Red Orchestra: Combined Arms

Red Orchestra: Combined Arms is a tactical first-person shooter total conversion for Unreal Tournament 2004 and previously for Unreal Tournament 2003 originally developed by an independent mod team, set on the Eastern Front during World War II. It is notable for its emphasis on realism in comparison to other WW2-based FPSs. Unlike most FPSs, there is little on-screen information. There are no crosshairs in the middle of the screen; instead, the player must aim using simulated three-dimensional iron sights, compensating for the breathing of the character and natural sway from holding the gun. The player must also mentally keep track of ammo usage, unlike in games such as Counter-Strike which use an ammunition counter. Health status is not represented by points, but by a diagram of the player's body with reddened sections that show where he or she has been wounded. The bolt-action rifles in the game can often kill a player in one shot if rounds connect with any part of the torso or head. Semi-automatic rifles, such as the SVT-40 and Gewehr 43, are also capable of killing in one shot.

The development team that made the original mod was awarded the "Grand Prize" in the Make Something Unreal mod competition, run by nVidia and Epic Games. The prize was a free license for the Unreal Engine 2.5 and Unreal Engine 3.0 game engine. As a result, Tripwire Interactive was created and Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 was developed.

Features

Red Orchestra features advanced ballistics for both small arms and tank rounds - incorporating bullet drop, flight time, and tanks with realistic armor properties, including penetration and deflection, in relation to range and projectile trajectory angle. Realistic player movements are modeled, such as the ability to lie and move prone, sprint, and deploy machine guns both on objects and while prone.

Version 3.0 introduced the Combined Arms aspect, which included the addition of tanks and other vehicles. Version 3.3, which is likely the last version for the total conversion, includes the Soviet T-34/85, KV-1S, and IS-2 and German Panzer IV and Panzer V (aka Panther) tanks. Also included are the Russian Zis-5 truck and German SdKfz 251 Half-track.

Distribution

Red Orchestra: Combined Arms is still free, although its successor is not free and can be obtained from the Steam distribution, in the form of Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. It features all-new maps, all-new character art and animation, and doubles the number of vehicles to 14 with new additions such as the German Tiger I and Stug III.

On 14 February 2006, Tripwire Interactive LLC. and Valve Corporation announced the pre-release of Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 via Valve Corporation's Steam online delivery service. Retail availability was expected in early Q2 2006. The game was to be released via Steam on March 14, 2006, and the boxed version was scheduled to be in stores later that week.

On 14 March 2006 Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 was released via Steam. Boxed versions of the game appeared in North American stores around a week later, and are currently being distributed across the world. Red Orchestra was also recently shipped through Scandinavia.

On 2 August 2006 Steam announced a five-day free full-game trial of Red Orchestra. Steam has made previous use of the full-game trial concept for Day of Defeat: Source.

loki installers for linux gamers supplies a Linux installer for the original Red Orchestra: Combined Arms modification. It is made to work with the Linux port of Unreal Tournament 2004, and has an installer for both the original mod and the Summer Offensive Map Pack Addon.

See also

• Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
• Red Orchestra (spy)

External links

• Unreal Tournament 2004: Red Orchestra v3.3 download
• Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 Official Website

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