Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness

I-Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, eyakhutshwa ngo-1995, yinto enkulu kakhulu kuhlobo lwemidlalo yamasu esekelwe kuso isikhathi sangempela (RTS). Yenziwe yi-Blizzard Entertainment ne-Cyberlore Studios, yaphuma yanyatheliswa yi-Davidson & Associates ezimakethe zaseNyakatho Melika neYurophu. Njengomlandeli oqondile wehlabathi le-1994 eliphumelele kakhulu i-*Warcraft: Orcs & Humans*, le ntshiwo ayizange nje yandise ifomula yalo eyandulelayo; yayilungisile futhi yandisa izindlela zokuphatha izinsiza nempi yamasu ngezinga elalinokuchaza lolu hlobo iminyaka eyishumi elandelayo. Ngokuhambisa umlo ngasezantsi isuka e-Azeroth iye ezwenikazi lasenyakatho i-Lordaeron, umdlalo wethula indaba ecebile kanye nokujula okuyinkimbinkimbi okwakuhlanganisa udumo lwe-Blizzard njengomakhi womdlalo ophambili. Indaba ye-*Tides of Darkness* ichaza iMpi Yesibili, umlo wokwanda okujulile. Ngemuva kokubhujiswa kwe-Stormwind emdlalweni wokuqala, abasindile babantu, abaholwa yi-Sir Anduin Lothar, babaleka benyakatho bayobhikisha ezweni i-Lordaeron. Lapho, bakha i-Alliance of Lordaeron, bahlanganisa abantu, ama-high elves, ama-gnomes, namadada ngokumelene ne-Orcish Horde eyayisondela. I-Horde, ngaphansi kokuphathwa yi-Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer, yayizibuthe imikhono yayo ngama-trolls, ama-ogre, namagoblins. Lokhu kwanda kwezinganekwane kwasebenza hhayi kuphela ukuhlinzeka ngendawo yemidlalo yomkhankaso kodwa futhi nokusungula ubunikazi bamaqembu ahlala njalo—i-Alliance ne-Horde—ezoba yisisekelo samasiko omkhuba we-*Warcraft*. Ngokomshini, umdlalo wawunamathisela ku-"qoqa, yakha, uchitha" okwakudume ngemva kwe-Dune II, kodwa ngezithuthukisi ezibalulekile ezathuthukisa ukudlala nokuhamba. Abadlali banikezwa umsebenzi wokuqoqa izinsiza ezintathu eziyinhloko: igolide, ukhuni, kanye namafutha asekelwe ngokuphelele. Ukwengezwa kwamafutha kwaba nomthelela omkhulu, okudinga ukwakhiwa kwezikhundla zasolwandle nezithwali. Le nsiza yesithathu yaba yisango lempi yasolwandle yomdlalo, isici esahlukanisa i-*Warcraft II* nabancintisana nabo. Ukwethulwa kwempi yasolwandle kwavumela ukuhlasela okuyinkimbinkimbi kokuhlasela ngamanzi, lapho abadlali bekumele baphumelele izinhlobo ezihlukile zomhlaba nezolwandle, besebenzisa izithwali zokuhamba ukuthwala amasosha omhlaba ngokuhamba emabalweni agcwele iziqhingi ngenkathi imikhumbi yempi, izishushumbisi, nama-submarine zilwela ubukhosi emanzini. Uhlu lwezinhlobo kumdlalo we-*Warcraft II* luvame ukubizwa nge-"symmetry with flavor." Ngenkathi amaqembu amabili ayefana ngokwenani ukuqinisekisa ibhalansi—abantu abangama-Footmen babalingana nama-orcs ama-Grunts, nama-Elven Archers babalingana nama-Troll Axethrowers—izinhlobo eziphakeme zazihlukile ngezindlela ezathinta isu lokugcina lomdlalo. I-Alliance yayingadlala ama-Paladins, amaqhawe angcwele ayekubeka ukwelapha izimfucuze ezilimele nokukhipha abafelayo, nama-Mages ayengakwazi ukubiza i-Polymorph ukuze aguqule izitha zibe izimvu ezingenabungozi. Ngokuhambisana nalokhu, i-Horde yayihlanganisa ama-Ogre Mages, ayengakwazi ukubiza i-Bloodlust ukuze andise kakhulu isivinini sokuhlasela sezinhlobo, nama-Death Knights, ayewaxabisa izimfucuze ezimnyama njenge-Decay ne-Raise Dead. Ukwethulwa kwezinhlobo zezindiza, ikakhulukazi ama-Gnomish Flying Machines kanye nama-Goblin Zeppelins okuhlola, kanye nama-Gryphon Riders namadragoni ezimangaliso ukuhlasela ezindizeni, kwengeze isimo sesithathu esiqinile empini, kwabangela abadlali ukuthi bakhe amabutho ahlukahlukene. Ngobuchwepheshe, i-*Warcraft II* kwakuyimpumelelo enkulu. Yasebenzisa ihluzo eziphezulu ze-SVGA (640x480), ukuthuthukiswa okunamandla kusuka kumidwebo enezimfanelo eziphansi yaleso sikhathi. Lokhu kwavumela isitayela sobuciko esihle, esifana nekhathuni esakwazi ukubhekana kahle nesikhathi. Indawo yayihlukahlukene, ibonisa izindawo ezihlanganiswe yiqhwa, amahlathi anempilo, nezindawo ezinodaka, zonke zazifihliwe nge-"fog of war" okwakudingeka ukuhlola njalo—indlela eyaba yimishini ejwayelekile embonini. Idizayini yomsindo yaba nethonya elingalingani; izinhlobo zaziphendula imiyalelo ngezwi ezihlukile, ngokuvamile ezihlekisayo, ezabanika ubuntu ("Zug zug," "My liege?"), ngenkathi umculo ohambisanayo wokuhambisana nefilimu ubekwa esikalini esikhulu somlo. Umlando wokwakhiwa komdlalo ukhombisa ukubandakanyeka kwe-Cyberlore Studios, eyayaziwa kakhulu ngomsebenzi wayo kumdlalo wesandiso, i-*Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal*. Eyakhutshwa ngo-1996, lesi sandiso sandisa ubunzima kakhulu futhi sethula izinhlobo ze-"hero" ezinamashayina ayo ahlukile, kwaba kubukela phakathi kwegeyimu ye-RTS nokulandisa okuholwa ngomlingiswa. Ifa le-*Warcraft II* laqhubeka nokunwetshwa ngokukhutshwa kwe-*Battle.net Edition* ngo-1999, eyayishintshe umdlalo kusuka ku-DOS kuya ku-Windows futhi yahlanganisa isevisi yokufanisa ye-Blizzard online, i-Battle.net. Leli nyathelo labe libalulekile ekuthuthukiseni umphakathi womdlalo we-multiplayer womhlaba wonke, labeka isisekelo somdlalo we-esports owawuzobanjwa yi-Blizzard kamuva nge-StarCraft. Ngokwezinga elithile, i-*Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness* yayiyimpumelelo enkulu, ithengise izimpawu ezingaphezu kwesigidi ngokushesha futhi yanqoba imiklomelo eminingi ye-"Game of the Year". Isethwe njengomdlalo owulethe uhlobo lwe-RTS kubabukeli abaningi, kwaboniswa ukuthi imidlalo yamasu ingaba nokufundisa ngokwengqondo nokubona ngokubona. Ngokulungisa isikrini somsebenzisi—ukuvumela abadlali ukuthi bakhethe izinhlobo eziningi kanye nokusebenzisa imiyalo ehambisana nesimo—yayisusile izithiyo eziyinkinga zemidlalo eyandulelayo, yase ivumela umdlali ukuthi agxile esu kunokuhlanganisa. Ekugcineni, i-*Warcraft II* kwakuyisigubhu lapho isitayela sika-Blizzard esihlukile sagqama khona, sakha ifa lejabuliso, elicebile ngezinganekwane, futhi elilutha kangangokuthi laqhubeka nokuba nomthelela embonini yama-video game.