Da Blizzard begyndte at trække i land med hensyn til lade Warcraft 3 være en ligelig blanding mellem et rolle- og strategispil, troede mange, at der ingen RPG-elementer ville være overhovedet. Det passer heldigvis ikke.
GameSpot fik fornyligt den nyeste udviklingsudgave af Warcraft 3 demonstreret hos Blizzard af Bill Roper. Den fremvisning har resulteret i et 5-siders preview, der fortæller om spillets flotte animationer og holdning til heroes, men vigtigst af alt slår fast, at de famøse RPG-elementer bestemt ikke har forladt Warcraft 3. Det var ellers den generelle consensus blandt spiljournalister og fans, da Blizzard tidligere på året trak i land med hensyn til de storslåede planer om verdens første Role-playing Strategy Game (RPS), som for første gang blev præsenteret på ECTS i ’99.
RPS-trommernes rytme dikterer ikke længere
Blizzards RPS-trommerne dikterer godt nok ikke længere rytmen for Warcraft 3s fokus, men den revolutionerende musik de lagde op til har ikke spillet for døve ører. Bill Roper forklarede GameSpot hvordan spillet stadigvæk vil lade spillerne træffe RPG-agtige valg, der vil få direkte konsekvenser på gameplayet i stedet for bare være til pynt:
Roper brought a human force to an orc camp. The objective was an orc stronghold that sat at a river’s edge. One way to get in was through the main land entrance, which of course was guarded by numerous troops. Another way in was through a back door, basically the drawbridge that connected the stronghold to the land on the other side of the river. However, this drawbridge was locked with a key. Roper said that you would be free to make a suicidal run through the main defenses, but you could also try to find the key to lower the bridge and go through the back door.
However, to do that, you would have to kill a tauren guard near the drawbridge. He might have a note on him indicating that a caravan with the means to enter through the drawbridge is on the way to deliver supplies to the orc town. At that point, you’d have to intercept the caravan. But once you got there, you would see that a pack of harpies had ambushed the caravan, and so you would have to kill them to get the key. Then you could return to the drawbridge and lower it to gain entrance to the town. And in a further nod to the choices you’re given in typical role-playing games, once you attack the orcs, the orc warlord might call for a truce, saying that the undead pose a greater threat to both of you. Then you could decide to press the attack or withdraw.
Så det bliver ikke med Warcraft 3 at rollespil- og strategi-genrerne endeligt smelter fuldstændigt sammen, men vi får da trods alt en smagsprøve på at det godt kan lade sig gøre at blande de to, og det er heller ikke så ringe endda.
Links: GameSpots Warcraft 3 preview, Forklaring på den nye tolkning af RPS

























