Armored Fist 3

In fairness, Armored Fist 3 is a decent wargame, a well conceived and detailed battle simulation. And while it may appear daunting to the casual gamer or even to avid gamers who otherwise shy away from "sims," it is fairly user friendly thanks to a comprehensive manual (I even read some of it) and an excellent tutorial in campaign mode where players are guided step by step through the finer nuances of tank operation and, later, the responsibilities of commanding a platoon of state-of-the-art M1A2 tanks. (Strangely, you work with infantry on some scrimmages, but you cannot command them- might as well run �em over as they pay you no mind in spite of your mow-it-all-over mass).

There�s a good deal of distraction here. While Armored Fist 3 does support joystick control, the keyboard interface seems to better suit the more than 75 keystrokes at your disposal. Again, the tutorial explains the more crucial keystrokes and eventually tests your memory with an invigorating mock-up battle. Better still, the center-fold of the instruction manual displays each key�s function and can be positioned nearby, ergonomically and unobtrusively. There is also a cardboard overlay which sits about the F-keys, neatly color-coding and defining several select commands.

While one would never expect "subtle use of a tank" and otherwise assumes the phrase "subtle tank" is an oxymoron, the execution of tank tactics proves to be a multi-faceted experience. Gamers will learn how to best utilize a the different crewmen within each tank by assuming their positions and/or by commanding an entire platoon (which is also an effective way of continuing a game even after you�ve been destroyed as you can readily hop from tank to tank -- even platoon to platoon -- should something untoward, like death envelop your initial command). The game also explains and employs strategic command elements with an interactive map screen.

Again, pretty daunting stuff for gamers who just want to head out and blow stuff up and mow stuff over. So Armored Fists 3�s greatest lure to the sim-spurning populace stems from the fact that nearly every tactile little nuance can be automated, which nicely limits the keystrokes to a few select edicts and lets the AI call out exactly what it�s doing for you (at which point, Joystick control makes a lot more sense).

Armored Fist 3 offers a vast selection of missions ranging from realistic scenarios to far-out, you vs the world campaigns. It also offers a scenario editor, which may have some appeal to those chainsaw buffs/tank addicts, but seems much too painstaking a process considering the flaws in the game.

You see, Armored Fist 3 requires no 3D acceleration as it utilizes "voxels" rather than polygons. It is now an "old school" method for a 3D graphics engine which manipulates a detailed landscape made up of quasi-three-dimensional pixels. The effect offers photo-realistic imagery at times, but does tend to cause bizarre pop-up, aliasing (those jaggy lines) with the telescopic lens, and several ghost images which you�d think would work as effective cover but merely hamper your view of the battle field and your foes.

And while Armored Fist 3 does look quite spanky and allows for fluid animation and great gaseous explosions when it�s just you and your tutor, or maybe you and a few foes, it gets bogged down when things get busy.

In the heat of battle, when all hell is breaking loose and your compatriots are sending distress signals over the com, your gunner is calling for a reload and the Doppler effect is cutting great sound-swaths out of the air, the last things you need as a big splatter of pixellated smoke (not that the smoke is unwelcome, but a foreground whiteout makes little sense). To top it off, the frame-rate drops to slide-show speed, which makes locking onto a target a useless endeavor as the mark is either destroyed by an ally by the time your fire command is recognized, or it just ain�t there all of the sudden. Bummer.

This bog flaw is evident even if you happen to far exceed the system requirements. Investigating the various forums and chat rooms on the matter reveals that bog is a common ailment. Bummer too. Guess there�s a reason everyone is rendering polygons these days, rather than pushing pixels.

Other flaws worth mentioning appear online, the first and most glaring of which is the fact that next to no one is playing Armored Fist 3. One would think that a tank sim would draw those innumerable sledgehammer aficionados lurking around the world. Well, not with this title. And anyone who wants to play online MUST play via NovaLogic�s NovaWorld, so it�s not like the real players are hiding out on some sleeper server elsewhere. Anyway, I have managed a few team vs team deathmatches, but that�s about it. None too many people playing and absolutely no one diving into a real-time multiple-objective campaign. Just a few pseudo-warmongers shooting the crap out of each other. Fun, but nothing to write your gal Sal about.

Surprisingly, while online play also suffers from the innate bog, lag is only noticeable when killed. That is to say, the text screen will sometimes mention you�ve been toasted about a second and a half before you see your turret pop off in a pretty little pictogram of pushed pixels. It�s a little bizarre to say the least but nothing too tragic as death is half the game, in deathmatch mode anyway.

But online gameplay is no where near as polished as say, MechWarrior or Panzer Elite or what have you. And while the "Voice Over Net" aspect shows much promise- the game comes bundled with a headset microphone- my real-time war chat experience involved a few muttered curses drawled over the world wide web by a few fellows that sounded like they needed few more hours of sleep and perhaps a few elocution lessons. The traditional "chat" text was a more effective communication tool at any rate, as gamers without a Full-Duplex sound card could not utilize the novel function. A final bummer.

Still, the experience will leave gamers better skilled at tank operation and perhaps slightly more aware that a real time war sim can be invigorating and not overly involved when everything is automated. Then again, where�s the fun in that? Better off hugging a chainsaw, methinks.

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