Ground Control
Developer(s)	Massive Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sierra On-Line
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date	June 1, 2000
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen) USK: 12+ ELSPA: 15+ OFLC: G8+
Media	CD-ROM, Internet Download
System requirements	233 MHz CPU, 32 MB RAM, 4 MB video card RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 7. A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual that creates Video games A developer may specialize in a certain video Massive Entertainment is a Swedish Video game company based in Malmö, Sweden. Sierra Entertainment Inc is a Worldwide American Video game developer and publisher founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta In Computing, a platform describes some sort of Hardware architecture or Software framework (including Application frameworks, that allows Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. See also [[Game classification]] Video games are categorized into Genres based on their Gameplay interaction Real-time tactics ( RTT) is a computer game Genre of Tactical wargames played in Real-time simulating the considerations and In video gaming, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session A multiplayer game is a Game which is played by several players. A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of Video games into suitability-related groups The Entertainment Software Rating Board ( ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, Advertising guidelines and USK redirects here For the Usinsk airport see Usinsk Airport. The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association ( ELSPA) is an Organisation set up in 1989 by British Software publishers It The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a Statutory Censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Digital media (as opposed to analog media) usually refers to Electronic media that work on digital Codes. CD-ROM (an initialism of "Compact Disc Read-Only Memory " is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains data accessible to but not writable The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks To download is to receive data from a remote or central system such as a Webserver, FTP server, mail server or other similar systems The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. A megabyte is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to either 106 (1000000 Bytes or 220 (1048576 bytes depending on A video card, also known as a graphics accelerator card, display adapter, or graphics card, is a hardware component whose function is to Microsoft DirectX is a collection of Application programming interfaces (APIs for handling tasks related to Multimedia, especially Game programming and 0a, 306 MB available hard disk space, Windows 95
Input methods	Keyboard and Mouse

Ground Control is a 2000 real-time tactics computer game developed by Massive Entertainment. A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. In Computing, a keyboard is an Input device partially modelled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys In Computing, a mouse (plural mice, mouse devices, or mouses) Events May 11 - 13 &mdash 6th annual E³ (Electronic Entertainment Expo the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of Real-time tactics ( RTT) is a computer game Genre of Tactical wargames played in Real-time simulating the considerations and A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Massive Entertainment is a Swedish Video game company based in Malmö, Sweden. It features 3D graphics and a free-floating camera which allows one to zoom in and out and view the action from any angle, from a bird's-eye view to the perspective of one's own assault units at ground level. 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer Top-down perspective, also sometimes referred to as bird's-eye view, overhead view or helicopter view, As a real-time tactics game, Ground Control completely does away with resource and economic management. One must therefore focus all of his or her attention on controlling one's limited set of units to achieve victory.

Units in the game include various types of tanks, hovercraft, aircraft, and infantry, and are delivered to the battlefield by orbital dropships. However, once in battle, the player is not able to summon reinforcements, so proper troop selection between levels is a key to success. Each unit type has special weapons, abilities, and armor. Players can choose to customize each unit or let the game auto-select the proper load-out for each mission. The two factions differ in their types of units: The Crayven Corporation has hardier units that rely on traditional ballistics and movement. The Order of the New Dawn's units move around via a hover propulsion system that grants them increased speed and mobility, in trade of armor, and use energy weaponry that give them more damage potential.

Shortly after the release of its sequel, Ground Control was made available to the public for free. Ground Control II Operation Exodus is a 2004 computer game developed by Massive Entertainment and by them classified as a Real-time tactics ^[1]

Storyline

The Crayven Command APC and a squad of Marine Infantry

Ground Control is set in the 25th century. Mankind emerged from the devastation of the Third World War (known in the game as "The Sixteen-minutes War", which almost wiped out the whole of humanity) and managed to colonize several planets across the galaxy. World War III (also WWIII, or Third World War) denotes a successor to World War II (1939&ndash1945 that would be on a global scale with The Earth is ruled by a council called GCC (Global Central Command) that is formed by elected representatives and representatives of the mega corporations which rose to power after the fall of the Terran nations.

The game's plot revolves around the conflict between the Crayven Corporation and the Order of the New Dawn for the possession of the distant world of Krig 7-B. In the beginning of the game, the player assumes the role of Major Sarah Parker of the Crayven Corporation as she leads the Crayven forces in order to eliminate the presence of the "Dawnies" (her derogatory nickname in reference to followers of the Order). In the second campaign, the player assumes control of Deacon Jarred Stone in his attempt to drive the "Crays" from the surface of Krig 7-B. During the course of the campaign, however, both characters unravel a dark secret hidden within the depths of the planet, a secret that threatens all mankind, and turns out to be the reason for such interest in what seems to be a desolate fringe world.

Gameplay

The most notable gameplay elements revolve around the game's focus on tactics, carefully designed to discourage tank rush strategies. Armoured units (Terradynes and Hoverdynes) are weaker at the sides, rear, and from above; consequently, flanking maneuvers can be effectively used. In Military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force High ground offers many major advantages; from such a position, the attacker can take advantage of lower enemies' weaker topside armour, and the attackers also receive increased accuracy and sight range and is especially useful for placing artillery.

Suppressive fire is also simulated; units being suppressed will fire less accurately. Suppressive fire (also known as covering fire) is a term used in Military science for firing Weapons at or in the direction of enemy forces with the Suppression fire can be applied by any unit against stronger opponents; therefore, infantry units can effectively suppress heavy units such as tanks, even if the target is not taking any damage due to armor.

Stealth tactics can be used; units can take advantage of shadows cast by higher terrain to camouflage themselves. Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism Infantry can also use foliage to hide. Thus, commanders too will have to scout ahead of their tanks to preempt any ambushes.

Friendly fire is taken into account; units behind the front lines will shoot friendlies in their lines of fire. Since damage in the rear is multiplied, careful attention to squad placement is required.

The squad configuration screen

Units are organized within squads. While units within a squad move, fight and receive damage as individuals, they must be given orders as a squad. Each squad belongs to a certain category (Infantry, Armour, Support, or Aerodyne), and the player can select the specific unit type for each squad before each battle. For example, a Crayven armour squad can be adjusted to Scout, Light, Main Battle, or Heavy Terradyne roles. Because each unit type has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as a distinct role, various unit combinations are required in order to achieve success.

Squads are rewarded with experience throughout the campaign, including medals awarded for each squad's combat performance, giving improved abilities. Any losses taken by a squad are replenished at the end of a mission; however, if the whole squad is wiped out, it will be removed and replaced with a new, inexperienced squad in easier difficulty levels.

All units, except for the Command APC, can select one finite special weapon and one special equipment for each mission. Special weapons range from infantry mortars and anti-tank rockets to improved missiles and tactical nuclear warheads. They can be used to improve a squad's effectiveness in its specialized role, or allow it to defeat targets which it would otherwise be virtually ineffective against. Special equipment can include medkits, repair kits, image intensifiers, afterburners, various stationary turrets, or, for the Crayven Corporation, repair stations. A night vision device (NVD is an Optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs Most specials can usually be used two or three times during a level, although the most powerful special abilities, such as the bomber's tactical nuclear warhead, are limited to a single use.

Dropships are used to transport units to the battlefield, and are deployed at the start of a mission (with some exceptions). Each dropship can carry up to four squads regardless of squad type. The player can use up to three dropships (for a total of twelve squads plus the Command APC), although early in the single-player campaign only one or two dropships are assigned to the player.

Most units for one side are similar in function to equivalent units of the other side; some however are quite different. For example, the Order's Templar Infantry is an all-female squadron equipped with powerful anti-tank missile launchers who cannot attack infantry. Their Crayven analogue is Jaeger Infantry - a four-man squad of snipers useful for scouting.

Online play is no longer supported.

Expansion and Sequel

The hallmark Crayven Artillery Terradyne unit firing a barrage

An expansion, Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy, was released for the game. Ground Control Dark Conspiracy is a 2000 Expansion pack to the Real-time tactics Video game Ground Control. It added a new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries, and a new 15-mission single-player campaign, expanding on the storyline.

A sequel entitled Ground Control II: Operation Exodus was released four years later with an updated graphical engine and story, but with a faster-paced gameplay that is more in line with contemporary real-time strategy games. Ground Control II Operation Exodus is a 2004 computer game developed by Massive Entertainment and by them classified as a Real-time tactics The most significant introduction to the gameplay was control points and a form of economy.

See also

• Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy
• Ground Control II: Operation Exodus

References

External links

• Massive Entertainment
• The Massive Ground Control download page: official download page for patches, maps and other files
• Sierra Entertainment
• Ground Control on FilePlanet (download)
• Ground Control at MobyGames
• Ground Control at GameFAQs