PC Tournament News: World in Conflict, with $20,000 in Prizes!

David Coffman

As I have just updated in the PC Tournament thread, the final tournament that has until today remained shrouded in secrecy has at long last been announced.

The final game is World in Conflict. We'll be getting an pre-release build of it for the sake of the tournament. In addition, Vivendi is sponsoring the tournament and providing $20,000 in cash prizes to the winners of the tournament!

Furthermore, World in Conflict will be available on all of our freeplay machines so you can practice all weekend long.

If you're unfamiliar with World in Conflict, check out their homepage. The short gist of it is it's a teamplay oriented real time strategy, where you join and take on one of four roles such as air, tanks, infantry, and artillery. In many ways, it's played like a tactical shooter where each player will have their own capabilities, and only working together can you survive.

It's something I've personally played, and I'm very excited to have World in Conflict at PAX. The fact that they're giving away $20,000 is just the icing on the cake.

Bambooza

Will copies also be made to those in BYOC to load on their machines?

David Coffman

http://www.worldinconflict.com/beta/

You should be able to get a key right now, and start practicing now.

Whatever public demo or beta happens to be available, and there will be -something-, we'll have it on the pax file server for byoc participants.

Viscountalpha

DiscoDave wrote: »

It's something I've personally played, and I'm very excited to have World in Conflict at PAX. The fact that they're giving away $20,000 is just the icing on the cake.

Icing?!?! I'm Fsking MOTIVATED now.

ThePimpImp

I'm interested in this for sure, my machine will take a beating running it though, so practicing should be a painful experience.

Zyzzyvas

DiscoDave wrote: »

If you're unfamiliar with World in Conflict, check out their homepage. The short gist of it is it's a teamplay oriented first person shooter, where you join and take on one of four roles such as air, tanks, infantry, and artillery. In many ways, it's played like a tactical shooter where each player will have their own capabilities, and only working together can you survive.

Um... are you sure you're describing the right game? :P

Officer

Zyzzyvas wrote: »

DiscoDave wrote: »

If you're unfamiliar with World in Conflict, check out their homepage. The short gist of it is it's a teamplay oriented first person shooter, where you join and take on one of four roles such as air, tanks, infantry, and artillery. In many ways, it's played like a tactical shooter where each player will have their own capabilities, and only working together can you survive.

Um... are you sure you're describing the right game? :P

Yeah, I played the BETA and it is almost nothing like that. Sure, there are different divisions of unit control, but it's not exclusive. An air specialist could call in infantry support, it's just more expensive. And it is in no way an FPS. It's an RTS with divided control of an entire army. You get your squads, but you only control a small portion of the entire thing.

EDIT: Correction, the words "almost nothing like that" are a bit of an exaggeration. The game is extremely fun though, for how it is laid out. Just think of it as an RTS where you have less to worry about. However, it is still tough to manage, calling tactical strike, making drops, calling targets. It gets very involved, even if you are just a single unit out to serve your country.

ThePimpImp

basically just exchange fps with rts and the exclusivity is less so.

David Coffman

Recruit wrote: »

Yeah, I played the BETA and it is almost nothing like that. Sure, there are different divisions of unit control, but it's not exclusive. An air specialist could call in infantry support, it's just more expensive. And it is in no way an FPS. It's an RTS with divided control of an entire army. You get your squads, but you only control a small portion of the entire thing.

EDIT: Correction, the words "almost nothing like that" are a bit of an exaggeration. The game is extremely fun though, for how it is laid out. Just think of it as an RTS where you have less to worry about. However, it is still tough to manage, calling tactical strike, making drops, calling targets. It gets very involved, even if you are just a single unit out to serve your country.

Yea, my mistake. The control scheme is similar to a first person shooter, and it carries a lot of traits from the likes of Team Fortress, where each player has his/her own different abilities, and that's what I meant to say. Sadly, what I meant to say had little resemblence to what I actually said.

ThePimpImp

Ya the control scheme is fps like. I'll be installing this as soon as I get through the last week of classes, so many group presentations. Stupid strategy class. Huzzah strategy games.

babelfish

Is it a game where FPS skill translates, or would RTS skill translate better?

ThePimpImp

Hard to say, I have played it a bit and got wrecked pretty hard most times. You really only ever control at most 8 units at a time from what I can tell. But they died fast and learning to get your reinforcements constantly (everthing in the game takes time to arrive, since your base is off map) is really important. I think the RTS instincts are gunna helps most.

babelfish

Well, I guess I'm screwed, then! Maybe I'll see if I can cobble together a good FPS/RTS hybrid team for the tourney -- I'll have some pretty good FPSers in attendance, though I dunno about RTS fellows.

Dee Kae

This sounds awesome, like superalmostgaywithglee awesome.

If people are doing teams, I'm free for any. I'm average, which is average!

BigRed

It wasnt mentioned in here yet but if you guys are organizing teams, The tourney format will have 5 player teams.

David Coffman

babelfish wrote: »

Is it a game where FPS skill translates, or would RTS skill translate better?

It's an RTS, so RTS skills will be most helpful. However, if you've never played a fps before, you may be at a disadvantage due to the control scheme.

Comrade One

OK, I just need a team. I've played in two of the betas for this game and I'm looking for a skilled team!

TrainwreckX

I'm looking for a 5th man for this tournament that specializes in Infantry. Just toss me a PM.

ThePimpImp

BTW, do we have any info onw aht theyw ill be bring as far as maps???? Right now there is 3 domination maps, 2 for regular beat and one extra for those who have preordered. Also, although the units are the same, srtating positions can have an effect on the game, so we'll need to find a way to minmize that as much as possible. From what I can tell its not major, but it is there.

TrainwreckX

ThePimpImp wrote: »

BTW, do we have any info onw aht theyw ill be bring as far as maps???? Right now there is 3 domination maps, 2 for regular beat and one extra for those who have preordered. Also, although the units are the same, srtating positions can have an effect on the game, so we'll need to find a way to minmize that as much as possible. From what I can tell its not major, but it is there.

That is a good point. Like CS: Source, the maps are NOT symmetrical. Should we do it like CS where we flip to both sides?

Also, is the tournament Domination, Assault, or another game mode?

BigRed

TrainwreckX wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

BTW, do we have any info onw aht theyw ill be bring as far as maps???? Right now there is 3 domination maps, 2 for regular beat and one extra for those who have preordered. Also, although the units are the same, srtating positions can have an effect on the game, so we'll need to find a way to minmize that as much as possible. From what I can tell its not major, but it is there.

That is a good point. Like CS: Source, the maps are NOT symmetrical. Should we do it like CS where we flip to both sides?

Also, is the tournament Domination, Assault, or another game mode?

Look in the PC tournament rules thread

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=27636

TrainwreckX

BigRed wrote: »

TrainwreckX wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

BTW, do we have any info onw aht theyw ill be bring as far as maps???? Right now there is 3 domination maps, 2 for regular beat and one extra for those who have preordered. Also, although the units are the same, srtating positions can have an effect on the game, so we'll need to find a way to minmize that as much as possible. From what I can tell its not major, but it is there.

That is a good point. Like CS: Source, the maps are NOT symmetrical. Should we do it like CS where we flip to both sides?

Also, is the tournament Domination, Assault, or another game mode?

Look in the PC tournament rules thread

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=27636

Great news everyone! The Rules rule!

ThePimpImp

still leaves questions, like is there a coin flip every round(I hope not). Or is it Coin flip for pick of side in rounds 1 and 3, with other team getting it in round 2. Or is it coin flip for pick of side for rd1, other team gets rd2 and round 3 is determined by who got a higher % of domination in the round they won?????

Now I don't think the game isn't that uneven, I just notice one side wins more than the other on certain maps.

The best method will depend on how they are rotating maps. If they are doing one map per tournament round (not game round) then each side could play each side once, and if tied then they would go to who had highest domination %. If they are rotating all the maps every game round, then you have to let teams take turns picking whcih side they want to be, but the third round will undoubtably give somebody an advantage and a difference in maps could be the deciding factor.

So I guess we need to figure out how many maps per tourney round first. I'd probably suggest the one per tourney round, with the maps being randomly selected. Also, if they are adding new maps, those should be at the end of the tournament, to provide a new challenge to the best teams.

David Coffman

I can't comment much on maps for the time being, simply because we don't yet know how many maps will be available to us. I'm hoping we'll have some symmetrical maps available, particularly for the final matches.

For right now, we're using CPL rules, which is one map per round, coin flip determines the first side, then the sides are reversed for the second round, and if there's a tie at that point, one more side flip for the final round to determine the winner.

I understand the concern with this, and it's something I've brought up the Powers that Be, but for the time being just know that a), we're aware of those issues, and b), the maps you've been playing are not necessarily the maps that will be in the tournament. If necessary, we reserve the right to tweak the rules to make sure the tournament is fair between now and pax.

ThePimpImp

Ya if maps are rotating every game round, then teams should alternate pick of side at the least, incase somebody gets screwed with a map soviets are good at and the second map americans have the upper hand. Now its not that big of a deal, they actually have balanced very well. People seem to think hometown should be easier for soviets, but in both the tourney replays I have watched the US has won (and one team won with US and lost with russians). So its not that bad. I was just asking for knowldge, to like strategize and such.

Dee Kae

So the beta jsut ended but I played it, love it, didn't do too bad, and someone take me into their team. I suck with infantry did wonders with air, n' artillary, and not so bad with tanks. ;3

ThePimpImp

I'm pretty solid with everything but air, but with air I'm dreadful lol. Luckily my team will help me out there.

Dee Kae

ThePimpImp wrote: »

I'm pretty solid with everything but air, but with air I'm dreadful lol. Luckily my team will help me out there.

From what I've seen, air is spamming offensive specials, and taking out anything that can't hit you, but wow is artillery fun.

ThePimpImp

FRom what I can tell, artillery is actually a very minor part of tourney play, tactical aid pretty much takes over there. The support roels tend to just spawn aa because of the strength of the helicopters.

Shade

the beta is over how are we supposed to practice?

BigRed

Shade wrote: »

the beta is over how are we supposed to practice?

You dont? :P

Plus there should hopefully be a pax demo or new beta build at the event to pratice on. No guarantees though.

David Coffman

Yea, I think we can expect another demo/beta available in the next week or two.

This is, however, only speculation...not inside information.

ThePimpImp

From the email they sent out to beta testers, it sounds like they will be sending out a demo at the end of the month, no more beats planned as far as i can tell.

Mantis

If anyone is willing to take me into their team, I will prove my worth on the freeplay computers. I have a knack with infantry, but air has always been my love. I don't have much experience, but if you let me train up a bit on the freeplay computers then I'll be just fine.

TrainwreckX

DoNotPursueLuBu wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

I'm pretty solid with everything but air, but with air I'm dreadful lol. Luckily my team will help me out there.

From what I've seen, air is spamming offensive specials, and taking out anything that can't hit you, but wow is artillery fun.

Air that spams offensive specials gets really rocked if the opposite team has an AA guy that really knows what he is doing.

Dee Kae

TrainwreckX wrote: »

DoNotPursueLuBu wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

I'm pretty solid with everything but air, but with air I'm dreadful lol. Luckily my team will help me out there.

From what I've seen, air is spamming offensive specials, and taking out anything that can't hit you, but wow is artillery fun.

Air that spams offensive specials gets really rocked if the opposite team has an AA guy that really knows what he is doing.

I absolutely love being support though, on one of the playable maps where vehicles only have a single bridge to access the other half, using a engineer, I set c4, then blew it up when a convoy of heavy tanks came over it.

Still you're right about that.

TrainwreckX

Air is essential to a good team, but I think anyone that thinks "hey, let's be smart and rush with everyone going medium helicopters" is going to get their ass kicked hard.

Dee Kae

TrainwreckX wrote: »

Air is essential to a good team, but I think anyone that thinks "hey, let's be smart and rush with everyone going medium helicopters" is going to get their ass kicked hard.

God no, if support manages to spam heavy anti air combined with a convoy of tanks, they won't be stopped for a good long time.

Raslin

This makes me freaking giddy. Having played both the closed and open beta's, and doing quite well, I would love to get into a team for this. I'm pretty good at any of the roles, with air being my best(down to a science), support(though anyone can be proficient at this), infantry(I got tricks up my sleeve I do), then armour.

Let us get a team together. I don't even really care about the prizes, I just want to taste victory. Hehe...

artifice

DoNotPursueLuBu wrote: »

TrainwreckX wrote: »

Air is essential to a good team, but I think anyone that thinks "hey, let's be smart and rush with everyone going medium helicopters" is going to get their ass kicked hard.

God no, if support manages to spam heavy anti air combined with a convoy of tanks, they won't be stopped for a good long time.

the game is like a rock paper scisors game. I find that combo is easly stoped by a skilled infrantry player. sence infantry is most easly stoped by a good artilery (the suport player will be coming with anti air not mainy artilery). But that is a good strat anyway, the game however is just increadably balanced.

Dee Kae

artifice wrote: »

DoNotPursueLuBu wrote: »

TrainwreckX wrote: »

Air is essential to a good team, but I think anyone that thinks "hey, let's be smart and rush with everyone going medium helicopters" is going to get their ass kicked hard.

God no, if support manages to spam heavy anti air combined with a convoy of tanks, they won't be stopped for a good long time.

the game is like a rock paper scisors game. I find that combo is easly stoped by a skilled infrantry player. sence infantry is most easly stoped by a good artilery (the suport player will be coming with anti air not mainy artilery). But that is a good strat anyway, the game however is just increadably balanced.

The problem here is there's usually more then one support. ;3