A Life After Call of Combat

Good news everyone. The team is expanding and a lot of work is getting done.

I would like to hijack one blog post to talk about something a bit different than usual. It's actually not directly about the game. And you'll be the main contributors this time.

I'd like to ask about what we experience in the game. What are these little things that make us want to start playing a game, and keep us hooked to it? Is it the thrill of victory, the adrenaline when going through a tight spot, that epic moment when you flanked the other team and completely destroyed and humiliated them? Maybe you just want to connect with your online friends, or simply kill time. Whatever these reasons were, I'd like to make a small survey among you and ask you what made you double click the callofcombat icon over and over again. What was it that you expected every time you started playing it?

For that you probably need to dig inside your memory, since the plug's been pulled out for over a year now. But maybe, you can think of other games you've been playing that reminded you of your experience with Call of Combat. I'm curious about whatever substitutes you might have found to replace CoC in a way or another. Provided that it is possible to replace CoC, of course. The reason I am asking this is that it would help us tremendously in having a thorough analysis and understand why the game was so engaging, in order to make sure the same subtle ingredients can be implemented in v2 effectively.

tl;dr:
- Just try to analyse the profound reasons that made you play Call of Combat.
- What games do you play because they remind you of Call of Combat in some way?

Please surprise us.

Also, there's a new poll this week.

Comments

Dan's picture

For me it was the people, the cheesy graphics, the competitive nature of AG games, and stats. i.e my KDR and my AG's positioning in the table.

There is loads of reasons when i think about it. the fact it was probably the best strategy game i have played. The community was descent aswell.
Costas's picture

Hello Antoine
Myself together with Kading, Erik and a few other people we've been playing since the 2am original game back in 1998. Having experienced all the versions of this game, the one thing that never changed and kept the people hooked on it was the different concept. I can make a long list why people left, but your question is why people stuck with it.
There has always been something unique about this game.
First and foremost, it developed comradeship. This is NOT a game where a lone wolf would survive or win. It was absolutely essential to act as a team, take a bullet for the team, sacrifice if you had to in order for the team to win and the better communication a team had, the more chances of winning they had regardless of skill (to a point).
Second to it was the adrenaline rush. The moment you are faced with holding a flank against multiple enemies or you were engaged in a close combat defending/attacking a building crucial for your strategy you could feel your blood throbbing in your head.
Thirdly, it was the strategic aspect. The higher ranking you were in an AG/clan the more involved you were with studying plans for attack/defense and working on them with other members trying to master them. Not only you had a responsibility as an officer to lead your team to victory, but people would look up on you and blindly obey to you as if it were a real life chain of command where orders had to be obeyed.
Then it was the community itself. Whether you were itching for a game or, you wanted to kill sometime, you'd login and chat about anything in the lobby any time of the day. You'd follow forums, offer opinions and ideas and feel part of something that was larger then simply a game.
I think it's fair to say that I don't know of any other game that players have developed long life friendships and have arranged to meet in real life other than COC.
These were some of the major reasons why people would keep coming back and spend hours upon hours in this game. I know a lot of people in here that lost their jobs, their wives or, failed school because of the addiction and this is not a joke.

UltimateGod's picture

Pretty much everything Cos said. As a person that has played since Chain V1, everything Cos said.
vonkali's picture

COSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!

Long time no see my friend. You just saved me 30 min of my time with your post. Totally agree.
Joshrules151's picture

I always tried to improve my stats and move up the board since i was a noob for so long. also the community was really great to talk to everyday, and the fact that if you were new to the game or not, there were always people that would help you get better and wouldn't leave you to struggle in normals, or teach you something new.
Phil's picture

A team challenge. Comming together to achieve something, or being part of a unit who help their weakest to skill up and work together.

Mentor's picture

I've played Call now for more than half my life and im touching 30 (scary i know). For me the "hit" or "addiction was that it offered a combination of the following :
Gameplay : Although it was never considered cutting edge it was different, the mechanics were sound and GUI simple it offered simple PVP combat.
Community : Although I have my fair share of "run ins" it was all fun. Interation and communication was good and the core helped make it that more enjoyable. Only concern is that the community never grew enough. I believe PR related issues. However, this had both good and bad connotations, good being small and you got to actually know people, bad at times were struggling for games.
Scoring system : Like every game regardless of platform or genre its all about measuring up against or friends or foes. Again Call got it right i was never at a stage where i considered myself resolved or complete. Thus I played more and more.
Tactics : Generally divide and conquer techniques worked but i like the fact you had your so called "stratetitions" and your "brash" players organised in such a fashion logic dictated that it was wadness to contemplate, yet it worked time and time again.

Concepts i also enjoyed : AG matches (you cannot beat good old clan battles, although rewards should have been better) / Community map creator (even GTAV does it now "why do the work yourself ?" a great way to get better maps and gameplay) / Leadership : I pittied the person who had to endure my plans, but i enjoyed it.

To sum up this "dribble" the mechanics although simple, unrefined and outdated worked together to form that game we know. The question everyone will want know is does V2 have the lucky mix that V1 did. I doubt V1 was intended to be as addicting as it was, it did not have any component or concept that was considered "front running" or "cutting edge", yet it worked sublimely. I trust and hope that V2 is a "polished"/"facelift" of V1 and does not lose the mechanics which made it the game we love.

Only time will tell. I trust and hope this dull post is to no ones liking.

Lots of love your bouncing fun loving care in the community escapee Mentor.
Colethemole69's picture

Not to be forgotten among the thrilling game play was all the relationships....and even rivalries (and there were quite a few of them) that people got in. It made it seem like a tight knit group that you could go on and play some games and talk to people on ventrilo. Me personally I played like 3-5 straight months of 200+ AG games a month. At that point I was probably playing 20 hours a week like a part time job! You should have added more hours for how long we play a week! :P. This game we amazing and I am hoping that some of these qualities will still be there to want to make me play for 20 hours a week again, though being in college now it might only be 10 :P
Foggy Dewhurst's picture

I used to play loads of games before CoC but none of them online much apart from Civ III, Quake, Doom, UT and the usuals. When I found CoC I was amazed! For me, it was the competativeness and the teamwork of CoC that got me hooked.

When you was in an AG, your AG teammates were almost like brothers to you. You'd defend them, if they needed backup you'd rush to back them up, you'd place your faith in your CO's and work as a team to beat what often would be a stronger opponent. The competativeness was really addictive for me and I've never seen team-based combat like it before.

The strategy and the split second do or die situations made it the exciting, adrenaline-filled game it was. Sure it made us angry at times and the rage was stronk but we kept coming back for more and more. Part of the fun was the rage in a weird way, because we wanted to win.

After I found and got hooked to CoC it was the only game I played. I remember one time I played for almost 40 hours straight non-stop when I had a week off college, that was how hooked CoC got me.

When CoC closed I was heartbroken and left with no games. I tried several others, Battlefield etc but soon got bored of them all. Then I found APB: Reloaded.

A very different game to CoC, but very similar in ways. It's also a team-based combat strategy game. It, too, has become the only game I've played since CoC was taken from me.

It reminds me of CoC a lot because it has that fierce competative streak, the will to win, you have a team leader on teamspeak co-ordinating the team to bring down opponents and complete objectives; and oh boy the hackusations and rage is even worse than CoC believe it or not.

It has the same split second do or die situations where you're about to lose a match and you really, really need to make a gutsy call if you're teamleader to pull the match around at the last second. It makes your heart pound and your hands shake the same way CoC did in that situation and that's what I crave. It's what gives you the fun, exciting rush.

Like CoC, a bad teamleader will lose you the match, and a good teamleader with a good strategic mind who keeps calm and co-ordinates his/her team well can win a match even against a tremendously stronger opponent.

And like CoC; you get your friends, your allies, your rivalries, and your personal nemesis'

This is what makes a fantastic game - and I seriously cannot wait for CoC v2.

APB: R gives me my 'fix' I need for now, but as soon as CoC II is released I'll be back playing hours upon hours everyday until the sun starts to rise and I need to sleep.
oriole's picture

40 hours straight? You sir, deserve a god damn medal!
Foggy Dewhurst's picture

I was just a saddo with no life before Call hahaha. Besdies I had the help of magic sherbert so I wasn't exactly going to sleep anyway
sawreese's picture

Even some of the biggest MMO or team multiplayer RTS games have a level barrier of some sort. I've always wanted a MMO game where skill, either as an individual or as a team, is the biggest factor. While I had many, many, many early defeats, I liked the idea that I could potentially take down a top player in the game as someone who just started 5 minutes ago. It relied on my brain more than my attention span combined with drone-clicking abilities. I always got out-leveled by my friend on any RPG (he's disturbingly good), but with CoC we were on equal ground. The battlefield was what you made of it.

This platform kind of reminded me of my ideal game I thought of as a kid (similar combat system, just in an open world environment with some other changes). I decided to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.
pvt Allen's picture

The main thing that kept me coming back were all the friends I made in the game I remember when I first really got into the game and joined NSD. I was fun joining the group of guys there learning how to communicate and play the game like they did, and having the nights where Malfreda,Viper and Costas would have us practice different scenarios. The bonds that I formed there kept me coming back along with the huge 12v12+ AG games we would play got me hooked even more. Im hoping that when the new version comes out the people that I have bonded and become friends with will return to the game and we will hopefully get back to the huge AG games :D
lorekiller's picture

CoC has always been my favorite game for many reasons:
1: great community
2: keyrole of teamwork
3: winning was sooooo rewarding, even when not surviving ahah
4: Being in an AG gave you a real sense of "i'm really into something, now i really got to do my best"
5: that 1 game out of 100 where you owned everyone made you feel godlike and kept you playing for a week ahah
6: the ambiti on of getting a better rank or kdr
And many other things that i'd like to write but it would take me hours
Cause i'm using my cellphone :D greetings to everyone from Italy
R088T's picture

1 Community
2 Competition
3 Chain of command
mgstewart1991's picture

I used to play alot of other games more than call of combat but i would still come on often and enjoy it play open rooms or Ag.

The main reasons that keep me playing call of combat are:

1. Competitiveness - Ag games join a clan play versus some great players with great strategys it just spices things up a lot more. Or even open games the feel of killing someone and contributing to the team and landing a brilliant grenade.

2. Statistics and medal system - Getting your KDA up just makes you feel good lets you know if your improving also. Earning medals for doing things small rewards like that just make you go woo hoo for no reason lol.

3. Art style - Im a big league of legends player now and what attracts me to that over dota2 is its art style it may seem like it means nothing but it means a lot. So in relation to this the colours go really well its good on the eye.

4 - Community - People are helpful and try to make you better. Make some good friends.

Few things i would find interesting if added:
1. Better room finding system to me it has always looked so messy and the colours for that are bad like the forum you have now is fantastic who ever created it looks great. Perhaps set it up like Open rooms / Ranked rooms > AG rooms > Custom Rooms. And you click one button then get these 4 choices.

2. Medals for rare things like something you would only get once a year if your good or lucky like Killing everyone in a room bigger than such and such. Or defeating 4 troops from a player 2 ranked above you. Things like this give you a feeling of accomplishment.

3. Class choices but maybe not depends if you think its good for the game for example snipers can only have 2 max grenades and there close combat range is cut in half but there long range has +2% in open or something from far and stresses enemies faster.
Snip3's picture

I know I haven't been really active on this site, but this seemed like a question that I felt I had to answer.
Call of combat v1 was different then any game I played. From the community was different from other games. The smaller base of players made it seem like you played the same people over and over, logging in and see the same names you did the night before. Playing with the same CO's in AG games.

Call had put in a different concept of teamwork. Like costa said being a lone wolf won't work in this game. Team work was needed at all times, from eyes to someone saving you if you stacked and stunned. Call practically is some thing that I think could go big and get millions of players. But it change the entire gameplay. V1 was fun because you knew who was who, there skill level and what they could do. I loved call for that system, log in play a few AG games, leave and play with the same people you did the night before and watch them progress or watch yourself progress. Also call has a way of rewarding you of winning rather then getting lots of kills, yeah you get a high kdr, but that doesn't help you. This game was about efficient teamwork and planning and knowing where you soldiers and teammates did the best to counter the enemy teams.
There's so much to say about this game. If v1 was open right now it would just as active as it's hayday. Just look it the forums. I'm glad it's being remade though. It's a great game being made by a great staff. Can't wait.

Mentor and Allen good to see you guys are just as anxious as me to get back to aging and having a just a good time playing this one of a kind game =)
Costas's picture

Excellent points by everyone. I forgot ventrilo indeed, from the good old hard at hearing BigCat having to yell 10 times before he could hear to an almost 70 year old lionfox coming on and saying "hey buddies, do you need me?" or should I mentioned the annoying high pitched voices of crackle and macdonalds playing since they were like 8 and then fast forward almost a decade later where they were gown up and owned everyone. It's really hard to describe the emotions this game has offered, it is truly unlike any other game, most of us grew up or got old (I'm in my mid 40s now) playing this game and got to know each other well. And the feeling was the same even back with version 1 (2am version) when we literally had hundreds of players active playing at the same time.
PS: good to see UG, phil, allen and the rest :)
Imperator's picture

I agree with Good ole costas!

This game needs to release it's beta and let all of us old school players quench out thirst!!!!
Snip3's picture

If only they brought back v1 opens till the beta. That would be great. And we would get a feeling of who's around waiting.
Hades's picture

I'd have to say the number one reason I was so hooked is the friendship and bonds that are created in game and facilitated by the AG system. I was only a very casual player until I started becoming involved in NsD and AG games and I became a full on addict when I got ventrilo and I could spend down time between games BSing with the guys. When I started playing I was only 14 or 15 and I wanted so desperately to prove to the old farts that I could compete. You got to know people beyond just the game and you felt an obligation to log on and play a few games with your pals. Can't wait for the new version, I will be first in line to beta test.
Colethemole69's picture

Made some stupid drunk comment and cant delete. So don't look at me. I'm not here.
Mrdood92's picture

Because it was a relatively simple game you had to master every aspect of the mechanics the G battles the distribution of weapons and the co-operation among team members to defeat your enemy.

I LOVE COMPETITION.
Colethemole69's picture

Talking with teammates and even sometimes foe on vent! :D
Colethemole69's picture

you're************************************ Lolz
GameMation's picture

I love the aspect of this game, the third person over view and trying to keep on the edge thinking of new tactics to counter. I really go into this game for the strategy needed. altho some of the interfaces was a bit more complex then needed and weapons were a bit low. It was a really enjoyable game.
GameMation's picture

And also all the peeps :P like the others say
Rifel's picture

Well it was really funny playing it. I meet now people and idk i still want to play it again.
Ag's, fights, ranks, etc. etc.
I know this one will be awesome. Keep on going :D
Hope we will play it soon
GameMation's picture

As a new youtuber I hope to download this game ( I'm on a mac.) And do a recording of a couple matches, who knows. Maybe this game will get popular also.
sodox's picture

PUT UP THE OLD COC SERVERS WHILE WE WAIT.. i WANNA PLAYYYYY ILL DONATE
!!!!!!!1
eriksn's picture

I loved the old crap graphics n WINNING 1ST ;) i loved the people i got to pretty much talk to my teenage LIFE! its crazy but i made alot of friends n well enemies ;) BUT i loved the competitive aspect of the game! it was an amazing and truly great idea n i surely hope this new CoC is even better and brings back the kids that is in us again.
Erik's picture

Why was I addicted for more than half my life? Why did I allow one game, and only this one game, to dominate my life for such a long time? Going to try to keep it short and simple :)

1. Gameplay. The mix of slow-paced and incredibly fast-paced combat is fantastic and extremely intense.
2. Teamwork. Play as a team or you might as well surrender right after deployment time (for the more serious game modes that is).
3. Competition. For the most part there wasn't even a HoF, or any other type of prizes (except for ranks). What was left to compete for? Honor! And somehow that was enough.
4. Chain of command. Both in Army Groups as well as in-game. A fantastic feature if you ask me. LOS distribution included.
5. Community. The large community aspect was not just facilitated by the player base being small. In my opinion it is also facilitated by the AG system and chain of command. Working together and getting along are a must if one wants to be victorious.

The above pretty much sums up why I took twice as long as usual to finish my studies :-)

Please note that I am not talking in past tense. The concept was/is fantastic. With the help of you guys, meaning everyone who loves this game, we can develop a new version that plays/feels just as great as the old version did.
DeltaSquad's picture

I started playing this game on the 2am version (DDS & 12D), and even if I did leave, I always found my way back.

What pulled me back? A few things.

1. Strategy - Nothing like the rush of putting together a plan that might just work
2. Community - Loved how close knit an AG could be
3. Chain of Command - As a person who likes measured success, I always loved to see how high I could make it
4. Competition - I'm a fierce competitor and there is nothing better than curb stomping an AG/person who has been talking smack

And if you remember me, yes, I'm still lurking and waiting for the glorious return.
Erik's picture

Did I really forget to mention strategy? I guess I did...

6. Strategy!!!!
WarBoss's picture

... are for sure Chain of Command and Call of Combat. The reasons for it:

(A believe that the most important was already said.)

1 - Game play or game mechanics was fantastic. I remember some nice ambushes i did that allowed me to get a lot of kills in less than 1 second. And i was only able to do it because i had someone that gave me a perfect pair of eyes.

2 - As Erik said, it was both a really slow game and a game where your adrenaline would rise sky high and you would be clicking like crazy to run and nade and run again (and doing this with 2 or 3 soldiers at the same time was even worst).

3 - And something really curious about this game is that you would want to help your team mate. You would always run to help him.

4 - The community was amazing!

5 - KFG! It was present during almost the whole time the game was online...
Costas's picture

Still hate them :)
Every game you would be in we had to extend time play to include careful searches of booby traps under each rock :p
Dan's picture

anyone used to get a rush when in your in the most insane grenade fight or when its the dying seconds of a game and you tag some VPs and have to defend for your life?
Colethemole69's picture

Some of the most epic moments were tagging the VPs with like 2 sec. on the clock to swing it your teams way in a big game. All the praise in the world on vent and your opponents in utter shock. Couldn't beat that :D
Rapidkiller's picture

I agree with pretty much all other comments, thought I was never really drawn to the community side of things (i think I went on vent a total of 1 time) but one thing that hasn't been brought up is variety

I loved how you could play maps like ww3, fortwest, farmfight, etc again and again and still be surprised every day with a different tactic others would bring up.

I would basically think about map plans in bed until I fell asleep, that is, when I wasn't pulling allnighters to play 2v2s to eke out extra points on the AG board.

BoNcHiE's picture

Friendships were a big part of it (mostly in game and on vent, I wasn't a forum junkie).

I liked to win. I liked to have a goal of winning SS or the AG standings and pushing for it. I liked seeing a new strategy come together. I even liked talking trash afterward. Anyone who's ever played sports knows ribbing is part of the enjoyment of the experience.

All of that kept the game interesting for me.

I liked how the game was both predictable and unpredictable. Predictable in the sense that skill mattered in engagements (i.e. if I do this correctly, the outcome should be this) yet the opposing team could attack from anywhere so it was unpredictable as well. I think when randomness became too big of a factor it drove more players away (i.e. snipes increased, killer nades increased). People want to be in control. They don't mind being punished if it's their mistake but if it's random luck determining much of the outcome, people get bored or frustrated. When it comes to snipes, it's not that they shouldn't exist but that only certain classes should get them at a high rate (MGers, snipers, etc.) while regular rifles and SMGs don't. This makes strategy and use of team members even more important.

On the subject of attracting and keeping a player-base, heavy handed moderating is going to have the opposite effect. If you are going to ban people for clowning after a win, then you'll never build anything substantial. There are too many games other games out there to be that heavy handed. People just won't come back.

Put in an ignore button and then tell people to use it if they don't like what someone says.

Look, I'm a much different person today then 5 years ago. You'd never have to ban me even under the old rules if I were playing today. I'm not going to cuss someone out or anything. I just know how most video gamers are. Bans should happen for cheating or egregious behavior, but otherwise people need to do most of their own moderating with the ignore button vs. banning people. It makes it easier on everyone, requires less man-power for moderators, and doesn't have the negative effect of chasing away players that are needed to make the game succeed, no matter how immature they may be at times.

BTW, there needs to be a more permanent HOF for monthly AG and SS winners. Things like that keep people working toward a goal and coming back.

Colethemole69's picture

Way to use your words ya noob ;)
Chap's picture

I don't know what all has already been said as I can't be asked to go through and read what these people have to say at the moment, but for me CoC was probably the most in depth tactics game I've ever played.

There were tactics in how you controlled your 4 guys, but then there were the tactics of how you worked together with your teammates to achieve victory. Whether you choose to bum rush one side of the map and try to use the advantage of numbers to roll through and pick players off to win, or you spread out and tried to control the VP's, it was all about your plan and how well your team could execute it.

Whether you were just controlling your guys and listening to orders or you were the one giving orders to the entire team. Almost everything boiled down to which team had better tactics. If you had a team that listened to orders well and a commander who could convey orders clearly, it didn't always matter if your team wasn't as experienced or skilled as the enemy team. CoC has always a game of who can out think the opponent for me, and I have enjoyed every moment of it.

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