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Platform: PC

Genre: MMORTS

Publisher: Nicely Crafted

Developer: Nicely Crafted

ETA: October 2003 (UK) 

 

Related Links:

Review: Shattered Galaxy (PC)

Review: C&C Generals (PC)

 

 

 

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Time of Defiance

 

time of defiance pc preview           time of defiance pc preview

 

A game that received lots of press attention at the ECTS show, Time of Defiance (TOD) might just be the game that all online gamers have dreamed of.  There have been many online games, and a few of those have succeeded in becoming popular.  However, while most games have the online facility available, there are even fewer that are designed for and only available to use with the Internet.  Time of Defiance is one of these rare and some are saying, perhaps even ground-breaking titles.

 

Due to be released in the UK in October 2003 (no release dates for other countries available yet) as the debut release from the brand spanking new publisher, Nicely Crafted.  TOD has an impression to make in a genre where MMOG games are still lacking somewhat in popularity.

 

Being an online only game, there are clearly more cons then pros, basically being those of us in the world that don’t have broadband will have to cope with painfully slow connections, and the only other obvious con is there is that immediate restriction for people without internet access. (Duh!)  This places obvious stringent limitations on a game.

 

So here are the game basics, it is an online-only massively multiplayer strategy game set in real-time across the landscape of a shattered world, and your goal is to fight for conquest of the islands and mine their mineral wealth in order to expand your empire.  Every other empire you encounter will be another player; this is a game where “treachery, propaganda and trade are just as important as your fighting strategy”. Sounds good so far right? 

 

The story line is complex, deep and involving making for the possibility of a seriously addictive game.  You are based in the 

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world of Nespanona, a rich, green and blue world home to the technologically advanced Nespan civilization, who have everything they want due to their knowledge of quantum technology.  However, the one thing they don’t have is the ability to open space/time wormholes to anywhere in the universe, they can warp themselves around their own planet but not the universe!  So in their quest for this essential knowledge, an experiment goes tragically wrong and their planet is shrunk to the size of a small moon, oh dear…

 

So this ingenious race of people decided to buy themselves some time buy strapping hundreds of anti-gravity devices to the surface of the planet and built several humungous space ships and leave the planet forever.  Over the years the crust of the planet fell away with the anti-gravity devices still clinging to the planet leaving floating islands of rock.  Millions of years later, these machines are still working leaving Nespanona a sea of floating islands, varying in size form a few meters to a few hundred kilometers.  There are two races remaining on the sea of islands, the Cog’s and the Shado’s – both decedents of stranded Nespan’s.  Evolving on separate islands as neither had the technology to move from island to island, but things are changing.  This storyline sets the way for a potentially exciting and enthralling game.

 

time of defiance pc preview           time of defiance pc preview

 

TOD is a game that some say has the potential to pave the way for Internet gaming for the next few years.  Is this going to revolutionize gaming forever?  We still have yet to see, but one thing is for sure, this game is going to generate a huge amount of curiosity and publicity the world over.

 

Features:

 

Over 4,000km by 4,000 km playing area

 

Hundreds of Players in each game fighting for control of thousands of  islands

 

Use exploration vessels, tactical units and support ships to conquer whole continents

 

Involves game play where each game lasts up to 4 weeks

 

Active community of experienced players

 

Play on beginner, intermediate or expert servers

 

Evolving game play with new features added regularly

 

- Chase Scott-Pearson

(September 28, 2003)