Anyone else remember Dark Reign: The Future of War? Released back in 1997, it's a real classic and at the time it had some pretty favourable reviews too. The good news is that it's being rebuilt by fans using OpenRA.
OpenRA is the same game engine that revived classic Westwood RTS games like Command & Conquer, Dune 2000 and Red Alert. It's highly versatile and open source, making it a good base to use to revive other classics too and this makes me happy.
Dark Reign is easily one of my all-time favourite RTS games, next to Total Annihilation. Both managed to spice things up nicely that other RTS games around the time weren't doing. Heck, I even wrote about Dark Reign here back in 2016 when trying it out in Wine (wow — has my opinion on Wine changed or what?). Just look at how gorgeous it was:
Click pictures to enlarge.
A colossal war between the Imperium and Freedom Guard is annihilating your world. To save your civilization, you must enter the heart of an empire at war. Command over 35 units with specific orders and deploy suicide bombers, hostage takers, saboteurs and more. Use precisely calculated battlegrounds to your strategic advantage and play against a highly responsive and unpredictable AI that detects and adjusts intelligently to your tactics. Vanquish the military powers to alter the destiny of a galaxy.
The official blurb
I had this OpenRA "mod" on my watch-list for a long time, hoping for the best but I wasn't aware that it was being actively developed. To the point that you can download an AppImage from the GitHub, download the demo content inside it and then get playing and it's really coming along nicely, although far from complete.
What do I hope with this article? Perhaps there's a few fellow Dark Reigns fans lurking that might like it, and perhaps some might help give it a push along with code so we can see another classic truly revived for modern audiences.
Pictured - Dark Reign in OpenRA.
Find the project on GitHub. It works with the demo assets but you'll likely need a full copy from GOG at some point.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
slaapliedje Oct 27, 2022
ElamanOpiskelija Oct 27, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedjeSweet! This has always been my favorite RTS. Warwind is probably the second, though I need to play that more.
I have seen you post often on these kind of news and was curious (no joke) about what would be your RTS poison of choice.
Good pick, this is from the "golden era", really the other ones on the race could be Total Annihilation and some C&C.
Between OpenRA and 0AD, they are doing an amazing work here. OpenRA engine offers potential long term survival on a game like this, especially if we consider multiplayer.
Some links:
(Community): https://www.darkreignws.com/
Some 2v2 game from recently: https://youtu.be/8sB3EHNH1y0
slaapliedje Oct 27, 2022
Quoting: ElamanOpiskelijaCommand and Conquer series is also good. Myth is an amazing series. Generally I like ones that break the mold of the typical Warcraft II / Star Craft clones.Quoting: slaapliedjeSweet! This has always been my favorite RTS. Warwind is probably the second, though I need to play that more.
I have seen you post often on these kind of news and was curious (no joke) about what would be your RTS poison of choice.
Good pick, this is from the "golden era", really the other ones on the race could be Total Annihilation and some C&C.
Between OpenRA and 0AD, they are doing an amazing work here. OpenRA engine offers potential long term survival on a game like this, especially if we consider multiplayer.
Some links:
(Community): https://www.darkreignws.com/
Some 2v2 game from recently: https://youtu.be/8sB3EHNH1y0
Like I prefer the games where your units have a bit more personality (as in they can get better over time, and you want to make sure they live through a battle, Myth captures that in an amazing way, as does Warwind.)
Quoting: slaapliedjeQuoting: ElamanOpiskelijaCommand and Conquer series is also good. Myth is an amazing series. Generally I like ones that break the mold of the typical Warcraft II / Star Craft clones.Quoting: slaapliedjeSweet! This has always been my favorite RTS. Warwind is probably the second, though I need to play that more.
I have seen you post often on these kind of news and was curious (no joke) about what would be your RTS poison of choice.
Good pick, this is from the "golden era", really the other ones on the race could be Total Annihilation and some C&C.
Between OpenRA and 0AD, they are doing an amazing work here. OpenRA engine offers potential long term survival on a game like this, especially if we consider multiplayer.
Some links:
(Community): https://www.darkreignws.com/
Some 2v2 game from recently: https://youtu.be/8sB3EHNH1y0
Like I prefer the games where your units have a bit more personality (as in they can get better over time, and you want to make sure they live through a battle, Myth captures that in an amazing way, as does Warwind.)
I really liked Myth. I need to finish it. Moving to more 3d world, really liked Sacrifice as well. I think at that point, I had burnt out on Red Alert and Warcraft 2 and similar ones that revolved around base building, having played them... A lot.
slaapliedje Oct 28, 2022
Quoting: LightkeyBlizzard had already pissed me off so I never bothered with WCIII :PQuoting: slaapliedjeSoo.. WarCraft III?Quoting: ElamanOpiskelijaCommand and Conquer series is also good. Myth is an amazing series. Generally I like ones that break the mold of the typical Warcraft II / Star Craft clones.Quoting: slaapliedjeSweet! This has always been my favorite RTS. Warwind is probably the second, though I need to play that more.
I have seen you post often on these kind of news and was curious (no joke) about what would be your RTS poison of choice.
Good pick, this is from the "golden era", really the other ones on the race could be Total Annihilation and some C&C.
Between OpenRA and 0AD, they are doing an amazing work here. OpenRA engine offers potential long term survival on a game like this, especially if we consider multiplayer.
Some links:
(Community): https://www.darkreignws.com/
Some 2v2 game from recently: https://youtu.be/8sB3EHNH1y0
Like I prefer the games where your units have a bit more personality (as in they can get better over time, and you want to make sure they live through a battle, Myth captures that in an amazing way, as does Warwind.)
ElamanOpiskelija Oct 28, 2022
Quoting: LightkeyQuoting: slaapliedjeSoo.. WarCraft III?Quoting: ElamanOpiskelijaCommand and Conquer series is also good. Myth is an amazing series. Generally I like ones that break the mold of the typical Warcraft II / Star Craft clones.Quoting: slaapliedjeSweet! This has always been my favorite RTS. Warwind is probably the second, though I need to play that more.
I have seen you post often on these kind of news and was curious (no joke) about what would be your RTS poison of choice.
Good pick, this is from the "golden era", really the other ones on the race could be Total Annihilation and some C&C.
Between OpenRA and 0AD, they are doing an amazing work here. OpenRA engine offers potential long term survival on a game like this, especially if we consider multiplayer.
Some links:
(Community): https://www.darkreignws.com/
Some 2v2 game from recently: https://youtu.be/8sB3EHNH1y0
Like I prefer the games where your units have a bit more personality (as in they can get better over time, and you want to make sure they live through a battle, Myth captures that in an amazing way, as does Warwind.)
Company practices aside, that went too far on the opposite direction. Heroes didn't have "a bit more personality", they were the center of the whole thing, while the "army" loses so much relevance, that eventually you wonder "who cares about army management" and it becomes... what it became: DotA, League of Legends, DotA2, etc.
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