COD: The Dark Age

[MikeTheMugger]

Lets take a huge step back in time and examine a genre of gaming which I feel is ignored almost as a whole, medieval combat. Now I'm not talking about dwarves and ogres, or massive +5 vorpal Longswords, nor am I talking about Age of Empires or the other spinoffs that tried to be like it. No, what I am talking about is a realistic medieval FPS. In this case FPS might be a bit of a misnomer becuase the only "shooting" you would do in such a game is with bows, crossbows and thrown weapons like knives or axes.

Still, a realistic medieval warfighting game could be interesting, fun, and immersive. The game could include numerous battlefield locations across the globe, from the kingdoms of eastern europe to the shoguns of japan.

The beauty of realistic videogames, or any videogame, is that these battles don't have to be true to real life (ie. they probably never happened) and this allows for a lot of free play with the story, weapons, and timeline. I can even imagine an "all weapons" cheat which allows you to use weapons from any location where you are at.

An online MP you could have fully armored knights fighting with Samurai, or British longbowmen sniping at Turkish cavalry in a wooded setting.

For stationary weapons you could pour boiling hot oil over the walls of the castle at enemies below, shoot through murder holes in a tower; from the engaging team you could man siege weapons, battering rams, catapults, even a trebuchet. Archers could upgrade thier weapons with flaming or poisoned arrows, or Barbed tips. Knights could uprgrade and customize thier armor in various ways, including the use of a shield, as well as a long sword. Heavy infantry would use claymores, cavalry units could gain special bonuses while on horseback. There are so many possiblities it is ridiculous.

 

[Wayneguard]

Fuck realism. Rune is what you need. Over the top viking combat with massive two handed runehammers that gib on contact.
in fact, i'm going to go play this right now.

 

[MikeTheMugger]

Wow, Rune. There is a game I haven't heard of in ages. I dare say, the dark ages of video gaming. I remember cheering when this game came out. I really don't want to play another Larger-than-life hack'nslasher though.

 

[TerranReaper]

Is this what you're looking for?

 

[MikeTheMugger]

Is this what you're looking for?

Ok, this is the same concept, yes. If we could make something like this next-gen and change some things/add stuff, it would be perfect. At least insofar as combat. This looks far too simple, but it is sorta what I am talking about.

 

[Tharwen]

A truly realistic medieval game would be pretty boring. You couldn't shoot anything unless you'd trained for your whole life to use it, and you wouldn't get a horse unless you were a knight. Maybe you could play the whole game as a knight, otherwise it would be pretty boring.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Age Of Chivalry much?

Is this what you're looking for?

Oh, I see.
You hijacked my thoughts.
But, yeah, Age Of Chivalry, I've played it, it's just about the closest thing to what you're describing.
Also, Mount&Blade: Warband.

 

[The Madman]

That game you just described already exists, seriously.

The Mount & Blade games are exactly that; realistic (Or as realistic as possible while remaining fun!) pseudo medieval simulation/action/rpg games. Ride in combat with knights at your side, fire volleys of arrows into approaching enemy lines, fight in tournaments either for fame and glory or for the honor of a princess, take enemy castle, defend your own, trade, barter, negotiate treaties, ambushes in dark alleys, banditry, lead your own kingdom and armies or vow allegiance to one of the existing kings... you can pretty much do it all.

Gameplay is absolutely fantastic too, best damn melee combat ever thrown into a game, seriously. Warband has multiplayer as well, including a mode where teams take turns defending a castle using exactly the techniques you described with archers firing from the walls and the other team trying to raise ladders or push siege towers close enough to besiege the castle walls.

Don't just take my word for it either:


On sale on STEAM right now too, go figure.

And yes, there is a first person view option.

 

[Hiphophippo]

I need to get around to playing Mount and Blade.

Regardless, I like your idea. In fact, I'd be excited about any CoD game that explored new settings for once.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

First person melee combat is very hard to get right.

Condemned 2 is the only game I can think of that almost nailed it.

 

[MikeTheMugger]

I can't see it being very popular, no offense.
I mean, you don't really get red-dot scopes and silencers on crossbows.

We have all been spioled by the "Red-Dot" generation. I remember when shooters didn't even have that shit. I played COD 1 and 2, both very awesome games, and iron sights and shitty scopes were good enough for that game. I expect a person familiar with the FPS genre could work with some bow sights, and yes there are bow sights, sometimes this can be a simple circle with a hole cut out, as in the Electra film she had a fucking scope. However you may only have the tip of your arrow to guide your aim. It may be against COD to provide aiming reticles, but I think it might be for this title.

Also I think you widely underestimate the number of weapons available. Axe, mace, spear, crossbow, longsword, knife, claymore, halbred, warhammer, morningstar, shortbow, longbow, compound bow; and that is just on the european side.

First person melee combat is very hard to get right.

Condemned 2 is the only game I can think of that almost nailed it.

Condemned 2 was pretty awesome. I always thought that a FPS which has melee combat should allow for a 3rd person perspective on the fly. I guess we'd have to drop the "F" though.

 

[alittlepepper]

That game you just described already exists, seriously.

The Mount & Blade games are exactly that; realistic (Or as realistic as possible while remaining fun!) pseudo medieval simulation/action/rpg games. Ride in combat with knights at your side, fire volleys of arrows into approaching enemy lines, fight in tournaments either for fame and glory or for the honor of a princess, take enemy castle, defend your own, trade, barter, negotiate treaties, ambushes in dark alleys, banditry, lead your own kingdom and armies or vow allegiance to one of the existing kings... you can pretty much do it all.

Gameplay is absolutely fantastic too, best damn melee combat ever thrown into a game, seriously. Warband has multiplayer as well, including a mode where teams take turns defending a castle using exactly the techniques you described with archers firing from the walls and the other team trying to raise ladders or push siege towers close enough to besiege the castle walls.

Don't just take my word for it either:


On sale on STEAM right now too, go figure.

And yes, there is a first person view option.

I was going to point this one out if no one else did. This game is awesome and, yes, it's exactly what the topic poster is looking at. I usually do 3rd person personally, I find it easier to aim on horseback, but it does have a first person mode as well.
But yeah, if you're looking for a pretty realistic medieval FPS/fighter/RTS/Sim then that's pretty close, not to mention the *huge* number of mods and player made expansions that can honestly turn the game into something else entirely (I found one for Star Wars, even!).
Seriously. One of the best gaming decisions I ever made.