f13.net

Has anyone else checked this out? It's a new RTS by the guys who did Ground Control. The interesting thing about it is that there's no base building or resource management - you get a fixed amount of points to buy units with, and after your units get destroyed, their points are slowly reabsorbed into your spending pool. It's somewhere between the Battlefield series and an RTS, I'd say - most servers are set up for 8v8 gameplay. Pick your 'class', drop your units, and then go fight to capture various points around the map. You choose to be a commander of infantry, air, armor, and support - you can still buy units from outside your discipline, but at an inflated cost. The only catch right now is that Gamespot is the one doling out the beta keys, but you can get one with a throwaway free account even though the text says they're out of keys for the moment. It's an interesting take on making an 'instant gratification' style RTS that encourages teamplay beyond the typical 'alright let's both send all of our units to attack this one guy' or 'help they're both sending all of their units after me'. The engine is pretty amazing.

link (http://www.gamespot.com/event/codes/world-in-conflict-beta/).

Shattered Galaxy had the same sort of mechanic but that was a persistent world and had various RPG elements to it as well (you levelled up yours untis). They are selling pre-order boxes for the game now which apparently entitles you to get into the Beta phase that starts in July if you aren't a GS subscriber and don't want to sign up.

Shattered Galaxy was ok, but really you ended up feeling like such fodder sometimes that it sucked.

Since 30% or so of Massive entertainment is former students at the school I'm attending to we have a batch of keys available hehe  :-)

Anyway, I haven't played it so far, but it seems to be pretty much another Ground Control. The gameplay seemed dull to me, but that's a lot because I actually like base building and teching which is one of things they've removed. Funny thing is that they're owned by Vivendi and even though the game was considered ready a year ago Vivendi insisted that they should polish it some more, perhaps a lesson learned from their cash cow Blizzard? Oh, and the graphics are gorgeous, especially nukes.

*cough* hook it up plz *endcough*

I loved Myth (bases and teching are boring, let me focus on combat plz) and will never forgive Bungie for dumping it to make fucking console fps games for M$, fuckers.

Hey I need a key too! Ground Control is one of my favorite RTS games (go go tactical!).

Ohhhh I'd be interested - may I politely ask for a key?  :evil: