Google Conquer

Google Conquer (aka Conquer) is a massively-multiplayer online, real-time tactical war simulation game (original idea) developed by Bynamax Digital and published by Google.

Conquer is a downloadable browser-based game with foundations set on an enhanced, 3D interactive and enhanced model of Google Maps engine, Google company's web mapping advertising service; it shares Google Maps' view panorama, and features various simulation-based functions exceeding the original application (including terrain suspension and depressions and more terrain classification).

Google Conquer became a web feature of Google Plus following its release, such that the registration medium required customers to create a Google account to download and play. Google Conquer is available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Linux operating systems.

Gameplay
Visual Style General visual and functional game mechanics in Conquer bear similar qualities to the original Google Maps web serv ice as they share the same game engine, only enhanced, featuring a rotatable panoramic view of not only bird's-eye view, but also a relative plane rotation. Zooming in and out is another basic feature.

Simulation, like the web service, takes on a realistic, global interactive scale. Google Maps and Conquer share 3D building locations, roads, and areas with water, but Conquer's game mechanics also relies on other features including terrain types, weather, and vegetation cover.

Conquer's warfare resembles a rather WWII-era period of technology, utilizing armed vehicles, hand and machine propelled explosives, semi-automatic arms, survey planes, paratrooper planes, and bombers. On the other hand, the scale of the game focuses on the conquering of neighboring enemy territory, similar to that of antiquity conquering, hence the game's name.

Gameplay Mechanics
Conquer is server-based game that pits the player's nation and his army against opponents between 100 and 200 other players worldwide and hundreds of smart NPCs and their own armies on either particular cities, province/states, countries, continents, or entire planet, with a variety of objectives, such as attempting to defeat a certain amount of armies before everyone else, surviving a battle royale, or simply conquering the entire realm. Server applications are generally random, judged by the player's game points record pool (evaluated by the player's wins and losses and other factors), but inviting and joining friends in servers is also a basic function.

Beginning
When a new player completes the required Google Plus registration and game download, he/she is given a base in-game currency of 1,000,000.00 Credits and 100 Gems, which is part of the game's minor freemium system (Googold is either paid for, won in special ways, or handed out in special events. If a player ends a game with less than 1,000,000.00 Credits in total based on the amount of Gems and combat units he has, he will be given just enough to replenish the Credits to 1,000,000.00, in order to prevent a theoretical bankruptcy situation.

In generic games, Credits and Gems can be used to build up the player's original army, pool of resources, and establish sources of income for more Credits, gained through "taxes" evaluated by the number of functional buildings in controlled territory on the map. Improving in the game, aside from skill and experience, relies on earning money in order to pay to unlock more technology and upgrades for the units you own; the amount of money you earn, or even lose, will depend on the player's base spending, spending in gameplay, and post-game reward outcome. The key is to win a game with a balance of efficiency and limited spending. A better player than you is a player who can beat you and spend less than you at the same time.

Simulation
At the start of a game, the player has a certain amount of time (set-up by random or by game host) to choose a location for his base of operations and sphere of influence, where he can place his resource production and army camps. The bright side of a more urbanized area can provide more tax Credits, but the down side is that enemy reconnaissance will find it much easier to find the locations of your army camps and resource production in an urban setting. Players can also establish obstructions and fortifications for buildings, roads, and open spaces on the map, such that they benefit his forces with defensive purposes. Remember to spend as less as possible and choose locations carefully.

Players only have a certain amount of square acres to cover on the map. You can also establish recon cells, usually near the borders of your territory, in order to document enemy movements in a certain radius around the cell.

The first and only turn all players have, the standard ten minutes are given to prepare all simulations. The number of moves a unit or a group of units can undertake depends the location of the unit on land covered by the radius of a radio or radios.

A radio (carried by a radio operator trooper or any vehicle) is an object that covers a circular radius over a strip of land on the map, and can be moved by simulation as the operator trooper or the vehicle moves. All units within the radius of one radio can perform a number of moves depending on the level of the radio.

For instance, a level 5 radio allows 5 moves. Units can also fall within range of more than one radio. For instance, within a level 3 radio and a level 1 radio allows four moves total for the unit. However, for this to take place, both radios have to be "linked" by the player. After those moves take place, the radio(s) take an amount of time to recharge post-planning.

The functionality of a radio depends on the maintenance of a functional radio station, which is often built first on the map and far from action and a possible air attack. If a radio leaves the range of a radio station, or if the radio station is destroyed, it is no longer functional. Because of this, it is encouraged to build new radio stations as your troops go deeper into hostile territory, and defend around your radio stations as your troops pull back, as well as defend your station with anti-aircraft weapons.

The enemy can also jam your radio signals to prevent a radio from functioning.

Different moves are categorized by Movement, Positioning, Constructing, Raiding, Supply Drop, and Strike. The turn allows all players to predetermine the amount of moves and the type of moves his troops will take, and the time when the turn commences. Once the turn ends, all simulations will take action at once as planned by the players, and the players are free to perform any mid-simulation actions.

Movement covers the issue of moving your troops across a map. When selecting a route and a destination, distance, troop speed, and terrain type factors will be calculated to allow the player to examine the range of times (determined by the amount of fuel for vehicles and energy for troops the player wants to spend during the travel) it will take for all selected units to arrive at that destination.

Positioning allows the player to cater to the defensive/supportive positions of each troop and terrain vehicle of a selected group of units in one area on the map selected via a Movement-type move. Buildings are also subject to positioning.

Constructing is the process of building certain structures for battle purpose, such as digging trenches (depends on the terrain), setting up machine gun nests, dynamite, landmines, anti-aircraft guns, mortars, etc., as well as radio stations, medical shelters, etc.

Raiding, the opposite of Positioning, is the process of planning ways to successfully invade an area of enemy Positioning by processes of force, stealth, ambush, explosive and all kinds of ways the player can come up with. Raiding is more commonly performed in post-planning urban combat, in order to clear buildings occupied by enemy forces, but it is considered a move nonetheless.

Supply Drops are aircraft-oriented. The player chooses an amount and type of supplies or paratroopers a plane will drop and the location of the drop, as well as the enter/escape route of the plane. The accuracy of the drop is determined by the Supply Drop skill level, but is also selective as the player can choose the elevation of the drop. If the plane is less elevated during the drop, the drop is more accurate but the plane is more vulnerable to enemy fire; while the more elevated, the drop is less accurate but the plane is generally safer from fire. The weight of the supplies are counted as heavier drops are more accurate than lighter ones, but will require more troops to carry. Ground troopers can secure supplies by being guided to the location of the drop, but the use of paratroopers is more efficient.

Strikes are aircraft-oriented. The player chooses the location of the airstrike and type of material/bomb to drop at that location, as well as the enter/escape route of the plane. Material is not limited to explosives, as they can include smokescreen, tear gas, and "Greek fire".