Warhammer: Dark Omen

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Warhammer: Dark Omen
Developer(s)	Mindscape
Publisher(s)	Electronic Arts
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation
Release date	May 6, 1998
Genre(s)	Real-time tactics
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Media	CD-ROM
System requirements	Pentium 166 MHz, 32 MB RAM, 265 MB disk space
Input methods	Mouse, Keyboard

Warhammer: Dark Omen, the sequel to Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995), is a real-time tactical wargame.

Rendered entirely in a freely rotatable- and zoomable steep isometric 3D overhead perspective, the game features for its time remarkable 3D graphics of terrain, terrain features and buildings, and advanced support of the first-generation Voodoo 3dfx 3D accelerator card effects. The 3D terrain and features are combined with 2D sprites ("billboarding") to render the hundreds of individual units simultaneously on-screen on the limited hardware of 1998; a technique still employed in games many years later, a good example being the essentially similar game Shogun: Total War (2000). Warhammer: Dark Omen is based on the Warhammer Fantasy Battle miniature tabletop wargame rules and situated in the Old World in the Warhammer Fantasy world and makes good use of the vast background, creating a deeply engrossing storyline that develops over the course of the game through illustrations and voice acted conversations. The enemy AI is poor, relying on scripts rather than adaptive logic.

First released for the PC platform, it was later released in a simplified version for the Sony Playstation. An expansion was scheduled and advertised but never released.

Gameplay

The gameplay is one of unit-oriented operational battlefield tactics with infantry, cavalry, and archer squads and artillery pieces as well as supporting hero and wizard units as the fundamental unit to command; that is, beyond rare and special hero characters, no individuals can ever be given orders. The Warhammer Fantasy world is comparatively eclectic and the game freely mixes cannons, arquebuses and steam-powered tanks with bows, cavalry and magic. Except for heroes, which are always by themselves, units consist of as few as four or five individual members for stationary artillery pieces to up to 50 members for larger ordinary units, but are usually of ten to 20 individual members in size. Units suffer from psychological effects and can be routed, and individuals in units may be lost (but can be replaced between missions unless the entire unit is lost). Units advance in experience as the game progresses, and between battles (although not within a 'mission', unlike contemporary RTS games such as Command & Conquer) the player's forces can be brought up to strength, replacing losses, and upgraded by adding armour and equipment using money gained by killing enemies and accomplishing objectives within the mission. New units, including allied Elven and Dwarf units, can also be added at certain points in the campaign, often as rewards for successful completion of critical missions.

While the army can consist of many units only ten may be employed simultaneousy in one battle - selected before the battle commences - making the scope of the battles more of skirmishes than of epic army confrontations, a scale of theatres cemented by the relatively confined maps. Though thus of smaller scope than, for instance, games in the Total War series, in consequence it does afford the commander (player) better overview and more meticulous control over unit formation, orientation and positioning.

Choosing the optimal initial dispoisition, arrangement and position objectives for the army as well as suitable unit formation and depth when engaging the opponents is of paramount importance to the unfurling and outcome of the battle. Archers and artillery should not be in direct mêlée with opposing troops and cavalry is best employed to outflank and shock engaged or harrying fleeing opponents. Care must be taken to avoid friendly fire from artillery. Terrain and elevation must be taken into consideration for attack and defense. Predicting enemy entry and ambush points and movement routes is highly important for a player's tactics. Most real-world medieval or Napoleonic tactics can be employed, including ambushing and outflanking (see list of military tactics). Movement likewise reflects historical reality in that units must rotate or "wheel" from the centre or edges when changing facing.

Dark Omen also has a multiplayer component, where both players 'purchase' an army with a predefined amount of money before facing each other in battle, and can choose to play as the Imperial, Orcish or Undead forces.

Background story

The game's introduction movie shows the resurrection of an evil undead King in lands far to the South of the Empire. Meanwhile to the North, the player (as mercenary commander Morgan Bernhardt, the main character from Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat) is defending a small trading post from attack by goblins. The army is soon recalled to Altdorf where you are told that Orcs are invading the Empire from the South.

After fighting a number of battles against the orcs, it becomes clear that something is making them flee into the Empire. The player returns to Altdorf to make his report, and is assigned to a series of expeditions to fight the imminent undead threat. These campaigns consist of several battles each, and there are a number of occasions where the player is required to choose between alternative paths, with consequences in the battles ahead. Along the way you meet many friends and enemies, including several from the previous game in the series.

Eventually, after defeating undead incursions in Kislev, Bretonnia and within the Empire itself, the location of the Undead king is discovered and the final battle is pitched. Throughout the game, the player character Bernhardt changes from a mercenary who only cares about money to a hero willing to lay down his life to save others.

The dialogue script was written by dark fantasy and science fiction novelist, Stephen Marley.

Running WH:DO on modern hardware

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get WH:DO to run under OS versions newer than Windows 98. However, the game runs perfectly well under a Win98 virtual machine running on Windows XP. 3D accelerated graphics, though, will be difficult to achieve unless running a true Win98 OS with an authentic 3dfx Voodoo Graphics card.

It has been reported that WH:DO can be run on post-Win9x operating systems:

First you need to set the program to run in windows 98 compatibility mode. Then you need to make sure you don't use hardware cursor, and you need to force a software renderer. If you try to use a modern 3d card it is flickery.

There have also been reports that reducing the Microsoft Windows hardware acceleration from full may allow the game to run:

1) Install the game. It really does not matter whether you choose maximum, minimum or normal installation. I, however, like to just install the maximum; it'll run faster. 2) Run the game. It takes a little while to load, but just let i work. 3) When the Electronic Arts logo begins, the picture should be completely fudged up. There is a lot of odd tearing and basically it's unwatchable. Now you have to press "Alt + tab" to switch away from Dark Omen. This will hopefully land you on the desktop. Now all you have to do is pres "Alt + tab" again to get you into the game, and voilá: the screen is normal. *Big smile now* 4) Now you have to enter the options menu: Put the first option (rendering device) to "CPU" Every other option can be put to max. EXCEPT COLOUR CURSORS I cannot stress that enough.

Production credits

Mindscape

Main

Production Team: Jeff Gamon, Nick Goldsworthy, Andy Kerridge, Jonathan Taylor

Assistant Producers: Julian Glover, Graham Harbour

Design Team: Steve Brown, Richard Castle, Karl Fitzhugh, Jeff Gamon, Steve Leney

Additional Design: Matt Dean, Trevor Gamon, Simon Tresadern

Development Team - Art: Simon Britnell, Richard Castle, Steve Leney, Mark Machin, Nick Tresadern

Animated Sequences: Adrian Crofts, John McCormack

Additional Art: Tina Bradley, Jason Lord

Development Team - Programming: Anthony Bowyer-Lowe, Paul Brooke, Andy Buchanan, Michael A. Carr, Karl Fitzhugh, Jeff Gamon, Andy Kerridge, William Leach, Colin Moore, Jonathan Taylor

Video Player: Martin Griffiths

Sound & voice

Sound Design: Anthony Bowyer-Lowe, Mark Knight (sound designer)

Additional Sound Design: Adele Kellet, Bill Lusty

Music: Mark Knight (sound designer)

Speech Recording: Audio Interactive

Voice Actors (English Language): Marc Finn, Tessa Gallagher, Gavin Naylor, Jonathan Owen, Larry Rew

Voice Actors (French Language): Tony Beck, Patricia Benadiba, Stephane Cornicard, Pierre Maubouche, Sam Spiegel

Voice Actors (German Language): Steffan Boje, Lutz Liebelt, Martin Muller, Peter Schaufler, Gertrude Thoma Localization: Carol Aggett, Patrick Baroni, Noise! Localisation, SDL Ltd.

Dialogue Script: Stephen Marley

Testing and marketing

Manual: Richard Hewison, James Lenoel, Ian McClelland

Testers: Oliver Byrne, Antony Carr, Rob Charlish, Matt Dean, Lawrence Doyle, Trevor Gamon, Mia Garside, Paul Gellatly, Matthew Howells, Darren King, Jake May, Martin Newing, Darren Potter, Ashley Powell, Matt Price, Simon Tresadern, Darren Tuckey, Ian White, Adrian Wood-Jones

Quality Assurance Team: European QA, Jason Berisford, Peter Hill, Danny Passey

Marketing Team: UK- Clive Downie, USA- Lisa Kindred

Public Relations: Simi Belo, Simon Callaghan, Karine Dognin, Oscar Del Moral, Niclas Nordlander, MArc Trennheuser, David Wilson

Games Workshop: Jon Gillard, Andy Jones

Electronic Arts San Mateo

Compatibility Technicians: Jesse Abney, David Koerner

Manual Localization: Bill Scheppler, David Lee

QA: Rico Sablan, Lambert Doria, Jamil Dawsari

Package Layout: Maia Graff

Documentation Design: Tom Peters ~ Joe Lamb, All Game Guide

See also

• Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat
• Warhammer computer games

References

1. ^ From http://hjem.get2net.dk/gamewizard/pages/games.html

External links

• Dark Omen at Mobygames at MobyGames
• Review of Warhammer: Dark Omen at Gamespot
• Polish Warhammer: Dark Omen Fansite
• German Warhammer: Dark Omen Fansite