World War 1 game

[Standby]

Whilst browsing for some cheap games on Play i came across this title: http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/3508647/To-End-All-Wars/Product.html#, and was wondering is anyone else had come across it before?

Theres been quite a bit of talk here and there from members saying they'd like a game set during the first World War, as opposed to treading the old ground of World War 2 further into dust, and according to IGN the game has possibly been in development for upwards of 2 years:
http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/802/802030p1.html

I was just wondering what everyone else's thoughts on the title may be, would you pick up a World War 1 title, or do you see a war of attrition unlikely to transfer well to a videogame?

 

[Blanks]

I dunno, a game about trench warfare?

i would see it as chest-high-walls third person shooter lol
or possibly an RTS

 

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

WWI is not commonly seen in games because it was fukken BORING. It consisted of (to quote Black Adder):
Black Adder: Would that plan involve 17000 men getting out of the trenches and walking slowly towards the enemy?
The General: How did you know that? It's top secret!
Black Adder: It is exactly the same plan we used the last seventeen times.
The General: And that is exactly why the germans will never expect it!

 

[Combined]

Indeed. I remember checking this two years ago, but since then I haven't heard anything about it. So, it may be dead as a doornail.

Second, Trench Warfare can transfer very well or very badly, depending on what you do. It could be only a short segment of the game, after which you are either captured and have to work behind the lines or you desert and try to make your way home fighting enemies and ex-allies on the way. You can make it a central aspect by skipping time between dates of major events. As an RTS it really could transfer well if you keep it semi-automated, by allowing the player to lead a major offensive, but letting most of the time between offensives be handled by the computer. Or, you could put in a game within a game by adding management of support structures, daily activities, minor attacks, night attacks, patrols, spies, trench set-up and so on. It would really pass the time well, I believe.

Still. World War I is mostly unexplored area and if people would try, it could really go well. Too bad that all WWI games up to this point were mostly okay. Not good, not bad, just okay.

 

[TheScarecrow]

I played a great one on Newgrounds, it's like Warfare 1918 or something. It's by Armor games.

I have oft wondered about a WWI game. It could make for interesting gameplay.

 

[BonerMacTittyPants]

A game like that would be boring due to the arms technology used. Maybe some ultra-realism masochists could have a blast while trying to unjam their weapon, but others, possibly no.

The frontlines of WWI battles were stale. Both sides just hid in heavily fortified trenches with no man's land in between. Artillery and Tanks that could flush the soldiers out weren't that common/advanced so there was little change on the battefield.

It's just that the character of this confilct doesn't make for good fps game material, and the lack of historic records (as opposed to WWII) doesn't help either. It's a period best for RTS games and air combat sims.

 

[The Tommy]

A game like that would be boring due to the arms technology used. Maybe some ultra-realism masochists could have a blast while trying to unjam their weapon, but others, possibly no.

The frontlines of WWI battles were stale. Both sides just hid in heavily fortified trenches with no man's land in between. Artillery and Tanks that could flush the soldiers out weren't that common/advanced so there was little change on the battefield.

It's just that the character of this confilct doesn't make for good fps game material, and the lack of historic records (as opposed to WWII) doesn't help either. It's a period best for RTS games and air combat sims.

The comments that will be generated in this thread will simply consist of it was:
static
waiting
trenchfoot
boring
bad wepaons
etc etc

These woefully inadequate arguments reveal an astonishing lack of understanding of not only the Great War but war in general.

WWI was very mobile depending on time and place. The Russian, Mesopotamian and Palestinian fronts were mobile throughout the conflict. The first and last years in the West saw rapid development in technology and tactics. The WWII fire and maneuver tactics were built from trench raiding and shock tactics employed throughout the battles on the Western Front. Many WWII games have weapons that are direct decedents from WWI weapons and so players already know how to use them.

Soldiers in war sit and wait around. Unlike the image in the movies or games, WWII, Vietnam, Desert Storm, isn't one set battle after the other. Games cut to the chase. We've been already discussing the merits of a WWI game and how it could break new ground in this thread. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.109279?page=16

To End All Wars looks promising except for the fact that I haven't heard anything new about it since last year. A shame really.

 

[hazabaza1]

A WWl game! With features such as:
Nearly instant death, as soon as you try and shoot!
See all you closest friends die painfully, and you can't do anything!
Shell-shock!
Trench foot!
Rats biting off the bits of you that have fallen off, such as your toes, fingers, maybe even an ear!
A realistic vomit mini-game!
You can try to run, to escape from war, then you get shot in the kneecaps!
Pre-order now, and we'll add in bonus content! Be tortured as a Prisoner Of War!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahem. I apologise, but this is a TERRIBLE idea.

 

[The Tommy]

WWI is not commonly seen in games because it was fukken BORING. It consisted of (to quote Black Adder):
Black Adder: Would that plan involve 17000 men getting out of the trenches and walking slowly towards the enemy?
The General: How did you know that? It's top secret!
Black Adder: It is exactly the same plan we used the last seventeen times.
The General: And that is exactly why the germans will never expect it!

Good TV series and raises a smile, but not something you should consider as a COMPLETELY accurate historical account by any means.

 

[The Tommy]

A WWl game! With features such as:
Nearly instant death, as soon as you try and shoot!
See all you closest friends die painfully, and you can't do anything!
Shell-shock!
Trench foot!
Rats biting off the bits of you that have fallen off, such as your toes, fingers, maybe even an ear!
A realistic vomit mini-game!
You can try to run, to escape from war, then you get shot in the kneecaps!
Pre-order now, and we'll add in bonus content! Be tortured as a Prisoner Of War!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahem. I apologise, but this is a TERRIBLE idea.

Ahem I hate to tell you this but it sounds like you just summarized war in general. Nothing really specific to WWI in here. You fail.

 

[hazabaza1]

A WWl game! With features such as:
Nearly instant death, as soon as you try and shoot!
See all you closest friends die painfully, and you can't do anything!
Shell-shock!
Trench foot!
Rats biting off the bits of you that have fallen off, such as your toes, fingers, maybe even an ear!
A realistic vomit mini-game!
You can try to run, to escape from war, then you get shot in the kneecaps!
Pre-order now, and we'll add in bonus content! Be tortured as a Prisoner Of War!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahem. I apologise, but this is a TERRIBLE idea.

Ahem I hate to tell you this but it sounds like you just summarized war in general. Nothing really specific to WWI in here. You fail.

No, the things like trench-foot and rats eating you are more WW1 specific. WW2 had less trenches, etc, and while most of the things on the list go with all wars, WW1 seemed to have the most extreme situations.

 

[The Tommy]

A WWl game! With features such as:
Nearly instant death, as soon as you try and shoot!
See all you closest friends die painfully, and you can't do anything!
Shell-shock!
Trench foot!
Rats biting off the bits of you that have fallen off, such as your toes, fingers, maybe even an ear!
A realistic vomit mini-game!
You can try to run, to escape from war, then you get shot in the kneecaps!
Pre-order now, and we'll add in bonus content! Be tortured as a Prisoner Of War!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahem. I apologise, but this is a TERRIBLE idea.

Ahem I hate to tell you this but it sounds like you just summarized war in general. Nothing really specific to WWI in here. You fail.

No, the things like trench-foot and rats eating you are more WW1 specific. WW2 had less trenches, etc, and while most of the things on the list go with all wars, WW1 seemed to have the most extreme situations.

That wasn't by any means the greatest killer in WWI and soldiers often rotated out of the frontline trenches after a week. You have totally disregarded my observations on the mobile aspects of this war.

We are discussing the merits of WWI game on this thread already http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.109279?page=16

Trench foot was common in winter campaigns in WWII and rats/rodents insects etc have plagued soldiers throughout warfare. You fail again.

 

[Jurassic Rob]

It could be interesting, for the main reason it would take the mainstream games away from WW2 which are just getting very repetitive now!

 

[Bandersnatch]

If they use stuff from later in the war such as:
http://www.ambafrance-au.org/france_australie/spip.php?article531
and after, when the techniques were more innovative it could be interesting.
And besides that, there were machine gun nests to take out, communication wiring to fix under enemy fire etc. And this was while they were based in the trenches - they didn't just stay in the mud holes all the time.
But there probably still won't be Aussies in this even if we were awesome shock troops, sigh.

 

[APPCRASH]

GOD DAMN SNIP!

That wasn't by any means the greatest killer in WWI and soldiers often rotated out of the frontline trenches after a week. You have totally disregarded my observations on the mobile aspects of this war.

We are discussing the merits of WWI game on this thread already http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.109279?page=16

Trench foot was common in winter campaigns in WWII and rats/rodents insects etc have plagued soldiers throughout warfare. You fail again.

Trench foot is still a very common affliction amongst enlisted men even today. All you need is a damp, unsanatary environment and CA-BAMALAM! Trench foot. Thats why you need to pack extra socks and change them often.

 

[Skuffyshootster]

Darkest of Days will have a World War 1 level. But it's probably gonna suck toes.

 

[The Tommy]

If they use stuff from later in the war such as:
http://www.ambafrance-au.org/france_australie/spip.php?article531
and after, when the techniques were more innovative it could be interesting.
And besides that, there were machine gun nests to take out, communication wiring to fix under enemy fire etc. And this was while they were based in the trenches - they didn't just stay in the mud holes all the time.
But there probably still won't be Aussies in this even if we were awesome shock troops, sigh.

Glad you brought this up. There was plenty of mobility and innovation in the war to give players both the claustrophobic feel of the trenches and the perspective of movement through later stages of open combat.

 

[The Tommy]

Darkest of Days will have a World War 1 level. But it's probably gonna suck toes.

I guess so if they relied on sci fi to make history interesting.

 

[Gestapo Hunter]

there was a game based off WW1 that never ended called "Iron Storm"

 

[Nmil-ek]

Never would I pick up a title on WWI you could not portay any of the real terror of the war while still having a fun game, nor is it a war that ever deserves to be given the medal of honour bs treatment *america rocks blow up everyone else wooo*

Half the war was sitting in holes staving off trench foot, dissintry and getting bossed around by the upper class while getting shelled to shit and back sounds fun.