Silent Storm engine
Encyclopedia
The Silent Storm engine is a turn-based tactics
game engine
developed by Nival Interactive for their video game Silent Storm
. The engine was reused for Silent Storm: Sentinels, Night Watch
, Hammer & Sickle
and Day Watch
. A modified version of this engine was used for Heroes of Might and Magic V
.
is employed for bodies with variation according to the precise velocity and impact of projectiles. Three-dimensional mapping allows for obstruction calculations and cover
effects from any direction. Bullets ricochet, and their stopping power
depends on the strength of the weapon. Also modeled are materials' effectiveness at stopping ordinance and visibility based on lighting conditions. All these effects are, however, exaggerated for a more cinematic experience (e.g., a hail of non-fatal bullets only makes the target shake, but a single fatal bullet can send the target flying), which has been praised by some reviewers as a feature. Reviewer Greg Kasavin commented that "pray and spray" tactics are quite viable, as the game uses silhouettes to mark enemies' estimated positions when they happen to lie out of eyesight but within earshot.
Mechanics common to role-playing video game
s are also featured, such as the ability for characters to be customized over time. The player's units gain experience point
s over time for completing actions, which can later be spent on purchasing new skills and abilities. The engine also uses an action point
system, whereby players can select from various actions, such as firing modes, stances and forms of movement. A sequel, Silent Storm: Sentinels, introduced weapon degradation to the series.
and weapon and environmental sounds, though these sentiments were tempered as the engine began to age. Reviewers also appreciated the destructibility of the environment, role-playing elements and "squad-based tactical combat".
Criticisms include the engine not taking into account the relative position of objects in 3-dimensional space when making selections using the mouse. For instance, when selecting and issuing actions to a group of soldiers, the selection may include soldiers that occupy different elevations, making the orders nonsensical. The engine has also been criticized for slow performance, even on top-of-the-end (at the time) computers. Finally, the engine has been criticized for the length of time required for the artificial intelligence
to complete its turns, a lack of any multiplayer support and the uncooperativeness of its camera controls.
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...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
developed by Nival Interactive for their video game Silent Storm
Silent Storm
Silent Storm is a tactical role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive and published by JoWood in 2003. The game is set in World War II Europe. The player commands a team of up to six elite soldiers on the Axis or Allied side, undertaking a variety of...
. The engine was reused for Silent Storm: Sentinels, Night Watch
Night Watch (computer game)
Night Watch is a tactical role-playing game developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive, and based on the Russian novel and the film of the same name. It features a group of Light Others trying to combat the schemes of Day Watch.The game was released in Russia in 2005 and the United States by...
, Hammer & Sickle
Hammer & Sickle
Hammer & Sickle is a tactical role-playing game for the PC, co-developed by the Russia-based companies Novik&Co and Nival Interactive and published by CDV in 2005...
and Day Watch
Day Watch (video game)
Day Watch is a tactical role-playing game developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive, and based on the Russian novel and the film of the same name. It features a group of Light Others trying to combat the schemes of Day Watch....
. A modified version of this engine was used for Heroes of Might and Magic V
Heroes of Might and Magic V
Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic turn-based strategy video game series. It was developed by Nival Interactive, under the guidance of franchise-owner Ubisoft...
.
Features
The engine features an advanced physics model—nearly all structures are destructible, and ragdoll physicsRagdoll physics
In computer physics engines, ragdoll physics is a type of procedural animation that is often used as a replacement for traditional static death animations.-Introduction:Early video games used manually-created animations for characters' death sequences...
is employed for bodies with variation according to the precise velocity and impact of projectiles. Three-dimensional mapping allows for obstruction calculations and cover
Cover (military)
In military combat, the concept of cover refers to anything which is capable of physically protecting an individual from enemy fire. This differentiates it from the similar concept of concealment, in that an object or area of concealment only affords the benefit of stealth, not actual protection...
effects from any direction. Bullets ricochet, and their stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
depends on the strength of the weapon. Also modeled are materials' effectiveness at stopping ordinance and visibility based on lighting conditions. All these effects are, however, exaggerated for a more cinematic experience (e.g., a hail of non-fatal bullets only makes the target shake, but a single fatal bullet can send the target flying), which has been praised by some reviewers as a feature. Reviewer Greg Kasavin commented that "pray and spray" tactics are quite viable, as the game uses silhouettes to mark enemies' estimated positions when they happen to lie out of eyesight but within earshot.
Mechanics common to role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s are also featured, such as the ability for characters to be customized over time. The player's units gain experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s over time for completing actions, which can later be spent on purchasing new skills and abilities. The engine also uses an action point
Action point
An action point, commonly abbreviated AP, is a point in games to determine how much action a player, unit, or video game character can do in a single turn.Within computer and video games they are predominantly used in the turn-based tactics genre...
system, whereby players can select from various actions, such as firing modes, stances and forms of movement. A sequel, Silent Storm: Sentinels, introduced weapon degradation to the series.
Reception
The engine has been praised for its ability—commonly found in RTSs—to allow users to select and issue orders to multiple units at once, and for allowing players to select which items to pick up from a list. Also praised were the quality of its graphicsComputer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and weapon and environmental sounds, though these sentiments were tempered as the engine began to age. Reviewers also appreciated the destructibility of the environment, role-playing elements and "squad-based tactical combat".
Criticisms include the engine not taking into account the relative position of objects in 3-dimensional space when making selections using the mouse. For instance, when selecting and issuing actions to a group of soldiers, the selection may include soldiers that occupy different elevations, making the orders nonsensical. The engine has also been criticized for slow performance, even on top-of-the-end (at the time) computers. Finally, the engine has been criticized for the length of time required for the artificial intelligence
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...
to complete its turns, a lack of any multiplayer support and the uncooperativeness of its camera controls.