Worms Armageddon
Encyclopedia
Worms Armageddon is an artillery game/turn-based strategy
game developed by Team17
and part of the Worms series. The player controls a team of up to eight worms in combat against opposing teams.
Gameplay is turn-based, with each team moving in sequence (which is determined randomly) across two-dimensional terrain. During a single turn, a team can only move one of its worms (unless the Select Worm item is used). Worms can walk and jump, as well as (when the proper items are available) swing by rope
, parachute
, teleport, and bungee
. The objective of a traditional match is to defeat all opposing teams by killing their worms, although in the campaign some missions have other objectives (such as collecting a specific crate).
Each worm begins the round with a specific amount of health (which is predefined by the chosen game options or by scripting in campaign levels). When hit with a weapon, the worm will lose health depending on the power of the weapon and the directness of the hit. A worm can be killed either by having its health reduced to zero or being knocked into the water around and below the level.
-based attacks. Some are based on real-life arms, such as the shotgun
, bazooka
, and hand grenade
. Others are more fanciful and cartoonish, such as the sheep, which serves as a mobile explosive, or the skunk, which releases poisonous gas.
In a normal match, all teams begin with the same weapons, based on the chosen weapon set. Some weapons may not become available until a certain number of turns pass. Depending on game options, additional weapons may randomly fall onto the terrain in airdrop
ped and teleported crates.
In addition to normal weapons, each team (during team creation) chooses a special weapon which becomes available to them after a certain number of turns. The special weapons are more powerful than regular weapons and often offer special abilities. Also, super weapons will rarely fall in weapon crates. These weapons are often based on cartoonish themes (such as the French Sheep Strike) and usually devastating in power.
In homage to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
, one of the game weapons is a Holy Hand Grenade
, with a sound-effect reminiscent of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.
Local multiplayer allows the player to select which teams participate in the battle (including number of worms and handicaps), which options and weapons are used, and the level to be played upon. The matches can use any combination of human and computer teams, provided at least one team is human. Additionally, multiple worm teams can form an alliance for the match by selecting the same team color - they will still operate separately in movement rotation but share weapons and score. If multiple human players are using the same computer, the game functions in a hotseat mode.
Online multiplayer is set up similarly to local multiplayer but allows the players to be at separate computers. Additionally, hotseat can be combined with online play, so multiple human players can use each computer.
versions of the game.
, known for their AmigaOS
, Mac OS X
, and Linux
game ports, claimed to have acquired the license to port Worms Armageddon, but it was never released by Hyperion as of yet.
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
game developed by Team17
Team17
Team17 Software Ltd. is a video game company best known for developing the Worms series of games , but it has made many other games, notably Superfrog and the Alien Breed series. Most of its early releases were on the Amiga home computer system and featured trademark smooth scrolling, and detailed...
and part of the Worms series. The player controls a team of up to eight worms in combat against opposing teams.
Gameplay
Rope
A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
, parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, teleport, and bungee
Bungee
Bungee may refer to:* Bungee cord, also called shock cord, an engineered stretchable cord* Bungee jumping, an adventure sport* Bungee language or Bungi creole, and its related population, existing mainly along the north-south trade routes of Manitoba, Canada* Bungee chair, a type of office or...
. The objective of a traditional match is to defeat all opposing teams by killing their worms, although in the campaign some missions have other objectives (such as collecting a specific crate).
Each worm begins the round with a specific amount of health (which is predefined by the chosen game options or by scripting in campaign levels). When hit with a weapon, the worm will lose health depending on the power of the weapon and the directness of the hit. A worm can be killed either by having its health reduced to zero or being knocked into the water around and below the level.
Weapons
The game includes a wide variety of weapons, including melee, projectile, and explosive weapons, as well as airstrikeAirstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
-based attacks. Some are based on real-life arms, such as the shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
, bazooka
Bazooka
Bazooka is the common name for a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, widely fielded by the U.S. Army. Also referred to as the "Stovepipe", the innovative bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat...
, and hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
. Others are more fanciful and cartoonish, such as the sheep, which serves as a mobile explosive, or the skunk, which releases poisonous gas.
In a normal match, all teams begin with the same weapons, based on the chosen weapon set. Some weapons may not become available until a certain number of turns pass. Depending on game options, additional weapons may randomly fall onto the terrain in airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
ped and teleported crates.
In addition to normal weapons, each team (during team creation) chooses a special weapon which becomes available to them after a certain number of turns. The special weapons are more powerful than regular weapons and often offer special abilities. Also, super weapons will rarely fall in weapon crates. These weapons are often based on cartoonish themes (such as the French Sheep Strike) and usually devastating in power.
In homage to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
, one of the game weapons is a Holy Hand Grenade
Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch
The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch is a fictional weapon from the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It bears a striking resemblance to the Sovereign's Orb of the United Kingdom, and seems to draw some inspiration from the Holy Spear of Antioch...
, with a sound-effect reminiscent of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.
Gameplay modes
Worms Armageddon includes a series of training missions, a single player campaign with premade missions, a deathmatch mode in which the player fights increasingly difficult and outnumbered battles against the computer, local multiplayer, and online multiplayer.Local multiplayer allows the player to select which teams participate in the battle (including number of worms and handicaps), which options and weapons are used, and the level to be played upon. The matches can use any combination of human and computer teams, provided at least one team is human. Additionally, multiple worm teams can form an alliance for the match by selecting the same team color - they will still operate separately in movement rotation but share weapons and score. If multiple human players are using the same computer, the game functions in a hotseat mode.
Hotseat (multiplayer mode)
Hotseat or hot seat is a multiplayer mode provided by some turn-based video games, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game...
Online multiplayer is set up similarly to local multiplayer but allows the players to be at separate computers. Additionally, hotseat can be combined with online play, so multiple human players can use each computer.
Gameplay customization
Worms Armageddon includes a very high level of customizability - in multiplayer games or skirmishes, the player can create custom game modes with preferred gameplay options and weapon sets. Regular options include starting health, whether the worms can move, how long a turn lasts, and sudden death options. Weapons settings include what weapons the teams start with, which weapons will fall in crates and how often, and how powerful individual weapons are.Other customization
Worms Armageddon offers several levels of customizability outside of direct gameplay options. Many of these options are only available on the PCPersonal 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...
versions of the game.
Team creation
The game offers players the ability to create their own custom teams. Each team has its own name and includes eight individually named worms. The player can also change the team's special weapon, grave marker, flag, victory fanfare, and voice set. In addition to numerous defaults available, the game offers the ability to import custom graves, flags, fanfare, and voices.Terrain creation
The game includes a random terrain generator, a basic terrain editor which allows the user to create the shape of the terrain with brushes, and a more complex terrain-import system which allows the user to import custom-made terrains in image format, which the game automatically converts into playable terrains.Online play
Worms Armageddon features a multiplayer Internet service called WormNet. This service allows one player to host a game online and others to join it. The host can choose settings like the landscape and scheme. There is also a chat feature with an optional language filter.Updates
Despite its age, Worms Armageddon still receives periodic beta updates from two programmers (known as Deadcode and CyberShadow) recruited by Team17. These updates address bugs and compatibility issues, and also add new features to the game, such as support for a larger number of worms in a match and support for arbitrarily-sized colour levels. The latest update is dated on November 16, 2010.Ports
On their official website, Hyperion EntertainmentHyperion Entertainment
Hyperion Entertainment CVBA is a Belgian software company which in its early years focused in porting Windows games to Amiga, Linux and Macintosh. Later on, they were contracted by Amiga Incorporated to develop AmigaOS 4 and retired from the gaming business...
, known for their AmigaOS
AmigaOS
AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000...
, 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...
, and 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...
game ports, claimed to have acquired the license to port Worms Armageddon, but it was never released by Hyperion as of yet.
External links
- Official game website
- Worms Armageddon on the Worms Knowledge Base wiki
- Worms Armageddon at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...