[K.Jack]

PCGameplay, a Belgian mag, has a preview and interview with producer Mark Noseworthy in their latest issue, and Togra and Sturmer at Relicnews DoW forums were kind enough to translate and give us a summary of the preview.

The intel (gathered from the preview and an interview with Producer Mark Noseworthy in the same Belgian magazine, PC Gameplay): - Uses the Essence 2.0 engine with Havok physics, all optimised for DX10 and multicore support. - It looks great, think of the DoW intro but with a bit less polygons here and there (in terms of lighting and all that it looks almost exactly the same). - Units also use CoH-like unit AI for awareness and pathfinding to find cover and such. - [B]While DoW 2 shares the same (upgraded probably) engine as CoH[ it won't be "CoH in space",/B] while soldiers in CoH will ask themselves if flanking the enemy is the right option, in DoW2 it will be more like Space Marines asking themselves if they should use their jetpacks to jump over an Ork squad to attack them in the back. Different settings, different kinds of warfare. - Preview only showed a destroyed city landscape, akin to DoW (but more detailed), other tilesets will offer deserts, jungles, mountains and other cities. - Only the Orkz and Space Marines were revealed, more races on the way obviously and to be to revealed later this year (though how many isn't known). - Co-op campaign for both the Orkz and Space Marines, apparently not for the other to-be-revealed races. - More focus on making units and squads unique; every unit has got a name (at least in the campaign it seems), more details and more animations. - Relic wants to give players rewards at the end of a mission like wargear (armor, weapons, rare objects); "Let's pimp out squads with cool stuff!", you will see these items in-game as well of course. - You'll fight your way through the campaign with the same squads. - You can't control more than six squads! I am not sure if this is campaign-only but the preview made it sound like it wasn't. - The squads are going to be a lot more interesting than before though. - A squad leader (one or several?) will need to survive if you want to complete a mission; you really have to look out for your squads and don't treat them like cannon fodder. - There is a lot more interesting commentary from the units as well; if your SM commander is holding a Thunder Hammer f.e. then the opponent will specifically comment on that, Ork Warchief saying something like "Ooh, nice hammer, but mine is bigger!". The warchief will say something else if the commander doesn't have the hammer. - The campaign lets Space Marines operate from a spaceship, you'll get a view of an underlying planet and you'll be able to choose from different missions (which are tagged with difficulty colours, green, blue and red). - Certain reward items won't be useable at once in the campaign, so they'll be taken back to the SM spaceship for research. - Dreadnought can now also trample Orkz. - No sea or air units (though jetpacks are still in of course). - Development team of 55 people has been working on it since September 2006. - Release in early 2009 or later.

hehe I couldn't resist and bought the dutch gamemagazine. Haven't read the article, but judging from the, thank god, many screenshots, it looks awesome. Some quick info: -Buildings can be occupied (like in coh) -Environment completely destructable ^^ -Vehicles are bigger (there were only a couple of dreadnought shots) -LOTS of blood (i saw the screens and thought LOL) -Over the top finishing animations -when units are in melee, pieces of battle armor can be chopped off in the action

And OMG, the screenshots !:O (please don't ask for them. I didn't get to right-click before mods struck) But you will say WOW.

Screenhot Descriptions:

* There's a screen of an Ork Warboss taking on three space marines. The warboss looks really brutal. With his right hand he picks up a space marine and crushes him in the air, with his left arm he's holding a chainsaw i think, and sawing the space marines in two?(pic is rather small so not to clear), a third marine attacks the ork from behind. * There's a screen from a Commander with a warhammer, charging an Ork Warboss. * The most brutal pic is that one of a dreadnought that slams his left arm into an ork, and the blood splashes in the air ^^ * After looking real good, i can see the tongue of an orc coming out of its mouth with mucus. * Another pic is that of a battle between two dreadnoughts and some thirty orks i think (plus behind some cover, a few space marines supporting the dreadnoughts with heavy bolters). * A space marine with a flamer roasting some orks. * A rather large battle, involving three predators i guess (wasnt too clear, looked like two of 'em were already destroyed) many orks and some orks were obliterated by an orbital bombardement (that's right ^^). * A close combat marine (forgot the name, with the jetpacks, yes that one), bursting his jetpacks and flying into the air. * Two brutal finishing animations pics, but they werent too clear. * And a pic orks occupying a LARGE building(looked like a cathedral), some marines assaulting it.

Someone at PCGameplay screwed up and put the news up on the website, but it's since been pulled down.

Essence Engine 2.0 sounds like a beast.

And now for awesome celebratory artworks \(^^)/ :




I guess we in the U.S. have to wait until April 10th (PC gamer) for our first peek at teh greatness. I'll still bet anything on the other races being Eldar and Tyrannids.

edit - in development since Sept 2006, not '05.

Edit #2 = blu-ball inducing teaser
http://www.demonews.de/kurznachricht...hortnews=15986

[Fragamemnon]

oh god oh god oh god

[Mrbob]

Co op campaign in RTS games seem to be the rage nowadays. Which is awesome since I've been waiting for this for a long time.

[Draft]

Potentially a better game than Starcraft 2. Believe this shit. DoW was a revelation, and the best example of the traditional RTS since Overlords required more Vespene Gas.

[Ventrue]

Only 6 squads makes me like the sound of this. I really suck at multitasking.

[Fragamemnon]

Chaos and 'Nids have be in the base product, it's not 40K without Chaos, and Tyranids are arguably the number 1 promise of DOW2.

Eldar and Tau in the first expansion pack.

Really want screens/mp details!

[grandjedi6]

Yah! Sequels to good PC games warms my heart

[Elbrain]

This is fucking awesome FOR THE EMPEROR! :D

[Victrix]

FOR THE EMPEROR

[Durante]

Not sure what to think of the 6 squad limit, but I'm hyped anyway.

COWARDS DIE IN SHAME

[bishoptl]

Relic's been working hard on this for a while. RTS lovers are in for a treat, and GW fans will shit themselves.

[Sinatar]

YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Now to try and find the scans.

[Joseph Merrick]

very nice.

[GarthVaderUK]

Potentially a better game than Starcraft 2. Believe this shit.

I believe! :D

[Victrix]

I believe! :D

Unbelievers will be purged with fire

[jakershaker]

My personal GOTY for 2009. I love DoW and most of the stuff in the OP is awesome.

[fatigues_gasolini]

Any word on a console port? I know its a pie in the sky question.

[Durante]

Any word on a console port? I know its a pie in the sky question.

I'd rather refer to it as a turd in the sky question.

[Reilly]

Are the Zerg in this game yet?

[Elbrain]

Unbelievers will be purged with fire

QFT! TOTAL TRUTH!

[Sinatar]

Any word on a console port? I know its a pie in the sky question.

Thats the only time that stupid shit gets posted in this thread. No more for fuck sakes.

[Jibber Hack]

oh Gawd oh Gawd. Can't wait for screenies.

[TemplaerDude]

FUCK THE EMPORER.

my allegiance is to the hive.

TYRANIDS OR BUST.

[Fragamemnon]

Any word on a console port? I know its a pie in the sky question.

burn the heretic

[Fragamemnon]

FUCK THE EMPORER. my allegiance is to the hive. TYRANIDS OR BUST.

lol tyranids to get owned again. Space Marines + Imperiral Navy > Hive Fleet. Yeah you might gobble a few worlds before they get stopped, but hey we got plenty.

[K.Jack]

Are the Zerg in this game yet?

And fuck, I just bought a new laptop a few weeks ago for Soulstorm. Time to start saving again.

Jesus, I hope Tyrannid pathing isn't a nightmare.

[FartOfWar]

Shit sounds hot!

[Durante]

Are the Zerg in this game yet?

[TemplaerDude]

lol tyranids to get owned again. Space Marines + Imperiral Navy > Hive Fleet. Yeah you might gobble a few worlds before they get stopped, but hey we got plenty.

yea u keep talkin ur smack, we're gonna sigma alpha ur ass and eat your emporer for breakfast.

roar.

[Philthy]

This is amazing news. A six squad limit means they've taken the sequel in an entirely new direction. Personal war gear, upgrades, etc. This all sounds freaking fantastic. It sounds like they took what made games like Chaos Gate and XCom fun, and started to merge them into a real time aspect with RPG elements.

Good god I cannot wait for this. I will upgrade whatever my PC needs to get it to play like butter.

[_tetsuo_]

i was JUST about to post that. i saw his post, refreshed the page and saw it wasnt there. By the time i could could ctrl-c it ur post was up :lol

[Fragamemnon]

yea u keep talkin ur smack, we're gonna sigma alpha ur ass and eat your emporer for breakfast. roar.

Imperium of Man > bugz

and btw

GDI > NOD

Edit: god if they did some sort of crazy "on-demand customization" think like AOE3 did with its card decks or UAW did with its teching this game would be unstoppable.

[Draft]

You know what it sounds like, with the small squads and the personal upgrades and the post mission item gathering and the dystopian setting and the presumed return of the world map?

You know what it sounds like?

Sounds like Syndicate.

Dare I dream?

[Minsc]

Life is the Emperor's currency. Spend it wisely.

FUCK YES!

[TemplaerDude]

Imperium of Man > bugz and btw GDI > NOD

yea we'll see what good your stupid retarded handicapped throne-bound emporer is when he gets introduced to some genestealers.

and kane says

[Concept17]

This is good and band news for me. DoW2 coming is awesome. Upgrading my computer is not awesome. Guess I'll have to do it for SC2 anyhow.

[Minsc]

I really hope it looks something like that first shot in game. Please Relic, please!

[Fragamemnon]

yeah that's the best gif ever, you win.

Although I know that they won't be in there as a playable race, I wish that the Imperial Guard would show up in some fashion ala DOW. The new engine could really give some justice to them.

[Des0lar]

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

Need to find scans.... need.. to...

[Prime crotch]

Really need to get the first game, and CoH OF and the Total War series. Thank God this only comes out next year.

Question, is Soulstorm worth it or should I just get the Anthology pack on Steam, which includes all the games except Soulstorm for 30$.

[K.Jack]

Sounds like Syndicate. Dare I dream?

Relic is definitely trying to do something innovative, but the more they can gleam from Syndicate, the happier I will be.

Descriptions of the screenshots are coming in.

Really need to get the first game, and CoH OF and the Total War series. Thank God this only comes out next year. Question, is Soulstorm worth it or should I just get the Anthology pack on Steam, which includes all the games except Soulstorm for 30$.

Depends on how you play. If you just want the singleplayer, go for the anthology; if you want multiplayer you'll need all four to unlock all of the races through Soulstorm. But I'd wait for the Complete Collection that's set to come out in a couple months.

[Saiyar]

Great news. I guess I better start saving for a new PC.

[Elbrain]

God I love this comic it's true same experience with a friend of mine. He was talking shit about Warhammer and how WoW is the first all and at first I was ignoring his ass then I snapped! :D

[ghst]

Potentially a better game than Starcraft 2. Believe this shit. DoW was a revelation, and the best example of the traditional RTS since Overlords required more Vespene Gas.

CoH is already a better game than Starcraft 2. I'm calling it.

The only people that can top Relic, are Relic.

[MidiSurf]

2009 :(

I want this game NOW.

CoH is already a better game than Starcraft 2. I'm calling it.

No.

[bluemax]

Starcraft 2 owned.

Bring on the true sequel to the best RTS of the past several years.

Orks Orks Orks! Waaaaaaaaaaaagh!

[dTau]

warhammer 40k > starcraft

but warcraft > warhammer

[Fragamemnon]

CoH is already a better game than Starcraft 2. I'm calling it. The only people that can top Relic, are Relic.

I like to think that they do two different things really well.

*) Blizzard does single-player campaigns very, very well. Relic is not so good in comparison.
*) Blizzard does e-sport level balancing very, very well. Relic is actually pretty bad in comparison, though have gotten progressively better since DoW:DC came out in 2006.
*) Relic has superior core RTS mechanics and more innovative, fresher gameplay.

[Philthy]

One has the actual license for the game they're making.

[TemplaerDude]

do they have the homeworld license back yet?

they should pull a double whammy and release homeworld 3 and dow 2 in the same year.