Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3

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Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3

Developer(s)	Ion Storm Inc. 7th Level
Publisher(s)	Eidos Interactive
Designer(s)	Todd Porter
Release date(s)	June 1998
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Platform(s)	Windows
Media	2 CD-ROMs

Dominion: Storm Over Gift 3 is a real-time strategy game developed by Ion Storm and 7th Level for Microsoft Windows. The game was published by Eidos Interactive in June of 1998 on two CD-ROMs and boasted both single and multiplayer game modes.

The game takes place on the fictitious planet of Gift 3 where war has broken out between four different races: the Scorps, Darkens, Mercs and Humans.

Dominion was originally being developed by 7th Level before they sold the unfinished property to Ion Storm in September of 1997. It was eventually released as Ion Storm's debut title in June of the next year.

One of the most interesting components of the game is that the races are not "equal": Darken forces are sturdier, but are slower to build; Scorp forces cost much more to manufacture, but manufacture more quickly; Merc soldiers are more difficult to control, but are more accurate when firing; and the Humans are a balance of all features. In addition, each race also gets one weapon type unique unto itself: Darken has a "cloaker" vehicle - which renders other vehicles invisible; the Mercs have the Black Widow, which converts enemy towers and tanks into allies; the Humans have the Cat, which freezes any opponents machinery from firing; and the Scorps have a Digger - an underground transport to deliver up to six men anywhere visible on the playing field. Each of these vehicles are extremely fragile - an infantryman with a rifle can put one out of commission if not well protected.

There are a set of twelve missions (a campaign) for each of the races, where the computer opponent has the next level up in armaments, men or machines. For instance, the player light infantry and machine gun towers, they have bazookamen; and rocket towers. There is a list of objectives to complete a mission, some requires the performing of certain tasks, such as recapture a fallen base or rescue a leader from prison, others to merely wipe out the opponent completely. Sometimes a horde of bazookamen is better than having a light armor long range tank battalion.