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Company of Heroes
Developer(s)	Relic Entertainment
Publisher(s)	THQ
Designer(s)	Josh Mosqueira
Engine	Essence Engine Havok (Physics Engine)
Version	2.400
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	NA September 12, 2006 PAL September 29, 2006
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 15 ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ PEGI: 18+
Media	DVD, Steam
System requirements	* CD-ROM: 8X CD-ROM CPU: 2.0 GHz Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP or equivalent Hard Drive Space: 6.5 GB DVD-ROM: 8X DVD-ROM RAM: 512 MB RAM Video Card: DirectX 9.0c 64 MB VRAM with Pixel Shader 1.1

Company of Heroes is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Relic Entertainment. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label. A standalone expansion, Opposing Fronts, was released on September 25, 2007. A second standalone expansion, Tales of Valor is set to be released in April 2009.

Company of Heroes is set during World War II where the player commands two U.S. military units during the Battle of Normandy and the Allied capture of France. Depending on the mission, the player controls either the Able Company or Fox Company, the latter being from the 101st Airborne, and the former being part of the 29th Infantry Division.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Resources 1.2 Buildings 1.3 Factions 1.3.1 Allies 1.3.2 Axis 1.4 Multiplayer 1.5 Game modes 1.5.1 Victory Point Control 1.5.2 Annihilation 2 Story 2.1 Single player campaign 2.1.1 D-Day 2.1.2 Battle of Carentan 2.1.3 Battle of Cherbourg 2.1.4 Operation Cobra 2.1.5 Operation Lüttich 2.1.6 Falaise Pocket 2.2 Distinguished characters 3 Development 3.1 Game engine 4 Reception 4.1 Reviews 4.2 Awards 5 Expansions 5.1 Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts 5.2 Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Resources

The resource management in Company of Heroes retains micromanagement details such as reinforcing troops, which has the effect of creating a more tactical RTS experience.

Players must take control of certain points on the map. The more of these points a player controls, the more resources they acquire. This concept demands constant expansion of a player's territory. These points are connected like supply lines, and so, during the course of a battle a player can capture one point in the supply line, isolating the rest which had been connected to the base through it, therefore severely reducing the enemy's resource intake.

Players collect three resources: manpower, munitions, and fuel. Manpower is necessary to produce all units. Munitions allows players to upgrade individual squads or vehicles and use special abilities. Fuel allows players to purchase tanks and other vehicles, as well as global upgrades. The player can decide, at a manpower cost, to place observation posts on his resource points in order to increase his production and make them more durable against enemy takeovers, which means sacrificing resources in the short-term for a greater long-term intake. Resource points must also be connected as any unconnected captured points can not produce resources.

Game units generally require a sizable amount of resources to produce. This separates Company of Heroes from other games in the RTS genre, where large amounts of massed units are a common sight.

[edit] Buildings

Units can occupy a building and convert it into field barracks, allowing certain units or squads to be created by that building.

Medic stations can also be built on the field that house medics, who can recover fallen soldiers from the battlefield and return them to the medic station. When enough soldiers are recovered by medics (4 for Germans and 6 for American), the medic station will provide a free squad at no expense of manpower.

Infantry units can also occupy buildings and use them as cover or a garrison to protect against attack, but this limits their firing range because the infantry are a stationary, immobile target, rendering them vulnerable to sniper fire and easy to surround. Also, while garrisoned, infantry units can only shoot out of windows or holes blown into a building. Certain weapons are immensely effective against units holed up in a building; satchel charges or infantry-carried rocket launchers can demolish a building, tank fire can blast the building, and infantry or tanks armed with flamethrowers can literally set the building on fire and burn out the occupants. However, there are advantages; infantry are well protected from small arms and most buildings are sturdy enough to stand up to limited tank fire before collapsing. Also, mildly related to the subject of buildings collapsing, Company of Heroes was one of the first WWII strategy games which introduced dynamic building destruction which took advantage of the physics engine used to make the game, for example, if a tank was concentrating it's fire on one position of a building near the bottom, then the whole building (once its "health" was completely depleted) would collapse in that specific area first and then the rest of the building would follow.

Occupied buildings can be destroyed after taking fire from enemy units or any other attack, like artillery fire or demolition charges. Civilian buildings cannot be repaired or rebuilt. However, both the Allied and German forces can construct garrisonable buildings (the Allies can build a .30 caliber machine gun nest, while the Germans can construct bunkers).

The Americans can build a barracks and weapons support center to deploy infantry (foot soldiers), a motor pool and tank depot for tanks, vehicles and anti-tank guns. The triage center can heal nearby units that have been wounded from enemy fire. A supply yard is also required to be built before building a motor pool or tank depot which enables upgrades to reduce costs of infantry and tanks.

The Germans can build a variety of structures. The Wehrmacht quarters, Krieg barracks and Sturm armory lets players create infantry. Krieg Barracks and Sturm Armory can build light vehicles and other infantry, while the Sturm Armory and the Panzer Command deploys German tanks at the player's disposal.

The Germans can also build Kampkraft Centre(s) in order to increase veterancy levels.

[edit] Factions

[edit] Allies

Represented by the Americans, this faction boasts cheap, versatile units. Veterancy is earned through the act of combat; units gain veterancy as they kill more and more enemy units and buildings. American infantry units are more numerous than their Wehrmacht counterparts, but are generally less effective in a straight fight, and rely on upgrades and abilities to gain the edge in a fight. American vehicles and tanks, while lacking in raw power, are generally faster and capable of various support tasks, such as clearing mines or providing a smoke screen.

Doctrines:

• Infantry Company: Centered around defence and infantry support, this doctrine allows players to train infantry and build defences faster, employ heavy artillery, and call in reinforcements such as the powerful US Army Rangers.
• Airborne Company: Centered around paratroopers and air support, this doctrine allows players to deploy paratroopers, call in recon planes, and enjoy the destructive capabilities of the P47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber.
• Armor Company: Centered around vehicles and armour support, this doctrine is slow to gain, but boast powerful abilities, such as improved vehicle production, and the mighty M26 Pershing heavy tank.

[edit] Axis

Represented by the German Wehrmacht, this faction employs a wider range of units than the Americans. Wehrmacht units are generally more expensive and powerful, but also more rigid and ill-equipped beyond their intended roles. For the Wehrmacht, veterancy is not earned, but "bought" at their Kampfkraft Centre. Wehrmacht infantry range from simple Volksgrenadier militia to elite Knight's Cross Holders. Their armour, likewise, also gives players the choice between inexpensive Panzer IVs or powerful Panthers. Their force is rounded out by a few more specialised tanks and powerful support units such as Officers and Nebelwerfer rocket batteries.

Doctrines:

• Defensive Doctrine: Centered around artillery and defence, this doctrine allows base structures to defend themselves, offers bonuses for defending infantry, and allows players to call in rocket barrages and deploy powerful Flak 88 cannons.
• Blitzkrieg Doctrine: Centered around speed and offensive operations, this doctrine allows players to speed up their military and economy, and allows players to deploy powerful assault units such as rugged Stormtroopers and the famous Tiger I.
• Terror Doctrine: Centered around psychological warfare and destructive power, this unusual doctrine provides players with die-hard infantry and the ability to rout the enemy, be it with propaganda, devastating V1 rockets, or a single, powerful Tiger II.

[edit] Multiplayer

For Company of Heroes, Relic began using a new online gaming system called Relic Online. Previous Relic games used GameSpy Arcade or World Opponent Network services. This new system includes many features that the previous systems did not have, including a built in automatch and ranking system.

This game allows multiplayer matches of 2-8 players via LAN or the Internet.

Company of Heroes allows players to fight as both the Allied and Axis forces in multiplayer matches.

[edit] Game modes

[edit] Victory Point Control

Victory Point Control games have several victory points around the middle of the map. These victory points can be captured similarly to strategic points. When one side has more victory points under their control than another, the other side's "points" start to decrease. When one side runs out of points, they lose. Alternatively, the player can simply destroy all enemy structures to win the game. Before the start of the game, the host can choose between 250, 500, or 1000 points. The point function in Company of Heroes works much like the ticket feature in the Battlefield (series).

[edit] Annihilation

Annihilation games lack the victory points of the Victory Point Control game mode. To win, the player needs to destroy all enemy buildings excluding Observation Posts.

Also, infantry and vehicles do not need to be destroyed in order to win Annihilation.

[edit] Story

[edit] Single player campaign

The single player campaign puts the player directly in some of the major American operations during the Battle of Normandy.

[edit] D-Day

The game begins with Able Company's assault at Omaha Beach during the D-Day of Operation Overlord. Able must first breach the seawall, then take out German bunkers overlooking the beach, and finally disable the four 88 mm Flak 36 anti-air guns. The game also introduces two of the game’s major characters: Captain Mackay and Sergeant Conti. This mission seems to very closely relate to the way Steven Spielberg directed his interpretation of the D-Day landings in Saving Private Ryan,^{[original research?]} for example, the over-the-shoulder shots of the MG42 gunners on top of the cliffs near the bunkers and the scenes where they use the Bangalore torpedoes to great effect, and additionally some scenes of Sergeant Conti and Captain McKay clearing the bunkers.

[edit] Battle of Carentan

The next three missions are about Fox Company and their actions during the capture and defense of Carentan. On the night before D-Day, Fox Company must first regroup after the chaotic airdrops at Vierville, then disrupt enemy operations in rear areas by opening new drop zones and preventing the Germans from reinforcing the beaches.

After D-Day, Fox Company is then tasked to capture the city of Carentan to secure a link between Utah Beach and Omaha beach and to defend it against ferocious German counterattack. Though constantly bombarded by artillery, Fox Company is eventually relieved when 2nd Armored arrives at the city and the link between Utah and Omaha beach is finally secure.

[edit] Battle of Cherbourg

Able and Dog Company form the spearhead of the Allied advance to secure Cherbourg and its deep water port. En route to Cherbourg, Allied supply route is threatened by elements of the Panzer Lehr division commanded by Hauptmann Schultz, and Dog Company is ambushed in the process. Able Company manages to drive the Germans back and defend the supply route for the "Red Ball Express" to pass through, but by doing so Able Company also becomes the nemesis of the Panzer Lehr division and Captain Schultz for the rest of the campaign.

With the flank secure, the Allies continue to advance onto Cherbourg. Able and Dog Company, supported by the 4th Cavalry and the USS Texas, are tasked with capture of the port facilities. Although Able Company successfully subdues the German defenders and captures thousands of prisoners, the port has been badly damaged and is unusable to the Allies.

However, after the battle, Able Company found documents from an Axis bunker which shows a V-2 Rocket launch site near Sottevast. Fox Company has been called in to conduct an airborne assault on the V2 facility, while elements of Able Company rush to the site with armor support.

[edit] Operation Cobra

American forces begin to approach the city of St. Lo and Able Company is arriving from the north. German defenders at St. Fromond hope to stop Able Company’s advance by blowing up the only bridge leading into the town. Able Company repaired the bridge under fire from across the river, and drove the Germans out of the town. German defenders regroup and organized several counterattacks with rocket battery support, but all assaults against Able Company are thrown back with heavy casualties.

Charlie Company is destroyed by the defending Panzer Lehr division under the command of Captain Shultz, while attempting to secure Hill 192 at the outskirt of St. Lo. Able Company is assigned to take the hill. Hedgerows around the hill and hidden flak 88 batteries provided formidable defensive position against the Allies, but Able Company managed to break through by employing bulldozer equipped Sherman tanks to plow through the hedgerows and flank the Germans.

German defenders at St. Lo decide to hold out against American forces by heavily fortifying the city center, but Able Company planned to surround and trap the German defenders at the city center rather than a head-on assault. Although the operation is successful, some German units, including the Panzer Lehr division, manage to escape destruction. Able Company call in the 8th Air Force in response and the escaping Germans units suffered heavily due to carpet bombing.

Badly reduced and under constant air attack, the shattered Panzer Lehr division is being chased by American forces, and Able Company managed to intercept what is left of the division at Hébécrevon. A raid is conducted with fast moving M10 tank destroyers against the Panzer Lehr division's positions, and almost all of Panzer Lehr division's armor strength, including the last 7 surviving Panther tanks, are completely wiped out. However, during the course of the mission, Captain MacKay is killed by the Tiger I under the personal command of Captain Schultz.

[edit] Operation Lüttich

After losing their commander, newly promoted Lieutenant Conti is taking command of Able Company. Able Company is taking a break from the war, and has been reassigned to Mortain to relieve Dog Company at Hill 317. Unfortunately, on that night, Mortain becomes the focal point of a German counterattack against recent American successes. Surprised and outnumbered, Able Company is forced to hold the hill until reinforcements can arrive in the morning.

Dog Company arrives the following morning with armor support and Able Company begin to dig in and consolidate their positions. German forces renew the counterattack in force after their surprise night attack has failed to take the hill, but all attempts are beaten back. Able Company successfully force the Germans to retreat after inflicting heavy losses, including the destruction of a Flak 88 battery.

[edit] Falaise Pocket

The last section of the single player campaign deals with the destruction of German forces in France. After suffering a string of defeats, the German army is forced to retreat in order to avoid encirclement. Allied forces are racing to trap the German army before it can escape. Baker Company is assigned to shut down one of the escape routes at Autry, but Captain Schultz's Panzergruppe, which escaped the destruction of the Panzer Lehr division, annihilates them. Able Company rushes to the scene with M26 Pershing support and destroys Captain Schultz's Panzer Gruppe in return. Captain Schultz's Tiger is among those tanks destroyed in the battle, and Captain MacKay's death has been avenged.

Chambois becomes the German Seventh Army's last hope for escaping the Falaise Pocket. With heavy air cover, Canadian, Polish and American forces, led by Able Company, secure all bridges around Chambois and close the Falaise Pocket. The German Seventh Army attempts to break free, but they are met with heavy aerial bombardment and are forced to surrender.

The campaign ends with the caption that Able Company had suffered 80% casualties at the end of World War II.

[edit] Distinguished characters

• Captain Sam MacKay

The commander of Able Company. He appears to be an Army Ranger by his character model, although he commands a regular infantry company. He is killed by Hauptmann Schultz as revenge, when Able Company successfully obliterated his unit after the battle of St. Lo. He seems to be based on the Tom Hanks character in the film Saving Private Ryan, Captain Miller.

• Lieutenant Joe Conti

Served as the of Able Company under Captain MacKay, and is a close friend to MacKay ever since boot camp. He is revealed to be the game's narrator. He is almost killed alongside Captain MacKay. Lieutenant Conti commands Able Company for the rest of the game. Joe Conti lives through the war.

• Joseph Gunter "Ace" Schultz

A German tank captain commanding the Tiger Ace from the Panzer Lehr division. He serves as the personal antagonist of Able company. He commands the Panzer-Gruppen (tank groups) that attack the Red Ball Express, where his unit first met Able Company and are badly beaten. Suffering from heavy losses, he watches Captain MacKay from afar while his unit is busy retreating. He later crosses path with Able Company while commanding the forces defending St. Lo, but managed to escape encirclement by Able Company. He kills Captain MacKay when his unit is destroyed while retreating from Hèbècrevon, and Able Company later conducts their revenge on Schultz while his 152nd Tigergruppe (a group of German Tiger tanks) is being destroyed at Autry.

[edit] Development

[edit] Game engine

Company of Heroes is Relic's first title to make use of the "Essence Engine". This engine was designed and coded from scratch by Relic in order to make use of special graphical effects, including high dynamic range lighting, dynamic lighting & shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping.

COH is rendered in 3D with intricate detailing on the infantry, vehicles and structures while still retaining a solid frame-rate, without, Relic claims, the need for a high-end gaming system. It claims that there are nearly 2,000 different animations for a basic infantry unit alone.

Company of Heroes also utilizes the Havok physics engine, giving it a more realistic physics system than previous RTS games. Parts of buildings can be destroyed by grenades, satchels or mortars, and tanks can drive through sections of walls or other barriers. Smoke created from explosions is programmed to behave as realistically as possible and can even be influenced by wind. Debris is also influenced by explosions; a blast can send barrels flying and shower troops in dirt, whilst leaving behind a large crater. When infantry are bombarded by artillery, body parts sometimes detach and are dispersed over, and some units are thrown about in the immediate area. Bridges and buildings can be destroyed by engineers using demolitions.

On May 29, 2007 Relic released a patch for Company of Heroes that included a new DirectX 10 rendering mode with enhanced terrain, additional world objects, and improved shadows and lighting. This patch made Company of Heroes the first commercial video game to support Direct3D 10.

[edit] Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 94%[2] Metacritic 93%[1]
Review scores Publication Score 1UP.com A+[3] ActionTrip 9.3/10[4] Eurogamer 10/10[5] GameSpot 9.0/10[6] GameSpy [7] GamesRadar 10/10[8] IGN 9.4/10[9]
Awards Entity Award IGN (2006)PC Game of the Year[10] GameSpy (2006)PC Game of the Year[11]

[edit] Reviews

The game received highly positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 94% based on 61 reviews^[12] — making it the third highest rated game of 2006 and highest rated PC game of 2006. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 93 out of 100, based on 55 reviews — considered "universal acclaim" by the site.^[13] Currently, it is one of the highest-rated real-time strategy games.

[edit] Awards

• PC Gamer: Game of the Year 2006
• Computer Games Magazine: Game of the Year 2006
• GameSpy: PC Game of 2006, Best Sound, Best PC Strategy Game, Best PC Multiplayer
• GameSpot: Best PC Game 2006^[14], Best Strategy Game^[15]
• IGN: PC Game of 2006^[16], Best PC Strategy Game^[17], Best Use of Sound on PC^[18], Best Online PC game^[19]
• Game Critics Awards: Best Strategy Game
• GameSpot: 2005 Best PC Game of Show; Best Strategy Game of Show; Best Overall Game of Show^[20]
• IGN: Runner-up, Best Strategy Game (PC), Runner-up, Technological Excellence (PC)
• GameSpy: Best of E3
• Interactive Achievement Awards: Strategy Game of the Year

[edit] Expansions

[edit] Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is a standalone expansion pack. It contains two factions; the British and the German Panzer Elite. Owners of Opposing Fronts will be able to play against owners of Company of Heroes and vice versa, although only using the armies from the game they own. Owners of both games will be able to play all four armies in multiplayer. Opposing Fronts was officially announced on April 5, 2007^[21][22] and was released on September 24, 2007^[23].

[edit] Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is a standalone expansion pack. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor was officially announced on November 3, 2008 and is scheduled to be released April 8, 2009. Steam release date is set for April 9, 2009.^[24][25]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Company of Heroes Official Site

v • d • e Video games developed by Relic Entertainment Company of Heroes series Company of Heroes  • Opposing Fronts  • Tales of Valor • Online Homeworld series Homeworld  • Cataclysm  • Homeworld 2 Warhammer 40,000 series Dawn of War (Winter Assault  • Dark Crusade  • Soulstorm)  • Dawn of War II Other titles The Outfit  • Impossible Creatures Miscellaneous Relic Online  • Essence Engine