Savage: The Battle for Newerth
Encyclopedia
Savage: The Battle for Newerth is a science fantasy
computer game that combines aspects of the real-time strategy
(RTS) and first-person shooter
(FPS) genres. It takes place in the distant future when humankind has rebuilt society following an apocalypse
, but is threatened by intelligent beasts. The game was released in 2003, and was turned freeware
on September 1, 2006.
, as it does not include a single-player mode. Each match of Savage takes place on a map of varying size. A single match has two or more teams which form a combination of the beast and human races (the default configuration is one human team and one beast team). The goal of the game is to destroy the primary enemy structure—the "Stronghold" for the human race, or the "Lair" for the beast race. Each team has one commander, who plays the game like an RTS, and additional players, who play the game like an FPS.
's settings, they may either be promoted immediately, or the team must vote on the request. A match cannot start until both teams have a commander, although commanders may quit the game after the match has started.
The other 1 to 127 players on the team are the field players. These players play the game as an FPS, although melee combat is performed from the perspective of a third-person shooter
(TPS). Field players receive orders from the commander, which appear as visual waypoint
s. They can be ordered to attack enemies, mine resources, or construct buildings, although there is no penalty for ignoring orders. Some players can be promoted to the rank of "Officer" by their commander, which allows them to issue similar orders to other players on the team. Officers also grant a passive healing bonus to team-mates around them.
When a field player is killed, they are presented with the option to purchase more powerful units and weapons before spawning
. The units and weapons that are available are determined by the commander's development of the technology tree.
Science fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both science fiction and fantasy. Although in some terms of its portrayal in recent media products it can be defined as instead of being a mixed genre of science fiction and fantasy it is instead a mixing of the...
computer game that combines aspects of the real-time strategy
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....
(RTS) and first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
(FPS) genres. It takes place in the distant future when humankind has rebuilt society following an apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
, but is threatened by intelligent beasts. The game was released in 2003, and was turned freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
on September 1, 2006.
Gameplay
Savage is a solely online gameOnline game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...
, as it does not include a single-player mode. Each match of Savage takes place on a map of varying size. A single match has two or more teams which form a combination of the beast and human races (the default configuration is one human team and one beast team). The goal of the game is to destroy the primary enemy structure—the "Stronghold" for the human race, or the "Lair" for the beast race. Each team has one commander, who plays the game like an RTS, and additional players, who play the game like an FPS.
Commanders
A commander is responsible for developing the technology tree by constructing buildings and researching technology. The commander is capable of creating a maximum of ten workers, which are NPCs that are fully controlled by the commander. These workers can be commanded to construct buildings, mine resources, or attack enemies. Commanders can also issue these commands to the players on their team, allowing the commander to coordinate team movements and attacks. Players can also receive buffs from the commander once the technology tree has been sufficiently developed. When a match starts, players may request to act as the commander. Depending on the game serverGame server
A game server is a remotely or locally run server used by game clients to play multiplayer video games. Most video games played over the Internet operate via a connection to a game server...
's settings, they may either be promoted immediately, or the team must vote on the request. A match cannot start until both teams have a commander, although commanders may quit the game after the match has started.
Field Players
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
(TPS). Field players receive orders from the commander, which appear as visual waypoint
Waypoint
A waypoint is a reference point in physical space used for purposes of navigation.-Concept:Waypoints are sets of coordinates that identify a point in physical space. Coordinates used can vary depending on the application. For terrestrial navigation these coordinates can include longitude and...
s. They can be ordered to attack enemies, mine resources, or construct buildings, although there is no penalty for ignoring orders. Some players can be promoted to the rank of "Officer" by their commander, which allows them to issue similar orders to other players on the team. Officers also grant a passive healing bonus to team-mates around them.
When a field player is killed, they are presented with the option to purchase more powerful units and weapons before spawning
Spawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
. The units and weapons that are available are determined by the commander's development of the technology tree.