Worms Armageddon
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Worms Armageddon is an artillery game/turn-based strategy[2] game developed by Team17 and part of the Worms series. The player controls a team of up to eight worms in combat against opposing teams.
[edit] Gameplay
A screenshot of Worms World Party, with identical graphics.
Gameplay is turn-based,
with each team moving in sequence (which is determined randomly) across
two-dimensional terrain. During a single turn, a team can only move one
of its worms (unless the Select Worm item is used). Worms can walk and
jump, as well as (when the proper items are available) swing by rope, parachute, teleport, and bungee.
The objective of a traditional match is to defeat all opposing teams by
killing their worms, although in the campaign some missions have other
objectives (such as collecting a specific crate).
Each worm begins the round with a specific amount of health (which is
predefined by the chosen game options or by scripting in campaign
levels). When hit with a weapon, the worm will lose health depending on
the power of the weapon and the directness of the hit. A worm can be
killed either by having its health reduced to zero or being knocked into
the water around and below the level.
[edit] Weapons
The game includes a wide variety of weapons, including melee, projectile, and explosive weapons, as well as airstrike-based attacks. Some are based on real-life arms, such as the shotgun, bazooka, and hand grenade.
Others are more fanciful and cartoonish, such as the sheep, which
serves as a mobile explosive, or the skunk, which releases poisonous
gas.
In a normal match, all teams begin with the same weapons, based on
the chosen weapon set. Some weapons may not become available until a
certain number of turns pass. Depending on game options, additional
weapons may randomly fall onto the terrain in airdropped and teleported crates.
In addition to normal weapons, each team (during team creation)
chooses a special weapon which becomes available to them after a certain
number of turns. The special weapons are more powerful than regular
weapons and often offer special abilities. Also, super weapons will
rarely fall in weapon crates. These weapons are often based on
cartoonish themes (such as the French Sheep Strike) and usually
devastating in power.
In homage to the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, one of the game weapons is a Holy Hand Grenade, with a sound-effect reminiscent of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.
[edit] Gameplay modes
Worms Armageddon includes a series of training missions, a
single player campaign with premade missions, a deathmatch mode in which
the player fights increasingly difficult and outnumbered battles
against the computer, local multiplayer, and online multiplayer.
Local multiplayer allows the player to select which teams participate
in the battle (including number of worms and handicaps), which options
and weapons are used, and the level to be played upon. The matches can
use any combination of human and computer teams, provided at least one
team is human. Additionally, multiple worm teams can form an alliance
for the match by selecting the same team color - they will still operate
separately in movement rotation but share weapons and score. If
multiple human players are using the same computer, the game functions
in a hotseat mode.
Online multiplayer is set up similarly to local multiplayer but
allows the players to be at separate computers. Additionally, hotseat
can be combined with online play, so multiple human players can use each
computer.
[edit] Gameplay customization
Worms Armageddon includes a very high level of customizability
- in multiplayer games or skirmishes, the player can create custom game
modes with preferred gameplay options and weapon sets. Regular options
include starting health, whether the worms can move, how long a turn
lasts, and sudden death options. Weapons settings include what weapons
the teams start with, which weapons will fall in crates and how often,
and how powerful individual weapons are.
[edit] Other customization
Worms Armageddon offers several levels of customizability outside of direct gameplay options. Many of these options are only available on the PC versions of the game.
[edit] Team creation
The game offers players the ability to create their own custom teams.
Each team has its own name and includes eight individually named worms.
The player can also change the team's special weapon, grave marker,
flag, victory fanfare, and voice set. In addition to numerous defaults
available, the game offers the ability to import custom graves, flags,
fanfare, and voices.
[edit] Terrain creation
The game includes a random terrain generator, a basic terrain editor
which allows the user to create the shape of the terrain with brushes,
and a more complex terrain-import system which allows the user to import
custom-made terrains in image format, which the game automatically
converts into playable terrains.
[edit] Online play
Worms Armageddon features a multiplayer Internet service
called WormNet. This service allows one player to host a game online and
others to join it. The host can choose settings like the landscape and
scheme. There is also a chat feature with an optional language filter.
[edit] Updates
Despite its age, Worms Armageddon still receives periodic beta updates from two programmers (known as Deadcode and CyberShadow) recruited by Team17.[3]
These updates address bugs and compatibility issues, and also add new
features to the game, such as support for a larger number of worms in a
match and support for arbitrarily-sized colour levels. The latest update
is dated on October 26, 2010.[1]
On their official website, Hyperion Entertainment, known for their AmigaOS, Mac OS X, and Linux game ports, claimed to have acquired the license to port Worms Armageddon, but it was never released by Hyperion as of yet.[citation needed]
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