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A Refreshing Entry Into A Very Cloned Genre

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 31 / 31
Date: September 16, 2001
Author: Amazon User

After the magnificence that was Starcraft, few good original RTS games have been released, most simply clones of that game, or the one other original and highly entertaining recent RTS, Commnand & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Both these games revolutionized RTS, but all others are bland copies in comparision. Then came Conquest: Frontier Wars (C:FW). This game is GREAT! What makes the game great? More than just having a variety of units, you'll actually USE most of these units. The new sector system is revolutionary! And the supply system brings in a whole new strategic element which must be taken into account.

1.Finally, a game where you need to build more than just 2 types of units!! Most RTSs are a simple race to get to the top of the research tree, then begin building the most powerful units before your opponent can build them. Not this game. Your fleets must be varied, or you'll see that wonderful fleet of nothing but Dreadnaughts massacred by a more varied fleet of Lancer Frigates, Battleships, Fleet Carriers, and Dreadnaughts. Keep your fleets varied!

2.This is how space battle should be! Not contrained by one map, but each battle can have up to 16 maps playable at the same time. Nothing beats using one fleet to attack one map, just to distract the opponent long enough to use the brunt of your forces on another sector which is your true target. The wormhole and sector system is intuitive and easy to use, and a great addition to the RTS genre.

3. In a real war, your unit would not have an infinite amount of bullets to fire. You would have to keep your units in supply, and C:FW manages to bring this reality to war, yet keeps it from being overwhelming. You simply keep your ships in the supply range of supply platforms in systems you own, and they stay in supply. When you begin an attack on a neighboring system, you must have built supply ships that will keep your units supplied until you can get a supply platform built in there. Of course, knowing this, your opponent will attack and destroy these ships first, hoping you run out of supplies. The strategic possibilites are endless! My only qualm about this is sometimes the action must be halted until you can replace supplyships which have been destroyed, or wait until your supply depot is built in order to advance. But this problem is minor, and won't deter you from playing.

I just wish all RTSs were this original and this much fun. This is a must buy!

An Epic Battle

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: September 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you are familiar with Star Trek Armada and Starcraft, imagine the two games combined into one. This is the best description of Ubisoft's new game Conquest. It combines the "feel" of Starcraft with the strategic elements of Star Trek Armada. Originally intended to be published by Microsoft, the project was dropped. This is why the multiplayer community is, at present, small.

However, the gameplay is very good, lacking only in the area of gameplay balance. Most players avoid the "insect" race which doesn't stack up well to the rest of the races. There are many innovative features in this game that include (semi-intelligent) admirals that command your fleet, supply lines, and most importantly multiple sectors. The terrans have the largest and most powerful capital ships while the more energy reliant Celareons rely more on upgrades and laser-type weapons. The previously mentioned Mantis (insect race) rely heavily on carriers, which from my experience, seem pretty weak.

Now players can fight wars through wormholes into multiple battle areas as opposed to the classic RTS role of a single screen. This has to be the best idea in the game. It adds a lot of strategy and depth. If you're looking for a good game with some new ideas and can handle a small multiplayer community, you should defintely check this out.

Note: There's a demo, go download that first. :)

The sleeper RTS hit of the year!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: October 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Fantastic. Along the lines of the classic Blizzard game Starcraft, Conquest:FW offers some of the best gamplay and new RTS features on the market. The problem is few have heard of this game. Well, I'm here to change that. Here is my breakdown, short and sweet:

Graphics 8.5
Gorgeous 3D placed over average 2D backgrounds. The space-scapes would be nicer if it was in a higher res. Rumor has it that a patch being released in the upcoming month will alter the background resolution. Incredible particle add a little razzle dazzle and make the space battles a sight to behold.

Sound 9
Voice acting is really good, esspecially compared to other games on the market. Weapon sound effects, explosions, and music are all really good. And the best part is the background music doesn't get old, like sooooo many other RTS games.

Gameplay 10
So, your a race of humans or aliens in space. The "Mantis" alien race is set on destroying earth and you are there to stop them, or be the mantis and carry out your goal. The interface is much like Command and Conquer or Cossacks, with point and click, weapons upgrades, buildings, and resource management. What adds a whole new twist to the genre is a very unique supply line feature. The maps are multi-tiered. Which means you can fully explore one space system and wormhole to another. This allows for endless possibilities. You must create a supply line to make sure your space navy, can maintain itself over the course of some times 9-10 systems. This multi-tiered system allows for a larger strategy element then most other RTS games provide.

And of course the bread and butter of the gameplay: Online Multiplayer. Nothing quite like playing online against people in random battles. While the preset single player missions are great nothing tops getting online and creating your spaced based empire and defending it against a bunch of friends (or enemy's :). The ability to customize the maps to the Nth degree make it even that much better.

Overall: 10 (or 5 in Amazon Speak)
Get this game now. You won't be dissappointed. All RTS fans rejoice! Innovation still exists in RTS apparently and this title will provide hours and hours of enjoyment.

Magnificent

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: December 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you haven't heard of this game, you're one of the majority. It was a long time in the development and it wasn't very well advertised at all. It really is a pity, too, because this is one of the best strategy games out there.

I first heard of this game through Amazon's recommendation, ironically enough, because I had purchased a more recent UBI Soft product- Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. Do NOT get that. Get this instead. Even if you're not a strategy fan and are an RPG fan, this game beats POR in every aspect related to fun. That said, this is a very excellent strategy game with a cool plot and incredible graphics. It was originally conceived by Wing Commander guru Chris Roberts, and it shows in the way the fleets fight (the Terrans are especially recognizable). As is the norm for such a production, the cinematics and briefings are very well done and quite funny from time to time.

As far as I know, this is the first strategy game in which you can fight on multiple maps at the same time. It's really something you need to experience yourself, and it definitely puts Conquest in a class of its own. The way you travel between maps is somewhat reminiscent of wormholes in Star Trek: Armada, though they actually send you to a completely different place rather than somewhere else on the same one. The resource model is similar to that of Starcraft- there's metal and gas, and command points (basically supply, or officers in Armada). Additionally, there's crew, which you need for new ships. All the resources are harvested from planets or debris fields, and you build sensor stations for more command points, which let you increase the number of your forces. The resource system is pretty unique, in that you use harvesters like in Command & Conquer, but you can also just sit and mine up planets if you'd rather do that. Of course, it doesn't hurt to do both.

The units in the game are diverse, yet the three races are very well balanced. Conquest is remarkable in this aspect, as each of the races are fundamentally different but can be played to an equally effective degree. For example, Terrans use metal more than anything else, while the Mantis (the typical alien bug invaders) emphasize crew, and the Celareons love to burn gas.

When I got Star Trek: Armada, I thought the graphics were absolutely amazing. Well, Conquest looks much better, without a shade of a doubt. You can zoom in to see the remarkable detail- turrets swivel, fighters dogfight, and exploding ships send out showers of debris. It's really quite a nice game just for the artistic aspect of it. The computer generated characters that brief you are also nicely done, and actually manage to convey a sense of personality. The only thing I didn't like about the graphics was the nebulae and debris fields- they're too squarish. It would have been perfect if they had done a little polishing on that part.

The single player missions are really quite fun, and should keep you occupied for some time. It's a more or less straightforward alien invader plot, but the briefings make it quite engrossing, and the story does take some interesting twists. If you're not a multiplayer person, you won't be disappointed by Conquest.

As for stability issues, Conquest has a few problems. It tends to freeze or crash when you start a new game, but if you get past the first ten seconds it's usually fine. Sometimes you might experience a freeze ingame, which I have noticed usually coincides with when one of the talking heads pops up. Save often to avoid losing your progress.

All in all, this game is WELL worth the cost, especially if you're a strategy gamer. It has all the aspects of a good RTS, and some that are quite revolutionary. If anything, it also deserves high marks for style and polish. Definitely worth checking out.

A Sleeper

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: January 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When this game came out, the pictures I saw of the game made me think it was kind of hokey so I ignored it. Two weeks ago, I saw a copy of it for sale at a retailer and picked it up and checked it out. That afternoon, I went on Amazon.com and read the reviews. The reviews convinced me to give it a try. I bought it and it was terrific. Best space game I've seen in quite a while and there was nothing hokey about it. Its a good single/multiple player game playable at home or on the net. The graphics were great and very innovative. I was so impressed that I just bought a second copy of the game to give to a friend. Top of the line. Problem free. A lot of work went into this game and it shows.

Prepare for war...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: March 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Quite simply, there is no better feeling than seeing a fleet of two dozen of Earth's fine warships shoot out of a wormhole and advance at full speed for an alien planet. Mantis carriers are revealed comeing around the planet, launching fighters and hiding behind their screen of frigates. The terrans launch fighters, and the battleships and dreadnoughts turn sideways to deliver a full broadside of laser bolts. Missile cruisers spew scores of guided missiles that slam into the frigates, as the terrans scream past. Unfortunately, the Mantis rally and avoid the terran fleet and target the three suplly ships trailing behind, which are destroyed. More mantis ships arrive and the terrans fire broadside after broadside... It is a lost cause, as without resupply, the terran ships are forced to run for the wormhole one by one. As the ships pull from formation, they are swarmed and destroyed, in a matter of minutes, the dominant fleet is a field of debris that marks the resting place of a commander's hopes. Facing little resistance, the Mantis pass through the wormhole into the terran's base system where they destroy the terran platforms one by one. Thus ends a battle in Conquest Frontier Wars. A fleet is launched, supply ships sent and a wormhole breached, a battle fought in an effort to claim a planet, and the destruction of the terrans when their supplies run low, this is Conquest Frontier Wars, any questions?

It took a long time! Conquest: Get It Published!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: August 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Maybe not everyone knows that it took the programmers (originaly Erin Roberts!!) a long time to get this game finaly published! After it was already completed months ago, Microsoft denied to publish it, because "It looks not good enought to release under our label"!! Month after month we heared no good news: Will the game ever get a publisher? But finaly UBI Soft decided to release this fine real-time-strategic game! Many thanks to them! I also played the DEMO-Version several hours, and there is only one thing I can say about it: GO AND GET IT! Nice rendering, nice units (Obvisualy you can only play the HUMANS in the DEMO :) Finaly I'm realy hot to get it as soon as possible, even with a order in the States - because the release date in GERMANY is on 10th of October!!!!!! Let have also a look on ....

A great game that many will enjoy!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: July 16, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Conquest Frontier Wars is a great game! It has prooven ideas and techniques, as well as new ones that really make this game unique. Think of it as 4X meets RTS. The three races greatly resemble the Starcraft races not only in looks, but in the technology they use. But other than that, the races are unique from each other, yet well balanced. The graphics in this game are phenominal! Although not completely 3D, the Starfields, asteroid belts, planets, nebulae, etc. are very well done. The ships look even better. They are incredibly detailed, from the rotating laser turrets on the Terran battleships, to the Celearon's beautiful shine. The weapons are very believe not only technology wise, but looks to.

Raings: (1-10)

Graphics: 9
The graphics are beautiful, no aspect has been overlooked. The reason it isn't a 10 is that the ships, even on high reselution, aren't perfectly rendered on the edges, making them slightly jagged.

Sounds: 8
Most of the sound effects are very realistic and really draw you in. The weapon sounds fit perfectly in the battles, and each are unique, you can tell which ships are fireing. The main thing I don't like, is the way the mantis talk. Although cute at first, they get very annoying very quickly.

Gameplay: 10
The traditional RTS and 4X style games merge perfectly to create a game that will give you many hours of fun. The campain is only for terrans, but there is "training" for the other races. The multiplayer system works well, but few people have given this game a chance, so they are only a few people on at a time.

Replayability: 10
With 3 unique races, a great AI, multiplayer capability, and many ways to play the game, Conquest: Frontier Wars will give you so much fun for your money.

This is a great game and is greatly overlooked, so if you have [$$$] lying around, you can pick up a copy of this game like I did and enjoy one of the best computer games to date. But if you want to fully enjoy the game, be prepared to download the
40 Meg (est) patch. But trust me. It's worth it.

Strategy and FUN

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: May 23, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you like games like Age of Empires and Alpha Centauri, you'll love Conquest: Frontier Wars.

What sets Conquest apart from other games I've played:

Use generals to command groups of units -- this saves you from having to micromanage each and every unit. Think of your generals as vice presidents and delegate! You can focus more on the overall campaign. Each general has different strengths/weaknesses, so part of the strategy is to station the general and his/her fleet to play to the general's strengths. For example, one of the generals has an attack bonus against the Mantis. So, if you are in a position where you are open to attack from the Mantis from only one wormhole, you can station that general & fleet nearby. If a general gets killed, you don't get him/her back, so watch out.

Suppy routes: this is definitely a new strategic dimension -- you have to "watch your rear". It makes you think strategically about the map as you invade neighboring systems. Also, invading fleets need to bring supplies along, you can attack these to weaken forces attacking you. Going after their heavy armor and not the supply ships could be your demise!

During battles, you can activate special powers for your heavy units for tactical advantage. Each type of heavy ship has a different special power.

All in all, lots of enjoyable fun. The AI is challenging in single player games. Alien races are well thought out -- well balanced and challenging. Highly recommended!

Conquest, it be good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: August 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Having downloaded the demo I find myself waiting in earnest for the release of the game. Without any instructions or tutorial level the learning curve in the demo was kind of high, it took me quite a few hours to finally figure out how everything worked. This is for sure the next awesome rts to hit the shelves I, with the inclusion of admirals to help out micromanagement this game has hit a new high in design.

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