History Line: 1914-1918
Encyclopedia
History Line: 1914-1918 is a turn-based tactics
computer game developed in the 1990s by the German
team Blue Byte Software
. 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 storyline takes the player through various battles of World War I. The player can choose to play either the French
or German
side. The game starts in August 1914, with Germany invading France. As during the real war, the open greenfields of the first battles, dominated by cavalry
, are gradually replaced by terrain filled with trenches
and bunker
s; as the number of tank
s, artillery
and aeroplanes
increases the cavalry and infantry
troops become less effective. New units became available as the game progresses, such as A7V
or Mark IV
tanks.
The game includes a lot of information about the period: after each mission, historical facts about two months of wartime are displayed. The game was designed to be educational, starting with an animation depicting the Western Front in 1916
, and a sequence showing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whose assassination in Sarajevo precipitated the Austrian declaration of war
against Serbia
which triggered World War I. After completing each map the player receives information about the course of the war (the game is linear - it is impossible to change history). The information includes text and illustrations taken from contemporary newspapers, both on key historical events and on trivial domestic news such as sporting events. There are also some animations, such as a zeppelin
on a bombing raid London Bridge
.
The game uses the software engine
very similar to the better known Battle Isle '93
game. It is played on a hexagonal grid for a map. Both players act simultaneously on a split screen, each showing a part of a larger map. The turns are also divided into move and attack (order) phases. While one player moves his units, the other commands his own troops to carry out his actions.
The objective is to capture the enemy's headquarters building (while guarding your own); the victory can also be achieved by annihilating every unit the enemy controls. The maps have various features - different terrain types, as well as depots (to repair units) and factories (to produce) as buildings. Captured building may contain 'free' units. The units gain experience; however, this experience isn't carried over from mission to mission in campaign mode.
In addition to the 24 single-player campaign maps, there are 12 two-player maps.
The AI
is relatively weak, relying on mass frontal assaults. After the 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.
The game was mildly successful, but although the name implied that there may be other 'history lines' and the designers speculated that they may go on to develop games set in pre-20th century conflicts, no such games were created, as Blue Byte decided to develop the more successful Battle Isle series
.
Turn-based tactics
Turn-based tactics , or tactical turn-based , is a computer and video game genre of strategy video games that through stop-action simulates the considerations and circumstances of operational warfare and military tactics in generally small-scale confrontations as opposed to more strategic...
computer game developed in the 1990s by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team Blue Byte Software
Blue Byte Software
Ubisoft Blue Byte is a video game developer based in Düsseldorf, Germany, founded in 1988. The company has produced popular titles like Battle Isle and The Settlers. In 2001, the company was purchased by Ubisoft.-History:...
. The storyline takes the player through various battles of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It uses the software engine
Software engine
In computer science, a software engine refers to the core of a computer program. Software engines drive the functionality of the program, and are distinct from peripheral aspects of the program, such as look and feel.- Elucidation :...
based on the better known Battle Isle '93
Battle Isle series
Battle Isle is a series of turn-based tactics computer games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte Software. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.-Storyline:...
.
Plot
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
side. The game starts in August 1914, with Germany invading France. As during the real war, the open greenfields of the first battles, dominated by cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
, are gradually replaced by terrain filled with trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
and bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s; as the number of tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and aeroplanes
Aviation in World War I
World War I was the first war in which aircraft were deployed on a large scale. Tethered observation balloons had already been employed in several wars, and would be used extensively for artillery spotting. Germany employed Zeppelins for reconnaissance over the North Sea and strategic bombing raids...
increases the cavalry and infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
troops become less effective. New units became available as the game progresses, such as A7V
A7V
The A7V was a tank introduced by Germany in 1918, near the end of World War I. One hundred vehicles were ordered during the spring of 1918, but only 21 were delivered. It was nicknamed "The Moving Fortress" by the British because of the shape of the hull...
or Mark IV
Mark I tank
The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed by the British Army during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The Mark I entered service in August 1916, and was first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, of the Somme...
tanks.
The game includes a lot of information about the period: after each mission, historical facts about two months of wartime are displayed. The game was designed to be educational, starting with an animation depicting the Western Front in 1916
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, and a sequence showing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whose assassination in Sarajevo precipitated the Austrian declaration of war
Declaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
against Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
which triggered World War I. After completing each map the player receives information about the course of the war (the game is linear - it is impossible to change history). The information includes text and illustrations taken from contemporary newspapers, both on key historical events and on trivial domestic news such as sporting events. There are also some animations, such as a zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
on a bombing raid London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
.
Gameplay
Software engine
In computer science, a software engine refers to the core of a computer program. Software engines drive the functionality of the program, and are distinct from peripheral aspects of the program, such as look and feel.- Elucidation :...
very similar to the better known Battle Isle '93
Battle Isle series
Battle Isle is a series of turn-based tactics computer games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte Software. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.-Storyline:...
game. It is played on a hexagonal grid for a map. Both players act simultaneously on a split screen, each showing a part of a larger map. The turns are also divided into move and attack (order) phases. While one player moves his units, the other commands his own troops to carry out his actions.
The objective is to capture the enemy's headquarters building (while guarding your own); the victory can also be achieved by annihilating every unit the enemy controls. The maps have various features - different terrain types, as well as depots (to repair units) and factories (to produce) as buildings. Captured building may contain 'free' units. The units gain experience; however, this experience isn't carried over from mission to mission in campaign mode.
In addition to the 24 single-player campaign maps, there are 12 two-player maps.
The AI
Game artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
is relatively weak, relying on mass frontal assaults. After the 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.
Cultural influences
The designers specifically tried to avoid raising any controversy. Despite the setting being one of the most devastating wars known to mankind, Blue Byte, as a German company, developed Historyline to meet the restrictions of the depiction of violence in computer games which exist in that country; thus even the battlescene animations avoid excessive violence. Further, the game manual declared the designers' opposition to violence and warfare, and the manual as well as the game itself tried to avoid interpretation, relying on bare facts. The setting being set in the First rather than the Second World War reflects this, as World War II video games were still controversial at that time.The game was mildly successful, but although the name implied that there may be other 'history lines' and the designers speculated that they may go on to develop games set in pre-20th century conflicts, no such games were created, as Blue Byte decided to develop the more successful Battle Isle series
Battle Isle series
Battle Isle is a series of turn-based tactics computer games developed in the 1990s by Blue Byte Software. The settings are wars on a fictional planet, Chromos.-Storyline:...
.