Darkwind-War On Wheels in open beta

dark-wind

We're currently in open beta -- Dark-wind is a turn-based persistent multiplayer car combat game.

www.dark-wind.com



Currently running race leagues and one-off races every weekend, weapons and combat will be arriving very soon.

Parapsycho

This game is really cool. I've played both this and AutoAssault, and I have to say I like this better.

Yeah, it's turn based, but the Developer (i believe it's only one guy, which is incredible) really makes it work. The game is definately geared towards casual gamers. If you want fast paced vehicular mayhem, stick with AutoAssault. If you want a more laid back playing style with alot of strategy, go with DarkWind.

In the game, you manage a team (or 'gang') of characters. These can be anything from drivers to gunners to mechanics. You manage your gang from a web browser allowing you to recruit, train, and heal each member. There is no level grinding, which is a godsend. Almost everything except for the battles/races is done on the web in real time. Your members train in real-time, travel in real-time, and heal injuries in real time. For example, if a gang member fractures a bone in a race, it will take them weeks to heal. The developer told me of a member of his gang that was in a coma for a month. Combat definately has some risk in the game, which is another welcome feature.

The gameplay itself is rather fun. Everyone starts at the starting line, and sets the speed they want their car to max out at. Then gameplay advances in turns, each one representing 1 second of the event. The players have 30 seconds to steer their car and re-adjust their speeds. Steering is done with a blue circle that surrounds your car. As you move the GUI steering wheel, a ghosted out car moves along the circle. The ghosted car represents where the car might be at the end of the next second. I say 'might', because the game uses a physics engine to calculate the forces affecting the vehicle. After everyone is done, the race moves foward 1 second, fully animated by the engine (Torque, in this case).

The only downside to the game right now is the lack of events, especially for users in the US. But, the game is still in the development stages, so I'm sure there will be more as it progresses.

It's not for everyone, but I like it, and I hope it succeeds.