Savage: The Battle for Newerth

Savage: The Battle for Newerth is a science fantasy computer game that combines aspects of the Real-time strategy (RTS) and First-person shooter (FPS) genres. It takes place in the distant future when humankind has rebuilt society following an apocalypse, but is threatened by intelligent beasts. The game was released in 2003, and was turned freeware in September 1, 2006.

Gameplay
Savage is a solely online game, as it does not include a single-player mode. Each match of Savage takes place on a map of varying size. A single match has two or more teams which form a combination of the beast and human races (the default configuration is one human team and one beast team). The goal of the game is to destroy the primary enemy structure—the "Stronghold" for the human race, or the "Lair" for the beast race. Each team has one commander, who plays the game like an RTS, and additional players, who play the game like an FPS.

Commanders
A commander is responsible for developing the technology tree by constructing buildings and researching technology. The commander is capable of creating a maximum of ten workers, which are NPCs that are fully controlled by the commander. These workers can be commanded to construct buildings, mine resources, or attack enemies. Commanders can also issue these commands to the players on their team, allowing the commander to coordinate team movements and attacks. Players can also receive buffs from the commander once the technology tree has been sufficiently developed. When a match starts, players may request to act as the commander. Depending on the game server's settings, they may either be promoted immediately, or the team must vote on the request. A match cannot start until both teams have a commander, although commanders may quit the game after the match has started.

Field Players
The other 1 to 127 players on the team are the field players. These players play the game as an FPS, although melee combat is performed from the perspective of a third-person shooter (TPS). Field players receive orders from the commander, which appear as visual waypoints. They can be ordered to attack enemies, mine resources, or construct buildings, although there is no penalty for ignoring orders. Some players can be promoted to the rank of "Officer" by their commander, which allows them to issue similar orders to other players on the team. Officers also grant a passive healing bonus to team-mates around them. When a field player is killed, they are presented with the option to purchase more powerful units and weapons before spawning. The units and weapons that are available are determined by the commander's development of the technology tree.

Reception
Eurogamer awarded Savage 8 out of 10, criticizing technical glitches and the lack of any introductory tutorials, but highlighting the RTS-style gameplay aspects, accommodation for a wide range of player styles and good looking graphics.