Software:Deadlock II: Shrine Wars

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Short description: 1998 video game
Deadlock II: Shrine Wars
Developer(s)Cyberlore Studios
Publisher(s)Accolade
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Release
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Deadlock II: Shrine Wars is a science fiction turn-based strategy video game developed by Cyberlore Studios and published by Accolade, released on February 23, 1998 as a sequel to Deadlock. The game allows the player to play as the leader of an alien species who controls colonies on a planet's surface.

Tommo purchased the rights to this game and digitally publishes it through its Retroism brand in 2015.[2]

Overview

Deadlock II: Shrine Wars features turn-based gameplay that takes place on a planet map that ranges from around 1 to 9000 tiles, each presenting a region, or area of building. Players take control of each territory by colonizing it with a "Colonizer" vehicle or taking it from another player through military conquest. Each territory consists of a six-by-six grid in which buildings can be placed. Like most strategy games, Deadlock II: Shrine Wars uses natural resources and credits to pay for new units and buildings. Colonists are assigned to buildings to generate resources and research. These new units and buildings are able to be created after their prerequisite technologies are researched.

Comparison to Deadlock: Planetary Conquest

As a sequel, the most notable features in Deadlock II are

  • A single-player campaign
  • A fully customized interface as opposed to the Windows desktop controls used in the original
  • Additional gameplay elements such as diplomatic alliances, more researchable technologies, more units, more buildings, and the ability to create a city on water.

Criticism

  • Aside from changes in the interface, Deadlock II uses exactly the same graphics from the first game.
  • No major changes in gameplay
  • No new species
  • The newer interface with its fixed (low) resolution and primitive graphics did not age well. Because the original game used desktop controls, its graphics actually appear cleaner on modern systems.
  • Deadlock II can be construed as a "deluxe" version of the original game rather than a proper sequel. Aside from the single-player campaign, which is little more than a collection of non-random scenarios, players who have already played out the original game have little more to see in this sequel.[original research?]

Species

Deadlock II: Shrine Wars features seven alien species each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The racial abilities are not as pronounced as they are in other strategy games such as Warcraft but can still greatly affect the way in which each species is played.

ChCh-t

The ChCh-t are a species of insect-beings resembling mantises and scorpions. They have a hive mind with most activity revolving around the queen of each individual hive. The ChCh-t excel in construction so units and buildings are produced faster. The ChCh-t produce colonists faster and their housing units hold twice as many colonists. They suffer from slow researchers and weak military units but all military units are faster. ChCh-t scouts can steal resources from enemy colonies.

Cyth

The Cyth are a species of humanoids. They are very in tuned to their psychic abilities, to the point where some Cyth no longer need to walk but use their psychic abilities to hover a few inches off the ground. This trait is enhanced by ingesting the juice of the egg sac of a spider from their home planet, which the Cyth do constantly through a face mask that almost all Cyth can be seen wearing. They are often regarded as “evil” which makes it difficult for them to form alliances with the other species. Their leader is identified as the Veil Lord. Their command corps can use a “Mind Blast” technique that mangles enemy units. Cyth scouts can poison enemy territories which cuts that territory's food production by half. Their morale is always fixed at 90%; this effectively prevents a tenth of the population from ever doing work, but enables the use of practices that would cause morale-lowering scandals with other species (such as oppressive taxation or black market dealings).

Maug

The Maug are a species (at least now) of half-living, half-machine humanoids. After having been forced off their home planet by the Cyth, Maug DNA was drastically altered by the radiation given off by the sun of their home in exile. This caused the entire Maug species to become sickly. Even newly born Maug suffered genetic disorders and diseases. Even the healthiest of the species suffer from a cold throughout most of their life. The Maug are a very technological species. They have designed special suits that help make up for their physical handicaps. These handicaps make their military units weak but they make up for it with the rapid production of all units and short research times. Maug scouts can sabotage enemy units and steal technology. Most Maug are constantly depressed which makes them very sensitive to morale changes.

Tarth

Tarth have evolved on Korga, a world extremely hostile to organic life, only one third the size of Jupiter. Thus, they are large (about 180 centimeters wide, height and weight not specified), lumbering behemoths with a thick, orange hide covered in scale-like plates. The modern Tarth society was founded by Guh, who started his life a warrior, and finished it an astronomer. Guh had been severely injured in battle and was preparing to die, when his gaze fell on one of the seven natural satellites of his planet – Tunt. As he watched, a volcano erupted on Tunt. Cloud formations visibly changed. Fascinated, Guh regained his will to live and limped back to his comrades. He later became a hermit and constructed his planet's first telescope, discovering life on Tunt. A few centuries later, Tarth mastered space travel and created a colony on Tunt. They made contact with the Cyth and helped them create the Quadra Alliance. A titanic statue of Guh can be found in the capital of the Tarth empire. The monument shows him impaled on a spear, watching the heavens through his telescope.

Tarth infantry, artillery, and defense fortifications all have attack bonuses. Their infantry units employ a juggernaut battle order that crumbles buildings quickly. Also Tarth farms produce high amounts of food. Tarth scouts make poor spies and are often caught. Their ships are also very weak and can sink easily.

Humans

The humans portrayed in Deadlock are the same physiologically as modern man, but more technologically advanced. As a result of a massive stock market crash, many were forced to leave Earth in search of wealth. The humans generate more in tax revenue than all the other species, but are more susceptible to Skirineen scandals. Their command corps can order a berserk command which will greatly multiply the strength of combat units in battle, but will kill them afterwards.

Re'lu

The Re'lu are a culturally advanced species (at least through their perspective) of light-green humanoids. The Re'lu are odd in that each member of the species is composed of two organisms: the Re'ites, or humanoid components; and the Luæ'ites, a brown beast that accompanies each Re'ite. The two organisms share a psychic bond, and the Re'ites are able to send distracting thoughts their way, which Lu'ites apparently enjoy. Their command corps have the ability to convert enemy units to their side during battle. They also have the ability to view enemy territories through ESP.

The Re'lu have a long-standing disdain for humans, who they view as culturally inferior. This came as a result to their initial visits to Earth as holograms and the violent reception they were given. Re'lu and humans enjoy arguing over things ranging from the most efficient way to govern to proper pet care.

Uva Mosk

The Uva Mosk are a species of shamanistic beings loosely resembling Humans. The leader of the Uva Mosk is called the Grand Hortus, who leads them on a path of harmony with the planet. Their ability to produce food is second only to the Tarth, but their production of other resources is the highest in the game. Their spies are very adept at camouflage, making them the best spies in the game.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings66%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGSPStarStar[5]
CGWStarStar[6]
Game Informer6/10[7]
GameRevolutionC−[9]
GameSpot7.2/10[8]
Next GenerationStarStarStar[10]
PC Gamer (US)77%[11]

The game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[3] Next Generation called it "a decent game, but unfortunately the addition of Net play and a new interface hardly seem to justify the release of a new product, or its purchase."[10]

References

  1. ↑ "ACCOLADE SHIPS DEADLOCK II: SHRINE WARS". February 23, 1998. http://www.accolade.com/noframes/press/022398Dead.htm. 
  2. ↑ "Purchase Agreement between Atari, Inc. and Rebellion Developments, Stardock & Tommo". July 22, 2013. http://docs.bmcgroup.com/Atari/nysb_1-13-bk-10176_313.pdf. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Deadlock II: Shrine Wars for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197069-deadlock-ii-shrine-wars/index.html. 
  4. ↑ Cirulis, Martin E. (March 10, 1998). "Deadlock II: Shrine Wars". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0%2C6%2C0-1549%2C00.html. 
  5. ↑ Chick, Tom (1998). "Deadlock II [Shrine Wars"]. Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/162/deadlock_2_review.html. 
  6. ↑ Carter, Tim (June 1998). "Trapped in Space (Deadlock II: Shrine Wars Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (167): 257. https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_167.pdf. Retrieved September 5, 2023. 
  7. ↑ Bergren, Paul (May 1998). "Deadlock II: Shrine Wars". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (61). 
  8. ↑ Krol, Scott R. (March 30, 1998). "Deadlock II: Shrine Wars Review [date mislabeled as "May 1, 2000""]. Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/deadlock-ii-shrine-wars-review/1900-2538549/. 
  9. ↑ Johnny B. (September 1998). "Deadlock 2 [sic Review"]. CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/33212-deadlock-2-review. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Deadlock II [Shrine Wars"]. Next Generation (Imagine Media) (43): 115. July 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_43/page/n115/mode/2up. Retrieved October 17, 2020. 
  11. ↑ Trotter, William R. (May 1998). "Deadlock II: The Shrine Wars [sic"]. PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (5). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/322.html. Retrieved October 17, 2020. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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