World in Conflict

So World in Conflict open beta came out, you can sign up here and play for free. The game is probably the most fun I have had in a real time strategy game. There is no building or teching in this game, just all out brutal combat. Basically its the best part of any RTS. Losing because you chose to build a tank instead of upgrade something is never fun. Probably the most refreshing part of the game is that you get all the tools required to find a game and engage other people in combat in under a minute. Massive set a new standard for how a games menus should act. One of the most amazing parts of the game is the off map support abilities. You get everything. Paratroopers, nuclear weapons, artillery, a10 strikes, nalpam, carpet bombing. The graphics are lovely even on medium from nukes to napalm. I played so much that I was ranked #3 out of everyone playing online at one point.

I think the best thing the game has going for it is the team work element. Your teammates can work with you very easily. The game has built in voice chat and a menu system to request help or abilities at certain points on the map. WiC is so good that it made me not even want to complete the WCG qualifier. The tourament was by far the worst I’ve ever played in. It was a joke. 20% of the people who signed up played and then whoever was running it didn’t bother to advance people on to the next stage. I got an email 3 days after I was supposed to play the last game asking me to show up that night and play. Then the command and conquer 3 patch came out, which total fucked over the ladder. The game is draining on anyone that plays it. You have to deal with lag constantly. Who thinks that both players should get a disconnect? Not me. The disconnect problem is make worse by the fucking menu system thats tied to the frame rate of the OTHER player. You cant even quit a game in under 20 seconds. Who thinks that being able to take control of any unit, even your opponents isn’t worthy of a quick fix? I sure do. I’m never buying another Electronic Arts game again. I was going to praise the story line but I remember the only decent actor they had in the cut scenes was Kane and the 3rd campaign was 4 missions and just some jellyfish yelling at you.

World in Conflict isn’t without faults though. The most annoying thing is when you tell your infantry units to get inside a transport the game will select the transport when the first unit enters and then select the transport again when the last unit enters. Basically it makes you select it 3 times so if you want to tell another unit to do something you cant because it will tell the new unit you selected as well as the transport to move, canceling the infantry from getting in and unloading them again, aggravating. I think the camera system needs a little work too, its not as smooth as I’d like it while moving around the battlefield. The maps could be bigger too. They need more ambush points to hide infantry in and tanks behind. Its to easy for artillery to just pound known hiding spots, killing everything before you have a chance to fight. I also wouldn’t mind if the UI would allow you to force move everywhere if you couldn’t attack the unit you clicked on.