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Revision as of 05:21, 26 March 2004 by Greyengine5 (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Battlefield 1942 is an expansive first-person shooter (FPS) set in World War II developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for the PC. The game can be played single-player against bots, but most of the focus has been on its support for large-scale, multiplayer Internet games. On average, there are 1700 or more servers running Battlefield 1942, with up to 64 players competing on each.
It combines realistic 3D graphics with gameplay more extensive than the average FPS. Players are able to fly fighters and bombers, captain battleships and aircraft carriers, man coastal defenses, drive tanks and jeeps, or just fight as one of several classes of infantry. Some believe that Battlefield 1942 has one of the most realistic physics engines available in FPSs on the market. Each battle takes place on one of several maps located in a variety of places and famous battlefields in both the Pacific and European Theaters. While the combat is always Axis versus Allies, the location determines which specific armies are used (for example, on the Iwo Jima map, it is Japan versus the U.S., while on the Battle of Britain map, it is Germany versus the UK).
Since its release on September 11, 2002, there have been dozens of mods (modifications) developed by independent gamers( see here. Each mod changes the gameplay by adding new content, gameplay balance, or both. The most famous of these, Desert Combat, moves the setting to modern combat in the Middle East.
The creators of Battlefield 1942 have released expansion packs entitled Battlefield 1942: Road to Rome and another, Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII. Both includes the addition of various new gameplay modes and design concepts. Road to Rome features a foucs on the Italian battles and Secret Weapons focuses on prototype, experimental, and little uses weapons. Downloadable patches fix bugs in the game and sometimes add extra content (such as the aforementioned Battle of Britain map).
Battlfield was a development of the less succsefull Codname Eagle computer game which was set in WWI. It featured a single and multiplayer modes. The earlier engine had more arcady physics and a less realistic focus the its sequel. A fan-made port of the game to the Bf:1942 engine, compatible with the 1.45 patch was done though. In continuation of the series, Digital Illusions is developed a sequel to Battlefield 1942 called Battlefield Vietnam. It will has similarities conceptually to Desert Combat mod, except that instead of present-day helicopters and tanks, it features Vietnam War-era weapons comprising the game's arsenal. Its new features include a new engine that heavily uses normal mapping, multiple weapons for most classes, and new maps.
More patches and maps may still be released in the future for 1942, and a Mac compatiable version of BF:1942 is also being attempted. A huge amount of content is availble in the form of its many mods, with a unknown amount still to be added. With the release of its sequel, another full-blown expansion pack is unlikey. Howver, its port to mac will add a new influx of players. Also, the possibilty of it being released for a console(such as the PS2 or Linux cannot be ruled out.
Milestones:
- May 15, 2004 3 million copies sold, Bf:1942's sequel Bf:Vietnam officially released.
- October 10, 2003 2 million copies sold
- August 8. 2003 Battlefield: 1942 Secret Weapons Demo Releases (Hellendorn Map)
- 2002 Annual Interactive Achievements Awards Bf:1942 recieves the awards of:
- Battlefield 1942: “Online Gameplay of the Year,”
- “Most Innovative Game of the Year,”
- “PC Game of the Year,”
- “Overall Game of the Year.”
- September 10, 2002 Battlefield: 1942 Officially released
- August 16, 2002 Battlefield: 1942 Multiplayer Demo Releases (Wake Map)
- July 19, 2002 Battlefield: 1942 Single Player Demo Releases (Tobruk Map)
See Also: Battlefield:1942 modifications