TrueCombat: Elite

TrueCombat: Elite (TC:E or TC:Elite) is a total-conversion modification by Team Terminator and Groove Six Studios for the freeware first person shooter game Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, started in the late 2004. The modification is in the tactical realism genre and supports Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. It is an offspring to a Quake 3 modification called TrueCombat , which holds some similarity in the game mechanics.

Notable features

(according to the TrueCombat: Elite web page):
*Costless; freely downloadable conversion on a freely downloadable game
*Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, Mac)
*HDR lighting effects
*Dynamic Eye Adaptation (DynEA)
*Realistic weapon behavior simulation
*Iron sights aiming (no crosshairs)
*Sophisticated ballistic simulation including multiple-layer object penetration
*Free aim
*Free climbing
*Realistic to-scale level designs
*To-scale textures
*High definition graphics, based on high-resolution digital-camera shots
*High fidelity sounds (44 kHz)
*Letterbox and wide-screen view modes
*Lag compensation, client-side bullet prediction
*PunkBuster anti-cheat support

Gameplay
Overview
The game is a fast-paced modern tactical shooter with a focus on close-quarters gunfights and objective oriented teamplay. Two teams engage each other using modern weaponry, in the objective game mode there is one defending team.

One of the most notable features, which often confuses new players, is that there is no crosshair. Instead, the gun's iron sights are used. The gun can also be fired from a lowered position without using the iron sights, but at a loss of accuracy.

Teams

The game features two different teams, Terrorists and SpecOps (a portmanteau for "special operation forces"). There are three classes for both teams:

* Assault - Has access to assault-rifles, pistols, a semi-automatic/pump-action shotgun, and one hand grenade.
* Recon - Has access to submachine guns, suppressed submachine guns, a pump-action only shotgun, optional techkit (replacing the grenades, flash and smoke), and akimbo pistols. The fastest class, movement speed wise.
* Sniper - Has access to sniper rifles, pistols, and only a smoke grenade. Slower and less mobile due to the heavier load.

Maps

There are numerous maps that can be played on TC:E. The majority of the maps are set in industrial areas around the world, these environments are one of TrueCombat:Elite's trademarks.

Compared to other games the maps offer relatively complex surroundings with regards to the hiding spots, numerous rooms, and underground passages. It should be noted that there are many unofficial maps created by modders.

*Northport, Liverpool, United Kingdom
*Railhouse, Detroit, USA
*Stadtrand, Hamburg, Germany
*Village, Nikustak, Macedonia
*Snow, Kamchatka, Russia
*Delta, IJmuiden, The Netherlands

Game modes
Objective
This game mode follows the same principles of Counter-Strike's bomb/defuse mode .

One player from the terrorist team receives an explosive charge. Players equipped with a techkit (Recon-class item that speeds up bomb planting/defusing) are much more likely to be selected as the bomber than those without one. Players' performance in the previous round also have a bearing on whether or not they are selected as the bomber. The terrorists have a choice of two targets demolish with their explosives: "A" or "B" (as shown on the compass in the GUI). Anyone from the SpecOps team has the ability to disarm the set explosives.

The terrorist team wins by successfully detonating one of their targets, if the bomb is disarmed, the SpecOps win. Either teams wins by eliminating all their opponents, however, if a bomb has been planted the SpecOps still have to defuse it in spite of eliminating all their opposition. The recon class on both sides can choose a techkit to speed up their objective abilities, this differs from Counter-Strike where one can only buy a defuser kit.

A few third party maps have customized missions with three bomb objectives. Also noteworthy is the map Desert Raid (obj_raid_beta2), which has only a single bomb objective and a lock pick objective.

Bodycount
Bodycount is essentially team deathmatch. The Terrorist and SpecOps teams engage each other until one of the teams reach a certain score or the time runs out, the team with the highest "bodycount", or kills, wins. Players are capable of respawning.

Reinforced Objective
Reinforced Objective in TC:E is based on the classic gametype Capture the Flag.

Reinforced Objective has received some criticism for poor flag placement. Flags tend to be placed right at the spawn point, which makes it difficult to capture a flag. Freshly spawning players can't be killed without penalty (death), so the only way to take possession of a flag is to sneak in between respawn waves.

Third Party Development
Despite TrueCombat: Elite being a mod itself, there have been several modifications made on the game. Weapons successfully plugged into the mod by the community include: Heckler & Koch MP7 , Beretta Cougar M8000 , Walter PPK, Walter WA 2000, Arctic Warfare Super Magnum, IMI UZI, among others. Some mods go so far as to create or borrow original weapons, an example of which is the assault rifle from the anime series Ghost in the Shell. Many of these weapon mods were created by the TC:E Japan Community, such as player "M@TILDA". Also under development is a mod for TC:E called True Combat Classic, which places the player in World War 2.

History
TrueCombat: Elite was started in 2004, when GrooveSix Studios and TeamTerminator merged the projects TrueCombat and Elite 626. TrueCombat was an existing project where members of both teams operated before under the name TeamTerminator, whereas Elite was a newer unreleased project on Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

On December 25 2006, the 0.490b patch was pulled due to internal miscommunication regarding a shader bug for the map obj_delta. The fix was released on January 2 2007

Main Menu

See Also

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