A World War 1 Game

[LebbyLegs]

Oftentimes when I give into my latent nerdiness and huddle around with my group of geeky friends sniggering about how some 10 year old got knifed on modernwarfare 2 (Humour that is somewhat lost on me) the question always arises 'Why aren't there any WW1 games?' Too which most people reply 'Coz WW1 was fucking dull. It was a bunch of people sitting around in a ditch with shitty arse innacurate weapons occasionally charging like morons in a straight line to their certain deaths'
But upon pondering this I realised, hang on, that sounds FUCKING AWESOME in a game. In the hands of a great development it could be a truly atmospheric and terrifying experience. You have one objective; Survive the War. Just think of the game lulling you into a sort of calm which is often abrubtly interupted by the constant threat of gas attacks or shellings. Imagine the fear as orders from command come in telling you to charge the enemy trench which you know will almost certainly end in your demise.
The contrast between the frantic struggle for life and the slower paced characterisation and uncertainty of the ceasefires would ensure the game wouldn't get stale or old fast. It could even be a bit like an rpg where your trying to avoid charging the enemy for as long as possible, something like Blackadder Goes Forth.
I simply think in the over saturated genre of shooter, a new setting with new gameplay elements could really mix things up
Thoughts?

 

[archvile93]

The problem with this game is that in order to make it unique and even slightly authentic victory would have to be determined by luck rather than player skill. For example, praying the gas shell doesn't land near you as you sit in the trenches with nothing to do, praying the machine gun isn't turned in your direction as you rush the other trench with no cover to protect you. I could see that fetting old and frustrating extremely quickly. Also, your game doesn't sound like a shooter anyway, it sounds like that crappy speech improvement thing from Oblivion stretched out into a full game.

 

[Zaik]

Darkest of Days has a bit of WW1 action, you play in both German and Russian armies trying to save someone that dies and isn't supposed to(attempting to maintain historical accuracy), then later trying to fix the clusterfuck you caused saving him.

 

[KefkaCultist]

I just don't see anything like that selling well for two reasons.
1) FPS fans want high speed run & gun or pain-in-the-ass camping tactics which that game would off neither
2)people that don't like FPS would probably avoid it well... because they don't like FPS and they probably hate war games enough already

 

[sheogoraththemad]

i can remember that the darkness had some WW1 in hell sections

 

[LebbyLegs]

Valid points one and all
Perhaps its because I veer more towards the western RPG crowd, and this concept may work better as an RPG then a full on shooter?

 

[Neverhoodian]

World War I wasn't all about trench warfare. Many of the "secondary" fronts (such as Africa and the Middle East) were actually fairly mobile. The Eastern Front saw large scale maneuvers as well across large swathes of territory from time to time. The early and final stages of the war on the Western Front weren't bogged down either. It wasn't until the initial German advance was halted at the First Battle of the Marne that the tempo changed to trench warfare, and as the Allies eventually started pushing the Germans back in the final months the tempo of their advance quickened considerably.

Given the prevailing stereotypes of the war however, it would probably be safe to say it would depict trench warfare on the Western Front, probably as a British or American soldier (despite the fact that America entered the war quite late). Personally, I wouldn't mind which side I was fighting for, Allies or Central Powers.

If it was done right, it could be quite thrilling. During the day, you could participate in the various offensives to take the enemy lines, having to brave artillery, machine gun fire and the occasional poison gas attack while crossing No Man's Land. On the flip side, you would have to hold off enemy assaults as well. In both scenarios, fighting would become brutal, close combat affairs with pistols, and bayonets, and entrenching tools. During the night you would be sent out on patrols to repair broken communications lines or reconnoiter forward positions. Between engagements, you could watch for enemy combat engineers trying to dig underground to your lines or attempt to take out enemy snipers.

 

[LebbyLegs]

World War I wasn't all about trench warfare. Many of the "secondary" fronts (such as Africa and the Middle East) were actually fairly mobile. The Eastern Front saw large scale maneuvers as well across large swathes of territory from time to time. The early and final stages of the war on the Western Front weren't bogged down either. It wasn't until the initial German advance was halted at the First Battle of the Marne that the tempo changed to trench warfare, and as the Allies eventually started pushing the Germans back in the final months the tempo of their advance quickened considerably.

Given the prevailing stereotypes of the war however, it would probably be safe to say it would depict trench warfare on the Western Front, probably as a British or American soldier (despite the fact that America entered the war quite late). Personally, I wouldn't mind which side I was fighting for, Allies or Central Powers.

If it was done right, it could be quite thrilling. During the day, you could participate in the various offensives to take the enemy lines, having to brave artillery, machine gun fire and the occasional poison gas attack while crossing No Man's Land. On the flip side, you would have to hold off enemy assaults as well. In both scenarios, fighting would become brutal, close combat affairs with pistols, and bayonets, and entrenching tools. During the night you would be sent out on patrols to repair broken communications lines or reconnoiter forward positions. Between engagements, you could watch for enemy combat engineers trying to dig underground to your lines or attempt to take out enemy snipers.

Ahahah you wrapped up just about everything groovy i would want put in this game damn your ability to put thoughts to paper with more clarity then I

 

[blind_dead_mcjones]

if you want a full WW1 game there is always 'red baron', though its like 20+ years old by now...

 

[Serving UpSmiles]

It would be okay if it was like a flashback mission or something in already established series.

EDIT: fantastic idea hit me, what about if it was a survival horror game? set in the muddy trenches with demon shadow things running around,

Less run and gunning more atmosphere, lets face it i don't think this game would succeeed as just a normal fps.

 

[Nunny]

More strategy games set in ww1 would be nice
Would be able to get some sought of game that requires thinking rather then *select all units and roll over oponents*, setting up of strategic defences or organising smart Attacks would be fun.

 

[joebthegreat]

Yes. I want to see a WWI game. Yes Yes Yes.

The fact is, FPS games have been using methods to make unsurvivable encounters perfectly fine for us. Large health bars, regenerating health, retarded AI...

You don't have to make the boring "sit around and wait to die" bits part of the game. Seriously, just start the game charging through no mans land, and make clearing out the trenches and all the close bloody combat the main focus. Then defend the trench from a big counter where it again ends up close and bloody. It would be fast paced and intense.

Of course, I'd LOVE a WWI game such as has been mentioned already in this thread, but I'm just saying it could easily be a more traditional FPS if you wanted.

 

[HotFezz8]

i agree, i would buy a ww1 game, partyl because it is original, partly because it would allow proper sniping warfare (almost non existant in games) special operations attacks and the thrill of mass charges etc.

 

[LebbyLegs]

i agree, i would buy a ww1 game, partyl because it is original, partly because it would allow proper sniping warfare (almost non existant in games) special operations attacks and the thrill of mass charges etc.

Sniping?
If it were my game I would outlaw sniping
Just joking, I'm just so rubbish at sniping I loathe everyone who can get their head around it XD
But yeah a game with all these things would be pretty groovy sauce

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

There are, Necrovision, Necrovision: Lost Company, Iron Storm, and Darkest of Days has WWI elements (recommend the PC version as the console version is ass).

Someone else who remembers Iron Storm? Sweet!

I need to buy the full game some day, I only ever played the demo.

OT: A very historically accurate WWI game would not be too much fun.

Load mission, "Over the top boys!", machine gun fire with no cover, death. Try again?

I want one done but it will take a better visionary than me to make it into a game that appeals both to history lovers like me and the general FPS crowd.

 

[LebbyLegs]

'Coz WW1 was fucking dull. It was a bunch of people sitting around in a ditch with shitty arse innacurate weapons occasionally charging like morons in a straight line to their certain deaths'
But upon pondering this I realised, hang on, that sounds FUCKING AWESOME in a game.

Spoiler

XD Taken out of context (and perhaps even in context) that video is very relevant

 

[Wayneguard]

The problem with this game is that in order to make it unique and even slightly authentic victory would have to be determined by luck rather than player skill. For example, praying the gas shell doesn't land near you as you sit in the trenches with nothing to do, praying the machine gun isn't turned in your direction as you rush the other trench with no cover to protect you.

You say this as if not getting sawed in half on D-Day or not stepping on a landmine in Vietnam had more to do with skill than luck...

OT: For quite a while I have awaited the release of a world war 1 game. Honestly, that war more than any other, in my opinion, would make a truly epic videogame setting. The technology used in that war was so unfamiliar and the tactics so prototypical. Plus, some of the stuff from ww1 were just downright creepy (trenchcoat clad, gas-mask wearing weimar soldiers... fucking terrifying). I think that there is a vast, untapped reserve of source material just lying and waiting in world war 1. A world war 1 shooter could be very haunting indeed...

 

[SturmDolch]

There is this source mod that was featured in PC Gamer [http://www.ww1-source.net/].

I'm sure a good game could be made. A good game can be made out of anything at all. As long as they don't demonize the Germans, I'm fine with it, too.

Heh. Imagine Treyarch making Call of Duty 0: The Beginning of War. It would be about World War 1, and you would play as an American. The first mission is a massive trench warfare battle, with explosions all over. You run across the top with an M60 with laser sights (because fuck history) and jump into the enemy trench, mowing them all down. Your character screams about "FUCKING GERMAN KRAUT NAZIS". The next couple missions take you 'deep behind enemy lines' in the evil empire of Germany, liberating death camps and tortured American POWs. In the final mission, you have to snipe Kaiser Wilhelm in the face, after which your squadmates stick his head on a stake outside the Reichstag. Then a blackhawk flies over it with an American flag and heavy metal chords begin to play as George Washington steps out of the helicopter and shakes your hand.

 

[LebbyLegs]

There is this source mod that was featured in PC Gamer [http://www.ww1-source.net/].

I'm sure a good game could be made. A good game can be made out of anything at all. As long as they don't demonize the Germans, I'm fine with it, too.

Heh. Imagine Treyarch making Call of Duty 0: The Beginning of War. It would be about World War 1, and you would play as an American. The first mission is a massive trench warfare battle, with explosions all over. You run across the top with an M60 with laser sights (because fuck history) and jump into the enemy trench, mowing them all down. Your character screams about "FUCKING GERMAN KRAUT NAZIS". The next couple missions take you 'deep behind enemy lines' in the evil empire of Germany, liberating death camps and tortured American POWs. In the final mission, you have to snipe Kaiser Wilhelm in the face, after which your squadmates stick his head on a stake outside the Reichstag. Then a blackhawk flies over it with an American flag and heavy metal chords begin to play as George Washington steps out of the helicopter and shakes your hand.

AHAHAHHA I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD I HICCUPED!!!!!
Knowing the games industry the Germans would all be talking about raping babies and all have faces with more crevaces then the trenchlands they are occupying.
This is why I loved the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front" Because it really humanised the Germans and made you realise "hey most of these guys were just scared kids as well"