Battlefield Academy est sorti

Slitherine et Matrix viennent d’annoncer la sortie de Battlefield Academy, un sympathique petit jeu de stratégie sur le thème de la 2nde Guerre Mondiale. Battlefield Academy, qui n’a strictement rien à voir avec la fameuse série de FPS Battlefield des suédois de DICE, s’inspire en fait d’un jeu en flash produit il y a quelques années par la BBC, jeu qui connût un certain succès sur le web. Slitherine en a repris les bases pour les améliorer afin de réaliser un vrai petit wargame, facile d’accès, offrant des parties rapides et amusantes.

Le jeu n’est certes pas une simulation, et il n’en a d’ailleurs pas la prétention, mais il comporte des mécanismes et des graphismes nettement plus aboutis que ceux d’un simple jeu en flash, ainsi qu’une grande variété d’unités, le tout permettant de composer des scénarios intéressants, particulièrement bien sûr en multijoueurs (PBEM, avec en bonus une gestion automatique des échanges de fichiers). L’I.A. n’est toutefois pas inexistante et, si sans surprise elle ne fera pas le poids face à un wargamer averti, elle conviendra tout à fait pour des débutants ou un jeune public. Nous reparlerons de Battlefield Academy un peu plus longuement bientôt, d’ici là, pour patienter voyez cet article sur The Wargamer.

Pour plus d’informations sur le jeu, voyez cette page chez Slitherine.

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It is finally here !
Long anticipated turn-based strategy game Battlefield Academy is now available for download from the shop.

Approachable, absorbing and visually impressive yet detailed, Battlefield Academy aims to revolutionise the strategy games market with a blend of intuitive design and compelling game play driven by cutting edge technical innovation.

Inspired by an original online game concept devised by the BBC, the game has more than 30 battles in a range of theatres of war from the North African desert through D-Day to the to the snowy Ardennes mountains where the Allies battled to repel the final German offensive.

The team at Slitherine worked with Professor John Buckley, Military Historian at the University of Wolverhampton and a keen wargamer himself, to make sure that the strategy, tactics, scenarios and available firepower of the battles fought in WW2 were turned into realistic AI behaviour, powering expertly crafted battles.

The game engine is also completely script-driven, allowing players to create their own missions and scenario in a simple and effective way.

The revolutionary server-based Play by E-Mail Slitherine system completes the package, for a gaming experience that will certainly please both hard core wargamers and newcomers.

The beta test team have enjoyed the experience so much they have already started creating scenarios and mods and are eager to meet new blood on the multiplayer server. The have really been bitten by the bug and are helping spread the word and grow the community.

Features

* Control British, US, Polish, Canadian forces in 3 epic campaigns covering more than 30 varied battles or take control of Italian and German forces in multiplayer.

* Select from a vast array of equipment including 100 units from 6 nations – Shermans, Fireflys, Panthers, Tigers, Stukas, Hurricanes, P47s and much more!

* Gameplay features include ambushes, line of sight, artillery barrages, airstrikes, scouts, morale, APCs, flame throwers, heavy bombers, snipers and suppression.

* Your units gain experience as they fight. Get promoted to Veteran and Elite status and gain new skills.

* Addictive multiplayer modes using Slitherine’s revolutionary multiplayer server that’s linked into an online ranking system.

* Huge modding opportunities. The game has been designed so that it’s easily moddable and accessible scripts control all aspects of combat, user interface and the game’s appearance.