Scorched 3D
Encyclopedia
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...
game Scorched Earth
Scorched Earth (computer game)
Scorched Earth is a popular shareware artillery video game, which is a subgenre of strategy game. The game was developed in the DOS era, originally written by Wendell Hicken , in which tanks do turn-based battle in two-dimensional terrain, with each player adjusting the angle and power of their...
"The Mother Of All Games". Unlike Scorched Earth however, it is available free in its entirety. Also, Scorched 3D adds, amongst other new features, a 3D island environment and LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
play. Scorched 3D is an open source game for both 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...
and Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
(Linux
Linux
Linux 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...
, FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free Unix-like operating system descended from AT&T UNIX via BSD UNIX. Although for legal reasons FreeBSD cannot be called “UNIX”, as the direct descendant of BSD UNIX , FreeBSD’s internals and system APIs are UNIX-compliant...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac 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...
, Solaris
Solaris Operating System
Solaris is a Unix operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems. It superseded their earlier SunOS in 1993. Oracle Solaris, as it is now known, has been owned by Oracle Corporation since Oracle's acquisition of Sun in January 2010....
, etc.) operating systems.
History
The first build was created in April 2001 by lead developerSoftware developer
A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, developing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management...
Gavin Camp. The idea for the creation of Scorched 3D was revealed in an interview with Gavin on The O'Reilly Network:
Scorched Earth was an institution for me and my friends at university. On many nights we used to play the game while drinking — although it is pretty good even without the drink. Recently on a boring flight I played it with friends for eight hours straight; we hardly noticed the time passing. I thought that Scorched in 3D would allow many more game concepts, and [it] also combined my love of 3D graphics with the classic game.
Scorched 3D originally started as a 3D landscape generator. It was eventually converted into a game, early on, and development continues to this very day with the project being hosted by SourceForge.net
SourceForge.net
SourceForge is a web-based source code repository. It acts as a centralized location for software developers to control and manage open source software development. The website runs a version of SourceForge Enterprise Edition, forked from the last open-source version available...
. The current stable version is v43 which streamlines and improves the playing experience. Version 43 also has quickened the gameplay.
Gameplay
Gameplay aspects carried over from Scorched Earth
GameplayGameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
is quite simple, yet requires skill to master. Players are placed randomly on a 3D map, and take turns aiming at an opponent's "tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
", by adjusting angle, rotation and power and firing a weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
of choice until able to hit or kill the target. The core objective of the game is to kill all one's opponents' tanks in this fashion. Another element of gameplay includes an economy system, where cash is generally earned by kills and hits. The player can then use this cash to buy special weapons, defenses or fuel. Each weapon and defense, and each fuel type, has different attributes.
The weapons include nukes
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, which have a large blast radius. Rollers will roll down inclines until they hit a target. Lasers can fire through mountains and hit targets directly. Funky Bombs land much like regular missiles but then launch bomblets toward nearby enemies. MIRVs spread in the air, sending small bombs down on your enemy. Napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
can be used to incinerate targets.
Defenses are as important as the weapons. Batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
allow a player to repair damage. Shields protect a player from taking damage from most weapons. Magnetic shields and Force Shields repel or reflect an enemy's shots. Parachutes prevent damage from falling (when dirt is blasted out from under a tank). Auto Defense will allow a player to power up shields and activate parachutes before the start of a round.
Fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
allows a player to move his tank, either to avoid shots from an enemy who has zeroed in on his present location, or to gain a more advantageous firing position.
Scoring and Stats
There is a system that the game has that allows players to gain stats/medals that are displayed in the scorched3d.co.uk forums. These stats appear only if the players are registered users at the forums and have willingly given their Player ID through their User Control Panel. These scores are based on skill, the higher the number, the less skilled, or less active a player is. Usually, numbers should fluctuate, even for expert players.Medals are gained through winning tournaments and defeating as many opponents as possible without getting killed.