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Thursday 6 March, 2008
Gameplay: While playing the game for the second time around with the gamelog mentality I noticed several different things about my experience. For one, I noticed that the gameplay interaction between players varied greatly from game to game and was very subjective towards the outcome of the game. For example while playing a free for all game between four players, I found on numerous occasions that if threatened and antagonized player both verbally and physically, they would be more prone to change their focus from winning the game to killing me instead regardless of the overall outcome.
This is an example of conflict created from challenge. The user is challenged with defeating all players of the game, and makes it personal based upon actions and events enacted during the gameplay. I also found it very interesting how customary and common it was to antagonize players during and before online play. It seemed to me that the game revolved around degrading one's opponents and making them feel inferior to your presence. I am curious if this is the case with most head to head computer games, or this one in particular.
Design:
Innovation: Unlike most real time strategies and contradictory to what others have said about this game while reviewing it, I found Warcraft III to be very innovative. Sure it is based upon the same principles of any RTS, managing resources and defeating opponents, but it has several different key elements that differentiate it from games of the past and present.
For one, the game utilizes the function of a hero unit which has been scarcely seen in RTS games. The hero unit is not dependant on the player's survival, but acts as a cornerstone piece and integral part of the game. Warcraft III successfully combines the elements of an RPG with a real time strategy by making the skills, attributes, and abilities of the hero unit scale with game progression.
Another key and innovative feature that warcraft III introduced to players upon its conception is the process of micro-managing units. Games of the past were generally based upon a macro scale of building mass amounts of units and sending them towards enemy units for battle. Warcraft III takes this several steps forwards and requires the player to make instantaneous reactions while engaged in battle to manuever individual units to best defeat their opponents. This is performed in a game of offensive tactics and evasive survival.
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