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Battlefield 1942 is a 3D
3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a Cartesian coordinate system#Three-dimensional coordinate system representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images....
 World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 first-person shooter
First-person shooter

File:Freedoom aaa.pngFirst-person shooter is a Video game genres, featuring a First person , with which the player views the action as if through the eyes of the protagonist and in which the primary element is combat based around shooting....
 (FPS) computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE
Digital Illusions CE

EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment Aktiebolag is a Sweden video game developer, wholly owned by Electronic Arts, best known for the Battlefield video game series and the recent Mirror's Edge....
 and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts is an international video game developer, marketer, video game publisher and distributor of video games. Established in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers responsible for its games....
 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). The game can be played in singleplayer mode against computer game bot
Computer game bot

A bot, most prominently in the first-person shooter types , is a type of weak AI expert system software which for each instance of the program controls a player in deathmatch , team deathmatch and/or cooperative human player....
s or in multiplayer
Multiplayer game

A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that pit the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or Non-player character, which often lack the flexibility and ingenuity of regular huma...
 mode against players on the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
. It is also a popular platform for mod
Mod (computer gaming)

Mod or modification is a term generally applied to Personal computer game, especially first-person shooters, Role-playing games and real-time strategy games....
 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
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
: Scout, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer.






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Encyclopedia


Battlefield 1942 is a 3D
3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a Cartesian coordinate system#Three-dimensional coordinate system representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images....
 World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 first-person shooter
First-person shooter

File:Freedoom aaa.pngFirst-person shooter is a Video game genres, featuring a First person , with which the player views the action as if through the eyes of the protagonist and in which the primary element is combat based around shooting....
 (FPS) computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE
Digital Illusions CE

EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment Aktiebolag is a Sweden video game developer, wholly owned by Electronic Arts, best known for the Battlefield video game series and the recent Mirror's Edge....
 and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts is an international video game developer, marketer, video game publisher and distributor of video games. Established in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers responsible for its games....
 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 (2002) and Apple Macintosh (2004). The game can be played in singleplayer mode against computer game bot
Computer game bot

A bot, most prominently in the first-person shooter types , is a type of weak AI expert system software which for each instance of the program controls a player in deathmatch , team deathmatch and/or cooperative human player....
s or in multiplayer
Multiplayer game

A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that pit the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or Non-player character, which often lack the flexibility and ingenuity of regular huma...
 mode against players on the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
. It is also a popular platform for mod
Mod (computer gaming)

Mod or modification is a term generally applied to Personal computer game, especially first-person shooters, Role-playing games and real-time strategy games....
 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
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
: Scout, Assault, Anti-Tank, Medic, and Engineer. Players also have the ability to fly various World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
 fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs....
 and bomber
Bomber

A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, primarily by dropping bombs on them....
s, navigate capital ships, submarine
Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s and aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a navy force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations....
s, man coastal artillery
Coastal artillery

Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
 defenses, drive tank
Tank

A tank is a Continuous track, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and Military tactics Offensive and defence capabilities....
s, APC
Armoured personnel carrier

Armoured personnel carriers are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. They usually have only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortar ....
s and jeep
Jeep

Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler. It is the oldest off-road vehicle brand, with Land Rover coming in second. The original vehicle which first appeared as the prototype Bantam GP became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the US Army and allies during the World War II and postwar period....
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
Pacific War

The Pacific War was the part of World War II?and preceding conflicts?that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, between July 7, 1937 and August 14, 1945....
, European, North African
North African campaign

During World War II, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 16 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libya and Egypt deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia ....
, and Eastern
Eastern Front (World War II)

The Eastern Front of World War II was a Theatre between the German Reich and the Soviet Union which encompassed Central Europe and eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945....
 Fronts. Combat is always fought between the Axis Powers and the Allies
Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers of World War II during the World War II. Within the ranks of the Allies powers, the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the United States of America were known as "The Big Three"....
. The location determines which nation-specific armies are used (for example, on the Wake Island
Battle of Wake Island

The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on December 23, 1941, with the surrender of the American forces to the Empire of Japan....
 map, it is Japan
Imperial Japanese Army

The Imperial Japanese Army , or literally Army of Empire of Greater Japan was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945....
 versus the United States
Military history of the United States during World War II

The Military history of the United States during World War II covers the involvement of the United States during World War II. The Empire of Japan declaration of war on the United States and the British Empire on 7 December 1941, immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor on the same day....
, while on the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain

The Battle of Britain is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the Luftwaffe during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially RAF Fighter Command....
 map, it is Germany
Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party , which established a Totalitarianism dictatorship that existed from 1933 to 1945....
 versus the United Kingdom
British Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a Royal Navy, an British Army, and an Royal Air Force....
). 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 game play 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 game play mentality, decreasing individualism in favor of teamwork and coordination.

The default game play 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 spawn less team can manage to recapture 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 (Battleaxe
Operation Battleaxe

Operation Battleaxe was a British Army operation during the World War II in June 1941 with the goal of clearing eastern Cyrenaica of Nazi Germany and Kingdom of Italy forces; one of the main benefits of this would be the lifting of the siege of Tobruk....
, for example); unfortunately these maps easily lead to spawn camping (the map Kursk
Battle of Kursk

The Battle of Kursk refers to Nazi Germany and Soviet Union operations on the Eastern Front of World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk in July and August 1943....
 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 re spawns 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 Italy, Germany and Japan, while the Allies consist of the USSR, Canada, Free France, the United Kingdom 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
Scout Sniper

Scout Sniper, is a specialist in the United States Marine Corps whose mission is to deny the enemy freedom of movement by neutralizing enemy leaders, crew-served weapons operators, radiomen, observers, messengers, and other key personnel with single, well-aimed shots....
, Assault, Medic
Combat medic

Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline medicine on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and non battle injury....
, Anti-tank, and Engineer. Each role has its own strength and weakness. For example, the scout role has long-range surveillance, high stopping power
Stopping power

Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target human or animal, an injury sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
 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
Sniper rifle

In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a rifle used to ensure accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than small arms....
 is not efficient in close-quarter combat and players frequently treat this role as just a plain sniper
Sniper

A sniper is usually a highly trained marksman that shoots targets from Concealment positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel....
 role by not providing spotting for artillery. Assault is the standard role, and provides both aggressive firepower and some ability to combat vehicles or aircraft. 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 (though it is typically more accurate, and thus commonly used). 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. Its semiautomatic rifle is a balance between the slow firing sniper rifle and the submachine gun.

Censorship


Because the use of the swastika
Swastika

The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at Angle#Types of angles, in either right-facing form or its mirrored left-facing form....
 as the German flag in the game, the game was restricted in Germany, a patch was released that replaced this flag with the 1933-35 flag instead.

Development

Battlefield 1942 was built on the formula of the less successful Codename Eagle
Codename Eagle

Codename Eagle is a computer game developed by Stockholm-based studio Refraction Games and was released in November 1999.The game is set in an alternate timeline, centered around events in Russia in 1917....
 computer game, set in an alternate history
Alternate history (fiction)

Alternate history or alternative history is a Genre of speculative fiction and historical fiction that is set in a world in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world....
 World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. 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
Refractor 2

The Refractor Engine, is a game engine designed by Stockholm-based studio Refraction Games, first developed for the computer game Codename Eagle, which was released in November 1999....
, which was used in BF1942.

A Macintosh-compatible version of BF1942 was also made and released by Aspyr Media
Aspyr Media

Aspyr Media, Inc. is an Austin, Texas based company that specializes in porting Microsoft Windows games to the Mac OS platform. It has been in business since 1996, and as of 2003 owns 60 percent of the Mac entertainment market....
 in mid-2004.

An Xbox
Xbox

The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....
 version of the game was also announced in early 2001 but was canceled almost two years later so Electronic Arts could more closely work on an expansion pack for the PC.

Critical reception

On the review aggregator Game Rankings
Game Rankings

GameRankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game....
, the game has an average score of 89% based on 46 reviews. On Metacritic
Metacritic

Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, console game, film, television program, DVDs, and books. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged....
, the game has an average score of 89 out of 100, based on 27 reviews.

Scott Osborne of GameSpot
GameSpot

GameSpot is a video game website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer and Vince Broady....
 gave the game a rating of 8.8 out of 10, calling it a "comic book version of WWII."

Steve Butts of IGN
IGN

IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. Its corporate parent is IGN Entertainment, which owns and controls separate sites such as GameSpy, GameStats, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen....
 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."

Expansion packs


The Road To Rome


The creators of Battlefield 1942 have released expansion pack
Expansion pack

An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game....
s entitled Battlefield 1942: The Road To Rome (which adds the Italian Front
Italian Campaign (World War II)

The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allies operations in and around Italy, from History of Italy as a monarchy and in the World Wars#Italy and the Second World War ....
) and Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons Of WWII
Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII is the second of two expansion pack to the World War II first-person shooter computer game Battlefield 1942....
. Both add various new gameplay modes and design concepts. The Road To Rome features a focus on the Italian battles and allows players to play as the Free French forces
Free French Forces

File:Croix de Lorraine2.svgThe Free French Forces were France fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis powers of World War II forces after the Armistice with France and subsequent German occupation of France in World War II....
 or as the Italian Army.

Secret Weapons of WWII


Secret Weapons Of WWII focuses on prototype, experimental, and rarely used weapons and vehicles, as well as weapons not featured in the previous games. It adds downloadable patches
Patch (computing)

A patch is a small piece of software designed to fix problems with or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing computer bug, replacing graphics and improving the usability or performance....
, fixes bugs in the game, and it adds some extra content (such as the aforementioned Battle of Britain map).

Sequel

On Wed February 4, EA Confirmed that Battlefield 1943
Battlefield 1943

Battlefield 1943 is an upcoming 2009 "midsummer" World War II first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3....
 will be released digitally summer 2009; for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
 via the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable games consoles via the PlayStation Network....
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
 via the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace

The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content....
, and PC.

Collections


Battlefield 1942 Deluxe Edition includes original game and Battlefield 1942: The Road To Rome. Battlefield 1942: World War II Anthology added Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII
Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII

Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII is the second of two expansion pack to the World War II first-person shooter computer game Battlefield 1942....
 expansion pack. Battlefield 1942: The Complete Collection added Battlefield Vietnam
Battlefield Vietnam

Battlefield Vietnam is the second computer game in Electronic Arts' Battlefield after Battlefield 1942. The game was developed by the Swedish company Digital Illusions and published by Electronic Arts on March 15, 2004 in North America and days later in other parts of the world....
 and Battlefield Vietnam WWII Mod.

Milestones

  • June 28, 2004 - Aspyr begins shipping the Macintosh Version of Battlefield 1942
  • March 15, 2004 - 3 million copies sold, BF1942's sequel, Battlefield Vietnam released
  • October 10, 2003 - 2 million copies sold
  • September 4, 2003 - Secret Weapons released
  • August 8, 2003 - Battlefield 1942 Secret Weapons demo released (Hellendorn map)
  • February 2, 2003 - Road to Rome 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
  • August 16, 2002 - Battlefield 1942 multiplayer demo released (Wake map)
  • July 19, 2002 - Battlefield 1942 single-player demo released (Tobruk map)


See also

  • List of Battlefield 1942 mods
    List of Battlefield 1942 mods

    This is a list of mod s for the first-person shooter computer game Battlefield 1942.An October 2004 public release from EA notes quote "Not long after the release of Battlefield 1942, several groups of dedicated fans looked at DICE's creation and imagined the maps populated with modern vehicles and weapons, or early 20th century prop planes...


External links

Official


Other