Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds is a an RTS (Real Time Strategy) game designed by Rage Software for the PC. It is based on Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, which is itself based on the H.G. Wells novel, The War of the Worlds. You can choose to either play as the Martians or Humans. Playing the human game first is recommended for beginners. The game also features music from the original Musical War of the Worlds, remixed with techno beats and an electronica style. Elements of the game would later be used to construct another video game adaptation of Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds in 1999, although the 1999 game would instead be a third-person shooter and vehicular combat game created for the Wikipedia:PlayStation (console) Playstation One.
Gameplay[]
In the game, you insert the corresponding disc for which side you'd like to play as Human or Martian. It gives a small intro explaining the story - with the story differing from both the novel and the musical in several ways;
In the Martian campaign, the campaign begins on Mars with the Martian Elders performing a 'telepathic execution' of their Senior Elder after the Martian population declare him to be ineffectual in solving the problems on Mars. Following this and a discussion of the present circumstances, the Elders conclude that the only viable solution is to invade Earth before beginning their plans - with an additional scene of an alien creature been subjected to a test involving the Black Smoke.
In the Human campaign, the Journalist is shown to have escaped Woking by train before the Martian's subsequent battle with the military (never meeting the Artilleryman) and arrived in London before explaining what happened to a meeting of military officers, with the Senior officer briefing on the events of the battle of Horsell Common as well as the plans for combating the Martians.
In both campaigns, the Martian's initial attack on Horsell Common and battle with the military ultimately ends in failure - with the rest of the Martian forces heading towards Earth redirecting towards Scotland. It's also notable that in this game, the Martians at no point succumb to Earth's bacteria unlike in the musical and the original novel.
Once you pick either campaign, you then name the campaign you're playing and begin. You control units by right clicking on them, and clicking on enemies to attack, selecting certain options by holding the right click button, and letting go on the option.
Humans[]
Human Units[]
- Armored Lorry - A light, fast attack vehicle.
- Armored Track Layer - The primary attack vehicle.
- Tunneling Track Layer - A modified Track Layer with a drill to dig underground.
- Self-Propelled Gun - A fast vehicle that can position heavy guns quickly.
- Mobile Anti-Aircraft Array - A unit designed to shoot down aerial targets.
- Sapper's Lorry - A vehicle that carries engineers to build defences.
- Ironclad - A powerful battleship that bombards enemies from the water.
- Submersible - A submarine that can only attack when surfaced.
- Observation Balloon - A dirigible that can be used to spy on enemies or attack with bombs.
- Construction Vehicle - Carries workers around the battlefield to construct buildings.
- Mobile Repair Vehicle - Carries field engineers to repair vehicles and emplacements.
- Mortar Bike - A vehicle that is used to infiltrate enemy positions, while also being able to attack at short range.
Human Buildings[]
- Command Post - Allows construction of vehicles in the vicinity.
- Repair Workshop - Repairs vehicles brought to it.
- Vehicle Factory - Constructs land-based vehicles.
- Training Center - A support facility that provides access to specialist units.
- Shipyard - Manufactures water-based vehicles.
- Aircraft Hangar - Constructs aircraft.
- Munitions Factory - Provides specialist weaponry for vehicles.
- Construction Labs - Allows access to advanced vehicles.
- Steel Refinery - Processes iron.
- Coal Mine - Supplies power to facilities.
- Oil Refinery - Refines oil for vehicles.
Human Defences[]
- Traps - Mines that damage Martian units.
- Blockades - Fences that can be mounted with explosives.
- Medium Gun Posts - Light defensive cannon that can be installed rapidly.
- Heavy Gun Emplacements - A naval artillery gun.
- Anti-Aircraft Array - Special weapons designed to combat aerial targets.
General Enhancements[]
"These are items to bolster the performance and protection of our vehicles."
- Heat resistant Armor: "All vehicles armour has been treated to have a higher tolerance to the Martian heavy rays."
- High explosive rounds: "All projectiles now cause more damage."
- Improved powder charge: "All guns now have improved range."
- Enhanced sighting apparatus: "All vehicles targeting accuracy is improved."
- Fine air filters: "Protection against the black dust."
- Second Level
- Insulated high energy resistant armour: "All vehicles armour has been treated to have a high tolerance to the Martian heat rays and energy weapons."
- Advanced powder charge: "All guns now have a much greater range."
- Chemical filters: "Greater Protection against the black dust."
Martian[]
Martian Units[]
- Scouting Machine - A light and fast attack vehicle.
- Fighting Machine - The primary attack unit.
- Handling Machine - A slow vehicle that constructs the Martian buildings. Armed with a light Heat Ray for self-defense.
- Digging Mechanism - A machine used to build defenses.
- Tempest - An extremely powerful vehicle armed with two heavy Heat Rays and a Black Smoke canister launcher.
- Electric Machine - A close-combat vehicle that uses powerful electricity bolts.
- Bombarding Machine - An attack vehicle that, true to it's name, bombards enemies with Black Smoke canisters.
- Flying Machine - An aerial attack vehicle with a light Heat ray and poor armour.
- Scanning Machine - A machine used to scan the area for traps.
- Constrictor - A vehicle that traps enemies in a chemical foam.
- Xeno-Telepath: A special vehicle that uses psychic powers to make it's target attack it's own allies.
- Drone - A small kamikaze unit that damages anything within it's vicinity once it explodes.
Martian Buildings[]
- Communications Centre - The Martian equivalent of a Command Post.
- Power Plant - A building that supplies power to the Martian units.
- Human Farm - These buildings process human blood for Martian forces.
- Copper Forge - Copper Forges produce copper used in Martian constructs.
- Heavy Element Facility - Produces radioactive isotopes used as power sources for Martian units.
- Repair Facility - Repairs damaged units.
- Constructor - Manufactures most of the land-based Martian forces.
- Energy Weapon Plant - Provides access to high-powered units.
- Suspension Field Site - Allows construction of the Flying Machine.
- Telepath Training Centre - Allows access to the Xeno-Telepath.
- Biochemical Plant - Produces potent chemicals used against human forces.
- High Explosives Plant - Provides powerful weaponry for advanced vehicles.
Martian Defenses[]
- Blockades - Walls of plasma that repel enemies.
- Rapid Heat Ray - A small Heat Ray mounted on a turret stand for defense against human forces.
- Projectile Launcher - A defense mechanism that fires Black Smoke canisters at enemies.
- Heat Ray Turret - An effective defense with high shielding and a formidable Heat ray.
General Enhancements[]
"Items to improve the performance of our machines."
- Shock Resistant Armor: "Layers added to each machines armour provides projection against the human projectiles."
- Enhanced Ray Focus Mechanism: "Extends the range of all heat rays."
- Secondary Beam Amplifiers: "Boosts the damage of all heat rays."
- Motion Tracking Device: "Targeting accuracy of all machines is improved."
- Second Level
- Impact Reflecting Armor: "Improved armour layering provides greater protection against the human projectiles."
- Tight Beam Lenses: "Greatly extends the range of all heat rays."
Endings[]
Victory[]
Human Campaign: If the player wins using the Human Campaign, the ending is shown with people happily celebrating the victory - with people cheering and dancing and a child happily jumping on the bleeding corpse of a Martian while military personnel transport a mostly destroyed Fighting machine through the streets as fireworks are launched. In the Meeting Room from the beginning of the campaign, the senior military officer congratulates the other officers and the Journalist - declaring the victory over the Martians to be a proud day for both Great Britain and the Earth. The Journalist narrates over the celebrations that the torment was over and life would return to normal. However, he also questions the possibility of a future attack from Mars and who Earth will truly belong to in the future - with the ending credits using the NASA epilogue from the musical.
Martian Campaign: If the player wins using the Martian Campaign, the ending is shown with people running away as London burns - with a Bombarding Machine walking through the streets and killing people with its Heat Ray. A voiceover from the Martians declares the humanity's resistance is broken and the insurgency killed before stating that a new peaceful and prosperous age will soon begin as the Martians now prepare for the migration - adding that the Martians will farm and feast on humanity. Watching from Mars, the Martian Elders point out that with humanity's society in ruins from their attack, the Earth is theirs to take - with a final scene of a Fighting Machine using its Heat Ray to destroy Big Ben. In the credits (which take place over 30 years into the Martian's occupation of the planet), it follows a Martian scout as it follows a group of human survivors - only to be led directly into the Artilleryman's Underground City. As the Martian marvels at the city and questions how they never discovered it, contact with the Fighting Machine is suddenly lost as the Martian notices that the humans have re-armed themselves.
Defeat[]
Human Campaign: If the player loses using the Human Campaign, the ending is the same footage as the Martian Victory (albeit with the scene of the Martian Elders cut) as the Journalist narrates over what is happening using lines from the Musical - stating "Fire leapt from house to house, the population panicked and ran. 'This was no disciplined march, it was a stampede, without order and without a goal. It was the beginning of the rout of civilization, of the massacre of mankind. The Earth belonged to the Martians".
Martian Campaign: If the player fails using the Martian Campaign, the ending is the same footage as the Human Victory (albeit with the scene of the meeting with the journalist and the military officers replaced by a scene of the Martian Elders). The Elders reflect upon their defeat - referring to it as a black day and admitting that they underestimated Humanity's capacity for warfare. It is stated that the invasion has exhausted most of their resources and the Elders will have to face the nation to explain their defeat, one of the Elders state that a new offensive will be engineered - albeit with the Martians choosing a different planet to land on. (This is arguably a reference to the end of the novel, where it is stated that the Martians later landed on Venus following their failed invasion).