Battlefield 1942 307976 225510864 2008-07-14T02:00:49Z 74.14.90.221 /* Roles */ America is a continent. {{Refimprove|date=June 2008}} {{Infobox VG | title = Battlefield 1942<br> | image = [[Image:BF1942box.jpg|256px|Battlefield 1942 box cover|{{deletable image-caption|1=Thursday, 17 January 2008}}]] | developer = [[Digital Illusions CE]] | publisher = [[Electronic Arts|EA Games]] (Windows), Aspyr Media, Inc. (Mac) | series = [[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield series]] | designer = | engine = [[Refractor 2]] | released = Windows: ([[North America|NA]]) [[2002-09-10]] <br> {{flagicon|Europe}}[[2002-09-20]]<br> Mac OS: 2004-06-28<br> | version = Windows:<br> 1.61b (2004-12-02) | genre = [[First-person shooter]] | modes = [[Single player]], [[multiplayer]] | ratings = [[ESRB]]: Teen (T), [[PEGI]]: 12+ | platforms = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Apple Macintosh]], ([[Xbox]] - Cancelled) | media = [[Compact Disc|CD]] (2) | requirements = '''PC Version:''' 500 MHz [[CPU]], 128 MB [[RAM]], 3D accelerated 32 MB video card or equivalent with HTL and a 24-bit z-buffer, 1.6 GB free hard disk space plus space for saved games, 8X Speed CD-ROM/DVD-ROM, [[DirectX]] 8 Compatible Sound Card<br> '''Mac OS Version:''' [[Mac OS X]] 10.2.8 or later, PowerPC G3/G4/G5 700 MHz or faster, 256MB of [[RAM]], 1.6 GB free disk space, 3D Graphics Acceleration ([[ATI]] [[Radeon R100| Radeon 7500]]/[[nVidia]] [[GeForce 2]] or better, 32MB of VRAM), CD drive required to install and play | input = [[Computer keyboard|Keyboard]], [[Computer mouse|mouse]], [[joystick]] }} '''''Battlefield 1942''''' is a [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[World War II]] [[first-person shooter]] (FPS) [[computer game]] developed by [[Digital Illusions CE]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]] for [[Microsoft Windows]] (2002) and [[Apple Macintosh]] (2004). The game can be played in [[singleplayer]] mode against [[computer game bot]]s or in [[Multiplayer game|multiplayer]] mode against players on the [[Internet]]. It is also a popular platform for [[mod (computer gaming)|mod]] developers, with a large number of released modifications that alter the gameplay and theme. In-game, players assume the role of one of five classes of [[infantry]]: Scout, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer. Players also have the ability to fly various [[World War II]] [[fighter aircraft]] and [[bomber]]s, navigate [[capital ships]], [[submarine]]s and [[aircraft carrier]]s, man [[coastal artillery]] defenses, drive [[tank]]s, [[Armoured personnel carrier|APC]]s and [[jeep]]s, and take control of [[anti-aircraft guns]] and mounted [[machine guns]]. Each battle takes place on one of several maps located in a variety of places and famous battlefields in all of the major theaters of World War II: the [[Pacific War|Pacific]], [[European Theater of World War II|European]], [[North African campaign|North African]], and [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern]] Fronts. Combat is always fought between the [[Axis Power]]s and the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. The location determines which nation-specific armies are used (for example, on the [[Battle of Wake Island|Wake Island]] map, it is [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japan]] versus the [[Military history of the United States during World War II|United States]], while on the [[Battle of Britain]] map, it is [[Wehrmacht|Germany]] versus the [[British Armed Forces|United Kingdom]]). The maps in ''Battlefield 1942'' are based on real battles and are somewhat realistically portrayed. ==Gameplay== The gameplay of Battlefield 1942 generally has a more cooperative focus than previous games of this nature, as it is not only important to kill the opposition but to also hold certain "control points" around the map. Capturing control points allow the team to reinforce themselves by enabling players and vehicles to spawn in the certain area. Consequently, capturing and controlling control points also would reduce enemy reinforcements. Unfortunately, the gameplay suffered from some serious issues such as lack of spawn protection, team killers/griefers, various map and engine exploits, as well as a lack of team-play mentality from players on public servers. Despite these setbacks, Battlefield 1942 was one of the first mainstream games to represent a dramatic shift in FPS gameplay mentality, decreasing individualism in favor of teamwork and coordination. The default gameplay mode, Conquest, centers on the capture and control of control points; once a team captures a control point, its members can [[respawn]] from it. When a team loses control of all their control points, they cannot respawn. And if no one is alive, the team with no "spawn" points loses. Games are composed of rounds. A team wins the round when the other team runs out of tickets. A team loses tickets when its members are killed, but also when the other team holds a majority of the capture points on a map. Therefore, sometimes the winning team must hunt down straggling or hiding enemy forces at the end of a round. On rare occasions, with one team holding all of the available spawn points on a map and with a few enemy forces left loose, the spawnless team can manage to re-capture a spawn point and give their team another slim chance for a round victory. However, this is unlikely because the newly recovered forces will probably have fewer tickets remaining and will definitely have fewer resources available than the 'winning' team; typically in this scenario the stronger team's victory is merely delayed as the sheer weight of their tickets, team and available equipment (air power, extra tanks from all the owned spawn points, etc) is no match for the 'losing' team which probably has little or no resources. On some maps, controlling all available spawn points is impossible because it is configured to be a defensive map. In such a map, one team tries to defend as many spawn points as possible, and the other tries to capture all of the defending team's spawn points. The attacking team can also try to slowly drain the defending team's tickets by holding certain spawn points and not attacking in full force. This however, is less likely to result in a victory. Another map configuration that prevents total ownership of all spawn points is where both teams possess a permanent, uncapturable base ([[Operation Battleaxe|Battleaxe]], for example); unfortunately these maps easily lead to [[spawn camping]] (the map [[Battle of Kursk|Kursk]] is especially prone to this), especially after one team captures all the points that are capturable and the other team is confined to their base. Spawn tickets also play a vital role in the success of both teams. Every time a player on a team dies and respawns, his team loses one ticket. Every team starts each round with between 150 and 300 tickets, depending on the team's role (e.g., defense). Teams also gradually lose tickets depending on how many spawn points they control. As a general rule, the less spawn points controlled by a team, the more tickets they lose. For a team of 32 on a 64 player map, with 150 tickets, this means a little less than 5 respawns or deaths on average for every player if they hold their starting spawn points. ===Roles=== The player can choose to play as either the Axis powers or the Allied powers. The Axis consists of Germany and Japan, while the Allies consist of the USSR, Britain and the United States. Regardless of which nation is chosen by the player, there are five different roles of infantry that the player can assume the role of: Scout, Assault, Medic, Anti-tank, and Engineer. Each role has its own strength and weakness. For example, the scout role has long-range surveillance, high [[stopping power]] and the ability to provide spotting for artillery shelling against an enemy position (unlike other games with a similar feature, other player characters must also supply the artillery fire); however, the sniper rifle is not efficient in close-quarter combat and players frequently treat this role as just a plain [[sniper]] role by not providing [[Spotter (sniping)|spotting]] for artillery.<ref>To spot for artillery, have the sniper's binoculars in hand and left-click on the intended target with the mouse.</ref> Assault is the standard role, and provides both aggressive firepower and some ability to combat vehicles. The Anti-tank role specializes against vehicles and tanks, but is almost useless against enemy infantry. The Medic role has the ability to heal (himself and other players), but his [[sub-machine gun]] has less stopping power than an assault rifle. The Engineer has the ability to repair damaged vehicles and stationary weapons, and they also have the ability to deploy explosives, which are moderately effective against both enemy infantry and vehicles, and [[land mines]], which completely destroy enemy vehicles. ==Music== The theme music for Battlefield 1942 has been sampled at one time or another in its sequels [[Battlefield 2]] and [[Battlefield 2142]], and it has been indicated that it will make a further return in [[Battlefield: Bad Company]]. The theme has been deemed popular enough to be included as a piece played by several gaming-related orchestras, including [[Play! A Video Game Symphony]]. ==Development== ''Battlefield 1942'' was built on the formula of the less successful ''[[Codename Eagle]]'' computer game, set in an [[alternate history (fiction)|alternate history]] [[World War I]]. It featured single and multiplayer modes. The earlier Refractor 1 engine had more arcade-style physics and a less realistic focus than its successor, [[Refractor 2]], which was used in ''BF1942''. A Macintosh-compatible version of ''BF1942'' was also made and released by [[Aspyr Media]] in mid-2004. An [[Xbox]] version of the game was also announced in early [[2001]][http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/battlefield1942/news.html?sid=2677752&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title;1] but was cancelled almost two years later so Electronic Arts could more closely work on an expansion pack for the PC. [http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/battlefield1942/news.html?sid=2908782&mode=all] ==Critical reception== On the review aggregator [[Game Rankings]], the game has an average score of 89% based on 46 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/466245.asp |title=Battlefield 1942 Reviews |accessdate=2008-02-05 |publisher=[[Game Rankings]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the game has an average score of 89 out of 100, based on 27 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/battlefield1942 |title=Battlefield 1942 (pc: 2002): Reviews |accessdate=2008-02-05 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> Scott Osborne of [[GameSpot]] gave the game a rating of 8.8 out of 10, calling it a "comic book version of WWII."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/battlefield1942 |title=Battlefield 1942 for PC Review |accessdate=2008-02-05 |author=Scott Osborne |date=[[2002-09-16]] |publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> Steve Butts of [[IGN]] gave the game a rating of 9.3 out of 10, praising the multiplayer, but saying "the single player game leaves much to be desired."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/371/371241p1.html |title=IGN: Battlefield 1942 Review |accessdate=2008-02-05 |author=Steve Butts |date=[[2002-09-16]] |publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref> ==Expansion packs== ===The Road To Rome=== {{Infobox VG Hidden | title = Battlefield 1942: The Road To Rome | image = | developer = [[Digital Illusions CE]] | publisher = [[Electronic Arts|EA Games]] (Windows) | designer = | engine = [[Refractor 2]] | released = Windows: ([[North America|NA]]) [[2003-02-02]] <br> {{flagicon|Europe}}[[2003-02-07]]<br> | version = | genre = [[First-person shooter]], expansion pack | modes = [[Single player]], [[multiplayer]] | ratings = [[ESRB]]: Teen (T), [[PEGI]]: 12+ | platforms = [[Windows 98]] }} The creators of ''Battlefield 1942'' have released [[expansion pack]]s entitled ''Battlefield 1942: The Road To Rome'' (which added the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Front]]) and ''[[Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons Of WWII]]''. Both add various new gameplay modes and design concepts. ''The Road To Rome'' features a focus on the [[Italy|Italian]] battles and allows players to play as the [[France|French]] army. ''Secret Weapons Of WWII'' focuses on prototype, experimental, and rarely used weapons. It adds downloadable [[Patch (computing)|patches]], fixes [[computer bug|bugs]] in the game, and it adds some extra content (such as the aforementioned Battle of Britain map). ===Secret Weapons of WWII=== {{Infobox VG Hidden | title = Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII | image = [[Image:SecretWeaponsCover.png|256px|Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII Box Cover]] | developer = [[Digital Illusions CE]] | publisher = [[Electronic Arts|EA Games]] (Windows), Aspyr Media, Inc. (Mac) | designer = | engine = [[Refractor 2]] | released = Windows: ([[North America|NA]]) [[2003-09-04]] <br> {{flagicon|Europe}}[[2003-09-05]]<br> | version = | genre = [[First-person shooter]], expansion pack | modes = [[Single player]], [[multiplayer]] | ratings = [[ESRB]]: Teen (T), [[PEGI]]: 12+ | platforms = [[Windows 98]], [[Apple Macintosh]] }} Battlefield 1942 includes original game and Battlefield 1942: The Road To Rome. Battlefield 1942: World War II Anthology added [[Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons Of WWII]] expansion pack. Battlefield 1942: The Complete Collection added [[Battlefield Vietnam]] and Battlefield Vietnam WWII Mod. ==Milestones== {{Unreferencedsection|date=March 2008}} * [[June 28]] [[2004]] - [[Aspyr]] begins shipping the Apple Macintosh Version of ''Battlefield 1942 Deluxe Edition'' * [[March 15]] [[2004]] - BF1942's sequel, ''[[Battlefield Vietnam]]'' released * [[September 4]] [[2003]] - ''Secret Weapons expansion pack'' released * [[February 2]] [[2003]] - ''Road to Rome expansion pack'' released * 2003 - 6th annual [[Interactive Achievement Awards]], BF1942 receives awards for: ** "Online Gameplay" ** "Innovation in PC Gaming" ** "PC Game of the Year" ** "Game of the Year" * [[September 10]] [[2002]] - ''Battlefield 1942'' released ==See also== * [[:Category:Battlefield 1942 mods]] ** [[List of Battlefield 1942 mods]] ==References== {{reflist}} 6. In Online Multiplayer BF42 needs to be patched to either 1.6 or 1.61. ==External links== ;Official * [http://www.ea.com/official/battlefield/1942/us/home.jsp EA: ''Battlefield 1942''] ;Other * {{imdb title|id=0412486|title=Battlefield 1942}} * [http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/battlefield1942/news.html?sid=2908782 Battlefield 1942 canceled for the Xbox] {{Battlefield series}} [[Category:2002 video games]] [[Category:AIAS Game of the Year winners]] [[Category:Battlefield games|* 01]] [[Category:Cancelled Xbox games]] [[Category:Electronic Arts games]] [[Category:Interactive Achievement Award winners]] [[Category:Mac OS games]] [[Category:Mac OS X games]] [[Category:Multiplayer online games]] [[Category:Windows games]] [[Category:World War II video games]] [[da:Battlefield 1942]] [[de:Battlefield 1942]] [[es:Battlefield 1942]] [[fr:Battlefield 1942]] [[it:Battlefield 1942]] [[hu:Battlefield 1942]] [[nl:Battlefield 1942]] [[ja:バトルフィールド1942]] [[no:Battlefield 1942]] [[pl:Battlefield 1942]] [[pt:Battlefield 1942]] [[fi:Battlefield 1942]] [[sv:Battlefield 1942]] [[tr:Battlefield 1942]] [[zh:戰地風雲1942]]