Battle Isle series
Encyclopedia
Battle Isle is a series of turn-based tactics
computer games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte Software
. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.
s), computers (AI
s) and limited spaceflight (enough to set up space colonies
on the moon of Chromos). The individual games represent various wars that took place on Chromos.
and tank
s to helicopter
s, fighters
and bomber
s, armored trains, surface warship
s and submarine
s, stationary gun turrets), but (especially in the later games) also many support logistics
units (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 need to be paid careful attention to. 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 war
is 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 Isle one 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 2 gave the player the entire screen, and merged move and attack phases, and introduced the 3-D display of combat. Battle Isle 3 was very similar to Battle Isle 2, with improved graphics, more units and a new storyline. Battle Isle: The Andosian War was entirely set in the 3-D environment and combined elements of real-time and turn-based strategies.
The AI
is relatively weak, relying on mass 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.
and Europe
. It was completed in 1991. Inspired by the Japan
ese game Nectaris
for the PC Engine, Battle Isle spawned numerous add-ons, sequels (most notable are Battle Isle 2 from 1993 and Battle Isle 3 from 1995) and imitations. Of those among the most notable is BlueByte's own History Line: 1914-1918
from 1993, which moves the science fiction
ish climate of Battle Isle into the times of First World War. Others include the open source
projects of Crimson Fields and Advanced Strategic Command.
After the release of Battle Isle 2 Blue Byte decided to release a Windows version on CD that was internally referred to as Win CD. This would be one of the very first games for Windows (3.11/95 and NT). The program was to be converted to Windows while the maps where 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 for Battle Isle 2 and had many of the original graphic artists from the Battle Isle 2 team. While the program was being developed, Blue Bytes Marketing Department suggested to name this product Battle Isle 3 instead of marketing it as a Data CD for Battle Isle 2 with Windows support.
Battle Isle achieved cult status, with over 600,000 copies having been sold. There were two data disks
released for Battle Isle 1, and one for Battle Isle 2. Battle Isle 3 represented the most developed variant of Battle 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 1997 a new Battle Isle game was released as a 3-D
tactical squad game: Incubation
, similar to UFO: Enemy Unknown; later in 2001 Battle Isle: The Andosia War which tried to bridge the gap between turn-based strategies and real-time strategies
, but both titles, while mildly successful, alienated many older players who had come to expect that the Battle Isle brand would represent traditional, board game
style games.
Blue Byte attempted to use the Battle Isle brand name on yet another game (and genre), this time a MMORPG
DarkSpace
, which for a time was known as Battle Isle V: DarkSpace, but after Blue Byte was bought by Ubisoft
the DarkSpace became an independent project.
The first games were available for the operating system
s Amiga
and DOS
. Later, Microsoft Windows
became the target for the games.
, there is no official Battle Series game in development.
open source
clones:
Both clones include a map editor and a converter that can load Battle Isle and History Line maps.
Turn-based tactics
Turn-based tactics , or tactical turn-based , is a computer and video game genre of strategy video games that through stop-action simulates the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics in generally small-scale confrontations as opposed to more strategic...
computer games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte Software
Blue Byte Software
Ubisoft Blue Byte is a video game developer based in Düsseldorf, Germany, founded in 1988. The company has produced popular titles like Battle Isle and The Settlers. In 2001, the company was purchased by Ubisoft.-History:...
. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.
Storyline
The Battle Isle storyline is set on a fictional planet called Chromos, whose society is technologically slightly more advanced than that of contemporary Earth, possessing the knowledge of advanced robotics (robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s), computers (AI
Ai
AI, A.I., Ai, or ai may refer to:- Computers :* Artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science* Ad impression, in online advertising* .ai, the ISO Internet 2-letter country code for Anguilla...
s) and limited spaceflight (enough to set up space colonies
Space colony
Space colony may refer to:* Space colonization, any colony outside of the planet Earth* Space habitat, a free-floating extraterrestrial colony specifically-Fiction:* Space colony , fictional space colonies in the Gundam anime series...
on the moon of Chromos). The individual games represent various wars that took place on Chromos.
Gameplay
The first three games are played on a hexagonal grid for a map. Players not only control the combat units (ranging from infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s to helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, fighters
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
and bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s, armored trains, surface warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, stationary gun turrets), but (especially in the later games) also many support logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
units (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 need to be paid careful attention to. 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 war
Fog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
is 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 Isle one 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 2 gave the player the entire screen, and merged move and attack phases, and introduced the 3-D display of combat. Battle Isle 3 was very similar to Battle Isle 2, with improved graphics, more units and a new storyline. Battle Isle: The Andosian War was entirely set in the 3-D environment and combined elements of real-time and turn-based strategies.
The AI
Game artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
is relatively weak, relying on mass 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
Battle Isle was Blue Byte's first big success in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It was completed in 1991. Inspired by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese game Nectaris
Nectaris
Nectaris, occasionally released as Military Madness, is a series of sci-fi-themed, hex map turn-based strategy games for a variety of systems...
for the PC Engine, Battle Isle spawned numerous add-ons, sequels (most notable are Battle Isle 2 from 1993 and Battle Isle 3 from 1995) and imitations. Of those among the most notable is BlueByte's own History Line: 1914-1918
History Line: 1914-1918
History Line: 1914-1918 is a turn-based tactics computer game developed in the 1990s by the German team Blue Byte Software. The storyline takes the player through various battles of the First World War...
from 1993, which moves the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
ish climate of Battle Isle into the times of First World War. Others include the open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
projects of Crimson Fields and Advanced Strategic Command.
After the release of Battle Isle 2 Blue Byte decided to release a Windows version on CD that was internally referred to as Win CD. This would be one of the very first games for Windows (3.11/95 and NT). The program was to be converted to Windows while the maps where 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 for Battle Isle 2 and had many of the original graphic artists from the Battle Isle 2 team. While the program was being developed, Blue Bytes Marketing Department suggested to name this product Battle Isle 3 instead of marketing it as a Data CD for Battle Isle 2 with Windows support.
Battle Isle achieved cult status, with over 600,000 copies having been sold. There were two data disks
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
released for Battle Isle 1, and one for Battle Isle 2. Battle Isle 3 represented the most developed variant of Battle 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 1997 a new Battle Isle game was released as a 3-D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
tactical squad game: Incubation
Incubation (computer game)
Incubation: Time Is Running Out is a turn-based tactics computer game from Blue Byte Software released in 1997. In the game, the player controls a squad of soldiers against an alien threat...
, similar to UFO: Enemy Unknown; later in 2001 Battle Isle: The Andosia War which tried to bridge the gap between turn-based strategies and real-time strategies
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
, but both titles, while mildly successful, alienated many older players who had come to expect that the Battle Isle brand would represent traditional, board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
style games.
Blue Byte attempted to use the Battle Isle brand name on yet another game (and genre), this time a MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
DarkSpace
DarkSpace
DarkSpace is a massively multiplayer real-time strategy computer game developed by PaleStar. Released in December 2001, DarkSpace involves multiplayer spaceship combat between three player-controlled factions....
, which for a time was known as Battle Isle V: DarkSpace, but after Blue Byte was bought by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
the DarkSpace became an independent project.
The first games were available for the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
. Later, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
became the target for the games.
, there is no official Battle Series game in development.
Clones
Battle Isle has inspired two freeFree software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
clones:
- Advanced Strategic Command has two modes of play: one very similar to Battle Isle and its own, with more complex management of resources. It is available for WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. - Crimson Fields follows the original Battle Isle game mechanics closely, except that it doesn't allow for building of new buildings. The game is available on a variety of platforms, including LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, BeOSBeOSBeOS is an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing...
, Dreamcast and AROSArosAros may refer to:*Aros , a river in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium*AROS Research Operating System, a free software implementation of AmigaOS* Aros, the original Viking name of Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark...
. It is also portedSoftware portabilityPortability in high-level computer programming is the usability of the same software in different environments. The prerequirement for portability is the generalized abstraction between the application logic and system interfaces...
to a number of embedded devices: Sharp ZaurusSharp ZaurusThe Sharp Zaurus is the name of a series of Personal Digital Assistant made by Sharp Corporation. The Zaurus was the most popular PDA during the 1990s in Japan and was based on a proprietary operating system. The first Sharp PDA to use the Linux operating system was the SL-5000D, running the...
, Nokia 770, Windows CEWindows CEMicrosoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
, Windows MobileWindows MobileWindows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
(Pocket PCPocket PCA Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
), Palm OSPalm OSPalm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management...
5, Android, iStation V43 and GP2XGP2XThe GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on November 10, 2005, in South Korea only....
.
Both clones include a map editor and a converter that can load Battle Isle and History Line maps.
Games in the series
- Battle Isle (1991, StrategyStrategy gameA strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
) - Battle Isle Data Disk I (1992, strategy)
- Battle Isle Data Disk II (1993, strategy)
- Also known as Battle Isle '93 or Battle Isle: The Moon of Chromos.
- Battle Isle 2200 (1994, strategy)
- Released as Battle Isle 2 in Europe.
- Battle Isle II Data Disk I (1994, strategy)
- also known as Battle Isle II: Titan's Legacy or Battle Isle II Scenery CD
- Battle Isle 2220 - Shadow of the Emperor (1995, strategy)
- Released as Battle Isle 3 - Shadow of the Emperor in Europe.
- Incubation: Time Is Running Out (1997, tactics)
- German title Incubation: Battle Isle Phase Vier, UK title Incubation: Battle Isle Phase Four; also known as Battle Isle 4: Incubation, Battle Isle: Incubation, or just Incubation.
- Incubation: The Wilderness Missions (tactics)
- Additional missions to Incubation.
- Battle Isle: The Andosia War (2000, strategy)
- German title Battle Isle: Der Andosia Konflikt; also known as Battle Isle IV: The Andosia War or just The Andosia War.
Critical reception
Overall, the Battle Isle series has received positive feedback in reviews.See also
- History Line: 1914-1918History Line: 1914-1918History Line: 1914-1918 is a turn-based tactics computer game developed in the 1990s by the German team Blue Byte Software. The storyline takes the player through various battles of the First World War...
– a World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
game with the Battle Isle '93 engine.