Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
Boxart
Developer(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	PC, Mac OS Blizzard Entertainment (North America) Ubisoft (Europe) Saturn, PlayStation Electronic Arts (North America, Europe) Electronic Arts Victor (Japan)
Designer(s)	Ron Millar
Platform(s)	MS-DOS, Linux, AmigaOS 4, Mac OS, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	PC, Mac OS NA December 9, 1995 EU 1996 Saturn, PlayStation NA August 31, 1997 EU August 31, 1997 JP November 27, 1997
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T OFLC: G8+ ELSPA: 15+
Media	CD-ROM
Input methods	Keyboard and mouse, gamepad,

Warcraft II is a fantasy-themed real-time strategy game published by Blizzard Entertainment. The first version, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, was released for MS-DOS in 1995 and 1996 for Mac OS, and was followed by the expansion pack Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal later in 1996. In the same year, Blizzard released for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn Warcraft II: The Dark Saga, which provide the campaigns of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, but are the only versions without multiplayer facilities. The Battle.net Edition, released in 1999, provided Blizzard's online gaming service, Battle.net, and replaced the MS-DOS version with a Windows one. Gamers can play AI opponents in separate Human and Orc campaigns. The game also provides stand-alone scenarios and a map editor to create further ones.

Depending on the map, players must collect two or three resources, and to produce buildings and units in order to defeat an opponent in combat on the ground, in the air and in some maps at sea. As all three resources become exhausted during the game, gamers must collect them efficiently. Most of the more advanced combat units are produced at the same buildings as the basic units but also need the assistance of other buildings, or must be produced at buildings that have prerequisite buildings. The largest of the main screen shows the part of the territory on which the gamer is currently operating, and the minimap can select another location to appear in the larger display. The fog of war completely hides all territory which the gamer's has not explored, and shows only terrain but hides opponents' units and buildings if none of the gamer's units are present.

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness earned enthusiastic reviews, and comments on Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal were positive. Reviewers of Warcraft II: Dark Saga recommended the PlayStation and Saturn versions to gamers who did not the opportunity to play on the PC. However one reviewer for the PlayStation version also found the units indistinct and the console UI clumsy, and complained about very long load times. WarCraft II won most of the major PC gaming awards in 1996, and sold millions of copies. The rivalry between Blizzard's series and Westwood Studios's Command & Conquer series fueled the RTS boom of the late 1990s.

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, released in 1994, gained good reviews, collected three awards and was a finalist for three others, and achieved solid commercial success. The game was the first typical RTS to be presented in a medieval setting and, by bringing multiplayer facilities to a wider audience, made this mode essential for future RTS titles. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans laid the ground for Blizzard's style of RTS, which emphasized personality and storyline. In 1996 Blizzard announced Warcraft Adventures, a RPG (role-playing game) in the Warcraft universe, but canceled the game in 1998. However, its characters and storyline set the scene for Warcraft III. Although Starcraft, first released in 1998, was set in a different universe, it was very similar in gameplay and in attention to personality and storyline, and was the first RTS to balance successfully three totally different races. The game has won 37 awards, and the Windows version was the fast-selling game of 1998. Warcraft III, released in 2002, gained extremely positive reviews, the first printing sold 5 million copies, and the game won 52 awards. Although Blizzard announced the game in 1999 as a hybrid of RTS and RPG, by the time of release the game was based on the RTS features of Warcraft II. Warcraft III's races are nearly as different as those of StarCraft. The game's economy limits the number of each player's units and requires players to make good use of those they have. However, players can recruit heroes to strengthen their forces, and the UI makes it easy to select and deploy units.

[edit] Gameplay

Warcraft II is a real time strategy game (RTS),^[1] that is, the contenders play at the same time and continuously, so that players have to move quickly.^[2][3] One player represents the Human habitants of Lordaeron and allied races, and the other controls the invading Orcs and allied races.^[4][5] Each side tries to destroy the other by collecting resources and creating an army.^[6] The game plays in a medieval setting with fantasy elements. Both sides have melee, ranged, naval and aerial units, and also spellcasters.^[1][7]

[edit] Modes

Warcraft II allows gamers to play AI opponents in separate Human and Orc campaigns, and in stand-alone scenarios.^[7] While most of the campaign missions follow the "collect resources, build buildings and units, destroy opponents" pattern, some have other objectives, such as rescuing troops or forts, or escorting important characters through enemy territory.^[8]

The scenarios can be played against the AI or in multiplayer contests against up to seven other opponents. The DOS version initially provided multiplayer games by null modem cable, modem or IPX, and Mac gamers could also play via TCP/IP or AppleTalk. ^[9] Blizzard quickly released a facility to connect with Kali, which allows programs to access the Web by means of IPX.^[1]

The game's map editor allows gamers to develop scenarios for use in multiplayer contests and in single-player against the AI.^[10] The map editor runs under the Mac and also under either Windows 95 or, if the WinG library was installed, under Windows 3.^[7]

[edit] Economy and power

Warcraft II requires players to collect resources, and to produce buildings and units in order to defeat an opponent in combat. The Human Town Hall and Orc Great Hall produce non-combatant builders that collect resources and deliver them to the Town Hall / Great Hall. Both buildings can be upgraded twice, requiring increasing cost in the upgrades but providing increasing productivity in processing resources.^[11] Builders dig gold from mines and chop wood from the forests.^[12] Builders of both sides can construction Shipyards, which can produce both combat ships and Oil Tankers. Tankers build construction offshore Oil Platforms and then deliver the oil to buildings on the shoreline. Both sides can increase the productivity of oil processing by constructing Oil Refineries on the shoreline.^[11] As all three resources become exhausted during the game, gamers must collect them efficiently,^[13][14] and they must also retain forests as defensive walls in the early game when combat forces are small.^[15]

The builders can also construct Farms, each of which provides food for up to four units, and additional units cannot be produced until enough Farms are built.^[11] Farms are also the toughest perimeter defense.^[15]

Humans and Orcs have sets of buildings with similar functions, but different names and graphics, for producing ground, naval, and air units.^[1] All but the basic combat units require the assistance of other buildings, or must be produced at buildings that have prerequisite buildings, or both.^[11][16] Many of the buildings can upgrade combat units.^[8]

Most of the game's units and buildings on the two sides are counterparts to each other, having the same construction costs and performance. However in the late game the Orcs have a strong advantage in ground combat, while Humans' fleet and spellcasters are the more powerful.^[17] The most advanced ground combatants on each side can be upgraded and taught some spells, which are different for the two sides.^[18] Some campaign missions feature hero units, which are more powerful than normal units of the same type, have unique pictures and names, and must not die, as that causes the failure of the mission.^[19]

[edit] User interface

In the largest area of the screen, to the right, the Orcs (the gamer's, in blue) attack a Human town and its defenders (red). The flaming buildings are close to collapse, and the burnt ground to their right is the remains of a razed building. This is a winter map, and the ice enables ground units to walk over the shallow part of the sea.

The main screen has five areas:^[20]

• Along the top are the menu button and counts of the gamer's resources and Farm capacity.
• The largest area of the screen, to the right, shows the part of the territory on which the gamer is currently operating. This enables the gamer to select friendly units and buildings.
• The top left is the minimap, which shows the whole territory at smaller scale and highlights the part on which the gamer is currently operating. By clicking or dragging in the minimap, the gamer can select another location to appear in the larger display.
• The unit descriptions in the area in middle on the left shows the units and/or buildings. If units of the same type are selected, this area have an icon for each unit, showing the unit's vital statistics including the unit's health.
• If a single unit or building is selected, the area at the bottom left shows the actions the object can perform and all completed upgrades that apply to this type of unit or building.

Initially most of the main map and minimap are blacked out, but the visible area expands as the gamer's units explore the map. The fog of war completely hides all territory which the gamer's has not explored, and shows only terrain but hides opponents units and buildings if none of the gamer's units are present.^[20] All functions can be invoked by both the mouse and shortcut keys, including game setup, the menu options and some gameplay functions including scrolling and pausing the game. Units and buildings can be selected by clicking or bandboxing, and then their actions can be controlled by the mouse or keys:^[20]

• All units can move and patrol on a repeating route.
• All builders can build, repair, gather resources and deliver them to suitable builds. The Human Peasant and Orc Peon can also upgrade most buildings.
• All combat units can attack.
• Spellcasters and the most advanced ground units of each side can use spells.
• The Town Hall or upgraded version and the Shipyard can construct builds.
• Each side constructs ground combat units at the Barrack, naval ones at the Shipyard and aerial at the Inventor / Alchemist and Aviary / Roost.

[edit] Publication

Blizzard Entertainment's initial response to Command and Conquer was a design that combined modern and fantasy elements, such as fighter pilots ambushed by a fire-breathing dragon. However, they found that this did not work, and that there was plenty of content for a fantasy RTS.^[21] Blizzard developed Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness ("WC II"), and released the MS-DOS version in 1995 and the Macintosh version in August 1996.^[22]

Distinguishes Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal from Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness

In 1996 Blizzard published Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, a expansion pack developed by Cyberlore Studios,^[23] with new Human and Orc campaigns, using new and much more powerful heroes.^[19] That same year, the company released Warcraft II: Battle Chest, a compilation of Tides of Darkness and Beyond the Dark Portal, for DOS and Windows 3.^[24]

Also in 1996, Blizzard released for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn Warcraft II: The Dark Saga, which combined the campaigns of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. The Dark Saga also allowed gamers to automate upgrade of buildings and production of units, and to select more troops at once, facilities that were not extended to the DOS and Mac versions.^[8][25]

In 1999 Blizzard published the Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition for Windows and Mac, which combined the original game and the expansion pack, retained the Macintosh facilities and replaced the DOS version with a Windows version that included play by TCP/IP, and provided Blizzard's online service, Battle.net, for multiplayer games.^[26] After considering new content, Blizzards preferred to make it easy for new and older fans to play each other. Battle.net Edition included some UI enhancements from Starcraft - alerts on important events, assigning numbers to squads, and double-clicking to select all units of a type. However they excluded production queues and waypoints.^[25]

[edit] Reception

[edit] Tides of Darkness

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness earned enthusiastic reviews, elevating Blizzard to the elite along with Westwood, id Software and LucasArts.^[30] The rivalry between Blizzard's series and Westwood Studios's Command & Conquer series fueled the RTS boom of the late 1990s.^[21][30]

Retrospective reviews by IGN and GameSpot emphasized the ability to join multiplayer games on local networks or using Kali, and the simple but effective map editor, with which some users published maps on the Web.^[30][33] Another GameSpot review in 1996 commented that the campaigns are rather short, but the scenario builder and multiplayer options were ample compensation.^[29]

The GameSpot review in 1996 regarded the AI as better than in Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.^[29] and agreed with the IGN review that the innovative fog of war forced players to scout continuously.^[29][30] The Adrenaline Vault noted that gamers must manage their resources, as all resources run out.^[14] GameSpot's retrospective review was enthusiastic about the variety of strategies that gamers with different styles can use,^[33] and the Adrenaline Vault noted one that on maps in winter, it is often possible for ground units to walk on the ice.^[14]

The IGN review consideredWarCraft II in general a well-balanced game,^[30] but GameSpot's retrospective review regarded Ogre-Mages with the Bloodlust spell as too powerful.^[33][34] IGN found that searching for the survivors of a defeated opponent could be tedious, and that the first few missions were very easy, although the final ones were challenging.^[30]

In 1996 GameSpot and Entertainment Weekly praised the SVGA graphics.^[29][32] The retrospective reviews by IGN and GameSpot enjoyed smaller details, such as the increasing humorous when a gamer's units were repeatedly clicked,^[30][33] the "critters" that wandered around, and the detonating of Sappers / Bombers.^[30]

WarCraft II won most of the major PC gaming awards in 1996, and sold millions of copies. Gamers were still playing in 2002, on DOS or using the Battle.net edition.^[30]

[edit] Beyond the Dark Portal

MobyGames' survey of reviews calculated a composite of 87% for the DOS version of Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal.^[35] GameSpot and MacGame agreed that the missions are difficult and that gamers must think more carefully about strategy.^[19] GameSpot added that heroes are more powerful than in Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness but letting them die loses the mission, and that the 24 new single-player scenarios and nearly 50 multi-player scenarios are very good value for money.^[19]

[edit] Dark Saga

In 1997 Blizzard released Warcraft II: Dark Saga for the consoles Sony PlayStation and SEGA Saturn.^[36] GameSpot was pleased that these two ports, combining Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal, are practically identical.^[37] Video Game Critic and different reviewers in GameSpot for the PS and Saturn suggested that gamers with PCs should not buy the console versions, but recommended the game to those who use only consoles.^[37][38][39] Absolute Playstation and Electronic Gaming Monthly (for the Saturn; summarized at MobyGames) omitted comparisons with the PC and praised the console versions.^[36][40]

Absolute Playstation and Electronic Gaming Monthly commented that the console versions have no multiplayer capability, but were impressed with the number of campaign and skirmish maps.^[36][40] The two GameSpot reviews noted that, while most campaign missions follow the "resource, build, destroy" pattern, some have other objectives.^[37][39]

Absolute Playstation and Electronic Gaming Monthly regarded the console buttons easy to use.^[36][40] However, Video Game Critic found that, despite Blizzard's streamlining of the UI, the buttons are still clumsy a substitute for a mouse.^[38] GameSpot's review for the PS noted that the gamer can to auto-upgrade buildings, auto-build units, and select more troops at once than in the PC version.^[37]

Absolute Playstation praised the graphics and sound, while Electronic Gaming Monthly regarded the graphics as serviceable but praised the sound.^[40] However, Video Game Critic found the units indistinct, and complained about very long load times.^[38]

[edit] Battle.net Edition

GameSpot thought the AI was predictable but very efficient and the multiplayer facilities, while four years old, was more enjoyable than at least half the new RTS games released in 1999. The Battle.net service was already reliable after refined through experience on Diablo and StarCraft, and the fact that it was free would be attractive both to new users and those of earlier editions. While the production values were those of 1995, the cartoonish graphics and excellent sound effects and musical score were still enjoyable in 1999.^[25]

[edit] Predecessor and sequels

[edit] Predecessor

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, released in 1994, gained good reviews.^[41] It won PC Gamer’s Editors' Choice Award, Computer Life’s Critics' Pick and the Innovations Award at the Consumer Electronics Show, Winter 1995, and was a finalist for Computer Gaming World’s Premier award, PC Gamer’s Strategy Game of the Year and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences's Best Strategy award.^[42] In November 1995 Entertainment Weekly reported that WC:O&H ranked 19th of the top 20 CDs across all categories.^[43]

The game was the first typical RTS to be presented in a medieval setting, and its units included spellcasters as well as melee and ranged units.^[6] Although Modem Wars, released in 1988,^[44] was the first RTS with multiplayer games by means of modems,^[45] WC:O&H brought multiplayer to a wider audience and added the use of LANs. This made multiplayer facilities essential for future RTS titles.^[46]

WC:O&H laid the ground for Blizzard's style of RTS, in which personality was a distinctive element. The humorous responses to clicking a unit repeatedly became a trademark. The game introduced characters that also appeared in the enormously successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. The company's manuals presented detailed backstories and artwork.^[47] In all the Blizzard RTS games and in World of Warcraft, units must be managed carefully, rather than treated as expendable hordes.^[48]

[edit] Sequels

After the release of Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal in 1996, Blizzard announced Warcraft Adventures, a RPG (role-playing game) in the Warcraft universe.^[30] They wanted to show a nobler side of the Orcs and a darker one of the Humans, in a game in which the story and humor were central rather than background. However, Warcraft Adventures always seemed a step behind the competition, especially LucasArts' recently released Curse of Monkey Island and announced Grim Fandango.^[49] Perhaps Blizzard tried to do too much at the same time - in addition to Warcraft Adventures, they were committed to StarCraft, Diablo II and Battle.net.^[30] So just before the 1998 E3 trade fair Blizzard canceled Warcraft Adventures.^[50] However, its characters and storyline set the scene for Warcraft III.^[49][51]

Blizzard released Starcraft in 1998 for Windows 95/98, in 1999 for the Mac,^[52] and in 2000 for the Nintendo 64.^[53] The game's mechanics are based in those of Warcraft ^[54][55] – the UI is similar;^[56][57] builders collect two types of resources,^[55] which can be depleted (in Starcraft, Vespene provides a trickle after depletion); to construct a type of unit, players must first construct all the prequisite buildings.^[54] However, Starcraft also introduced new features: the theme was based on science fiction rather than medieval fantasy;^[56] it was the first to balance successfully three totally different races, and the campaigns were connected into a single story single.^[54][56] The Windows version was the fast-selling game of 1998,^[54][58] at 1.5 million copies.^[59] According to Blizzard Entertainment, StarCraft has won 37 awards.^[60]

The company announced Warcraft III in 1999 with a projected release in late 2000,^[61] but finally shipped in 2002.^[62] Reviews were extremely positive,^[63][64] the first printing sold 5 million copies,^[62] and the game won 52 awards.^[60] Although Blizzard announced the game in 1999 as a hybrid of RTS and RPG, by the time of release the game was based on the RTS features of Warcraft II - collecting resources, constructing a base, building a variety of units, defending the gamer's base and destroying the opponent's.^[62] However, while the Orcs and Humans of Warcraft II are very similar, those of Warcraft III have distinct capabilities and two additional races are unique in their methods of construction and their combat abilities and tactical preferences.^[65] As a result Warcraft III's races are nearly as different as those of StarCraft.^[62][66] The game imposes a cap of 90 units, and "upkeep" that in practise restricts the limit to about 50,^[67] making it impossible to maintain both offensive and defensive forces and requiring players to make good use of the few units they have.^[62] To do this, players can recruit heroes of three types - powerful fighters; enhancers of the player's units; and spellcasters - and all can earn experience, which enables them to gain further abilities.^[62] Heroes also help to kill "creeps", monsters that are hostile to all races, and often guard mines or other useful assets.^[67] The UI is enhanced:^[68] it is easy to find unemployed builders; combat units automatically arrange themselves into formations with the toughest at the first; and the gamer can cycle through all types of the sub-type within a unit type, for examples to use spells or other abilities.^[62][68]

[edit] Storyline

[edit] The Second War

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness is set six years after the fall of Azeroth at the end of the First War, following the Orc campaign in Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.^[69] The survivors of Azeroth fled by sea to the Human kingdom of Lordaeron, and the Orcs decided to conquer Lordaeron, in what would be known as the Second War.^[70] Both acquired allies and new capabilities, including naval and air units, and more powerful spellcasters.^{[71][72][73][74]}

In the Second War the Orcs are successfully at first, but the Humans and allies take the initiative,^[75] helped by two civil wars among the Orcs.^[76] At the final battle round the Dark Portal in Azeroth,^[77] the Alliance exterminates one Orc clan and captures the Orc supreme commander and the remnants of his forces. Hoping to avoid further invasions, the Alliance uses its most powerful magic to destroy the Portal.^[76]

[edit] Through the Portal

After the Second War the Alliance lost the allegiance of the Elves, who thought the Alliance had not done to defend the Elves' home, and of two Human kingdoms, which advocated exterminated the remaining Orcs rather than keeping them in captivity. One Orc clan that had fought in the Second War's final battle was unaccounted for. Although the Dark Portal had been destroyed, a tear in reality hovered over the ruin.^[78] A few years later,^[79] the Portal and rift were hidden by a strange darkness, and there were the sounds of hundreds warriors rushing away through the rift, followed by shrieking Dragons, and finally by the repeating phrase, "We will return ..." When the darkness lifted, Alliance scouts found the ground around the Portal trampled to mud - apparently the elusive Orc clan had escaped to their race's homeworld, Draenor.^[76]

The greatest Orc shaman led an army from Draenor into Azeroth, apparently hoping to stealing magical artifacts with which to create further Portals. The Alliance, expecting an attack, sent through the Portal an army led by the Alliance's supreme commander, its greatest heroes and the mage who had destroyed the Azeroth Portal. It seems they destroyed the counterpart of the Azeroth Portal, but it was not known whether the force escaped from Drenor.^[80]

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Underwood, P., ed (1995). Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. Irvine, California, USA: Blizzard Entertainment. 
• Djordjevich, R., ed (1996). Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. Blizzard Entertainment. 
• Djordjevich, R., ed (1999). Warcraft II - Battle.net Edition. Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom: Blizzard Entertainment. 
• Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. Blizzard Entertainment. 2002. 

[edit] External links

• Warcraft II Battle.net Edition Home
• Warcraft II Strategy
• Warcraft II on WoWWiki, a Warcraft wiki