Scorched 3D

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Scorched 3D

Developer(s)	Gavin Camp
Publisher(s)	N/A
Latest version	40.1d
Release date(s)	First release - April 29, 2001^[1] Latest release - November 17, 2006^[2]
Genre(s)	Artillery game
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	Download.com link PC Magazine link
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Unix
Media	Downloadable
Input	Keyboard and Mouse

Version 1 of Scorched 3D primarily as a terrain generator

Scorched 3D is a turn-based artillery game modeled after the classic DOS game Scorched Earth "The Mother Of All Games". Unlike Scorched Earth however, it is available for free in its entirety. Also, Scorched 3D adds, amongst other new features, a 3D island environment and LAN and internet play. Scorched 3D is a open source game for both Microsoft Windows and Unix (Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, Solaris, etc.) operating systems.

The first build was created in April 2001 by lead developer Gavin Camp. The idea for the creation of Scorched 3D was revealed in an interview with Gavin on The O'Reilly Network:

“

Scorched Earth was an institution for me and my friends at university. On many nights we used to play the game while drinking -- although it is pretty good even without the drink. Recently on a boring flight I played it with friends for eight hours straight; we hardly noticed the time passing. I thought that Scorched in 3D would allow many more game concepts, and [it] also combined my love of 3D graphics with the classic game.^[3]

”

Scorched 3D originally started as a 3D landscape generator. It was eventually converted into a game, early on, and development continues to this very day with the project being hosted by SourceForge. The current version is v40.1d with version 41 well under development.

1 Gameplay
2 Features
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Gameplay is quite simple, yet requires skill to master. Once a player is placed randomly on a 3D map with other players, they must take turns honing in his aim on an opponent's "tank" by adjusting angle, rotation and power and firing a weapon of choice each and every subsequent turn until he is able to hit/kill his target. The core objective of the game is to kill all of your opponents in this fashion. Another element of gameplay includes an economy system, where cash is generally earned by kills and hits. You can then use this cash to buy special weapons and items. Each weapon and item has different abilities to it.

A few weapons include Nukes, which have a large blast radius. Rollers will roll off of inclines until hitting a target. Lasers can go through mountains and hit targets directly. Funky Bombs land much like regular missiles but then launch bomblets all around vicinity of the landing. MIRVs spread in the air, sending small bombs down on your enemy. Napalm can be used in the game to incinerate targets. The most powerful weapon is Death's Head. Once in the air, the weapon spreads much like a MIRV; however, unlike the MIRV, it causes far larger explosions when it lands, doing critical damage.

Items are as important as the weapons. Batteries allow a player to regain health. Fuel allows a player to move your tank a limited distance (depending on how much you have). Shields protect a player from taking damage from most weapons. Mags and Force Shields reflect an enemy's shots. Parachutes prevent falling damage (when dirt is blasted out from under a tank). Auto Defense will allow a player to power up some of his/her items (mainly shields) before the start of a round.

[edit] Features

Environment effects in Scorched 3D version 39

Features of Scorched 3D include:

Open source

Single player mode against bots

Multiplayer mode via LAN, Internet, or Hotseat with up to 24 players and support for team play

Support for Modding, such as customizable weapon behavior, custom tanks and custom landscapes

3D environments with weather effects

Choose from over 80 "tanks" and over 40 weapons/items

Play on multiple landscape types

Highly customizable options

Available on many different platforms such as Linux, Mac, and Windows

Support for unique methods of play over the original such as lives, bases, teleportation and resigning