Earth (game series)
The games in the Earth series belong to the genre of real-time strategy games . The series was developed by the Krakow- based Polish programming studio TopWare Interactive Poland , which was renamed Reality Pump in 2001 . The first two parts of the series were created by TopWare Interactive , the third part, on the other hand, comes from the company Zuxxez , which was founded by their former employees after TopWare's bankruptcy and has been called TopWare again since 2011.
While the first part Earth 2140, which appeared in 1997, copied the successful title Command & Conquer as part of the “Clone & Conquer” wave and only improved it in nuances, the subsequent games in the series have a reputation for being very innovative. In addition to the modern graphics, the well-thought-out controls and their background story, starting with Earth 2150 , which was released in 1999, the games are characterized above all by the so-called "unit construction kit". In contrast to other games of this type, the player can design units himself by creating the most effective unit for the respective game situation from various types of modules. He can choose from a variety of chassis , weapons, armor and other things. With a few exceptions, the fight is fought on land, on water and in the air.
In addition to the campaigns highlighted here in the article, the game also offers a multiplayer mode with a hot seat function and, since Earth 2150 , the option of playing online against other players. Since the games only contain the classic game modes with the units from the single player mode, these are not dealt with separately (they are better described in the article Real-Time Strategy Game).
Earth 2140
| Earth 2140 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | TopWare Interactive Poland | ||
| Publisher | TopWare Interactive | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
Windows , Macintosh : May 1997 macOS : July 2012 Linux : March 2013 |
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| platform | Windows, Macintosh, Mac OS X, Linux (external port from RuneSoft ) | ||
| genre | Real time strategy game | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Mouse and keyboard | ||
| medium | CD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Age rating |
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The first part of the series was released in May 1997 and offered the rigid isometric 2D perspective that was common for games of this kind at the time .
history
The first part takes place in the year 2140. After several devastating wars and numerous environmental catastrophes, only two superpowers are left: The United Civilized States (UCS), which encompasses the areas of North and South America, Western Europe and North Africa, and the Eurasian Dynasty (ED ), which dominates the areas of Eastern Europe and the Asian continent. As a result of the destruction caused by the long wars, both superpowers had to evacuate their populations to newly built underground cities, as the earth's surface is no longer habitable. Australia and the vast majority of the African continent have been completely devastated and depopulated by the long wars and the massive use of biological and chemical weapons. They are so heavily contaminated that neither humans, robots nor machines can exist or can be used there. Australia and most of Africa have been declared uninhabitable for ever and have even been removed from the world map, so that few people know that these areas exist. Natural raw materials have become rare. The last resources are extracted from the earth's surface. The struggle for these raw materials led to some small conflicts between the UCS and the ED, with the last conflict escalating into a final world war over the last raw materials and total world domination.
Game elements
Earth 2140 is based strongly on the rock-paper-scissors principle that is typical for games of this genre : Although there are very strong units, there is at least one enemy unit type that can be used well against this unit.
The parties differ greatly: While the ED tends to use conventional weapons such as tanks, helicopters or cyborg infantry (in comparison, nuclear weapons are added later in the game ), the UCS ' Mechs and combat androids look much more futuristic .
Extensions
Earth 2140
- Mission Pack 1
- Mission Pack 2 - Final Conflict
Earth 2150: Escape from the Blue Planet
| Earth 2150: Escape from the Blue Planet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | TopWare Interactive Poland | ||
| Publisher | TopWare Interactive | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1999 | ||
| platform | Windows | ||
| genre | Real time strategy game | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Mouse , keyboard | ||
| medium | 2 CD-ROMs , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Age rating |
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The second part appeared in 1999 and for the first time in the series had 3D computer graphics , which was a certain innovation in real-time strategy games at the time. In addition to the graphics, the introduction of an underground level was also new, in which the player could create tunnels and connect them to the surface. This opened up new tactical possibilities and ambushes, but this element is already known from the Heroes-of-Might-and-Magic series.
history
In the last war around 2140, multiple nuclear weapon explosions in the northern hemisphere brought the planet out of orbit and on a direct collision course with the sun and ecologically to collapse. The game is now introducing a new party: The Lunar Corporation ( LC for short ) is the company charged with colonizing and developing the moon , which holed up on the moon at the beginning of the war in the first part and is said to have broken off contact with earth . Little anecdote here: Due to a cosmic phenomenon, almost only female people are born on the moon, which means that almost all units and characters are women. The feminine forms of all gender-related terms (such as female soldier instead of soldier, woman instead of man) are therefore used throughout.
This and the two well-known parties are now starting a competition for resources for a spaceship (similar to Noah's Ark ) to enable their own population to escape into space and thus be able to leave the dying planet. What is new is that the player controls a main base, which u. a. the construction site of the ark is home to, and on the other hand the actual mission area, in which the main aim is to send as many raw materials as possible to the main base and to promote construction.
Game elements
The technology of the ED and UCS was explained in the previous title, the levitation vehicles of the LC and tunnel boring units have been added. As mentioned above, ED and UCS can now 'undermine' the map. Some objectives are also hidden underground; so in the further course of the game extraterrestrial technology is discovered in underground bunkers.
A special feature was a super weapon of the LC - the weather control center. Since the weather played a central role in the movement or flight speed of some units, these could be significantly slowed down by a rain shower or buildings could be damaged or destroyed by lightning. In the later course of the game and the increasing warming of the earth, hail of meteorites became possible.
Extensions
Earth 2150: The Moon Project
This expansion plays parallel to the events in the main program and transfers the battles to the surface of the moon and the cities of the LC. The motives and actions of the LC are highlighted, but little changes in the gameplay; only the competition for resources and spaceship construction does not apply, as this already happens in the main program. It is worth mentioning the significantly improved balance of the units in The Moon Project compared to the base game, as well as the more innovative missions.
Earth 2150: Lost Souls
history
The last part of the Earth saga, which takes place on earth: Again, the story revolves around the three arch-rivals ED (Eurasian Dynasty), UCS (United Civilized States) and LC (Lunar Corporation). This time the destruction of the earth is imminent and the last humans, the Lost Souls, are trying to escape from the largely destroyed earth with a spaceship (UCS), teleporter (LC) and giant rockets (ED) to reach the To get to Mars , where the rest of humanity has already settled. In three campaigns the player tries to lead the three factions to victory, of course not without clashing with the other civilizations.
Game elements
The three factions access different types of vehicles in a well-established tradition. The ED uses different types of tanks for land combat and helicopters for air combat . Ships are of course used for sea battles , but also amphibious vehicles . The UCS army consists of 'Mechs and various combat robots on land, ships at sea and jet fighters in the air . The Amazon Army of the LC needs the same units for land and water - hovercrafts (implemented in the game as an anti-gravity drive to explain the functionality on the vacuum moon). Gliders are used in the air. The units are reassembled in a modular way, which opens up numerous possibilities for the player. As with Escape from the blue Planet and The Moon Project , each faction has a special building for weapons of mass destruction . The ED relies on the nuclear missile , the UCS uses plasma guns and the LC uses the weather as a weapon through a special weather control center. For the units, upgrades can be researched in research facilities, new weapons developed and old weapons improved. In addition, special equipment is being researched, such as protective shields, which reduce damage from energy weapons to buildings and units until they collapse. And if the old projectiles and missiles are not enough, the ammunition can also be upgraded. In addition, as known, tunnels are used again, with which the enemy can be attacked from underground. The stakes are selected as usual on a globe. As with most strategy games, you have to complete various missions, whereby one mission has to be successfully completed in order to advance to the next mission.
Further developments
In addition to the two extensions already mentioned , the developer studio, renamed Reality Pump in 2001, programmed the games World War III and Heli Heroes on the basis of the Earth 2150 engine . World War III was about an Earth very similar real-time strategy game that the fictional to oil discharged Third World War between the United States , Russia and Iraq themed. Because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , the release date had to be postponed by a few months. Heli Heroes, on the other hand, was released in February 2002 and is a rather normal vertically scrolling shoot 'em up .
Earth 2160
| Earth 2160 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Reality Pump | ||
| Publisher | Zuxxez | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
August 2005 | ||
| platform | Windows , macOS , Linux | ||
| genre | Real time strategy game | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Mouse , keyboard | ||
| medium | DVD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Age rating |
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| information | Online activation required | ||
The third part of the series describes the events around the three parties after the destruction of the earth and the difficult settlement of the planet Mars. The game is presented again in 3D graphics and all dialogues of the main characters are set to music.
Even if the game turns out to be more conventional than its predecessor, the press particularly emphasized the features of the pack: In addition to the game DVD and a CD with the game music, it contains an infrared motion detector with a light-emitting diode (completely irrelevant for the game, it will likely go down in the annals of gaming gimmicks ).
The fact that the game had to be unlocked, similar to Valve's Steam platform, also attracted attention , but, unlike Steam, the internet connection is not absolutely necessary here, because there is also the option of doing this via a free phone number.
The raw materials (water, metal, crystals) are also new. These make the game a bit more difficult, because these raw materials are only available in certain places on the map. Without this you cannot research, create units, etc. Each faction (except for the aliens) is limited to two resources.
history
In Earth 2160 it comes after the ED, LC and UCS have left the earth to try to settle on near-Earth planets, moons and asteroids. While the LC and ED fight each other, nothing can be seen or heard from the UCS. In four campaigns, the player plays the story of Major Falkner of the ED and Captain Ariah of the LC, who suddenly hear of an earth-like planet called Eden (named after the biblical paradise) that could become a shelter for humanity. In addition, aliens are suddenly found in deep sleep, which are awakened and freed by a researcher and later try to destroy the people. In the campaigns you first play on the side of LC and ED, later UCS and even the aliens. Unlike before, however, the story is told in a linear plot in which one works towards the goal.
units
In Earth 2160 the units on water are missing, so Zuxxez is limited to land and flight units. There are also no tunnel construction units. As mentioned above, the player can assemble his own units. However, the main modules are always the same, this applies to the different groups UCS, LC and ED. Units cannot be assembled with the aliens, but they can be produced in other ways. They clone and transform themselves. Although this allows less creativity, it speeds up the game, as the basic units (could) clone themselves to infinity, because there is no unit limit.
criticism
Many Earth 2150 fans were disappointed with Earth 2160 . The reasons for this were, on the one hand, the very poor balancing, which made the four factions very unbalanced, and, on the other hand, many general errors in the game that were only partially fixed and with a massive delay. Some other fans complained about the worse atmosphere in the single player missions compared to Earth 2150 .
Another reason for the dissatisfaction of the community was the so-called "EarthNet2 disaster": The EarthNet refers to the Internet server and the game lobby of Earth 2150 . The EarthNet suffered from many problems after the release of Earth 2150 . For example, it was often not possible to join games even though all players had opened the correct ports. When Earth 2160 was released, it was announced that the significantly improved EarthNet2 would follow in a few weeks.
After many months, Zuxxez announced that the development of EarthNet 2 that had already started had been abandoned and that it should be developed from scratch. As of August 2008 there is no EarthNet2 and all multiplayer games on the Internet are still dependent on EarthNet, which is around eight years old and whose main server often crashes under load.
The Earth 2160 official website advertises features that were never in the game. The lack of team setting options was already heavily criticized in Earth 2150 , but Earth 2160 does not offer any possibility to ally with the AI or to define individual teams.
Others
The rights holders took a huge blow to people who illegally downloaded this game. In the case of this game alone, which was offered on various file sharing services, over 12,000 criminal charges were filed.
Earth Universe
"Earth Universe" is a collection that contains all games in the series released up to 2005 and bonus material. The compilation came in two versions, a more expensive one with a hologram on the cover and a planner, and a cheaper one that was sold with a notepad instead. Both versions include the following equipment:
- Earth 2160 V. 1:37, Superstorm V3.0 Multiplayer - Mod , Earth 2160 Platinum + Titanium Map Pack
- Earth 2150 Trilogy (Escape from Blue Planet, The Moon Project, Lost Souls)
- Earth 2140 (Win Xp) incl. Add-on 1 + 2, software development kit (English) Earth-C, EarthMark (PC benchmark)
- Audio CD: Best of Earth 2150 & 2160, T-Shirt, metal ballpoint pen
Novels
- Earth Universe: 2140 - The Last War , Volume 1 by Erin D. Caluka , Panini Verlag , November 2006, ISBN 3-8332-1385-X
- Earth Universe: 2150 , Volume 2 by Erin D. Caluka, Panini Verlag, July 2007, ISBN 3-8332-1599-2