| Battlefield 1942 |
Article Index for Battlefield |
Website Links For Battlefield 1942 |
Information AboutBattlefield 1942 |
''Battlefield 1942'' is an expansive First-person Shooter (FPS) set in World War II developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). The game can be played single-player against Bots , but most playtime has been in its large-scale, Multiplayer Internet games. ''Battlefield 1942'' combines realistic 3D Computer Graphics with gameplay more extensive than the average FPS. The game was revolutionary in the fact that players are not limited to just running on foot. Players are able to fly Fighter Aircraft and Bomber s, Capital Ships and Aircraft Carrier s, man coastal defenses, drive Tank s and Jeep s, control stationary Weapons in battlefields or aboard Vehicles or just fight as one of several classes of Infantry . Some believe that ''Battlefield 1942'' had one of the most realistic physics and Game Engine s available in FPSs on the market when it came out in 2002. Each battle takes place on one of several maps located in a variety of places and famous battlefields in both the Pacific and European Theaters . While the combat is always Axis Power s versus Allies , the location determines which specific armies are used (for example, on the Iwo Jima map, it is Japan versus the United States , while on the Battle Of Britain map, it is Germany versus the United Kingdom ). ''Battlefield 1942'' is based on real battles. The gameplay also has a more cooperative focus as it is not only important to kill the opposition but to also hold certain "control points" around the map. These control points allow players and vehicles to respawn as well as reduce the enemy's reinforcement pool if enough are held. In 2005 , there were more than 1,500 Server s running ''Battlefield 1942'' at a time, with up to 64 players playing on each. The number of servers has dropped as of April 2006 - around 800-900 servers with about 2,500 players online - though this is still quite formidable for a game of such age. Some contribution to this extended popularity may be attributed to the fact its sequels ( Battlefield Vietnam and Battlefield 2 ) has yet to be ported to the Apple Macintosh platform, and many players prefer the WWII setting of the game as opposed to the more modern weapons and vehicles of its sequels. EXPANSION PACKS The creators of ''Battlefield 1942'' have released battles and ''Secret Weapons of World War II'' focuses on prototype, experimental, and rarely used weapons. Downloadable Patches fix Bugs in the game and sometimes add extra content (such as the aforementioned Battle of Britain map). MODS Since its release on September 11 , 2002 , there have been a large number of Mods (modifications) developed by independent gamers and studios (see List Of Battlefield 1942 Mods ). Each mod changes the gameplay by adding new content, gameplay balance, or both. There are dozens of a large content Total Conversion s and many times that number of smaller gameplay, texture, and sound modifications. The most famous of these, '' Desert Combat '', moves the setting to modern combat in the Middle East . Modern helicopters and tanks were introduced for the first time. The creators of the Desert Combat mod were hired by EA to work on Battlefield 2 . ''Desert Combat'' itself has been the subject of several modifications such as '' Desert Combat Realism Mod '', and other gameplay and realism mods. '' Forgotten Hope '' is a popular mod that centers on delivering a realistic game experience. ''BF1942'' mods have greatly aided the success of the game, driving sales and popularity of the game later into its life cycle. Players of the many modifications typically outnumber those playing the original game online (see Bftracks Europe mod statistics , Bftracks North America ). Early on there was little mod support by the developers and no and other mods are available from Macologist . Comparisons of Battlefield 1942 mods For a graph comparison of the popularity of currently played BF mods see: For BF Tracks US . Another tracking site, Csports.net also offers comparisons of BF42 and other computer games statistics. DEVELOPMENT ''Battlefield 1942'' was a development of the less successful '' Codename Eagle '' (2000) computer game which was set in an Alternate History World War I . It featured single and multiplayer modes. The earlier engine had more arcade-style physics and a less realistic focus than its sequel. A fan-made port of the game to the ''Battlefield 1942'' engine, compatible with the 1.45 patch was made though. In continuation of the series, Digital Illusions developed a sequel to ''Battlefield 1942'' called '' Battlefield Vietnam ''. It has conceptual similarities to the ''Desert Combat'' mod, except that instead of present-day helicopters and tanks, it features Vietnam War -era weapons comprising the game's arsenal. Its new features include a new game engine that heavily uses Normal Map ping, multiple weapons for most classes, and new maps. The most recent game in the Battlefield series is '' Battlefield 2 '' which has a ''Desert Combat''-like theme, some changes to gameplay, and an updated graphics engine. The extreme demand for the Battlefield 2 demo upon its release crashed servers around the world as fans flocked to download it. More patches and maps may still be released in the future for ''Battlefield 1942'', and a Macintosh compatible version of ''BF1942'' was also made and released in mid-2004. A huge amount of content is available in the form of its many mods, with an unknown amount still to be added. With the release of new battlefield games, another full-blown expansion pack for ''Battlefield 1942'' is unlikely. The Macintosh port by Aspyr Media, and especially the 1.61d patch which added full mod support, added a new influx of players as do the periodic releases of mods. GAMEPLAY STATISTICS AND PLAYER RANKINGS See Also: Computer game tracking websites Player statistics and rankings are not officially colated by EA/DICE; however, there are third-party websites which have similar functionality. See Computer Game Tracking Websites . MILESTONES
MAPS
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|