New Cossacks: European Wars Screenshots

Ukraine-based GSC Game World and German publisher CDV Software Entertainment have released new screenshots from their upcoming real-time strategy game European Wars: Cossacks. The game is based on historical events in 16th-, 17th-, and 18th-century Europe and features 16 playable nations with different military, technological, and economic strengths and weaknesses.

The game engine allows battles of up to 8000 units at a time on both land and sea. The gameplay is designed to reduce micromanagement and to let players concentrate on global objectives, which include economic development, technology research, and conquest. The economic model is based on six basic resources: gold, iron, coal, stone, wood, and food. Some resources have limitless deposits, emphasizing the strategic importance of territorial control in the game. The game balances economic and military development by having military units consume resources. If an army exceeds its nation's capacity to support it, riots will begin.

Cossacks features a complex technology development tree with more than 300 upgrades, which include new units, buildings, and scientific breakthroughs. The 3D landscape and realistic physics modeling are important strategic considerations: Units get bonuses when attacking from an elevated position; movement penalties apply when traveling through swampy areas or uphill; and explosions do more damage in rocky areas due to ricocheting shrapnel.

The landscape in the game is brought to life with animations such as flags waving in the wind, water ripples, and revolving windmills. Environmental effects include smoke, explosions, fog, fire, and water effects like splashes and waves.

The single-player game features a series of missions and campaigns as well as random map mode. Several historical scenarios are included such as the Thirty Years' War, the English Revolution, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Northern War, and the Seven Years' War. The multiplayer mode supports up to eight players over modem, LAN, or Internet connections.

CDV is expected to release European Wars: Cossacks in early 2001. A playable demo of the game is available here.