Design Documentation
General Notes
Operation Anubis is a modification (“mod”) of Electronic Arts’ World War
Two multi-player game, Battlefield 1942. In it, players will assume
military roles with different nationalities, in a “what if” scenario
where the history of the war is changed so that it has continued into
the year 1946. Though the historical war ended on August 14th, 1945 after
two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in this mod, no
nation has yet developed nuclear weapons, and this has allowed the war to
continue.
The mod will recreate possible battles that might have occurred in 1946,
and replace supplement the existing units and weapons of the original
game with actual historical prototypes that all involved forces were developing.
Any player familiar with the mechanics of Battlefield 1942 will be able
to load the mod and begin playing.
The task of the player in Operation Anubis will not change from the original
game. Opposing Axis and Allied forces will be supplied with a limited
number of “tickets”, and will be required to capture and hold specific
strategic points on the field of play. When one side holds a majority
of points, their opponent’s ticket count will begin to fall, and when
a team’s number of tickets reaches zero, they have lost the battle.
The mod will be heavily team-based. Organization and coordination between
team members will greatly improve chances of winning. This is the way
the game was originally designed, and as gameplay is one of the strongest
elements of the game the mod elements will only be adjusted to reflect
their uniqueness while maintaining the balance.
The setting of the game is the Pacific and European theatres during World
War Two. The war has continued to the year 1946, and both sides are implementing
the prototype experimental exotic vehicles that were in development during
the war, in the hopes that one of them might turn the tide.
Story
1939
Germany invades Poland and World War Two begins.
1940
Germany invades France. Under the same Blitzkrieg used against Poland,
France crumbles in a matter of weeks.
On May 26th, 1940, the Allies’ decision to pull out remaining forces is
hampered by poor weather for which they are unprepared. This slowdown
allows the German forces, using unorthodox methods and taking extreme
risks in the bad weather, to surprise the Allied forces, comprised of
338,000 troops, at Dunkirk. The Allies are outnumbered and outgunned and
do not have the time to set up a delaying action. Consequently, despite
a call for every available ship to aid in the retreat, less than one tenth,
or about 35,000 men, of the original force escape with their lives.
Meanwhile, Niels Bohr, the leading nuclear scientist in Europe, flees
Denmark. With the help of the British Secret Service, he is able to escape
to Sweden before being moving to the United States to continue his research.
Germany’s unrestricted U-Boat warfare puts a stranglehold on England,
crippling their supply routes. The British begin to use sonar for anti-submarine
warfare units.
From May until October, a massive air battle over British soil, subsequently
known as The Battle of Britain, momentarily blunts the German spearhead.
Once again hopelessly outnumbered, the British call for every available
unit to aid in their defense, but this results in the slaughter of practically
all remaining British pilots, leaving their ranks completely depleted
of veterans.
Enraged by the bombing of Berlin, Hitler demands retaliatory strikes on
British cities, providing a respite for the nearly destroyed British airfields.
Aides implore Hitler to finish the attack, but he is fanatical about the
terror bombings. Eventually he is convinced to continue to target industrial
sectors as well as civilian ones. This action allows the Royal Air Force
to turn back the Luftwaffe, but the cost is nearly all of the country’s
war production.
On September 17th, 1940, Hitler delays Operation Sealion, the invasion
of England.
1941
Germany uses the lull in combat to reinforce its positions throughout
Europe. The Axis is able to negotiate with Turkey and Iran in order to
gain a steady flow of oil and materials.
The Luftwaffe begins to research the use of jet aircraft. The research
goes very well, thanks to the help of several Italian engineers, and copies
of several types of jet engines are sent to Far East, for use by Japanese
aircraft designers.
On December 7th, 1941, Japanese naval aircraft attack the United States
Navy Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
On December 8th, 1941, the Untied States of America declares war on the
Empire of Japan, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy.
Development of a device allowing U-boats to stay submerged while running
their diesel engines further worsens Britain’s supply state. Fortunately,
the improvements in sonar allow British ASW forces some modicum of defense.
Hitler is eager to invade the Soviet Union in 1941, seeing the success
of his troops elsewhere, but his generals do their best to dissuade him,
wanting more time to prepare troops for the brutal Russian winters. Seeing
his generals’ earlier advice lead to success over Britain, Hitler relents
and delays the operation.
1942
On March 28th, 1942, Germany implements Operation Barbarossa—the invasion
of the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, due to the crippled state of British industry, the United States
is forced to shoulder more and more of the war burden. They begin to find
themselves slowly but surely lagging behind—unable to keep pace with both
Germany and Japan. One front must be eliminated.
On June 4th, 1942, The Battle of Midway begins. The United States is desperate
for a victory to turn the tide in the Pacific, and sinks the Japanese
carriers Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu. Hiryu, though, manages to escape, and
in the process rescue many of the veteran aircrews stranded. In return,
the United States carrier Yorktown is sunk, and the carrier Hornet is
heavily damaged and forced back to port at Pearl Harbor for a lengthy
refit. The Japanese do not take Midway, but it is not the decisive victory
the United States needs.
Because of this stalemate, the Japanese are able to get industrial bases
flowing in Korea. Along with a new influx of natural resources, Imperial
High Command institutes a policy of rotating back trained aircrews from
the front line to train new pilots. This allows them to maintain a pool
of veterans as a training cadre, as well as keep them fresh while awaiting
new assignments.
In 1942 the Manhattan Engineer Project is set up in the United States
under the command of Brigadier General Leslie Groves. Scientists recruited
to produce an atom bomb include Robert Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr, and Enrico
Fermi.
1943
Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt are deeply concerned about
the possibility that Germany will produce the atom bomb before the Allies.
At a conference held in Quebec 1943, it is decided to try and disrupt
the German nuclear program.
In February 1943, saboteurs successfully plant a bomb in a Norwegian factory.
As soon as it is rebuilt, 150 US bombers destroy it in November. Two months
later the Norwegian resistance manages to sink a German boat carrying
vital supplies for its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, false information is intentionally leaked to the German scientists
working on the atomic program, causing them to doubt experiments they
previously believed successful. Combined with the bombings, the German
program falls almost two years behind the United States’.
In the Pacific, neither side is able to break through, and the battle
grinds along slowly. Japanese shipyards are able to replace their losses
at Midway, and launch a new, modernized carrier—the Taiho class. Germany’s
navy modernizes as well, with the launching of the new H-class battleship
Fredrick der Grosse and the carriers Graf Zeppelin and Seydlitz.
Soviet forces are able to stop the German onslaught in the north, and
keep their Baltic ports intact. The Soviets take advantage of this victory
to bolster their own fleet, in hope of cutting off German supply routes.
However, southern areas succumb to the continued German advance, and Stalingrad
falls under siege as the 11th Army occupies vital oil fields.
1944
At the Los Alamos research facility in New Mexico, an accident kills 65
people and sets the Atomic Bomb program back six months. Continually horrified
at the results of testing, Niels Bohr convinces Robert Oppenheimer of
the dangers of the indiscriminant use of atomic weapons. Together, the
scientists conspire to misconstrue test results and delay the production
of fissionable plutonium. Research slows at the facility.
Both Axis and Allied forces begin to deploy jet aircraft. War in Europe
and the Pacific slows to a grind.
On June 6th 1944, Allied forces land in Normandy, France. German resistance
is fierce.
On the Eastern front, Russian offensives are countered by superior German
technology. Stalin is furious, and “purges” several generals.
1945
Desperate to gain an advantage in the Pacific, American forces make a
daring end around, bypassing multiple critical Japanese island chains
in order to execute a surprise attack on the island of Okinawa. The plan
is to hold the island for as long as possible and bomb southern Japanese
cities, while hopefully creating a second front by having the Soviet Union
declare war on Japan as well. To this end, the United States supplies
the new B-29 bomber to the Soviet Union, as well as the technical aid
required to build such a craft.
In Europe, Allied forces continue to fight to liberate France.
Meanwhile, German saboteurs destroy certain key areas of the Los Alamos
plant, further undermining Allied research there.
On July 16th, 1945, however, two atomic bombs are successfully tested
at Alamogordo, New Mexico. There is enough uranium left to produce two
more atomic bombs. President Truman decides to use them before the tenuous
grip on Okinawa fails.
On August 6th, 1945, a modified B-29, the Enola Gay, is sent to bomb Hiroshima.
The Enola Gay is shot down by new carrier based Japanese aircraft, and
crashes into to the ocean.
The loss of the atomic bomb is kept secret. Pacifist actions by the Manhattan
Project scientists, and the setback caused by German agents delay the
further production of uranium and plutonium. It will be at least a year
until any more fissionable material can be produced.
1946
The war continues with no realistic end in sight. All parties are involved
on multiple fronts, with none seeming to give ground. As both the Axis
and Allies try to find the flashpoint that will turn the tide, battles
become larger in scale, and tactics become more desperate. The Allies
implement Operation Anubis, a series of risky attacks on heavily fortified
Axis targets. At the same time, the Axis begins its own dangerous invasion
of Allied strongholds… General Mechanics Many of Battlefield 1942’s existing
mechanics will remain unchanged. This game was chosen due to the extraordinary
play balancing already achieved by the game. The mod team’s goal is to
provide a new, yet similar experience to the original game by introducing
new vehicles, including some that have tactical roles not available in
original.
Unique Units
A unique vehicle is planned--the PT boat, which will provide a tank-like,
heavy firepower option for players to use in naval battles. The PT boat
will most likely be the most radical change to gameplay we introduce,
as naval warfare does not play a large role in the existing game. This
is an aspect the team hopes to change, specifically by designing maps
that emphasize naval firepower, thus making the PT boat a critical element
to the mod, much like the tanks and bombers of the original game.
New Units
No other radical changes are intended for gameplay. New units will become
available that fill similar roles to the original ones, so as to give
players a completely new visual experience as well as one different from
the original game. A major appeal factor for the mod will be the exoticness
of the planned vehicles. Visually attractive vehicles will encourage the
players to explore, and try to find out exactly what it was that just
killed them.
However, these new units will not be merely new skins on the original
models. Speeds, weapons loads, and armor will all be adjusted to reflect
the changes in the game, as well as to provide the player a new, but familiar,
learning curve.
Maps
Because of the planned changes to gameplay, the mod will require a selection
of new maps to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the new units.
Primary among these will be an increase in speed for most vehicles, meaning
all maps will require a larger playable area than found in the original
game. Original game maps may prove unplayable or at least less enjoyable
with the planned changes.
The maps are all planned to be based on actual World War Two battle sites.
However, they will be regarded with a revisionist history, allowing the
team to implement some battles that did not take place during the war.
Briefings
New maps will require new briefings, as players might be unfamiliar with
the scenarios presented to them. It may also be possible to provide a
goal-based map, however, this is only a possibility at this point.
Movement
The mod will be designed with all of Battlefield 1942’s default control
keys. Players should be able to adjust control to their liking if the
defaults do not suit them.
Victory
As in the original game, victory will by default be achieved when one
side runs out of lives, referred to in-game as “tickets”. Ticket count
is affected by how many flags a side controls: once an imbalance in power
occurs, the disadvantaged side’s ticket count begins to fall--the greater
the imbalance, the higher the rate of decline. Beginning ticket counts
will be set by the mod team for each map.
Artificial Intelligence
No changes are planned for the game’s Artificial Intelligence at this
time.
Sides
The game will consist of two opposing sides, the Axis and the Allies,
made up of several countries each.
Allies
The United States of America
Great Britain
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union)
Axis
Germany
Japan
Unit Count
The total number of new vehicles we will be adding to the game with this
mod is substantial, and breaks down as follows.
Allies
Aircraft: 8
Small Craft: 1
Capital Ships: 6
Armor: 8
Axis
Aircraft: 10
Small Craft: 1
Capital Ships: 5
Armor: 4
Total: 43
Vehicle Types
Fighters
Principally used for air superiority, fighters are an integral part of
any modern air force. It is fighters that are used to eliminate the firepower
threat of bombers, and fighters that are used to engage other fighters.
A good fighter can serve a multitude of roles, including air superiority
(not allowing any enemy aircraft into the skies), close air support (suppression
of infantry and/or armor engaging friendly ground troops), ground attack
(destruction of soft targets, such as enemy armor, infantry, or non-hardened
bunkers), and long range strikes (extended flights to vital targets not
accessible by ground troops). Fighters can also be used for naval attacks,
although this task typically falls to a specific role-designed plane,
built to carry large payloads, the fighter/bomber.
Bombers
Bombers are aircraft designed for a specific purpose: to destroy ground
targets from the air. Rarely elegant in design, bombers are often intended
to carry as much ordnance as possible while still being airworthy. This
design makes them extremely slow and sluggish—perfect targets for enemy
fighters. Though most bombers have crews manning gun turrets to protect
them, without fighter cover, they will be decimated by any good pilot.
Small Craft
While the majority of naval battles were fought with large vessels and
high numbers of aircraft, small craft played a vital role in the war.
Often used to protect convoys as well as patrol sea lanes, small craft
such as PT boats were usually the first line of defense.
Capital Ships
Technology had not given countries the means to reach each other in the
40s (Germany’s primitive V-1 and V-2 rockets were state of the art technology),
so naval firepower was much coveted to protect and cut off shipping lanes.
In fact, at the start of the war, many countries were still subscribing
to the philosophy of World War I, where naval superiority had been a staple,
and air superiority supplementary. Though all sides would see this status
drastically change during the course of the war, the philosophy led to
some of the largest ships ever built, and consequently, some of the largest
naval battles in the history of civilization.
The Allies generally followed the precept of quantity over quality, mass-producing
all manner of ships since they often were outgunned by the technological
superiority of the German and Japanese vessels. This proved to be the
proper battle plan, in large part because of the crippling of Axis production
centers that began mid-war.
Axis members followed a different plan when it came to designing naval
vessels. Operating under the belief that, as in the First World War, firepower
carried the day at sea, most Axis vessels tended to be highly specialized—fast,
well armed, and heavily armored. Though they outgunned the Allied ships
for most of the war, Axis naval weapons were never able to completely
gain a stranglehold, and were eventually overwhelmed and destroyed by
the emergence of the firepower of modern combat: Air superiority.
Armor
The mainstay of land engagements, armor battles can be vicious. By the
end of the war, the Allies had caught up technologically to the Axis forces
that had torn through them at the beginning of the war, and more importantly,
they had the strength of numbers, allowing them to secure victory.
As with naval power, the Axis forces often had the advantage of technical
superiority. This, combined with the element of surprise, allowed them
to rip through much larger opponent’s forces. However, this instilled
a sense of overconfidence in the Axis commanders, and when the ride turned
in the war, technological superiority was not enough to overcome sheer
numbers.