Cooperative Arts

What could possibly more fun than playing a PC game on your own? Why, cooperative gameplay mechanics of course! Every modern released game nowadays features at least one cooperative (co-op) game mode where you can play with your friends, mostly against the computer AI. Since this is part I, let’s talk about Strategy games on the PC and its coopeartive capabilities. I can’t possibly imagine a strategy game without multiplayer options available, even games from 1998 came with some (limited) multiplayer modes, mostly using the IPX protocol. What really separates a couple of games is the unique co-op mode. You can play with your friend, not against him.

The Games

Technically speaking, an average multiplayer death match mode can also be classed as co-op as long as you and your buddies are on the same side. So I should at least mention a dozen strategy games where you can play a quick skirmish among a random chosen map, with the computer AI and anyone who joins your created game isntance. Warcraft or Starcraft mostly play like this and are still overly popular. Sometimes, one side shares resources and you should work together more carefully. Mostly though your team mates are there in case your army fails and some backup is required or they can help you defend towns. Rise of Nations, among other well-known classic RTS games like Age of Empires, also feature a dozen multiplayer options where strictly speaking “co-op” is one of them. In most RTS games, this mode is disguised as a standard Multiplayer Game, where the creating player adjusts a set number of players slots (Open, Closed, AI or Reserved) and team allocations.

Age of Wonders is not your average Strategy game. Your are still instructed to gather resources, build towns and enlarge your army, but instead this is all done in a turn-based fashion. Once your turn is over, you hand it to the next player - possibly the computer AI. TBS Strategy games also feature complete multiplayer game mechanics where everyone can join your newly created game. If you wish you can divide the players into different teams, who work together: cooperative gameplay. Although most games are not made especially for co-op. The sad part about multiplayer TBS games is - obviously - it’s turn based! If a human player is away for a short time you can still kick that person, teams will become unbalanced after a while. Some TBS games offer a solution: play-by-email. Civilization for example offers this alternative play style. Other well-known turn based strategy games are Disciples II or the Heroes of Might & Magic series.

Let’s proceed to some real co-op games. These games do not even feature a standard multiplayer option: it’s either playing with your buddies (of course still against the AI), or not playing at all. Commandos 2 for instance is an excellent cooperative game! You can play the game just like in singleplayer mode, except the commandos teammembers are divided among players. For instance, one person picks the Green Beret and the Sniper, while the other controls the Spy and the Thief. Together you can try to accomplish the various missions in all unlocked maps. Most co-op games utilize the singleplayer campaign but let two or more players join the Nazi killing fest.

Commandos 2 features a local network or internet multiplayer mode, where elsewhere located players also can join your game. Do not forget to apply the 1.3 patch first since some maps with more than one player can become quite buggy after a while. When you control a couple of commandos instead of your usual team, you can concentrate more on them and the enemies they are facing, instead of trying to watch the whole map. This enables players to cooperatively conquer the map much easier by working in small teams, without having to worry about a commando getting caught. For instance, your mate starts at the top of the map and you start below. You can systematically work your way through all German or Chinese enemies, picking them off one by one, while your buddy does the same. Or he can provide sniper support if you manage to screw things up. Don’t forget to quicksave often if you are better in setting of the main alarm than your friend!

Pyro Studios decided to add the well-known multiplayer options like death match and capture the flag to Commandos 3 the sequel. Sadly, this game plays a lot less fluid during multiplayer sessions. Time to install Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom! This strategy game is actually more of a city building simulation. It’s the Zeus follow up by Impressions Games - actually the game was developed by BreakAway games, using the Zeus engine and concepts. Anyway, Emperor is the first title in the City Building series to feature a multiplayer option! There’s even a (Sierra) game lobby when playing via the internet instead of local LAN.

As most of us city building fans already know, in Caesar/Pharah/Zeus you could try to initiate a trade between different cities. If you paid enough tribute to one city, they might provide you with the very needed resources the next year. Of course you can also create enemies that way, if you do not listen to their demands. Emperor takes this concept to a higher level: in a co-op game, players each build their own city and you cannot directly interact with each other. But you are able to set up a trade convoy to your friend and vice versa! This works exactly the same as all AI cities: by building a trade post and setting the buy/sell resource values. You can declare war or peace, or even be in alliance with that particular city. There is indeed limited interaction available for co-op players but the result is very satisfying.

For instance, when I start a map with my imaginary buddy Jake, we both get a completely separate terrain to build upon. This indicates the availability of various resources: in a wet and green area you are more likely to have rice, and in a dry area you are more likely to plant cabbage. Since your inhabitants will start demanding more than two different food products, trading is at some point virtually requried. Unless you do not care about upgrading your house levels of course. Maybe my friend Jake agrees on trading rice for cabbage (at the same price level), and we’re both set!

The Not-So-Complete List

A quick list containing most available PC Strategy coopeartive games.
To complete the list, add all “traditional” RTS Strategy games.
Rating based on overall co-op feeling and gamaplay.

• Age of Wonders series
• Civilization series
• Commandos 2: Men of Courage
• Disciples II & expansions
• Dungeon Keeper 2
• Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
• Etherlords II
• Galactic Civilizations series
• Heroes of Might & Magic series
• Warcraft Series
• Worms series
• Starcraft Series