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Battle Isle

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Battle Isle series
Compilation release cover art
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy
Turn-based tactics
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Amiga,MS-DOS,Windows
First releaseBattle Isle
1991
Latest releaseBattle Isle: The Andosia War
2000

Battle Isleis a series ofturn-based strategy/tacticsvideo gamesdeveloped in the 1990s byBlue Byteand released forAmigaandMS-DOSand later forMicrosoft Windows.The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.

Plot

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TheBattle Islestoryline is set on a fictional planet called Chromos, whose society is technologically slightly more advanced than that of contemporaryEarth,possessing the knowledge of advanced robotics (robots), computers (AIs) and limited spaceflight (enough to set upspace colonieson the moon of Chromos). The individual games represent various wars that took place on Chromos.

Gameplay

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The first three games are played on ahexagonal gridfor a map. Players not only control the combat units (ranging frominfantryandtankstohelicopters,fightersandbombers,armored trains,surfacewarshipsandsubmarines,stationary gun turrets), but (especially in the later games) also many supportlogisticsunits (ammo and fuel transports, scout and radar units, road and construction vehicles, and others). Units have various weapons and can gain experience (which in later games can be transferred over in a campaign). Fuel and ammo is limited, and logistics require careful attention. Players also control buildings, where units can be repaired, and sometimes, produced. Weather conditions change, affecting unit movements (for example, a sea or river can freeze, immobilizing ships but allowing light units to move through it).Fog of waris prevalent and players have to use scouting units to gain information about the battlefield. Some of those options were added in expansions or sequels.

Players have various tasks, ranging from eliminating all opponent forces to capturing specific buildings or protecting certain units or places. In some missions events from outside the battlefield can suddenly change the situation, giving players new objectives, reinforcements, allies or enemies. In some battles there are more than two sides, each with their own objectives, not all of them directly involved in hostilities - some of them can be even allied. At the same time, those allegiances can change because of some events or actions.

Battle Isleone had the screen divided into two parts, one for each player. The turns were also divided into move and attack phases. While one player moved his units, the other commanded his own troops to carry out his actions.Battle Isle 2gave the player the entire screen, and merged move and attack phases, and introduced the 3-D display of combat.Battle Isle 3was very similar toBattle Isle 2,with improved graphics, more units and a new storyline.Battle Isle: The Andosian Warwas entirely set in the 3-D environment and combined elements of real-time and turn-based strategies.

TheAIis relatively weak, relying onmass frontal assaults.After a player survives the first few turns and the AI's overwhelming numbers using protected artillery and terrain advantage, the computer is usually unable to mount a proper defense.

History

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Battle Islewas Blue Byte's first big success inEurope.It was completed in 1991. Inspired by theJapanesegameNectarisfor thePC Engine[citation needed],Battle Islespawned numerous add-ons, sequels (most notable areBattle Isle 2from 1993 andBattle Isle 3from 1995) and imitations. Of those among the most notable is Blue Byte's ownHistory Line: 1914-1918from 1993, which moves thescience fictionishclimate ofBattle Isleinto the times ofFirst World War.Others include theopen sourceprojects ofCrimson Fields[1]andAdvanced Strategic Command.[2]

After the release ofBattle Isle 2,Blue Byte decided to release a Windows version on CD'. This was one of the first games for Windows (3.11/95 and NT). The program was to be converted to Windows while the maps were to be replaced with new ones and a new storyline was to be written. The project was led by Patric Lagny who wrote the video player forBattle Isle 2and had many of the original graphic artists from theBattle Isle 2team. While the program was being developed, Blue Bytes Marketing Department suggested to name this productBattle Isle 3instead of marketing it as aData CD for Battle Isle 2with Windows support.[citation needed]

Over 600,000 copies were sold.[3]Twodata diskswere released forBattle Isle,and one forBattle Isle 2.Battle Isle 3represented the most developed variant ofBattle Isle 2.However, in the late 1990s, Blue Byte decided that the old model was no longer sufficient and decided to change the model of the series.

In July 1997, an entry in theBattle Islefranchise was in the works by Blue Byte for thePanasonic M2,but it never happened due to the cancellation of the system.[4]In 1997 a newBattle Islegame was released as a3-Dtactical squad game:Incubation,similar toX-COM: UFO Defenseand, later in 2000,Battle Isle: The Andosia Warwhich tried to bridge the gap between turn-based strategies andreal-time strategies.Both titles, while mildly successful, alienated many older players who had come to expect that theBattle Islebrand would represent traditional,board gamestyle games.

Blue Byte attempted to use theBattle Islebrand name on yet another game (and genre), this time aMMORPGDarkSpace,which for a time was known asBattle Isle V: DarkSpace,but after Blue Byte was bought byUbisofttheDarkSpacebecame an independent project.

The first games were available for theAmigaandMS-DOS.Later,Microsoft Windowsbecame the target for the games.

In 2013, Stratotainment, LLC, a mobile game company owned by Thomas Hertzler (co-founder of Blue Byte), announced the development and the reboot ofBattle Isle.[5][6]Battle Isle: Threshold Runwas scheduled for iOS release that year. After several delays, including an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign, the project was halted in September 2014.[7]In 2015, Stratotainment announced a spiritual successor toBattle IsletitledGamma Protocol.[8][9]In 2016 the trademarkBattle Islewas acquired by Ubisoft.[7]

Reception

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Overall, theBattle Isleseries has received positive feedback in reviews.[10][11][12]In a 1992 survey of science fiction gamesComputer Gaming Worldgave the title three-plus stars out of five, writing that "it was enjoyable for the persistent gamer looking for new worlds to conquer".[13]A 1994 survey gave the game two-plus stars out of five, stating that "there is still a blandness in the final result".[14]The series has sold 650,000 copies worldwide.[15]

Games

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Legacy

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In 1992,History Line: 1914-1918,aWorld War Igame with theBattle Isle '93engine, was released by Blue Byte.

Battle Isle has inspired twofreeopen sourceclones:

Both clones include amap editorand a converter that can loadBattle IsleandHistory Linemaps.[23][24]

In 2013,Battle Worlds: Kronos,described as aspiritual successortoBattle Isle,[25][26][27]was released byKing Art Gamesfollowing a successful Kickstarter campaign the same year.

References

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  1. ^"Ocena igre Crimson Fields - Andrej Mernik's Homepage".andrej.mernik.eu.28 August 2015.Retrieved2020-09-22.
  2. ^"Advanced Strategic Command".CHIP Online.Retrieved2020-09-22.
  3. ^"(Unavailable, website down) Battle Isle - Overview".bluebyte.net. Archived fromthe originalon 2001-09-02.Retrieved2010-08-18.
  4. ^"News - E3 '96: 3DO? - M2 Dream List".3DO Magazine.No. 12.Paragon Publishing.July 1996. p. 4.
  5. ^"Battle Isle: Threshold Run".4Players(in German).Retrieved7 June2023.
  6. ^Diener, Matthew (3 May 2013)."Blue Byte co-founder Thomas Hertzler resurfaces with cloud-focused dev Stratotainment".Pocket Gamer.biz.Steel Media.Retrieved7 June2023.
  7. ^ab"Ubisoft claims trademark for 'Battle Isle' franchise from Blue Byte co-founder".Yibada English.2016-12-12.Retrieved2020-09-22.
  8. ^"Stratotainment LLC".Twitter.Archivedfrom the original on 9 October 2019.Retrieved7 June2023.Creators of Gamma Protocol*, a Turn-Based Strategy Game releasing in 2018! (*spiritual successor to Battle Isle)
  9. ^"Gamma Protocol".Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2015.Retrieved7 June2023.
  10. ^Abbott, Richard."Battle Isle 2 review".Game Bytes Magazine.
  11. ^"PC Gamer Review of Battle Isle 2220, May '96".PC Gamer. 1996-05-01. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-24.Retrieved2010-08-18.
  12. ^Geryk, Bruce (2000-12-06)."Battle Isle: The Andosia War Review".GameSpot.
  13. ^Brooks, M. Evan (November 1992)."Strategy & Wargames: The Future (2000-....)".Computer Gaming World.p. 99.Retrieved4 July2014.
  14. ^Brooks, M. Evan (May 1994)."Never Trust A Gazfluvian Flingschnogger!".Computer Gaming World.pp. 42–58.
  15. ^"Ubi Soft Entertainment de neoprit".Level(in Romanian). May 2001. p. 10.Battle Isle a adunat peste 650.000 de copii pe intreg globul.
  16. ^"Battle Isle 2200 product page".bluebyte.net. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-24.Retrieved2008-11-01.
  17. ^"Battle Isle 2220 product page".bluebyte.net. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-24.Retrieved2008-11-01.
  18. ^ASC Documentation: Resource management
  19. ^Advanced Strategic Commandhomepage
  20. ^Crimson Fieldsmanual
  21. ^Linux Format 104 April 2008: HotPick - Crimson FieldsonLinux Formatpage 75
  22. ^Crimson Fields - Downloads
  23. ^Crimson Fieldshomepage
  24. ^ASC Documentation: Importieren von Battle-Isle-Karten (Linux)
  25. ^G, Matt (6 May 2016)."Battle Worlds: Kronos – Review".Retrieved2020-06-19.
  26. ^"Battle Worlds: Kronos – Battle Isle Inspired Sci-Fi TBS - SpaceSector.com".Retrieved2020-06-19.
  27. ^"3rd-strike.com | Battle Worlds: Kronos – Review".Retrieved2020-06-19.
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