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bchang953's Day of Defeat: Source (PC)
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[February 9, 2008 04:54:35 AM]
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Gameplay (cont.):
One great aspect about the game is the very critical component of communication. Since the maps are relatively small, with the tide of battle constantly shifting, communication is essential. Many players use headsets and use effective military phrases such as, "flank left," "cover fire," "grenade!" etc, adding to the immersive experience. Players also engage in sportsmanlike banter using the chat function.
Another great aspect is the experience outside of the game itself. Day of Defeat has a rabid fan-base and is played competitively in online gaming leagues such as CAL (Cyberathlete-Amatuer-League) and OGL (Online-Gaming-League). There are many dedicated Ventrilo servers and a huge network of mIRC chat rooms where players can "chill-out" in between games and talk with recently made e-friends (haha...), or where they can find scrimmages (games set up like they are in league matches) to join, and eventually dedicated teams.
Design:
Day of Defeat is different from other WW2 games such as Battlefield and Call of Duty primarily because of its small maps. Though this seems like not such a big deal, it completely changes around the combat dynamics as well as the social dynamics. Because the maps are small, a team of people who have never met or played with each other before can more easily strategize against the other. The key to victory is micro strategizing, like how a SWAT team strategizes to take a house, as opposed to how an Army brigade strategizes to take an island. This brings the combat (and the action) much closer, giving players a large kick of adrenaline.
The levels themselves are also designed well so that they are "balanced." This means that it is not drastically easier for one side to win on a map than another, based on their spawnpoints. There are also many clever sniper and machine gunner spots on the maps, which can be hilariously fun for whoever is in one of those spots, and maddeningly frustrating for those being attacked by them. Each level also comes with its own theme, and each level has completely unique structure each with their own "choke-points" and prime areas where combat may take place.
The fact that how well you do is completely based off of skill also propels players to practice and keep playing to be as good as they can since they cannot often blame being shot down on bad luck. Usually when you are killed in Day of Defeat, it is because it was someone better than you. The movement/aiming system/weapons in Day of Defeat are easy to grasp, but set up to make it clear who is really the best. One can easily tell by spectating another player first-person how good he or she is. This game encapsulates that old paradox: easy to learn (at first), but (very) difficult to master. The more trained your wrist, and the cooler nerve you have, the better you are. This will also earn the respect of everyone else in the game. After I pulled off a particularly long headshot I earned many "ns" comments from the other players, "ns" meaning "nice shot." In short, this is one great game, so pick it up and play!
[An exmaple of an Allies player model]
This entry has been edited 3 times. It was last edited on Feb 9th, 2008 at 05:06:42.
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[February 9, 2008 04:16:03 AM]
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DAY OF DEFEAT: SOURCE
Summary:
Day of Defeat: Source is an update to the critically acclaimed game Day of Defeat, both of which are currently being released off of the Steam game management program (steampowered.com). Day of Defeat: Source is an online multiplayer first-person-shooter (FPS) mod using the renowned Half-Life 2 engine to create intense WW2 style combat. The object of the game is to capture all of the flags ("control points") around each map.
Gameplay:
To me, the gameplay of this game is unbeatable. I must admit that I am a huge sucker for intense WW2 style games, and this game definitely delivers. Upon entering my first game I was immediately blown away by a sound barrage of grenade blasts and machine gun fire coming from every which direction. This immediately got my blood pumping as I joined the Allies team with hopes of blowing away some fascist Nazis. There are several classes available, including Rifleman, Machine Gunner, Assault, Sniper, Rocket, and Support, with different weapons according to whether you choose the Allies or the Axis team. I chose to be a Machine Gunner first.
This proved to be infinitely entertaining as I set my bipod on a stack of sandbags and began laying down a wall of suppressive fire down into a courtyard as my team advanced on the hardest flag to capture--the one right in the middle of both team's spawn points.
The effort to capture that flag proved to be huge on both sides as neither could gain a strong foothold over the middle-ground. After each death I had to wait around 10 seconds to re-spawn which gave me just enough time to reformulate my strategy for a more effective attack next time.
Playing as a Sniper was also fun as I had to completely change tactics from spraying the entire field with fire, to being as stealthy as possible, picking my shots from a distance.
This entry has been edited 8 times. It was last edited on Feb 9th, 2008 at 14:48:51.
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bchang953's Day of Defeat: Source (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 15 June, 2007
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