PR: 1C and Battlefront. com announce Theatre of War

Armchair General

1C and Battlefront. com announce Theatre of War!

What happens when the creators of the award-winning IL-2 Sturmovik and Pacific Fighters flight sim series meet with the makers of the award-winning ground combat simulation Combat Mission? That’s right – it means WAR!

1C and Battlefront.com are thrilled to announce Theatre of War, the new groundbreaking World War Two real-time strategy game! Theatre of War depicts stunningly authentic battles of World War II between 1939-1945. Command hundreds of different unit types in 5 historically accurate campaigns (US, UK, Soviet, German, French and Polish). This isn’t just another WW2 RTS click-fest, but a thrilling Real Time Combat Simulator with an emphasis firmly entrenched on realism and detail, historical accuracy, and real world military tactics that will challenge even the most battle hardened armchair general! When the two teams that brought you the most successful and highly regarded combat simulations of the last decade come together, you can expect only the BEST! It’s time to enter the Theatre of War!

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Theatre of War has been named by countless gaming magazines as one of the "Most anticipated game titles for 2006".

Theatre of War is currently in beta stage and is scheduled for a release by www.battlefront.com as digital download and mail delivery at the end of 2006.

Theatre of War – GAME FEATURES

• Real Time Combat Simulation – Realistic shell ballistics, armor penetration calculations and damage effects coupled with destructible environments, trenches, fortifications and individually tracked weapons, equipment, ammo and vehicles
• 5 Historical Campaigns, each with unique units and equipment – US, UK, Soviet, German, French and Polish
• Over 40 historically accurate campaign missions based on real WWII battles
• Over 30 different maps designed using historical military documents and covering a variety of seasons, weather conditions and environments
• 5 Single (non-campaign) Battles plus 3 Training scenarios
• Unique Role Playing Elements: soldiers gain experience and new skills as they progress though the campaigns
• Soldiers can be Promoted and awarded Medals and Decorations
• Real World Military Tactics: Units fight using authentic tactical formations, realistic battle drills and operating procedures specific to their nationality
• Amazing Freedom of Action: Replace and reinforce gun crews, pick up dropped weapons, capture enemy equipment and even select specific weapons and ammo to use
• Advanced Individual Unit AI: Units intelligently react to changing battle situations and conditions. They will take cover, avoid obstacles and seek to gain the upper hand against their enemies
• Huge assortment of units, uniforms, equipment and vehicles: hundreds of different unit types including Tanks, AT Guns, Support Vehicles, Armored Cars, MG Teams, Anti-Tank Rifles, Aircraft, Artillery, Infantry and more from the major nations of WWII; all based on historical military sources
• Dynamic Battlefields; Wage war in all four seasons over beautifully rendered landscapes. Watch as trees get knocked over by tanks, vehicles crush men and equipment under their treads, tracers stitch across no mans land and high explosive shells leave huge smoking craters
• Devastating Airstrikes and Artillery Barrages
• State of the art 3D character animation and graphics
• Easy to use order system. Command your troops quickly and efficiently and keep tabs on their individual status with the innovate soldier monitor system
•  Multiplay Support (Internet/LAN)

For more information about the game, please bookmark here. 

Official Theatre of War discussion forum (meet the developers!) open here. 
 

STATEMENTS

Martin van Balkom, Battlefront.com president: Over the years many game developers claimed to have in the works a game which will challenge Combat Mission as the most realistic WW2 ground combat simulator. All such claims usually disappeared right after release. With one exception. When 1C, the makers of the IL-2 Sturmovik series, one of the most realistic and most successful combat flight simulators of the past years, announced the making of their WW2RTS title, the gaming community – and us included – knew that this wouldn’t be just another clickfest RTS game with (in most but not all cases) pretty graphics. When we got the chance to check out a beta of the game after its long history of development, we immediately realized that it has the same magic which always separated Combat Mission from the rest of the pack. Theatre of War is no mere arcade game with a WW2 background, but a real-time military simulation of the biggest war of the century, and with its top-notch graphics and animations and detailed and realistic combat environment, is truly the only worthy successor to the Combat Mission series we’ve ever seen. In cooperation with 1C, Battlefront is determined to add our own experience to the remaining development path, and to give the wargaming community the WW2 RTS game they have been waiting for for years.

Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director, 1C Company: Theatre of War is a very important project for us. I believe it has all the potential to become the new benchmark in the genre and the new Holy Grail for all the lovers of Combat Mission and Close Combat series. Just like with the original IL-2 Sturmovik we have spent many years developing the game, constantly enhancing every single element, every feature, until we were completely satisfied with the result. We put all resources and passion we had behind this game. And I am very happy that we have finally managed to find a partner that is as excited in the game as we are. I think that our friends at Battlefront.com are not only skilled professionals but real enthusiasts. We share the same principle – making games is art and passion first and business second. I’m sure that together we will be able to obtain good results and make Theatre of War one of the most popular wargames ever.