TrueCombat: Elite

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TrueCombat:Elite
Developer(s) TeamTerminator, Groove Six Studios
Engine Quake III engine
Latest version 0.49b (December 25, 2006)
Release date(s) December 25, 2006
Genre(s) Tactical Shooter
Mode(s) multiplayer
Platform(s) Windows, Mac, Linux
Input Keyboard, mouse

TrueCombat: Elite (TC:E or TC:Elite) is a total-conversion modification by Team Terminator and Groove Six Studios for the freeware first person shooter game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, started in the late 2004. The modification is in the tactical realism genre and supports Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. It is an offspring to a Quake 3 modification called TrueCombat, which holds some similarity in the game mechanics.

Contents

[edit] Notable features

Iron sights aiming, Colt M4 assault rifle in TrueCombat: Elite version 0.49b.
Iron sights aiming, Colt M4 assault rifle in TrueCombat: Elite version 0.49b.
  • Costless; freely downloadable conversion on a freely downloadable game
  • Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, Mac)
  • HDR lighting effects
  • Dynamic Eye Adoptation (DynEA)
  • Realistic weapon behavior simulation
  • Iron sights aiming (no crosshairs)
  • Sophisticated ballistic simulation including multiple-layer object penetration
  • Free aim
  • Free climbing
  • Realistic to-scale level designs
  • To-scale textures
  • Rich graphics, based on high-resolution digital-camera shots
  • High quality sounds (44 kHz)
  • Letterbox and wide-screen view modes
  • Lag compensation, client-side bullet prediction
  • PunkBuster anti-cheat support

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Overview

The game is a fast-paced modern tactical shooter with a focus on close-quarters gunfights and objective oriented teamplay. The game mode 'Objective' is similar to Counter-Strike bomb/defuse mode, but plays significantly different due to the emphasis on realistic weapon handling in TC:E.

One of the most notable features, which especially new players get confused with is that there is no crosshair. Instead, the gun's iron sights are used. However, the gun can still be used without iron sights.

In spite of some limitations the team has encountered, the team has managed to push the engine to its limits. There are 8 maps shipped with version 0.49, which are themed around typical modern conflict environments, both urban and rural conditions. The teams consist of several classes and a large weapon arsenal is available.

Despite TrueCombat: Elite being a mod itself, there have been several modifications made on the game. The most common ones are weapon/skin mods. Some examples include different variations of the weapons that are standard within the game, such as a Desert Eagle with a silver finish, the Glock 18 (the automatic version of the 9x19 Glock pistol), or the fictional SOPMOD Mac-10 (it is essentially the same as the Ingram Mac-10 SD, but this version also mounts a red dot sight). Other mods include weapons in the real world that are not normally present in the game, such as the Colt Python. Lastly, some mods go so far as to create or borrow original weapons, an example of which is the assault rifle from the anime series Ghost in The Shell.

[edit] Teams

The game features two different teams, Terrorists and SpecOps (a portmanteau for "special operation forces"). There are three classes for both teams:

  • Assault - Has access to assault-rifles, pistols, a semi-automatic/pump-action shotgun, and one hand grenade.
  • Recon - Has access to submachine guns, suppressed submachine guns, a pump-action only shotgun, optional techkit (replacing the grenades, flash and smoke), and akimbo pistols. The fastest class, movement speed wise.
  • Sniper - Has access to sniper rifles, pistols, and only a smoke grenade. Slower and less mobile due to the heavier load.

[edit] Weapons

There are a total of 32 weapons in True Combat: Elite. Both teams have 16 weapons. The other 5 weapons are available for both. The inventory of the player consists of one primary weapon (submachine gun, shotgun, assault rifle or sniper rifle), a pistol as sidearm, a knife and a class-dependent grenade load out.

You are also capable of picking up weapons of fallen friends and foes.

SpecOps Terrorists

Assault rifles

Sniper rifles

Submachine Guns

Shotguns

Grenades

Handguns

Assault rifles

Sniper rifles

Submachine Guns

Shotguns

Grenades

Handguns

[edit] Maps

There are numerous maps that can be played on in TC:E. Some are the original maps while others are modifications. Several of the maps seem to be set in the 1980s or early 1990s. Most of the maps present ominous and dark atmospheres. All the maps are extremely complex considering the hiding spots, numerous rooms, and underground passages. Note that some modified maps are not listed and may be added.

The map Northport, Britain is a harbor.
The map Northport, Britain is a harbor.
  • Northport, Britain
  • Railhouse, Detroit, USA
  • Stadtrand, Hamburg, Germany
  • Village, Nikustak, Macedonia
  • Snow, Kamchatka, Russia
  • Delta, Ijmuiden, Netherlands

[edit] Game modes

[edit] Objective

One player from the terrorist team receives an explosive charge, what player receives the bomb depends on their performance of the preivous round or players that select the techkit are prioritised. The terrorists have a choice of two targets demolish with their explosives: "A" or "B" (as shown on the compass in the GUI). Anyone from the SpecOps team has the ability to disarm the set explosives.

The terrorist team wins by successfully detonating one of their targets, if the bomb is disarmed, the SpecOps win. Either teams wins by eliminating all their opponents, however, if a bomb has been planted the SpecOps still have to defuse it in spite of elimitating all their opposition. SpecOps can choose a techkit to speed up bomb defusal.

The idea is very similar to the Counter-Strike bomb-disarming gametype. As in Counter-Strike, the recon class can use a techkit to disarm the bomb faster. There can also be more than two objectives, however it requires advanced map scripting.

[edit] Bodycount

Bodycount is essentially team deathmatch. The Terrorist and SpecOps teams engage each other until one of the teams reach a certain score or the time runs out, the team with the highest "bodycount", or kills, wins. Players are capable of respawning.

[edit] Reinforced Objective

Also known as Capture the Flag, Reinforced Objective in TC:E follows similar gameplay of the CTF mode in Quake III: Arena, with the exceptions of realism limitations such as correct running speeds and proper weapon capabilities that reflect real life. The Reinforced Objective game mode is available in the current 0.49 version.

Reinforced Objective has received some criticism for poor flag placement.[citation needed] Flags tend to be placed right at the spawn point, which makes it difficult to capture a flag. Freshly spawning players can't be killed without penalty (death), so the only way to take possession of a flag is to sneak in between respawn waves.

[edit] History

TrueCombat: Elite was started in 2004, when GrooveSix Studios and TeamTerminator merged the projects TrueCombat and Elite 626. TrueCombat was an existing project where members of both teams operated before under the name TeamTerminator, whereas Elite was a newer unreleased project on Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

On December 25, 2006, the 0.490b patch was pulled due to internal miscommunication regarding a shader bug for the map obj_delta. The fix was released on January 2, 2007[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.truecombat.us/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=30

[edit] See also

[edit] External links