Combat Mission: Shock Force

Combat Mission: Shock Force is the fourth game in the Combat Mission series and the first that isn't set in World War II. Instead, this time the setting is Syria in the near future. As with the previous games in the series, the focus is on tactical ground combat. Each battle begins with a mission briefing, where the player can study the strategic and operational maps and receive a description of the mission. The player then moves onto the 3D battlefield and into the set-up phase, where the action is paused. Here the battlefield has deployment zones where the player can position his units. The player can issue orders to his units here, which will be activated once the battle begins. When the player is satisfied with this, he can start the actual battle. The game offers a number of gameplay styles. In its simplest form, the game is played in simultaneous time, which means that one second of game time corresponds to one second of real time. However, players can also choose a different style of play. In real-time mode, battles begin after the setup is complete and do not stop until the player interrupts the action. In turn-based mode, each round of combat (except the first one) has three phases. It begins with a command phase, in which the player gives orders. This is followed by the action phase, in which the units execute their orders. This consists of 60 seconds of real-time action. The last phase is the replay phase, in which the player can rewind and replay the action. In the first round of battle, the action phase is based on the orders given in the build-up phase. In the action and replay phase, the player cannot give any more orders. Each battle can have a number of different victory conditions based on different objectives. There are three main types of objectives: terrain-based, unit-based, and combat power-based. Terrain-based objectives include occupying an area, destroying a building, defending an area, or reaching an area. Unit-based objectives can be tied to individual units or to a group of units and include destroying or finding specific units. Troop-wide objectives include the number of casualties, the condition of troops, and the amount of ammunition remaining. Combat Mission: Shock Force includes two campaigns played from the U.S. side: Yakima Training Center and Task Force Thunder. Yakima Training Center is a training mode for new players to learn the game mechanics. In the Task Force Thunder campaign, players take command of a battalion-sized Combined Arms Task Force on the Syrian border with the goal of splitting the country in two. The combat campaigns are semi-dynamic, consisting of both predetermined elements and those based on the players' actions. The starting conditions for each battle depend on the result of the previous battle. There are also QuickBattles, i.e. battles where the units and the map are randomly generated depending on the parameters the player sets. The options include the environment, size and weather, and the type and quality of units. The game supports multiplayer mode for two players. Real-time mode can be played over LAN or Internet, while turn-based mode can be played in hotseat (two players on the same computer) or via email.