Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy
| Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Massive Entertainment High Voltage Software |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra On-Line |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Real-time tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy is a 2000 expansion pack to the real-time tactics video game Ground Control. Developed by Massive Entertainment and High Voltage Software, it was first announced in August 2000[2] by Sierra Studios. Later in October that year, Sierra further announced that the pack would be included free for new purchases of the original game, the decision having been made to add extra incentive to buying it; existing owners were also entitled and merely needed to apply via online form, also included as a hard copy in specially-marked boxes.[3]
The largest additions are an entirely new faction, the Phoenix Mercenaries, and a 15-mission single-player campaign that expands on the original storyline. Other changes include extra multiplayer maps, a few more units for the existing factions and more terrain types. Also of note are the changes in the
Plot
The campaign begins a few months after the events of the original, with Major Sarah Parker and her comrades looking to get a way off the planet Krig-7b, on which they are stuck. Battling through Order of the New Dawn stragglers and newly arrived Crayven Corporation forces, the initial missions focus on getting deep space communications working, at the end of which Deacon Jared Stone is apparently killed. Sarah avenges his death, but feels the situation is lost as the communications array was also destroyed.
Help arrives in the unlikely form of an Order the New Dawn battlecruiser that suddenly drops out of hyperspace and destroys its Crayven counterpart. The cruiser then dispatches dropships to the planet surface for Sarah and company.
The onboard superior,
After an eventful campaign across three different planets, Major Parker and her new allies finally destroys the Second Dawn and slay its leader, only to be engaged in a new adventure: Amongst the spoils of war, Major Parker finds an imprisoned Enrica Hayes, former director of Crayven forces on Krieg-7b and an antagonist of the original video game. In exchange for her life and freedom, Enrica Hayes reveals that Deacon Stone is still alive and is being held in a prison facility at Calliope's moon.
Major Parker and her mercenary forces invade Calliope's moon in an attempt to liberate Stone. Cardinal Balor and her forces, who want Stone killed for treason take this opportunity to invade at the same time. Thus, a three-sided battle between Crayven Corporation, Order of the New Dawn and Phoenix mercenaries takes place, during which Major Parker rescues Stone. Cardinal Balor herself enters the combat zone but is killed.
In a short scene that takes place afterwards, it is revealed that the mysterious "dark conspiracy" was simply a lie invented by a mysterious person called "M" who has mysterious agendas. The game ends abruptly in a cliffhanger.
The Phoenix Mercenaries
The game manual gives them a brief background and history. They are Crayven outcasts that were relocated to the planet Crim-12, former employees that dissented the corporate structure. The planet had already been mined thoroughly before and was considered worthless in that sense. Left to themselves, the outcasts built a new society using scavenged parts, seized from leftover Order and Crayven holdings.
Others sick of Crayven also joined them, and soon they grew large enough to draw the attention of their original company. Rather than risk hostility, a deal was worked out: Crayven would leave them in peace, and they in turn would take mercenary contracts. The lack of
Within the game, their ground vehicles are
Gameplay
Although their units largely parallel their counterparts, their unique ones are of note. For instance, their Plasma Grenadiers are the only infantry equipped with a mortar-like weapon. Their artillery unit also operates differently; Crayven and Order artillery both fire in bursts of three, while theirs fires one at a time. Although not as quick at destruction, the more regulated firing rate allows for faster target changes.
Additionally, they are the only faction with an aircraft choice that can effectively take on both air and ground targets (excluding infantry), the Swarm. Visually, each squad consists of six very tiny aircraft, each individually weak. The Swarm as per its namesake works best when the squads are clustered into large groups, allowing for massive guided missile barrages.
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 77/100[4] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 7.9/10[5] |
| GameZone | 8.5/10[6] |
| IGN | 8/10[7] |
The game received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[4]
References
- ^ "GameSpot: PC News: Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy Now Available". 21 February 2002. Archived from the original on 21 February 2002. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ Walker, Trey (31 August 2000). "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy Announced". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ Walker, Trey (18 October 2000). "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy for Free". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ Kasavin, Greg (5 January 2001). "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ Lafferty, Michael (2 January 2001). "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy Review - PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on 23 July 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ Adams, Dan (17 January 2001). "Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy". IGN. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
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