub pretty quick.
Shame, because its a good idea for a game, just badly thought through implementation.
Why did i keep coming back. This game had fantastic potential, and went horribly wrong, every time i came back... it was worse than before, poor graphics, lag, game coding same bugs and issues that were around 7 years ago. Bad HC and brigade spawning Ao system. The balance is a joke, again accredited to poor game programming and the idiots that claim that the Rats listen to the player base are obviously HC.
DO NOT WASTE YOU MONEY ON THIS GAME.
Yes, that is right, bugs/issues have persisted for nearly ten years now and more are introduced with each patch.
I'd list all the issues I'm talking about but the list is far too long to post in a comment blog.
Save your money and DO NOT PAY Cornered Rat Software a single dime for their beta game.
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