Muzzle Velocity (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Muzzle Velocity was a computer
tactical wargame
released by Digi4fun in 1997. The program was a unique hybrid of standard two-dimension
map-based tactical gaming, and first person action. It is set in World War II
The game was developed by Code Fusion and Digi4Fun. At the time or release, it could lay claim to being "the ONLY true war strategy game that puts you in the middle of the action".(Microprose's M1 Tank Platoon
was similar, but was considered a sim rather than a true strategy game.) The game graphics were garishly bright in colour, though armoured vehicles sported historically accurate camouflage paint jobs, and many touches were added to the three-dimensional
world that would remain absent in later, more serious, wargames (such as Combat Mission) such as civilians, telephone poles, and moving railroad trains.
The player would select forces and move them on the two-dimensional battle map, while a tactical AI
would resolve battles; however, the player could jump from unit to unit, taking over in a first person capacity. Gameplay was very arcade-like, and damage modelling was unrealistic in the extreme. Heavy machine guns could be used to knock stone buildings into piles of rubble, for example, and individual penetration statistics of the various weapons and armoured vehicles seem to have been fictional. As well, limitations of the game engine restricted engagement ranges to a few hundred metres.
Up to 100 units could be controlled in the overhead two-dimensional mode. The three-dimensional mode featured a very simplistic and generic graphics interface for vehicle controls.
Players could control British, American, or German forces. Weather effects were included, such as snow and rain falling in the 3D world, and terrain was realistic and textured, with such things as bullrushes in the swampy areas and decorative lamp posts in the urban areas. Sound effects were good, though all voices in the game spoke with a British accent, giving sometimes comical responses "Get out! Get out!" when infantry were unloaded, for example, or an apologetic "oops" when a civilian was crushed under your tank.
Terrain was deformable, with trees being crushed under the weight of vehicles and buildings collapsing under high explosive fire.
The game was solo play only, with no two-player capabilities of any kind, so the game had limited appeal after the novelty of negotiating the 3D world wore off. The computer opponent was very easy to beat in the 3D mode and the 2D interface was clumsy.
The game is also remembered for a stunning three-dimensional intro screen with animated tanks doing battle in a simulated hillside village; the graphics in the game did not unfortunately live up to the title movie.
Code Fusion was a US subsidiary of Digi4Fun, which was created for holding the exclusive US distribution rights. The game was based on the Pharlap DOS Extender, which enabled it to run beyond the DOS memory limit of 640K. The minimum specs called for 12MB, but 16MB is required to run the game smoothly.
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
tactical wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
released by Digi4fun in 1997. The program was a unique hybrid of standard two-dimension
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
map-based tactical gaming, and first person action. It is set in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
The game was developed by Code Fusion and Digi4Fun. At the time or release, it could lay claim to being "the ONLY true war strategy game that puts you in the middle of the action".(Microprose's M1 Tank Platoon
M1 Tank Platoon
M1 Tank Platoon is a tactical simulation of tank warfare, released by MicroProse Software in 1989, for the Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and IBM PC compatible home computers. It featured solid-filled polygon graphics that could render expansive terrain, and gameplay that was a mixture of first-person...
was similar, but was considered a sim rather than a true strategy game.) The game graphics were garishly bright in colour, though armoured vehicles sported historically accurate camouflage paint jobs, and many touches were added to the three-dimensional
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...
world that would remain absent in later, more serious, wargames (such as Combat Mission) such as civilians, telephone poles, and moving railroad trains.
The player would select forces and move them on the two-dimensional battle map, while a tactical AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
would resolve battles; however, the player could jump from unit to unit, taking over in a first person capacity. Gameplay was very arcade-like, and damage modelling was unrealistic in the extreme. Heavy machine guns could be used to knock stone buildings into piles of rubble, for example, and individual penetration statistics of the various weapons and armoured vehicles seem to have been fictional. As well, limitations of the game engine restricted engagement ranges to a few hundred metres.
Up to 100 units could be controlled in the overhead two-dimensional mode. The three-dimensional mode featured a very simplistic and generic graphics interface for vehicle controls.
Players could control British, American, or German forces. Weather effects were included, such as snow and rain falling in the 3D world, and terrain was realistic and textured, with such things as bullrushes in the swampy areas and decorative lamp posts in the urban areas. Sound effects were good, though all voices in the game spoke with a British accent, giving sometimes comical responses "Get out! Get out!" when infantry were unloaded, for example, or an apologetic "oops" when a civilian was crushed under your tank.
Terrain was deformable, with trees being crushed under the weight of vehicles and buildings collapsing under high explosive fire.
The game was solo play only, with no two-player capabilities of any kind, so the game had limited appeal after the novelty of negotiating the 3D world wore off. The computer opponent was very easy to beat in the 3D mode and the 2D interface was clumsy.
The game is also remembered for a stunning three-dimensional intro screen with animated tanks doing battle in a simulated hillside village; the graphics in the game did not unfortunately live up to the title movie.
Code Fusion was a US subsidiary of Digi4Fun, which was created for holding the exclusive US distribution rights. The game was based on the Pharlap DOS Extender, which enabled it to run beyond the DOS memory limit of 640K. The minimum specs called for 12MB, but 16MB is required to run the game smoothly.