Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness

Kukhishwe ngo-1995 yiBlizzard Entertainment, iWarcraft II: Tides of Darkness ingumdlalo obaluleke kakhulu emlandweni wemidlalo yesu yesikhathi sangempela (RTS). Ngenkathi umanduleli wayo, iWarcraft: Orcs & Humans, yayisungule impi phakathi kwe-Orcish Horde kanye neHuman Alliance, kwaba yilowo mdlalo owalandelayo owalungisa izindlela, wazandisa izinganekwane, futhi waz Consolida ubunikazi bobuciko obuzobe bushaya imakethe yemidlalo yePC. Ngokulinganisela ukufinyeleleka nezinketho zamasu, umdlalo awuzange nje wedlule umanduleli wawo kodwa futhi wasiza ukuphusha isigaba seRTS ukuba sibe yinto ejwayelekile, sikhuthaza ukuncintisana okudume kakhulu nochungechunge lweCommand & Conquer. Ngokuphathelene nezindlela, iWarcraft II yenze ngcono inkambiso "yokuqoqa, ukwakha, ukubhidliza" eyichazayo lesi sigaba. Abadlali baqala nge-Town Hall kanye nensizwa eyodwa noma i-peon, enikezwe umsebenzi wokuqoqa igolide nezinkuni ukuze bakhe izakhiwo zempi futhi bathuthukise ubuchwepheshe. Ukuqanjwa okubalulekile kule nguqulo kwaba ukwethulwa kukayikho njengomthombo wesithathu, oqoqwa ezindaweni zokwakha zasolwandle. Lo mthombo ububalulekile endaweni enkulu yomdlalo: impi yasolwandle. Ngokungafani neminye imidlalo yeRTS eyayigxile ezimpini ezisemhlabeni kuphela, iTides of Darkness yaba nokugxila kakhulu ekulawuleni ulwandle. Ababhubhisi, imikhumbi yempi, nezinye izikebhe zamasubhu zangezela isigaba sobuchwepheshe, ziphoqa abadlali ukuba bahlukanise ukunakekelwa kwabo nezinsiza phakathi kwezindawo ezisemhlabeni nezasemanzini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umdlalo wenza kwathandwa "i-Fog of War"—lapho indawo ivezwa uma isihlolisiswa kodwa ukuhamba kwamayunithi ezitha kuhlala kufihlekile kuze kube yilapho ibonwa futhi—okwengeze ukungezwani futhi kwadingeka ukuthi kuhlolwe njalo. Indaba yomdlalo yandisa umhlaba we-Azeroth kakhulu. Etholakala ngeminyaka eyisithupha ngemuva kweMpi Yokuqala, indaba ilandela ukuwa koMbuso weStormwind kanye nokubalekela kwababaleki enyakatho eya eLordaeron. Lokhu kwaholela ekwakhiweni kwe-Alliance of Lordaeron, ehlanganisa abantu, ama-elf, nama-dwarf, ukulwisana nokuhlasela okuqhubekayo kwe-Horde, eyayibuthe ama-troll nama-ogre. Ngenkathi izinhlangothi ezimbili zazifana kakhulu ngezindlela zokudlala—ezivame ukubizwa ngokuthi "isilinganiso esilinganayo"—nezinyawo ezisebenza njengezingxenye zama-grunt nama-knight alinganisela ama-ogre, ukwethulwa kwezibonisi ezikhethekile ezifana namaPaladini nama-Ogre Mages kwaba nokunambitheka okuhlukile okwanele ukukhuthaza izindlela ezahlukene zokudlala. Imikhankaso yabadlali abayimodemu yayingena kakhulu, inikeza imigomo yomsebenzi eyayisuka ekubhubhiseni okuphelele kuye emisebenzini yokuhlenga kanye nemisebenzi yokuhamba nabantu. Ngokubona ubuciko, iWarcraft II yaba yisiqalo sokushintshela kweBlizzard ku-art style ekhanyayo, egxekezelayo kancane. Ukuhambela kwimifanekiso ye-SVGA kwavumela umuzwa obukwayo ocebile, ocacile, futhi ogcwele izinhlamvu ohlale kahle kunokuphila okunzima okuzanywa izimbangi eziningi. Lokhu kuhlakanipha okubukwayo kwahambisana nedizayini yomsindo emangalisayo. I-soundtrack yezinsimbi yayingena emoyeni futhi ikhunjulwa kalula, kodwa amazwi ayunithi aphumelela ukubamba ingqondo yabadlali. Amayunithi aphendula ngokuthi, kusuka ku-"Yebo, nkosi yami" enobulili yensizwa yomuntu kuya ku-"Zug zug" odume kakhulu we-orc peon. IBlizzard yaphinde yethula ubumnandi bayo; ukuchofoza njalo kuyunithi kwakuza kubacika, kubangele ingxoxo ehlekisayo, ephula i-fourth-wall eyaba uphawu lokuqedwa komdlalo yi-studio. Isikhathi eside somdlalo saqinisekiswa ngezimfanelo zawo eziqinile zabadlali abaningi kanye nokufakwa kwesihleli samabalazwe esisebenziseka kalula. Amandla abadlali okudala izimo zabo baqhuba umphakathi onikezelwe owaqhutshelwa ezinsizakalweni ezifana neKali futhi kamuva iBattle.net. Lesi sihleli sabeka isisekelo samasiko emidlalo yesiko eqhumisa ekugcineni kwiWarcraft III. Ekugcineni, iWarcraft II: Tides of Darkness yayingaphezu nje komdlalo owalandela; kwakuyilungiselelo yenkambiso yeRTS eyabeka ibha ephakeme yekhwalithi, isivinini, kanye nobuntu. Yahlanganisa izimbotshana phakathi kokuqala kwesigaba kwesigaba nokuba yisiphekulu somhlaba wonke kanye nemidlalo emikhulu, ibeka isisekelo esibalulekile sendawo yonke yeWorld of Warcraft.