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Forum: Games Topic: Defcon: Everybody Dies started by: GORDON Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,09:53
I keep hearing awesome reviews of this game, so I just went to add it to my Amazon Wish List so I could pick it up next time I was shopping. But amazon isn't selling it for some reason, so I just went ahead and orderd it directly from the manufacturer, here: http://www.everybody-dies.com/ It only costs $21.50 US dollars, after the $5.50 to ship it from England. AND, if you buy the box copy, you get to DL the full version of the game immediately, for free. It's an independant developer making a good product. Support them. SO. I keep hearing about what a blast it is to multi this game, so, cheapasses, break off 20 bones and order it and we can play som Global ThermoNuclear War. PS - it's designed to look very "80's," right down to the Norad/Wargames graphics. So that is kind of fun. I'm about to launch it (maybe, busy day today), so I'll let you know how it is. edit - I found this summary of the game elsewhere: QUOTE DefCon is the newest game from Introversion, independent developers of cult-hits Uplink and Darwinia. The game is, essentially, the cool bit from WarGames, with The Big Board that tracked nuclear launches and what have you. Your interface IS that Big Board.
The game has been described as "like an RTS but with the resource bits taken out." The game begins at DefCon (defense condition ) 5, where each player (who possesses a major landmass and surrounding ocean; North America, South America, Russia, Europe, Asia, and Africa are the possibilities) places Radar Stations, Missile Silos, and Airbases on land, and fleets of various composition at sea. Each player is given the same number of units, so the game comes down to using them correctly. As the game goes on, the DefCon counts down; at 3 aggressive conventional war begins, and at 1 nuclear war is authorized. Nukes can be launched from submarines, bombers, or missile silos; the only defense against them is missile silos. Oh, did I mention that the silos can be either attacking or defending, but not both, and it takes a long downtime to switch between the two? And did I ALSO forget to mention that all nuke launches reveal the launch site to everyone else? The way the interplay between defense and offense works out, mutually assured destruction is basically guaranteed. The default scoring system (though there are others) encourages this; you score two points for every million enemy civilians you kill, and lose one for every million civilians you lose. There's a reason that the tagline for the game is "Everyone Dies". The game supports varying levels of alliance, such as radar-sharing and ceasefires. There's no such thing as an alliance victory or a tie game, though, so expect to be backstabbed, and when it comes, expect it to go right through your fucking kidneys. Think the fact that you score by reducing the enemy's civilian population to nought is morbid? Wait until you play the game, and hear the (incredible) music and sound effects. If you're prone to that sort of thing, you'll probably go a little emo the first few times. DefCon. It's global thermonuclear war, and you can't win. But maybe--just maybe--you can lose the least. Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,10:51
Just went through the complete tutorial.Took about 30 minutes, including a "full" game at the end. I killed 53 million Chinese, the Chinese killed 18 million of my Americans. So I won, yahoo! Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,10:55
I think we, the group that enjoyed the forum A&A games, would get some enjoyment out of this game. Has at least as many strategic options as A&A, and I THINK couple be played in less than an hour. And, a game could still be played even if 2 people are available, or 4, or 6. I'm pretty sure.
Posted by WSGrundy on Dec. 26 2006,11:20
This game is a lot of fun. I only have the demo but I stilled enjoyed it.Haven't played it in a while though. Posted by Leisher on Dec. 26 2006,11:58
I have also heard a lot of good things about this game. I think it's available via Steam.
Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,15:47
Played an official game against 1 AI opponent.Computer put me in Europe, and I had to fight the USA. Defcon 5. I built 3 naval fleets and placed them off Portugal. 1 composed entirely of subs that would creep up to America's coastline via Cuba, and 2 composed of Battleships and Aircraft Carriers for combination coastal defense and naval offense. I scattered radar installations and silos throughout my available landmass. (Silos are good for launching ICBM's, and for anti-missile missiles. But as soon as they launch ICBM's, your opponent will know exactly where your silos ar and will target them). Defcon 4, and I launch fighters all over the northern Atlantic to look for incoming fleets. I don't see any and move my 2 fleets towrds America's eastern seaboard. My sub group is half way to Cuba. Defcon 3. No news. Defcon 2. Conventional war starts. My carriers auto-launch at a nearby American battlegroup. I launch nuclear bombers (one short range missile each) toward American soil. One of my naval groups gets hit hard. In frustration, I launch missiles from my sub group as it approaches Florida. I escalated the war to Defcon 1, Where the nukes are free to fly. I keep my continental missile silos in defensive mose, waiting for enemy incoming. I target all bombers and about half my sub force on American cities, radar installations, and known missile sites. Defense is strong, so I retarget to the defensive missile sites... I never got recon into Canada, and there seems to be a lot of defense coming out of my grey area. NYC takes a direct hit, though, and 4.4 million people are killed. Meanwhile, I have incoming figthers and bombers approaching my European land mass, and more than I expected are getting through. I have sub launch warnings coming from the south Atlantic, under Africa's hump... god damn it, I didn't know the sub launched missiles had that range. I'm losing major cities like London and Paris, tens of million dead. I still have all my missile silos, since I hadn't used them and they remained hidden... so I switch from defense to ICBM', and target cities and installations as fast as I can. I target all remaining bomber squadrons and missile subs. Full attack. In the end, I killed approximatly 28 million Americans, but I lost 79 million people. Lessons learned: keep a carrier fleet close to home to account for attacks from where I don't expect them. And, figure out a way to hit SAM sites earlier so later missile waves have better penetration. I lost badly. Total game time: about 30 minutes. Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,16:06
I added more game summary in the first post of this thread.
Posted by Leisher on Dec. 26 2006,17:54
$14.95 via Steam. (But they're evil so I'm not allowed to buy any more games from them, right?)
Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,17:55
Nah, I just want the box for my collection.The free download of the game w/purchase of the box allows me to have instant gratification. Posted by Leisher on Dec. 26 2006,18:34
QUOTE Nah, I just want the box for my collection. I once knew a guy who could get me any movie I wanted, including ones that hadn't even hit theaters yet (no idea how), but he'd put them on a burned DVD. He asked me if I wanted some, but I turned him down because I'm the same way. I collect the films I want and the box is a part of that. Their inclusion in my office is "male decorating". As for Defcon, keep filling us in on your continuing thoughts. I may pick it up in the next week or two via Steam. Posted by GORDON on Dec. 26 2006,18:45
Have played 4 more skirmishes against AI.I heard this is the most boring way to play, since AI can time PERFECTLY for fighter/bombers/nukes to reach your targets at the same time, overwhelming your defenses. Which makes me happy that I was able to eek a 53mm deaths versus51.5mm-death-victory over the AI, once. I heard where this game shines is in multi. Imperfect humans versus Thib. But we can all pretend to ally with him and then sneak attack. Voice chat would be fun with this, too. Posted by WSGrundy on Dec. 26 2006,18:58
You can get the demo to try from < fileplanet >.
Posted by GORDON on Apr. 01 2013,15:48
I reloaded the game, for shits and grins. Y'all should get it. It is currently $10 on Steam. We can still nuke the shit out of each other... or, I recommend, "Always team up against Cakedaddy" mode.That is a real setting in the game. Always Team Up Against Cakedaddy. Posted by Cakedaddy on Apr. 01 2013,17:28
That's a hold over from how badly I owned you all in TA. If you didn't, I would win. Always.
Posted by GORDON on Apr. 01 2013,17:47
That doesn't even make sense. Cavedog didn't make Defcon.
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