War, Inc. article by Al Giovetti

 

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By Al Giovetti
Price:TBA
Genre:real time strategy
Release:May 1997
Developer: Optik, www.optik.com, 412-431-9152, fax:412-431-9153
Lead Artist:
Programmer:
Producer:Paul Potera and Mike Strauss
Publisher: Interactive Magic
Phone: 919-461-0722
Website:
www.imagicgames.com
Requirements:Windows 95 / DOS 5.0 or higher, 486 DX2 66 Mhz processor or faster, SVGA video card, 2X or faster CD-ROM drive, 16 Mb RAM


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War, Inc.

History

Company Line

In the 21st century, private security forces have evolved into powerful mercenary armies under corporate control. Take command of your own corporation and its armed forces, and assume control of research and development, production, and strategic and tactical combat. In this world, you are both Commander-in-Chief and C. E. O.

Research new weapons technologies, design and customize the ultimate war machines, and sell your mercenary services to the highest bidder. Build field bases, manufacture your weapons and defenses, and annihilate the enemy. If your budget gets too tight to construct the awesome tank-flattening machines of destruction you need, then re-invest some of your earnings in the stockmarket. It's just another day at the office.

Game Play

You design your own military units. The game contains a stock market simulation which appears to have been borrowed from Capitalism. The research module requires the gamer to hire and maintain research scientists to uncover technology that will overwhelm the opposition.

The economic model will give game players something that will determine the action within the strategy portion of the game. You can play the stock market for more money, you can research new weapons technology, and design combat equipment. You could even be fired if the value of your mercinary organization's stock falls to low.

The interface has icons for the stock ticker representing finance, a television monitor that houses the military mission and the desk which controls research elements of the game. The design of units involves both the weapons and the engines that power the vehicles that carry them. Expect over three dozen different weapons, including machine guns and hellfire missiles to plasma accelerators and rail guns, to be developed with multiple armor, shield, engine, and other types of equipment.

There will be sixty missions linked within each of twenty compaign settings. Each mission will have three parts for a total of sixty battles. Every programmed and scripted mission will have random elements to make replay more interesting and difficult, including roaming enemy patrols and base attacks that will come out of no where.

Units will gain experience as they progress through the campaigns and battles so that they will gain proficiency with successful encounters. Play alone through a detailed storyline, or take the battle to your friends via modem or local-area network. Finance your company by accepting mercenary missions and playing the stock market.

In each campaign, you establish a base from which you launch assaults on mercinary objectives for a fee. The base will serve as a base of operations for multiple missions in the same locale. Success brings cash, financial success, and increased value for the stock. Failure brings losses, financial down fall, decreased stock values, loss of the company, and even death.

Plot

The United Nations is bankrupt. The larger corporations have hired the remnants of national armies to protect their interests. Your job as a junior executive in charge of the military, financial and research arms of the corporation is to defend the global corporate interests and use these resources to expand corporate influence.

Graphics

Animation

Voice Actors

Music Score

Sound Effects

Utilities

Multi-player Features

Multi-player will include two-player head-to-head with modem or null modem cable, and six player IPX network play

Future

A mission disk could be in the offing since the company reduced the originally intended 60 missions down to only 20 when testing and programming realities finally came home to roost.

Cheats, Hints, Walkthrough

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References

www.optik.com
www.imagicgames.com
Jeff James, Computer & Net Player, volume 3, number 10, March, 1997, pg. 36-38.
Scott Udell, Computer Games, issue 78, May, 1997, pg. 38.
Interactive Magic's War Inc Web Site

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