| Battle Isle series | |
|---|---|
 Compilation release cover art | |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based strategy Turn-based tactics |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, MS-DOS, Windows |
| First release | Battle Isle 1991 |
| Latest release | Battle Isle: The Andosia War 2000 |
Battle Isle is a series of turn-based strategy/tactics video games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte and released for Amiga and MS-DOS and later for Microsoft Windows. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.
The Battle Isle storyline is set on a fictional planet called Chromos, whose society is technologically slightly more advanced than that of contemporary Earth, possessing the knowledge of advanced robotics (robots), computers (AIs) and limited spaceflight (enough to set up space colonies on the moon of Chromos). The individual games represent various wars that took place on Chromos.
The first three games are played on a hexagonal grid for a map. Players not only control the combat units (ranging from infantry and tanks to helicopters, fighters and bombers, armored trains, surface warships and submarines, stationary gun turrets), but (especially in the later games) also many support logistics units (ammo and fuel transports, scout and radar units, road and construction vehicles, and others). Units have various weapons and can gain experience (which in later games can be transferred over in a campaign). Fuel and ammo is limited, and logistics require careful attention. Players also control buildings, where units can be repaired, and sometimes, produced. Weather conditions change, affecting unit movements (for example, a sea or river can freeze, immobilizing ships but allowing light units to move through it). Fog of war is prevalent and players have to use scouting units to gain information about the battlefield. Some of those options were added in expansions or sequels.
Players have various tasks, ranging from eliminating all opponent forces to capturing specific buildings or protecting certain units or places. In some missions events from outside the battlefield can suddenly change the situation, giving players new objectives, reinforcements, allies or enemies. In some battles there are more than two sides, each with their own objectives, not all of them directly involved in hostilities - some of them can be even allied. At the same time, those allegiances can change because of some events or actions.
Battle Isle one had the screen divided into two parts, one for each player. The turns were also divided into move and attack phases. While one player moved his units, the other commanded his own troops to carry out his actions. Battle Isle 2 gave the player the entire screen, and merged move and attack phases, and introduced the 3-D display of combat. Battle Isle 3 was very similar to Battle Isle 2, with improved graphics, more units and a new storyline. Battle Isle: The Andosian War was entirely set in the 3-D environment and combined elements of real-time and turn-based strategies.
The AI is relatively weak, relying on mass frontal assaults. After a player survives the first few turns and the AI's overwhelming numbers using protected artillery and terrain advantage, the computer is usually unable to mount a proper defense.
Battle Isle was Blue Byte's first big success in Europe. It was completed in 1991. Inspired by the Japanese game Nectaris for the PC Engine [ citation needed ], Battle Isle spawned numerous add-ons, sequels (most notable are Battle Isle 2 from 1993 and Battle Isle 3 from 1995) and imitations. Of those among the most notable is Blue Byte's own History Line: 1914-1918 from 1993, which moves the science fictionish climate of Battle Isle into the times of First World War. Others include the open source projects of Crimson Fields [1] and Advanced Strategic Command. [2]
After the release of Battle Isle 2, Blue Byte decided to release a Windows version on CD'. This was one of the first games for Windows (3.11/95 and NT). The program was to be converted to Windows while the maps were to be replaced with new ones and a new storyline was to be written. The project was led by Patric Lagny who wrote the video player for Battle Isle 2 and had many of the original graphic artists from the Battle Isle 2 team. While the program was being developed, Blue Bytes Marketing Department suggested to name this product Battle Isle 3 instead of marketing it as a Data CD for Battle Isle 2 with Windows support.[ citation needed ]
Over 600,000 copies were sold. [3] Two data disks were released for Battle Isle, and one for Battle Isle 2. Battle Isle 3 represented the most developed variant of Battle Isle 2. However, in the late 1990s, Blue Byte decided that the old model was no longer sufficient and decided to change the model of the series.
In July 1997, an entry in the Battle Isle franchise was in the works by Blue Byte for the Panasonic M2, but it never happened due to the cancellation of the system. [4] In 1997 a new Battle Isle game was released as a 3-D tactical squad game: Incubation , similar to X-COM: UFO Defense and, later in 2000, Battle Isle: The Andosia War which tried to bridge the gap between turn-based strategies and real-time strategies. Both titles, while mildly successful, alienated many older players who had come to expect that the Battle Isle brand would represent traditional, board game style games.
Blue Byte attempted to use the Battle Isle brand name on yet another game (and genre), this time a MMORPG DarkSpace , which for a time was known as Battle Isle V: DarkSpace, but after Blue Byte was bought by Ubisoft the DarkSpace became an independent project.
The first games were available for the Amiga and MS-DOS. Later, Microsoft Windows became the target for the games.
In 2013, Stratotainment, LLC, a mobile game company owned by Thomas Hertzler (co-founder of Blue Byte), announced the development and the reboot of Battle Isle. [5] [6] Battle Isle: Threshold Run was scheduled for iOS release that year. After several delays, including an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign, the project was halted in September 2014. [7] In 2015, Stratotainment announced a spiritual successor to Battle Isle titled Gamma Protocol. [8] [9] In 2016 the trademark Battle Isle was acquired by Ubisoft. [7]
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2011) |
Overall, the Battle Isle series has received positive feedback in reviews. [10] [11] [12] In a 1992 survey of science fiction games Computer Gaming World gave the title three-plus stars out of five, writing that "it was enjoyable for the persistent gamer looking for new worlds to conquer". [13] A 1994 survey gave the game two-plus stars out of five, stating that "there is still a blandness in the final result". [14] The series has sold 650,000 copies worldwide. [15]
In 1992, History Line: 1914-1918 , a World War I game with the Battle Isle '93 engine, was released by Blue Byte.
Battle Isle has inspired two free open source clones:
Both clones include a map editor and a converter that can load Battle Isle and History Line maps. [23] [24]
In 2013, Battle Worlds: Kronos , described as a spiritual successor to Battle Isle, [25] [26] [27] was released by King Art Games following a successful Kickstarter campaign the same year.
Might and Magic is a series of role-playing video games from New World Computing, which in 1996 became a subsidiary of The 3DO Company. The original Might and Magic series ended with the closure of the 3DO Company. The rights to the Might and Magic name were purchased for US$1.3 million by Ubisoft, which "rebooted" the franchise with a new series with no apparent connection to the previous continuity, starting with the games Heroes of Might and Magic V and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.
Heroes of Might and Magic, known as Might & Magic Heroes since 2011, is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing.
Ubisoft Blue Byte GmbH is a German video game holding company owned by Ubisoft. It was founded in October 1988 by Thomas Hertzler and Lothar Schmitt as a developer and was best known for developing the Anno and The Settlers series. The studio was acquired by Ubisoft in 2001. Related Designs was merged into Blue Byte in 2013, and a third studio in Berlin was established in 2018. Since 2019, Ubisoft Blue Byte acts as the parent company of Ubisoft's three German studios, which became branded as Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Mainz and Ubisoft Berlin. By 2020, the "Blue Byte" name was phased out.
Albion is a single player role-playing video game developed and published by Blue Byte for MS-DOS in 1995. It was originally released in German, then translated to English for international release. The game uses a science fiction setting that incorporates traditional fantasy elements, such as magic.
Turn-based tactics (TBT) is a video game genre of strategy video games. They are turn-based simulations of operational warfare and military tactics in generally small-scale confrontations as opposed to more strategic considerations of turn-based strategy (TBS) games. Turn-based tactical gameplay is characterized by the expectation of players to complete their tasks using only the combat forces provided to them in a generally realistic manner.
The Settlers II, originally released as The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici, is a city-building game with real-time strategy elements, developed and published by Blue Byte Software. Released in Germany for DOS in April 1996, and in the United Kingdom and North America in August, it is the second game in The Settlers series, following The Settlers (1993). In December, Blue Byte released an expansion, The Settlers II Mission CD, featuring new single-player campaign missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, and a map editor. In October 1997, they released The Settlers II: Gold Edition, containing the original game, plus the Mission CD expansion, along with minor graphical enhancements and gameplay tweaks. The Gold Edition was also ported to Mac OS in 1997. In 2006, an enhanced remake, The Settlers II , was released for Microsoft Windows. In 2007, the Gold Edition was ported to the Nintendo DS, under the title The Settlers, released in Germany in July, and in the United Kingdom and North America in August. Although adapted for the dual-screen display of the DS, and with controls specifically programmed for use with the DS stylus, the gameplay, game mechanics, graphics and storyline are unaltered. In 2009, the original Gold Edition was released on GOG.com, and in 2018, it was re-released for Microsoft Windows as The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici - History Edition.
The Settlers IV, released as The Settlers: Fourth Edition in North America, is a real-time strategy video game with city-building elements, developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubi Soft. Released in Germany for Microsoft Windows in February 2001, in the United Kingdom in March, and in North America in August, it is the fourth game in The Settlers series, following The Settlers (1993), The Settlers II (1996) and The Settlers III (1998). In August, Blue Byte released an expansion, The Settlers IV Mission CD, featuring new single-player campaign missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, a random map generator and map editor, gameplay improvements, and bug fixes. In December, they released a second expansion, The Settlers IV: The Trojans and the Elixir of Power, containing new single-player campaigns, additional single and multiplayer maps, improved graphics, and additional gameplay tweaks. In March 2002, The Settlers IV: Gold Edition was released, containing the original game and both expansions, plus fan-made maps for multiplayer mode, and two minigames. In November 2009, Gameloft ported the original game to iOS, under the title The Settlers. Although featuring updated graphics and utilising touch controls, the gameplay, game mechanics and storyline are identical to the original. In April 2010, The Settlers was released for webOS, specifically optimised for the Palm Pre. Gameloft later released HD versions for iPad, bada, Symbian and Android. In 2013, the Gold Edition was released on GOG.com. In 2018, the game was re-released as The Settlers IV: History Edition.
The Settlers: Heritage of Kings, released as Heritage of Kings: The Settlers in North America, is a real-time strategy video game developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. Released in Germany for Microsoft Windows in November 2004, and in the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia in February 2005, it is the fifth game in The Settlers series. In 2005, Blue Byte released two expansions, The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Expansion Disc and The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Legends Expansion Disc, in March and September respectively, featuring new single-player campaign missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, a map editor, and a random map generator. In November, The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - Gold Edition was released, containing the original game and the first expansion. In 2009, the original game was also released on GOG.com. In 2018, the game was re-released as The Settlers: Heritage of Kings - History Edition.
Incubation: Time Is Running Out is a turn-based tactics computer game from Blue Byte released in 1997. It is the fourth game in the Battle Isle series. In the game, the player controls a squad of soldiers in a campaign against an alien threat. An expansion pack, The Wilderness Missions, was released in 1998.
Empire is a 1977 turn-based wargame with simple rules. The game was conceived by Walter Bright starting in 1971, based on various war movies and board games, notably Battle of Britain and Risk. The game was ported to many platforms in the 1970s and 1980s. Several commercial versions were also released, often adding basic graphics to the originally text-based user interface. The basic gameplay is strongly reminiscent of several later games, notably Civilization, which was partly inspired by Empire.
History Line: 1914-1918 is a turn-based tactics computer game released in 1992 by the German team Blue Byte. The storyline takes the player through various battles of the First World War. It uses the software engine based on the better known Battle Isle '93.
The operating system GNU/Linux can be used for playing video games. Because many games are not natively supported for the Linux kernel, various software has been made to run Windows games, such as Wine, Cedega, and Proton, and managers such as Lutris and PlayOnLinux. The Linux gaming community has a presence on the internet with users who attempt to run games that are normally not supported on Linux.
The Settlers: Rise of an Empire is a city-building game with real-time strategy elements, developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. Released for Microsoft Windows in September 2007, it is the sixth game in The Settlers series. In March 2008, Blue Byte released an expansion, The Settlers: Rise of an Empire - The Eastern Realm, featuring new single-player campaign missions, new maps for both single-player and multiplayer modes, and an enhanced map editor. In September, they released The Settlers: Rise of an Empire - Gold Edition, containing the original game plus the Eastern Realm expansion, and additional single and multiplayer maps. The Gold Edition was also released on Steam and Uplay. In 2015, it was released on GOG.com, and in 2018, it was re-released as The Settlers: Rise of an Empire - History Edition.
Battle Isle: The Andosia War is a 2000 turn-based strategy video game developed by Cauldron and published by Blue Byte for the Windows. It is the fifth and final game in the Battle Isle series. The game was sold in North America exclusively on Blue Byte's online store.
The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom is a city-building game with real-time strategy elements, developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubisoft. Released for Microsoft Windows and macOS in March 2010, it is the seventh game in The Settlers series. Blue Byte released three DLC packs in 2010; Uncharted Land, Conquest - The Empire, and Rise of the Rebellion, released in July, September, and December, respectively. In March 2011, The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom - Deluxe Gold Edition was released, containing the original game, the three packs, an unlock code for an upcoming fourth pack, and a copy of The Settlers III. The fourth pack, The Two Kings, was released in April 2011. In 2018, the Deluxe Gold Edition was re-released as The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom - History Edition.
Advanced Format (AF) is any disk sector format used to store data on magnetic disks in hard disk drives (HDDs) that exceeds 528 bytes per sector, frequently 4096, 4112, 4160, or 4224-byte (4 KB) sectors. Larger sectors of an Advanced Format Drive (AFD) enable the integration of stronger error correction algorithms to maintain data integrity at higher storage densities.
The Settlers is a city-building and real-time strategy video game series created by Volker Wertich. The original game was released on the Amiga in 1993, with subsequent games released primarily on MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows: The Settlers II (1996), The Settlers III (1998), The Settlers IV (2001), The Settlers: Heritage of Kings (2004), The Settlers: Rise of an Empire (2007), and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (2010). There are also several spin-offs; The Settlers II (2006) is a remake of The Settlers II, The Settlers DS (2007) is a port of The Settlers II for Nintendo DS, Die Siedler: Aufbruch der Kulturen (2008) is a German-only spiritual successor to 10th Anniversary, The Settlers HD (2009) is a handheld remake of The Settlers IV, and The Settlers Online (2010) is a free-to-play online browser game. With the exception of The Settlers HD, Ubisoft Blue Byte has developed every game in the series, as well as publishing the first three titles. From The Settlers IV onwards, Ubisoft has published all titles.
Battle Isle 2200 is a strategy video game developed by Blue Byte for IBM PC compatibles and published by Accolade in 1994. It is the second entry in the science fiction themed Battle Isle series. The game is a turn-based, hex-based, strategy wargame. An expansion was released the same year.
Battle Isle 2220: Shadow of the Emperor or Battle Isle 3: Shadow of the Emperor (Europe) is a 1995 strategy video game developed and published by Blue Byte for the Windows. It is part of the Battle Isle series.
Battle Isle is a 1991 turn-based strategy video game developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubi Soft for the Amiga and MS-DOS. It is the first game in the Battle Isle series. Two official expansion packs were released: Data Disk I in 1992 and The Moon of Chromos in 1993. An unofficial expansion, Battle Field Creator, was released in 1994. An Atari ST version was advertised but never released.
Creators of Gamma Protocol*, a Turn-Based Strategy Game releasing in 2018! (*spiritual successor to Battle Isle)
Battle Isle a adunat peste 650.000 de copii pe intreg globul.