Ring of Red
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| Ring of Red | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Release date(s) |     September 2000  March 14, 2001 June 15, 2001 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Input | PlayStation 2 controller |
Ring of Red is an alternate history turn-based strategy video game released by Konami for the PlayStation 2 console.
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[edit] Plot
Ring of Red is set in the 1960s in the aftermath of World War II. According to the alternate timeline, Japan did not surrender in 1945, and the United States of America did not deploy the atomic bomb. Instead, Japan was captured after a daring invasion costing many lives on both sides in Operation Downfall by the Allied Forces. With the Cold War looming over the horizon, Hokkaido was ceded to the Soviet Union, and north part of Japan was partitioned into Communist North Japan and Democratic South Japan, with both fighting each other in the Great Asian War. North Japan was supported by Soviet Russia and Communist China, America supported the democratic South while Germany made engineering contributions to both sides.
In 1950, a terrible war occurred in Japan, similar to Korean War which lasted 3 years and killed half of the population when Soviet backed North Japan invaded South. Just like Korean War, the "Japan War" ended with strategic victory for South Japan & Western Allies.
A significant development in this timeline is the design and deployment of "Armored Fighting Walkers", or AFWs. AFWs are mechanised self-propelled artillery with high mobility and durability. They were used with negligible effect in the European theatre of war, but in the rugged Japanese terrain in the Great Asian War, AFWs were used with devastating effect, acting as the backbone of military forces of both sides.
The game begins in 1964, 14 years after the Japan Wars have ended, with players assuming control of the protagonist, half-Japanese, half-German pilot named Masami von Weizegger, as leader of a trusting team of AFW pilots in a mission to retrieve a stolen prototype AFW, believed to be taken by a North Japanese agent. As the game progresses, Weizegger and his team must overcome North Japanese reinforcements and deal with the possibility of all-out war as they try to prevent the cutting-edge AFW from falling into the wrong hands.
[edit] Gameplay
Combat is split between maps for moving and placing units on the battleground, and a real-time mode for actual fighting. The latter include nice visual effects that range from the mechanized tanks themselves moving through their attack patterns, seasonal changes, support troops that have their own moves, and detailed backgrounds. Many players, however, have complained about the game's somewhat boring dialogue and repetitive battle cutscenes (the latter cannot be skipped).
[edit] Strategic Map
In each mission, players deploy their units on a grid map. Each square contains various terrain features that provide movement and defense bonuses or penalties. The player and the AI take turns in moving their AFW units around the map in order to complete certain objectives, such as pursuing a unit, capturing a town or protecting a convoy. Some missions have branching objectives that give different bonuses.
Players can engage in combat by moving within distance of an enemy unit. The starting range in combat depends on the square from which the attack is made:
- Adjacent square: Short range
- Diagonal square: Medium range
- Two squares away: Long range
If players are successful in destroying the enemy AFW, the enemy unit is removed from the map and players gain Experience points. If the AI destroys a player AFW, the AFW is removed until the next mission.
In addition to combat, players can capture cities, which can provide more infantry troops for recruitment and heal friendly troops, and can dedicate turns to repairing their units. Each mission has parameters which result in player defeat, such as not completing the mission by the time limit or losing Weizegger's AFW.
An interesting feature in Ring of Red is a dynamic day/night cycle. All player and AI moves take a certain of time, which influences how often units can be issued orders, which in turn affect what time of day combat takes place in. In addition, there is simulated weather and even natural disasters.
[edit] Combat
Combat takes place in a real-time environment. Players begin with their AFW standing in opposition to the enemy AFW. The objective of combat is to destroy the enemy AFW. If either AFW is destroyed, combat ends and the unit is removed from the strategic map. If neither AFW is destroyed within the prescribed time limit, the battle ends in a draw. Units can also end combat by escaping from the battlefield or by engaging in close combat, which automatically ends the match.
Combat consists of players moving their AFW forward and backwards to change the distance between the AFWs and issuing orders to accompanying infantry. AFWs must wait until the loading process is complete before they can attack the enemy target, either against the AFW itself or against its infantry support. When in attack mode, players are given a first-person view from the AFW along with a hit probability percentage. The more time spent on aiming, the more accurate the shot becomes. Base accuracy is dependent on range and battle conditions, although the rate of increase of accuracy slows down as it reaches higher digits. Accuracy determines if shells hit the enemy AFW, or how much damage is done if attacking infantry.
Conditions on the strategic map strongly influence the battle conditions. Battles fought at night receive a huge penalty in base accuracy. Different terrains grant different bonuses and penalties to base accuracy. Furthermore, various terrains can also block attacks randomly, such as trees in forests.
Players also have access to Maximum Attacks, which are unique abilities that can only be used a certain amount of times in each mission. Maximum Attacks vary between AFWs, but include techniques such as powerful shots, dodging, instant movement and instant loading. Some crews also provide special shells which can provide illumination or do devastating damage against AFWs or infantry.
[edit] Armored Fighting Walkers
AFWs are mechas wielding powerful artillery cannons and/or machine guns. In Ring of Red, AFWs are the units that players directly control, and are supported by infantry and crew members. There are several types of AFW, each with their own unique properties and abilities.
[edit] Standard AFW
Standard AFWs are bipedal mechas designed for all-round performance. Physically, a Standard AFW has a humanoid appearance, with distinctive legs, arms, and head. The right arm is usually replaced with a powerful cannon and a machine gun as secondary armament, while the left arm is protected by a shield that absorbs damage. The main character, Weizegger, drives a Standard AFW armed with an 88mm cannon.
Standard AFWs have moderate speed in and out of battle, have a fair amount of hit points and possess high damage potential with their cannons. Additionally, Standard AFWs receive reduced damage with their shields, but lose the defensive bonus after the shield sustains too much damage. Being all-rounded designs, Standard AFWs are effective at all ranges, especially against enemy AFWs. However, they are best at medium range, but can also perform well in short range and even close combat.
Their Maximum Attacks reflect this general-purpose ability, with skills such as Quick Shot (for an instant, inaccurate shot) and some Close Combat skills. While not specialising in any one area, Standard AFWs are the backbone of the player's force and are potent standalone units.
On a side-note, the stolen AFW prototype, Type 3, is a Standard AFW. The Type 3 increases ranged and close combat ability by giving the AFW two cannons that locked under the arms. When ready to fire, the AFW swings both cannons out and fires two shots in quick succession before locking them back in place. By having both hands free, the Type 3 can perform very well in close combat.
[edit] Light AFW
Light AFWs are designed as light reconnaissance and scouting units. On the strategic map, Light AFWs have the most movement points and in battle they have very fast movement speeds. Light AFWs are usually armed with machine guns, although some are armed with light high explosive cannons to combat AFWs. In appearance, Light AFWs are bipedal platforms but lack limbs and a distinctive head. They are similar to the AT-ST in Star Wars.
The strength of the Light AFW lies in their fast speed and deadly anti-infantry ability, making them good recon and fast-response units on the battle map. In combat, Light AFWs have the fastest reload times for their main weapons and very fast movement speed. However, Light AFWs are poorly armored, and machine gun-armed Light AFWs do little damage to enemy AFWs. Furthermore, because of their light weight, Light AFWs can be knocked back very easily. They are best used at short range, but cannot engage in close combat, making it risky to attack Standard AFWs and Anti-AFWs. Light AFWs are sitting ducks at long range.
As a result, their Maximum Attacks focus on high-power anti-infantry attacks that gain bonuses from short range, and also feature the "Dodging" ability, allowing them completely avoid an enemy attack.
[edit] 4-Leg AFW
4-Leg AFWs are the behemoths of AFWs. They are little more than heavy artillery platforms with an insect-like appearance due to the positioning of their legs for stability. Many 4-Leg AFWs also feature spikes and stabilisers that deploy when firing to further stabilise the weapon. 4-Leg AFWs are used as long-range artillery, possessing the highest damage per shot and the highest base accuracy at long range.
At long range, the 4-Leg AFW pulverises other AFWs with little effort. Their main disadvantage is their slow speed, which renders them completely vulnerable to short-range and close combat attacks. Players and enemies alike tend to backpedal with their 4-Leg AFWs constantly in battle in order to prevent the enemy from reducing the range. Also, while they do possess the highest damage per shot, 4-Leg AFWs have the slowest load times, giving them only 3-4 shots in each combat round compared to the 5-6 of other AFWs.
For Maximum Attacks, 4-Leg AFWs feature numerous bombardment abilities that can devastate infantry units and make more precise shots against AFWs. More importantly, 4-Leg AFWs have the "Emergency Load" ability, which instantly loads a shell ready to fire, bypassing the long loading time.
[edit] Anti-AFW
The newest development in AFW technology, Anti-AFWs are designed to engage enemy AFWs in close combat and destroy them with powerful melee attacks. Anti-AFWs are bipedal and have two large mechanical arms which they use as their primary weapon. However, they are also armed with a light cannon mounted on the top of the AFW. When firing, Anti-AFWs lean backwards and deploy their arms into the ground to form a stable firing platform for the cannon.
As combat units, Anti-AFWs have the fastest movement speed, necessary for engaging in close combat, and the most powerful close combat attacks. To attain this supremacy, Anti-AFWs sacrifice ranged ability, with their cannon being less powerful than the Standard AFW and only slightly more powerful than Light AFWs. Anti-AFWs also feature powerful shields, but have relatively small amounts of hit points after the shield is destroyed.
Their Maximum Attacks provide instant movement to close range and several very powerful melee attacks. The Anti-AFW is the bane of all AFWs, and against enemy AFWs players have come up with ingenious methods of keeping them at range, including the deployment of multiple mines.
[edit] Infantry
In addition to AFWs, players can recruit and deploy infantry units to assist players in combat against enemy infantry and AFWs. Each AFW can have up to three squads attached to it. One for additional crew, and two more who provide combat support. On the strategic map, different infantry units provide different abilities, such as increased repair and healing rates. Each squad also comes with a number of special abilities, usually a Vanguard skill when they're called to the front line, a rearguard skill when behind the AFW, and a number of specialty shells that can be used when acting as crew.
The infantry types are:
- Standard Infantry - Good all-round anti-infantry units. Armed with rifles.
- Recon - Increase base accuracy of AFWs, can often snipe enemy infantry, and if on the ground, will allow your AFW to start at the best distance for the engagement range. Armed with pistols.
- Medic - Provide support bonuses and increased healing. Armed with pistols.
- Shooter - Rocket infantry, deadly against AFWs but weak against anti-infantry. Armed with rocket launchers.
- Mechanics - Provide essential combat repair skills, decent against AFWs. Armed with Anti-Armor rifles and Rocket-propelled grenades.
- Supply - Best as crew, has fastest loading times. On the ground, they can often lay down landmines. Armed with Anti-Armor rifles and Rocket-propelled grenades.
Infantry are classified as either Anti-AFW or Anti-Infantry, referring to their target priorities. Anti-Infantry troops (Infantry, Recon, and Medic) will fire mainly on enemy troops in the Vanguard, only shooting at the AFW if there are no other targets availible. Anti-AFW troops (Shooter, Mechanic, and Supply) will only fire at the enemy AFW.
