Difference between revisions of "Dark Reign: The Future of War"

Revision as of 22:57, 8 April 2024

Dark Reign
Dark Reign: The Future of War	1997
Dark Reign 2	2000

Dark Reign: The Future of War is a singleplayer and multiplayer top-down view RTS game in the Dark Reign series.

The game received The Rise of the Shadowhand expansion in March 1998.

General information

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
GOG.com		Includes 'The Rise of the Shadowhand' expansion. Uses GOG's custom DirectDraw wrapper as of 21 June 2022.

A free demo version is available from Archive.org.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
The Rise of the Shadowhand	Features two new sides, Xenite and Shadowhand along with a new campaign, new maps and terrains.

Essential improvements

Patches

The latest official patch is 1.4.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\TACTICS.CFG^{[Note 1]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\save^{[Note 1]}

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
GOG Galaxy

Video

In-game options.

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution		640x480 only.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Audio

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Sound effects, music
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French				Retail only.
German				Retail only; download for digital release.
Brazilian Portuguese				Retail only - Atlam Toys.
Latin American Spanish				Retail only.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		8
Online play		4	The official multiplayer server has been shut down.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Self-hosting

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	3

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Audio	Miles Sound System
Cutscenes	Smacker Video Technology

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	95
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 90 MHz
System memory (RAM)	16 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	110 MB
Video card (GPU)	1 MB of VRAM DirectX 3 compatible
Sound (audio device)	Creative SoundBlaster or 100%-compatible equivalent
Other	28.8 Kbps modem for multiplayer

Not compatible with Windows 3.1

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References

↑ Online Gaming Review - last accessed on 2024-03-31 (archived)

[gamedir-2] 1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[1] Online Gaming Review - last accessed on 2024-03-31 (archived)

[1]

[Note 1]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 {{Infobox game/row/engine|Tactics}}
 |release dates=
-{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|September 1997}}
+{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|September 17, 1997|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980615041130/http://www.ogr.com/news/news0997.html|title=Online Gaming Review|date=2024-03-31}} (archived)</ref>}}
 |taxonomy=
 {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack }}
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 |hltb         = 2216
 |strategywiki =
-|mobygames    = dark-reign-the-future-of-war
+|mobygames    = 1535
 |wikipedia    = Dark Reign: The Future of War
 |winehq       = 154
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 }}
-'''Key points'''
+{{Introduction
-{{++}} Very active modding community.
+|introduction      =
+|release history   = The game received '''''The Rise of the Shadowhand''''' expansion in March 1998.
+|current state     =
+}}
 '''General information'''
-{{mm}} [https://www.darkreignws.com/ Community site]
-{{mm}} [https://discord.gg/GhnQ4bT Community Discord server]
 {{GOG.com links|1207658904|dark_reign_series|for game series}}
 ==Availability==
 {{Availability|
-{{Availability/row| Retail | | unknown | | | Windows }}
+{{Availability/row| Retail | | disc | | | Windows }}
 {{Availability/row| GOG.com | dark_reign_expansion | DRM-free | Includes 'The Rise of the Shadowhand' expansion. Uses GOG's custom DirectDraw wrapper as of 21 June 2022. | | Windows }}
 }}
+{{ii}} A free demo version is available from [https://archive.org/details/DarkReignTheFutureofWar_1020 Archive.org].
 ==Monetization==
@@ Line 53: / Line 57: @@
 ==Essential improvements==
 ===Patches===
-* The latest official patch is [https://www.patches-scrolls.com/dark_reign.php 1.4].
+{{ii}} The latest official patch is [https://www.patches-scrolls.com/dark_reign.php 1.4].
-====[https://www.darkreignws.com/download Community Patch 1.8.2]====
-{{ii}} An community-made patch aims to fixs bugs and expanding the modability of '''Dark Reign'''.
-{{ii}} Come with the ''Evolution of Xenite'' mods pre-installed.
-{{++}} Restored content and critical bug fixes not found in the latest official patch.
-{{++}} Improved online multiplayer and modding support.
-{{Fixbox|description=Apply and play the community patch|fix=
-# Download the patch.
-# Go to <code>{{p|game}}</code> and paste all file from the community patch into the folder.
-# Run <code>DarkReignLauncher.exe</code> located at <code>{{p|game}}\launcher</code>.
-# Choose your games (and mods if added) from the launcher and start.
-}}
 ==Game data==
@@ Line 85: / Line 76: @@
 |epic games launcher       =
 |epic games launcher notes =
-|gog galaxy                = false
+|gog galaxy                = true
 |gog galaxy notes          =
 |origin                    =
@@ Line 123: / Line 114: @@
 |antialiasing               = n/a
 |antialiasing notes         =
+|upscaling                  = unknown
+|upscaling tech             =
+|upscaling notes            =
 |vsync                      = unknown
 |vsync notes                =
@@ Line 187: / Line 181: @@
 |closed captions          = false
 |closed captions notes    =
-|mute on focus lost       = true
+|mute on focus lost       = always on
 |mute on focus lost notes =
 |eax support              =
 |eax support notes        =
+|royalty free audio       = always on
+|royalty free audio notes =
 }}
@@ Line 207: / Line 203: @@
   |audio     = true
   |subtitles = false
-  |notes     =
+  |notes     = Retail only.
+ |fan       =
+}}
+{{L10n/switch
+ |language  = German
+ |interface = true
+ |audio     = true
+ |subtitles = false
+ |notes     = Retail only; [https://www.compiware-forum.de/downloads/file/993-dark-reign-german-patch/ download for digital release].
   |fan       =
 }}
@@ Line 214: / Line 218: @@
   |interface = true
   |audio     = true
-  |subtitles = unknown
+  |subtitles = false
-  |notes     = Retail - Atlam Toys.
+  |notes     = Retail only - Atlam Toys.
   |fan       =
 }}
@@ Line 223: / Line 227: @@
   |audio     = true
   |subtitles = false
-  |notes     =
+  |notes     = Retail only.
   |fan       =
 }}
@@ Line 238: / Line 242: @@
 |lan play modes       =
 |lan play notes       =
-|online play          = true
+|online play          = false
 |online play players  = 4
 |online play modes    =
-|online play notes    =
+|online play notes    = The official multiplayer server has been shut down.
 |asynchronous         =
 |asynchronous notes   =
@@ Line 284: / Line 288: @@
 |windows 32-bit exe     = true
 |windows 64-bit exe     = false
+|windows arm app        = unknown
 |windows exe notes      =
 |macos intel 32-bit app =
 |macos intel 64-bit app =
+|macos arm app          = unknown
 |macos app notes        =
 |linux 32-bit executable=
 |linux 64-bit executable=
+|linux arm app          = unknown
 |linux executable notes =
 }}
@@ Line 303: / Line 310: @@
 |input            =
 |input notes      =
-|cutscenes        = Smacker Video
+|cutscenes        = Smacker Video Technology
 |cutscenes notes  =
 |multiplayer      =
@@ Line 318: / Line 325: @@
 |minHD    = 110 MB
 |minVRAM  = 1 MB
+|minDX    = 3
 |minaudio = Creative SoundBlaster or 100%-compatible equivalent
+|minother = 28.8 Kbps modem for multiplayer
 }}
+{{--}}Not compatible with Windows 3.1
 {{References}}

Developers

	Auran
Publishers
	Activision
Engines
	Tactics
Release dates
Windows	September 17, 1997^[1]
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Top-down view
Controls	Multiple select, Point and select
Genres	RTS
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	Dark Reign