What is this game?

[RichardWhitely]

Dawn of War FAQ

Preamble

Dawn of War is a real-time strategy game in development by Relic Entertainment set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe and being published by THQ.

The report announcing the game can be read and discussed here, Relic's Dawn of War page can be found here, and the official Dawn of War website is here. Some explanation and discussion of what Warhammer 40,000 is can be seen in this thread.

The FAQ is now broken up into several sections, for ease of reading. New Questions highlights recently answered questions, or old questions where new information has just become available.

Information on units, structures, and much more can be found in the Liber Belli Oriani.

Gameplay addresses general gameplay questions, while Singleplayer and Multiplayer highlight questions of particular importance to those two areas. Lastly, Miscellaneous answers various things that donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t really fit in anywhere else.


Demos, Betas and Release dates

Currently, all we know is that the game is slated for release in Autumn 2004 (Fall 2004 for those of you in North America, Q4 2004 in international gibberish).

A demo is on the cards, but we donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t know when.


*** OPEN BETA SIGNUP - CLICK HERE ***



System Requirements

Currently, we only know the minimum system requirements. When we know recommended specifications this information will be posted here. However, as the game is currently undergoing optimisation, even Relic donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t know what the recommended specs will be (and if they do, they arenÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t telling us).

The minimum system requirements are as follows:

WindowsÃÆ'ââ,¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ,® 98/2000/XP/ME with Direct X 9.0b (included),
Pentium III, 1 GHz, 128 MB RAM (256 MB RAM for Windows XP).
DirectX 9.0b compatible AGP video card with Hardware Transform and Lighting and 32 MB or more memory.
DirectX 9.0b compatible 16-bit sound card.
Keyboard and mouse required.

Tranj from THQ tells us that "the system requirements are not yet set in stone. We are targeting those requirements, but there is a possibility they could go up. We want to make sure that the requirements reflect an enjoyable play experience, and not a "See! The game launches!" experience."


Expansions

There are currently no plans for any expansions to Dawn of War. Any future developments of such expansions depend on how well the game sells. Stop asking about this! If we hear about an expansion, trust us, you'll know about it.

Gameplay

Q. How will the ork tech tree be handled?

A. Effectively Orks do build and crash (actually go backwards in their tech tree), however, they have advantages that counter-act this:

First, their tech tree is faster than the other races by a bit.

Second, all their buildings have guns (unlike the other races) and Orks can hide inside their buildings, keeping them from being completely vulnerable during downtimes.

Third, Once they've built up their many WAAAGH! Banners and started fighting Orks are attracted to the cause at a higher rate than early in the game, causing their 'crash' to level off a bit.

All this is intentional to create a feeling that the Orks mass, then fall back, regroup, then mass again, just like they do in the fluff. It also gives the Orks a more chaotic and haphazard feel.

Orks in the game right now are a 'very aggressive' race, favored by the more aggressive players. Ork bases are not as resilient as many of the others, so they don't make a good 'turtling' race. An Ork player who doesn't attack because they fear going back in their tech tree will lose, and should be playing a race that favors more caution.

Oh, and Orks collect requisition and power just like the other races.

Q. How will the camera system in DoW work?

A. It's basically the Impossible Creature's camera. Our unit and environment scale is different, so the max zoom out distance is closer in, though. That's about the only difference.

Also note, the game is designed to be completely playable without 'ever' zooming or rotating the camera. That's just for fun or those players who like it.-Jay Wilson

Q. Will you be able to save replays?

A. Yes, you can save replays.-Jay Wilson

Q. There are two resources, requisition points and power. Could you explain how the power system works?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"You build generators to produce power. Power is produced at a constant rate, and stored like a resource. There is no upper cap on how much power you can store, but you are limited as to the number of generators you can build per each HQ you have (they can only support so many). This is a simplification of the system, but you get the idea. If anyone played Impossible Creatures, its somewhat similar to the electricity system we used there.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

Q. As far as the maps go, approximately how big are they?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"Roughly 1/2 to 1 square kilometer. Our game is focused on squad-based engagements, so no, there is not an enormous travel distance. Transports can be quite useful in a larger map, though, as they're very fast.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

Q. Can units enter buildings?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"There are instances where you can walk inside ruined building husksÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚Ã,¦ I think you're asking if units can be placed inside structures, where they might occupy several levels and such, need to be driven out, etc. No, you can not do this in DoW.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Multiplayer

Q. Will there be win conditions for when a certain unit dies, like the enemy Commander?

A. There are win conditions that allow player elimination based on the lose of a key structure (HQ), or unit (Commander).-Jay Wilson

Q. Will there be stats, account registration, etc. for DoW?

A. "We will have competitive ranking and non-competitive ranking." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Chris Degnan

Q. How will online play be handled? Will there be problems with routers and firewalls like there were in HW2?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"We will have an on-line service through Gamespy. As for firewall negotiation, we're working on those issues now, and as such can't really give any information on it. More should be forthcoming closer to release.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

Q. Although the player can customize their own armies in multiplayer, will Relic include default presets (banners, colors) of other chapters, legions etc?

A. "Each race will have presets, and each set of presets are race specific, but you can go and make your own, name it what you want, and colour it what you want" ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ deggy


Single Player

Q. Will we learn about the Blood Ravens story/history? Are they the successors of another chapter, such as the Blood Angels or Raven Guard?

A. The Blood Ravens history is not touched on much in the game, mainly because the story does not provide context for it, however, elements of their history are reflected in the characters, their methods, and beliefs.

And no, the Blood Ravens are not inspired by another Chapter, nor do they pull a belief system from a successor. As has been mentioned before, they have no knowledge of a successor, and so revere the Immortal Emperor above all others.

The Blood Raven history has been written, and is quite involved (they haven't lost it all, not by a long shot). I'm sure you'll see it eventually.-Jay Wilson

Miscellaneous

Q. Who will be composing the music for Dawn of War?

A. Award-winning composer Jeremy Soule wrote the music for Total Annihilation. He also happens to be the composer for Dawn of War.-Jay Wilson

Q. Why aren't there more unit animations? Wah, wah, wah!

A. "What it boils down to is an enormous matrix of serious complexity for Unit vs Unit combat animations. Asking for something that is entirely unique and totally different might seem harmless enough but it would multiply the number of new animations required by a factor of 10x if not 100x.

So yes, potential? Lots! Would it cost us another year or two in animations alone?  Probably!" ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Chris Degnan

[RichardWhitely]

Gameplay FAQ

Q 01. Will the game be in real time, or turn-based like the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game?

A. The game will be a real-time strategy game, like all of Relic's titles to date. Each army will have tech trees, 12 buildings per side and a resource model

"Our resource system revolves around capturing strategic locations in the world. The more strategic locations you have, the more you can justify bringing in troops to hold those locations, and therefore the more requisition they produce. Requisition is used just like any resource to bring in new units and supplies. The best part about this system is there are no harvesters. You use your military to capture points. And because the points are spread throughout a map your economy is spread out, and can't be taken out in one fatal blow." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

"There is quite a bit of base-building in the game, but we've changed the context of this as well. Bases in our game are not meant to represent cities or empires, but rather 'field bases'; the last refuge before the front line. They're locations for troops to rest, re-supply, and get back to the fight. Structures aren't built, and units aren't trained. Space Marines, for example, drop their structures from orbit, unfold them, and they're ready to go. A similar mechanic is used to bring in units, which arrive via drop pods, transports, or teleportation. Typical structures include things like ammo stashes, communication centers, and power generators (which produce power for the base, our second resource)." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 02. Will you "requisition" units as individuals, or as whole squads, like in the board game?

A. Infantry units, except for the various commanders, are requisitioned as squads. As of now clicking on a single unit will select the entire squad. However, reinforcements for below-strength squads are requisitioned as individuals, who then are teleported into the squad (see Q03). There will also be formations for these squads (at least for the marines) but we are not aware of what they are yet.


Q 03. How are units produced?

A. New units are brought in through various methods, according to which race you are playing. Space Marine units arrive via drop pod, either in the safety of your base, or plummeting into the thick of battle. Drop pods do damage if they hit enemy units. For Orks, things are a little different:

"Orks sense where a battle is. In tech tree parlance, that means your tech level is based on the number of Orks in your army. With an army of 30 you can build light vehicles; build a war banner and more are attracted to the cause." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ PC Gamer

At this time no information has been given to how requistion points will affect the Chaos Marines and Eldar. All we do know is that each race will have a different means of bringing in fresh squads.

Reinforcements for below-strength squads are, once ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‹Ã...“builtÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢, teleported straight into their squads. The same is true for upgrades such as special or heavy weapons, and unit leaders such as Exarchs, Veteran Sergeants, Aspiring Champions and Nobz.


Q 04. Which armies will be present in Dawn of War?

A. In the singleplayer portion of the game, you take command of the Blood Ravens Space Marine Chapter, a new chapter of RelicÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s own devising. Orks, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar and the Imperial Guard all feature in the singleplayer campaign, although none of them are playable.

In multiplayer, players can play one of four races: Space Marines, Orks, Chaos Space Marines and Eldar. The Imperial Guard are only present as a ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‹Ã...“cameoÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ race in singleplayer and cannot be played in multiplayer. Various groups in the Adeptus Modificatus modding forum will be attempting to make the Imperial Guard playable


Q 05. Will there be Heroes?

A. "We have units in the game called 'Commanders' that are like heroes. They're unique, really powerful, and enhance troops around them in various ways." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 06. Will your units be able to earn experience and level up as they fight?

A. "We will have no RPG elements, i.e. gaining experience, leveling up units, etc." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 07. What is the benefit of using these commanders versus psykers?

A. "Better in combat, and have abilities that warrant their usage over psykers. Psykers tend to have strong attack abilities, commanders have strong abilities that enhance the troops around them, inspiring them to fight more fiercely and such." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 08. What type of 'Hero/Commander' type units will be in the game?

A. "Each race has its own particular leader units. Leaders are much more powerful than standard units, have unique weapons, special abilities, and usually improve the morale of nearby squads. Some leader units include the Force Commander (Space Marine), the Warboss (Ork), the Farseer (Eldar), and the Chaos Lord (Chaos)." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jonathan Dowdeswell


Q 09. Will units run out of ammo and have to resupply?

A. "Units in Dawn of War will not run out of ammo." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 10. Religion plays a pretty big part in the overall Warhammer 40,000 story. Will it be used in actual gameplay at all or will it remain only in the background?
(question credited to Dan Adams of IGN)

A. "It is part of the gameplay in some ways. The Space Marines and Chaos Space Marines in particular draw inspiration or avarice respectively from their beliefs. This is primarily shown through abilities. For example, the Librarian can speak the 'Word of the Emperor', emboldening those around him to fight on regardless of the cost. This has the game effect of causing units near the Librarian to take less damage while the Librarian chants." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 11. In the February 2004 issue of PC Gamer it mentioned that there is a morale level for units. And that by using cover and snipers you could affect that morale level. Will anything else affect morale?

A. "Anything that does damage, and some abilities. Massing gunfire on a single squad can break them as effectively as snipers can." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 12. When you are being engaged by a close combat unit, can you still fire at them?

A. "Units in close combat can still be targeted, but they take almost no damage. We tried not allowing units to be shot at, but it was very confusing to a lot of players. Turns out they'd rather have ineffectual shooting than none at all." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 13. The Warhammer 40K universe is filled with tanks, will these be put in the game? In addition will Land Raiders and Rhinos be able to carry troops?

A. There are a lot of tanks in the game. Transport vehicles like Land Raiders and Rhinos will be able to carry infantry. You can see all the tanks known to be in the game in the Unit List.


Q 14. Can light weapons damage tanks?

A. "We have a more realistic balance model, so no, most vehicles need not fear from small arms fire. I'm not saying you couldn't take a tank down with enough bolters, but you better bring a lot, hope the tank isn't shooting back, and have some time on your hands." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 15. Will heavy space marine infantry have to stand still when firing? Can orks move while firing?

A. Infantry with heavy weapons will have to remain still while firing. Orks can indeed fire while on the move, as can other units not equipped with heavy weapons or sniper rifles.


Q 16. In many of the screenshots units are dying in horrific ways; do screams of agony coincide with these painful deaths?

A. "Of course" ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 17. Will the game include any of the models from ForgeWorld?

A. Yes. So far, weÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ve seen the Squiggoth which is a Forge World production. You can see a screenshot in the Unit List.


Q 18. Will you be able to hide the interface so that you can see the battles "fullscreen"?

A. Yes, the UI is hideable and you retain full control of your units while it is hidden.


Q 19. There are two resources, requisition points and power. Could you explain how the power system works?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"You build generators to produce power. Power is produced at a constant rate, and stored like a resource. There is no upper cap on how much power you can store, but you are limited as to the number of generators you can build per each HQ you have (they can only support so many). This is a simplification of the system, but you get the idea. If anyone played Impossible Creatures, its somewhat similar to the electricity system we used there.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 20. As far as the maps go, approximately how big are they?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"Roughly 1/2 to 1 square kilometer. Our game is focused on squad-based engagements, so no, there is not an enormous travel distance. Transports can be quite useful in a larger map, though, as they're very fast.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 21. Can units enter buildings?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"There are instances where you can walk inside ruined building husksÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚Ã,¦ I think you're asking if units can be placed inside structures, where they might occupy several levels and such, need to be driven out, etc. No, you can not do this in DoW.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

[RichardWhitely]

The Requisition System ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Addendum[/size]

Jay Wilson was kind enough recently to expound at length on the resource system. Here are his remarks in full.

Resource system works as follows: There are three kinds of strategic points: Strategic Points, Strategic Objectives, and Relics. You must use infantry to capture them. Once captured they produce ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"RequisitionÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? at a constant rate. Requisition can be used just like a resource in any other RTS, to ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‹Ã...“purchaseÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ units, although we refer to it as ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‹Ã...“RequisitioningÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ units, as your strategic hold on an area justifies the bringing in of more troops. You start the game with a bit of Requisition for ordering in initial troops to allow you to start taking points. As troops die, you use the Requisition youÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ve captured to bring in reinforcements or completely new troop types. Requisition is used for all units, structures, and anything else that needs to be acquired in the game.

Placing a ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"Listening PostÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? structure on a captured point increases its Requisition production rate and makes it harder for enemies to take the point from you (they have to destroy the post first), otherwise enemies can simply initiate capturing the point to take it from you. Listening Posts can also be upgraded to further establish your hold on a point, giving them guns and further increasing their requisition rate. This allows players to focus on developing a few points over a narrow front, or in a controlled area, allowing them to defend their economy easier. Players sometimes expand across a broad area on the map, capturing tons of points, but this can be extremely difficult to maintain as it stretches you across a broad, hard to defend front. One fast enemy unit can collapse your economy quickly. We added the upgrades to give you choice between the two options, and assure that less aggressive players are not quickly overwhelmed.

In these ways all points work the same, now, the differences:

Strategic Points are the basic common point. They produce the least requisition, but are the bread and butter of the resource system. Most maps have roughly 4-6 per player (so a 4 player map would have around 16-24), and itÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s common for players to capture 4-5 fairly quickly to establish their territory. A nice side effect of these points is that you get a nice big buffer area where you can see the enemy coming. They may take a point from you, but itÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s not crippling, and gives you time to respond (as well as information, as you know exactly whatÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s coming at you). In the default win conditions once a player or team controls a majority of these points on the map a timer starts (visible to all players). If a player or team maintains control of the majority of points for the duration of the timer they win the game. This win condition can be disabled, but it is on by default. We ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‹Ã...“rarelyÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ see anyone win using this condition, except for big teams, because itÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s difficult to maintain a majority of points against a strong enemy offensive.

Strategic Objectives are bigger, more important strategic points. They take longer to capture, produce more resources, but are less common. There are usually somewhere between 2-4 of these on a map. They have their own win condition associated with them that works the same as the strategic point win condition, is on by default, but can be disabled. This win condition is a very common way for players to win the game, as its easier than wiping players out.

Relics are objects of great importance. For Marines they represent a precious artifact they must defend, for Chaos an Imperial icon they must defile, for the Eldar a nexus of psychic energy they can draw on, and for the OrksÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚Ã,¦well, they donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t know what it is, but it seems big and important, so theyÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ll be damned if anyone else can have it! Once players have a Relic they can justify the requisitioning of their best and most powerful units (although in all cases these units also have other requirements that must be fulfilled). Relics vary in number from map to map. In some maps there is 1 per player, located near their base, in others there are fewer, in higher contention areas, and they are fought over more viciously. WeÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ve focused on making sure that players who donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t have Relics are still competitive against those who do. Some examples of units that require Relics: Terminators, Squiggoth, Obliterators, Avatar.

There is a second resource: Power. It is based off of generators you build in your base, and is tied to higher level base structures, and more advanced units like vehicles and big things. It works similarly to Requisition in that every generator produces power at a constant rate.

For those who have played Total Annihilation, the resource system is not dissimilar in its feel in many ways, except we donÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢t cap your maximum amount of resources, and you pay up front for anything you order.

This system has been working in the game since the first month of development, and is the most thoroughly tested and playtested aspect of the game. Of all the in-house playtesting at Relic and THQ the system has proven to be wildly popular amongst casual players, whereas hardcore players seem to like it about the same as a conventional RTS resource system.

[RichardWhitely]

Single Player FAQ

Q 01. What is the plot of single player?

A. "The epic single-player story has the player commanding the Blood Ravens [a new Space Marine chapter of RelicÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s devising] through Brother-Captain Gabriel Angelos, and his trusted sub-commander, the powerful psychic Librarian Isador Akios. Over the course of the single-player game, Gabriel and Isador will encounter the barbaric Orks, the mysterious Eldar, and the malevolent Chaos." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jonathan Dowdeswell

"For the first game we wanted to focus on a single war, for a single world, with the player controlling the fate of the entire planet through Gabriel's actions." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 02. Where will battles take place?

A. The single player storyline will take place on a single world known as Tartarus.

"The two main environments in Dawn of War are urban wasteland and ancient jungle. The urban wasteland for us is the epitome of the Warhammer universe. Grand gothic style buildings lay destroyed, fires burn here and there, and the people now live in tiny prefab homes overshadowed by the might of the former buildings. The ancient jungle is overgrown and features abandoned architecture and remnants of a forgotten time." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 03. Will Dawn of War feature a persistent Army system throughout the single player like the Homeworld series?

A. According to the PC Gamer article (April issue), Jay Wilson had this to say: "We're not doing persistence like in Homeworld (where surviving units carried over from one mission to another). We chose not to do that mainly because of the difficulty level, which was a big complaint about Homeworld's single player campaign: Persistence makes it impossible to predict difficulty."


Q 04. Can the player pause and issue orders in single player and skirmish?

A. "Yes." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

[RichardWhitely]

Multiplayer FAQ

Q 01. What about multiplayer?

A. "We've changed some aspects of how you win a multiplayer game. First of all, while you can wipe your enemy out, the easiest way to achieve victory is to capture a majority of the Strategic Objectives in a map. Typically there are anywhere from 1 to 4 Strategic Objectives on a map that you can capture with infantry. Once you capture and hold enough of them a timer starts, and if your opponent does not push you off one of your objectives in that time then you win. This is just one of several win conditions in the game that can be enabled." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 02. What will entice the player to advance and capture these stratigic objectives versus "smash enemy base, win game" like every other rts game?

A. "Its easier to win via objectives. Bases are pretty tough, and you have to go through enemy territory (strategic points) to reach them. Objectives are easier to reach, as they're generally centrally located. Some players will go after bases, though, as they prefer annihilation over objectives. Not dissimilar to the tabletop game, where I've seen many players ignore objectives trying to wipe the other guy out." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 03. With the emphasis on fighting and moving forward to gain these strategic objectives thus earning requisition points, will a player still be able to turtle?

A. "You can build fairly strong defenses, but the strategic point based system does require you move out into the world. Players who 'turtle' at their base will tend to fail, but you can turtle across your entire front line (right up to the objective) by building turrets and using heavy weapon squads. Our goal was to split the difference, allow players to create strong defenses so they can have some security, but require them to leave those defenses if they really want to win." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 04. Will DoW use "superweapons"?

A. "There are some 'very' powerful things in the game. Nothing that is as 'fire and forget' as C&C, all things that require some difficulty to using them, but if they pull off, WOW! Most of these things take a while to reach as well." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 05. Will DoW use the same unit limits as the tabletop game?

A. "No, that's a convention of the tabletop game that doesn't fit with our game. We do have a limit on the number of HQ units you can have, though, and we have a limit on the number of 'support' units (vehicles) you can have in addition to general infantry limits, this prevents the game from becoming 'Tankfest M41', and emulates a more realistic infantry to tank battlefield ratio." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 06. Will Relic include a multiplayer option that gives the player the chance to play a tabletop total conversion?

A. "No, there is no multiplayer mode that allows you to play with pre-determined armies like the tabletop game. It would require a massive amount of specific content including:

1) It requires us to design a new point-based system (as you can't simply transfer the point system from the tabletop game, as lots of core assumptions of the TT game break down when you put it in real-time).
2) It requires a new interface system for beforehand and in game for unit selection and placement.
3) It requires a massive amount of testing, both playtesting and QA testing to get right, and if we can't do it right we won't do it.
4) It would likely require specific gameplay balancing and unit changes in order to make such a mode balanced as it is so different from our core game. On top of the hefty amount of design work required, this would require us to branch our data management down two paths, a sizable programming task as well." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 07. How many people are allowed per game in multiplayer?

A. "8 players can kick the crap out of each other at any one time." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 08. Will there be stats, account registration, etc. for DoW?

A. "We will have competitive ranking and non-competitive ranking." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ deggy


Q 09. How will online play be handled? Will there be problems with routers and firewalls like there were in HW2?

A. ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"We will have an on-line service through Gamespy. As for firewall negotiation, we're working on those issues now, and as such can't really give any information on it. More should be forthcoming closer to release.ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 10. Can teams in multiplayer share resources/requisition and map information like LOS (line of sight) and radar?

A. "Yes." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 11. Will players be able to set the game speed for Multiplayer before a match?

A. "IC had variable game speed for multiplayer, as will DoW." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

[RichardWhitely]

Customisability ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Addendum

There has been a fair amount of discussion on how customisable playersÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢ armies will be in multiplayer. This Addendum focuses on what Relic have had to say about customisability in Dawn of War.


Q 01. Will there be customisable colour schemes, so I can have a Space Marine army in the livery of my own chapter?

A. "Players do have an option to create their own color scheme, badges, and war banners. It works similarly to Homeworld 2, where players choose a primary and secondary color, except we have four different colors you can change. Players can select badges (special iconography that appears on units) from those we have available, or they can create their own outside of the game and import them in. They can do the same with war banners, which are similar to badges but only appear on banners held by units and structures." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 02. Although the player can customize their own armies in multiplayer, will Relic include default presets (banners, colors) of other chapters, legions etc?

A. "Each race will have presets, and each set of presets are race specific, but you can go and make your own, name it what you want, and colour it what you want" ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ deggy


Q 03. Will the player be able to name their commander in multiplayer?

A. No, but they will be able to name their chapter, legion, army etc.

[RichardWhitely]

Miscellaneous FAQ

Q 01. What 3D software will Relic be using in DoW?

A. "We're using 3D Max." ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson


Q 02. How can we be sure that Relic will provide a game faithful to the spirit of Warhammer 40,000?

A. A lot of Relic's staff ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ including many of the team working on Dawn of War ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ are avid fans and players of the game. Jay Wilson (project lead, Shadione on the forums), Chris Degnan (designer, deggy on the forums), the other DoW designer, the DoW lead programmer, the graphics programmer, and two artists all play. In fact they are all having a company campaign as we speak. This gives us confidence in Relic's ability to translate the rich Warhammer 40,000 universe to our computer screens. You can see Jay WilsonÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢ââ,¬Å¾Ã,¢s Ork army in all its green glory here.


Q 03. Why aren't there more unit animations? Wah, wah, wah!

A. "What it boils down to is an enormous matrix of serious complexity for Unit vs Unit combat animations. Asking for something that is entirely unique and totally different might seem harmless enough but it would multiply the number of new animations required by a factor of 10x if not 100x.

So yes, potential? Lots! Would it cost us another year or two in animations alone?  Probably!" ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Chris Degnan


Q 04. Who at Relic is working on Dawn of War?

A. Some of the people working on Dawn of War have posted in this thread saying so. People to look out for are Jay Wilson (project lead, Shadione on the forums), Jonathan Dowdeswell (producer), Raphael Van Lierop (assistant producer, Tacit on the forums) and Chris Degnan (designer, deggy on the forums).


Q 05. Will it be any good?

A. Let's hope so! Just remember that Relic are a developer with an excellent track record and some truly great RTS games behind them. They ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ and their fans ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ are renowned for being particularly zealous about their work. Since its unveiling Dawn of War has made PC Gamers (US) top ten games of 2004 list (February 2004 issue) and is on the cover of PC Gamer (US) with exclusive information and screenshots (April 2004 issue), as well as being nominated for Best Strategy Game at E3 2004.


Q 06. What is the ETA on the game?

A. "The project is almost finished content production. We'll be pushing through the summer in order to ship in the fall." -- Jay Wilson


Q 07. What about a demo?

A. All three games under Relic's belt have had demos released before a game ships, so it's quite likely that Dawn of War will have one too. Typically these demos have come with a brief tutorial, 1 - 2 single player missions, skirmish mode, and multiplayer support with around 2 - 3 maps. If a demo is within the budget Relic will gladly have one ready to go.


Q. How will Relic be supporting the modding community for DoW?

A. You can expect a whole host of tools to be released for DoW, including a map editor. Relic has always been committed to providing strong mod support, and we improve that commitment with every project we do. For more information check out Relic's Developer Network (RDN) here.

ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã…ââ,¬Å"Our game code is completely data-driven, so you could easily attempt to translate a 40k experience into DoW, and we have a whole toolset we'll be releasing for mod developers, as well as a system for supporting mods (check out RDN off of the main Relic site).ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã‚? ÃÆ'Ã,¢Ã¢ââ,¬Å¡Ã,¬Ã¢â‚¬Ã...“ Jay Wilson

[RichardWhitely]

Beta FAQ

Q1 I want in the beta! What do I do?

A. Go and register a free account with Fileplanet - http://www.fileplanet.com or if you already have an account there just proceed to log in. Then fill out the form on this page:

http://www.fileplanet.com/betacenter/dawnofwar/signup

Q2. Thats it?

A. Yep, thats all you have to do, once you have that form filled in, you should get the cd key right away by email, then proceed to download the client from this page:

http://www.fileplanet.com/files/140000/142833.shtml

Be quick though, the keys are limited and they may run out of them!

[Rik_S]

Ermmm...just one question...whats the name of this game again

[RichardWhitely]

Warhammer 40,000 : Dawn Of War

[Rik_S]

Oh...

[RichardWhitely]

[BigBazza]

So......anyone got a FAQ about the game?

[RichardWhitely]