Dark Horizons Lore

Dark Horizons Lore
Release Date	April, 2004
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux
Developed By	Max Gaming Technologies
Published By	GarageGames
Genre	1st/3rd Person Shooter /Mech Simulation
Gameplay Modes	Single Player / Online Multiplayer
Series	Dark Horizons Lore
Engine	Torque 3D
Support Discontinued	2005
Budget	Around $4000
Followed By	Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion

Dark Horizons Lore (often abbreviated to DHL or simply Lore) is a Mech simulation / shooter video game, developed my Max Gaming Technologies and published by GarageGames. It is the first game released, of the Dark Horizons Lore series of video games. It was developed and supported using the GarageGames' Torque 3D engine.

An updated release of the game, titled Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion was released some time after, completely replacing this game. An actual sequel to Lore, called Lore: Aftermath, was released in 2008.

Following the release of Aftermath, on November 2008 all official multiplayer support for Lore and Invasion was dropped.

Gameplay

File:DHL 001.jpg

Gameplay in Dark Horizons Lore

Lore plays as a first person shooter (although it does have the option to switch into 3rd person view), with several elements of a mech simulation game. In the game, the player takes control of a giant mech, called a MAV, of their choosing. There are 2 factions that a player can choose, each faction having a selection of 4 MAVs. The game features both a Single Player campaign and Online Multiplayer.

Single Player

The campaign is mainly meant to have the player familiarize himself with the game and how the gameplay mechanics work, starting with 3 tutorial levels, and then having a few simple missions, each meant to teach the player different mechanics for the Multiplayer. The player can't customize his MAV in single player. There is only a given selection of 4 pre-set MAVs. The player cannot customize their weapons or their armor.

Multiplayer

The Multiplayer lobby

The Online Multiplayer is run through a lobby with an IRC chatroom, server list and player/faction statistics. The playable gametypes are:

• Free for All
• Team Deathmatch
• Capture The Core - similair to Capture the Flag in most shooter games, with a system core, instead of a flag.
• Capture and Hold - teams have to capture waypoints on the map, and keep hold of them. The team who captures them all and holds them for a short while, first, wins.

Team Deathmatch and Capture The Core servers also reported all gameplay stats to Comcent - a feature in the game which shows the stats for each player and faction on a map of North America, showing which faction has most control over the sectors. Comcent also keeps track of each players' deaths, kills, scores, etc. Also, in the multiplayer, the player can customize their MAV with their own weapon selection, and modify the ratio between the MAV's armor and it's speed, unlike in the single player, where the player is only given a selection 4 pre-set MAVs.

All multiplayer support for Lore has been dropped, now, making multiplayer sections of the game inaccesssble.

Plot

Setting

The game is set in the year 2163. Caused by a nuclear attack on the United States, back in 2010, the Federated States and the Eastern Confederation are at war, for control over the North American sector, mainly the East Coast, now dubbed "No Man's Land". Due to the high levels of nuclear energy, caused by the nuclear attack, No Man's Land isn't suited for manned operations, so instead - the factions use giant, remote-controlled mechs called MAVs (or Mechanized Assault Vehicles), instead. The player character takes part in this war, by taking part in online matches and earning points and stats for their faction, which was meant to have eventually decided the outcome of the war.

Campaign

The Single Player campaign of Lore, sets the player in the role of the "Trainee" - a new Federated States recruit, as he is put trough MAV training by Captain Garvin.

After having completed his training course, and being approved by the supervisor, the Trainee eventually gets promoted to Lieutenant rank. He is then sent on a rescue mission to find Garvin, who's MAV was damaged by a number of turrets deployed from an Eastern Confederation landing site nearby, while out on patrol. The Trainee finds Garvin, and escorts hims safely to base, whilst fighting the deployable turrets.

The Trainee is then sent on a mission to take control of several waypoints scattered across a mining area, before a Federated States attack party moves in and engages the nearby Eastern Confederation forces. The Trainee manages to secure all waypoints, though he does encounter several Confederation MAVs along the way.

The trainee is sent on another mission, later. A Federated States dropship was shot down behind enemy lines, while delivering a replacement core for the Southwest power generator. The Trainee is sent to recover the core and deliver it back safely to a nearby Federated States outpost. The Trainee manages to make his way into the Eastern Confederation base, built around the crashed dropship, and capture the core, while engaging the Confederation forces stationed there. The Trainee manages to escape the base and make it to the outpost with the core secured.

Appearences

MAVs
The Liberator Federated States: Hunter Scout Shaddrack Liberator Abolisher Eastern Confederation: Locust Mantis Predator Juggernaught

Weapons
Federated States: LiveFire 20 AC LiveFire 30 AC T15 Viper Homing Missle T15i Viper Homing Missle T15s Viper Homing Missle XL7 Brimstone DK-5 Plasma Rifle Eastern Confederation: Shared: Flamethrower

Equipment
Turret Deployer Mine Deployer

Factions
Federated States Eastern Confederation

Maps
Coastal Flood Plains Crash Site Danger Pass Island Thunder Range River Fortress Sector 2

Weapons
Federated States: Eastern Confederation:

Characters
Trainee Captain Garvin Captain Thomas (Mentioned Only)

Locations
North American Sector No Man's Land

Development

Concept art of the Hunter Scout MAV

Dark Horizons Lore was created by Max Gaming Technologies founder and Dark Horizons Lore Series creator Adrian Wright. Wright had been making text-based games and online leagues since 1989, one game that he had written at one point, was set in, what would later be called, the Dark Horizons Lore universe. Max Gaming Technologies was founded in 1998 and they eventually began work on Lore, using the Torque 3D engine, released by GarageGames. Originally, Lore was developed under the title "Critical Subterfuge", later changed to "SOL 2160: Lore" and finally "Dark Horizons Lore". The game would be centered around Mechs as most of the MGT staff were fans of Mech games and films. Wright had intended to make the MAVs faster and more agile than customary Mechs, to add more of an FPS feel to the game, to make it different from usual Mech simulations. And so, Wright describes the resulting game as a "60/40 hybrid of FPS/Mech Game". In creating the game, MGT had modified the Torque engine, for allowing them to do such things as add custom MAV classes, customizable weapons etc.

A large impact on the game's development was in player feedback. MGT had released a beta of Lore and they were constantly testing new patches and updates, while listening to player suggestions and feedback, in order to make the game better for the community. Following on Community suggestions, many changes were made on the game from its beta stage, to its public release such as: redesigned HUDs, redesigned menus, the inclusion of Assault MAVs and more.

Apparently, as showcased at 2004's E3, a build of Lore had been played on the Phantom console, which was a console meant to be able to run current and future PC games. However, the Phantom had never been made publicly available, so Lore had never been publicly playable on it.

All support for Lore was dropped in 2005, with the release of Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion.

Sequels and Adaptations

Invasion

• See full article: Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion

In 2005, Max Gaming Technologies released Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion as an update for Lore, thus Invasion had completely replaced the original Lore, as it was released as Lore v.2, making the update mandatory for online support, which resulted in all online support for the original Lore being dropped and moved to Invasion.

Support for Invasion was also dropped in 2008, but new, online-supported builds are being made by the Skunkworks team.

Aftermath

• See full article: Lore: Aftermath

In March, 2008, with the launch of InstantAction.com, MGT had finally released a true sequel to Lore and Invasion - Lore: Aftermath. It was released on InstantAction as a browser game, but it runs in an updated version of the Torque 3D engine, thus it is still a full 3D game, simply playable in a browser.

d20 Adaptation

• See full article: Dark Horizons Lore (d20 Game)

In Spring, 2006, MGT (under the name MGT Press) released a Table-Top d20 campaign setting, based on Lore - Dark Horizons Lore.

See Also

• Dark Horizons Lore (d20 Game)
• Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion
• Dark Horizons Lore (Series)

External Links

Websites

• PlayMech - Official community site
• Lore on IGN
• Lore on Gamespot

Interviews

• Interview with Gametunnel - on Dark Horizons Lore