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{{Infobox VG
'''Company of Heroes''' or ('''CoH''') is a World War II [[real-time strategy]] (RTS) computer game developed for [[Microsoft Windows]] by [[Relic Entertainment]]. It was announced on April 25, 2005, and released on September 14, 2006. It is the first game to use the "Games for Windows" label. The game was released on steam on July 17, 2007. A standalone expansion, [[Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts]] was released September 24, 2007.
 
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|title = Company of Heroes
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|image = [[Image:Wiki.png|center|256px|Company of Heroes]]
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|developer = [[wikipedia:Relic Entertainment|Relic Entertainment]]
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|publisher = [[wikipedia:THQ|THQ]]
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|designer = Josh Mosqueira, Quinn Duffy
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|engine = [[wikipedia:Essence Engine|Essence Engine]] <br/> [[wikipedia:Havok (software)|Havok]] (Physics Engine)
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|version = 2.601
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|media = DVD, Download
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|released = {{vgrelease|NA=September 12, 2006|PAL=September 29, 2006}}
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|genre = [[wikipedia:Real-time strategy|Real-time strategy]]
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|modes = [[wikipedia:Single player|Single player]], [[wikipedia:Multiplayer game|Multiplayer]]
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|ratings = {{vgratings|ESRB=M|PEGI=18+|BBFC=15|OFLCA=MA15+}}
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|platforms = Microsoft Windows
 
|next=[[Company of Heroes 2]]
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}}
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'''''Company of Heroes''''' is a real-time strategy computer game developed by [[Relic Entertainment]]. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label. A standalone expansion, ''[[Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts|Opposing Fronts]]'', was released on September 25, 2007. A second standalone expansion, ''[[Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor|Tales of Valor]]'' was released in April 2009. [[Company of Heroes Online]], an MMO version of the game was released as a free-to-play, microtransaction based game in South Korea in April 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.relic.com/news/September-9-2009---THQ-Partners-with-Windysoft-to-Bring-Company-of-Heroes-Online-to-South-Korea/|title=THQ Partners with Windysoft to Bring Company of Heroes Online to South Korea|publisher=Relic Online|date=8 September 2009|accessdate=16 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://coho.windyzone.com/sub_main/csboard/NOTICE/view/board_view.ws?setting_board_id=NOTICE&seq=119&srch=&selGubun=&category_seq=&page=2|title=[안내] OBT 오픈 시간 안내|date=27 April 2010|accessdate=16 May 2010|publisher=Windyzone}}</ref> Company of Heroes: Online Open Beta ended on March 31st, 2011. According to Relic Entertainment, the reason for the servers being shut down is the developers' new unnamed RTS project which will be unveiled in August 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.companyofheroes.com/announcements/one-week-left-for-coho|title= Company of Heroes Online blog.|date=March 25, 2011|publisher=Relic}}</ref>
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''Company of Heroes'' is set during World War II. In the single-player campaign the player commands two U.S. military units during the Battle of Normandy and the Allied liberation of France. Depending on the mission, the player controls either Able Company of the 29th Infantry Division, or Fox Company of the 101st Airborne's 506th PIR.
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The sequel, [[Company of Heroes 2]], was released on June 25th, 2013.
   
 
==Gameplay==
 
==Gameplay==
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===Resources===
There are three types of gameplay featured in Company of Heroes which are [[Campaign]], [[Skirmish]], and Online [[Multiplayer]].
 
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The resource management in Company of Heroes retains micromanagement details such as reinforcing troops, which has the effect of creating a more tactical RTS experience.
   
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Players must take control of certain points on the map. The more of these points a player controls, the more resources they acquire. This concept demands constant expansion of a player's territory. These points are connected like supply lines, and so, during the course of a battle a player can capture one point in the supply line, isolating the rest which had been connected to the base through it, therefore reducing the enemy's resource intake.
In the story mode the player leads the Allies from the very beginning of the Battle of Normandy or [[D-Day]] and all the way through to the capture of the [[Falaise Gap]].
 
   
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Players collect three resources: manpower, munitions, and fuel. Manpower is necessary to produce all units. Munitions allows players to upgrade individual squads or vehicles and use special abilities. Fuel allows players to purchase tanks and other vehicles, build base buildings and acquire global upgrades. The player can decide, at a manpower cost, to place observation posts on his resource points in order to increase his production by 40% and make them more durable against enemy takeovers, which means sacrificing resources in the short-term for a greater long-term intake. Resource points must also be connected as any unconnected captured points can not produce resources.
In skirmish battles the player starts out as either the [[Allies]] or [[Axis]] on one side of a pre-determined map usually with a [[Headquarter]], Engineer or Pioneer Squad, and light machine-gun defences. Then the player must start by either capturing a certain point or creating buildings and defences. Also each front has it's own unique companys or doctrines that provides things such as upgrades, weapons, and many other things.
 
   
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===Buildings===
For the game to officially end with a victor or loser it depends on the game mode. If the game is played on [[Victory Point Control]] they must capture all capture points before the enemy and on [[Annihilation]] one player must wipe out the enemy by destroying every official enemy building. The player could also just lose or surrender by quiting out of the game.
 
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Units can occupy a civilian building and convert it into a field barracks, allowing certain units or squads to be created by that building, thus allowing a forward unit production and reinforcement point.
   
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Medic stations can also be built on the field to house medics, who can recover fallen soldiers from the battlefield and return them to the medic station. When enough soldiers are recovered by medics (4 for Germans and 6 for American), the medic station will provide a free squad at no expense of manpower.
There are several unique options in Company of Heroes which is for all fronts in the game. One is the realistic detail of the units and how they use tactics and work in the environment. Another thing is the abillity for the units to arm themselves in any building or to turn it into a [[barracks]]. The camera of the game also allows the player to have a close look at the battlefield and even inside any building to see the RTS from a more realistic point of view.
 
   
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Infantry units can also occupy buildings and use them as cover or a garrison to protect against attack, but this limits their firing range because the infantry are a stationary, immobile target, rendering them vulnerable to sniper fire and easy to surround. Also, while garrisoned, infantry units can only shoot out of windows or holes blown into a building. Certain weapons are immensely effective against units holed up in a building; satchel charges or infantry-carried rocket launchers can demolish a building, tank fire can blast the building, and infantry or tanks armed with flamethrowers can literally set the building on fire and burn out the occupants, and finally artillery. However, there are advantages; infantry are well protected from small arms and most buildings are sturdy enough to stand up to limited tank fire before collapsing. Company of Heroes was one of the first World War II strategy games which introduced dynamic building destruction which took advantage of the physics engine used to make the game. For example, if a tank was concentrating its fire on one position of a building near the bottom, then the whole building (once its "health" was completely depleted) would collapse in that specific area first and then the rest of the building would follow.
Also the Havoks 3 physics engine allows the game to have a more realistic style of physics than most RTS games. Parts of buildings can be destroyed by grenades, satchels or [[mortar]]s, and [[tank]]s can drive through sections of walls or other barriers. Smoke created from explosions is programmed to behave as realistically as possible and can even be influenced by wind. Debris is also influenced by explosions; a blast can send barrels flying and shower troops in dirt, whilst leaving behind a large crater. When [[infantry]] are bombarded by artillery, body parts sometimes detach and are dispersed over, and some units even getting thrown about in the immediate area. Bridges and buildings can be destroyed by engineers using demolitions.
 
   
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Occupied buildings can be destroyed after taking fire from enemy units or any other attack, like artillery fire or demolition charges. Civilian buildings cannot be repaired or rebuilt. However, both the Allied and German forces can construct garrisonable buildings (the Allies can build a .30 caliber machine gun nest, while the Germans can construct bunkers).
==Multiplayer==
 
   
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The Americans can build a barracks and weapons support center to deploy infantry (foot soldiers), a motor pool and tank depot for tanks, vehicles and anti-tank guns. The triage center can heal nearby units that have been wounded from enemy fire. A supply yard is also required to be built before building a motor pool or tank depot which enables upgrades to reduce costs of infantry and tanks.
For ''Company of Heroes'', Relic began using a new online gaming system called [[Relic Online]]. Previous Relic games used [[GameSpy Arcade]] or [[World Opponent Network]] services. This new system includes many features that the previous systems did not have, including a built in automatch and ranking system.
 
   
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The Germans can build a variety of structures. The Wehrmacht quarters, Krieg barracks and Sturm armory lets players create infantry. Krieg Barracks and Sturm Armory can build light vehicles and other infantry, while the Sturm Armory and the Panzer Command deploys German tanks at the player's disposal.
This game allows multiplayer matches of 2-8 players via LAN or the Internet.
 
   
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The Germans can also build Kampfkraft Centre(s) in order to increase veterancy levels.
Company of Heroes allows you to fight as both the Allied and Axis forces when you play a multiplayer game.
 
   
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===Combat mechanics===
==Development==
 
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Combat includes controllable units that are recruited and ordered directly by the player (through the user interface at player-controlled buildings, or through a doctrine ability), as well as activated support actions, such as artillery bombardment or aircover suppression. Every controllable unit type, whether infantry or vehicle, has an associated construction cost and recruitment time, as well as a range of fighting abilities.
===Graphics===
 
''Company of Heroes'' is Relic's first title to make use of a new type of engine, known as the "Essence Engine". This engine was designed and coded from scratch by Relic in order to make use of special graphical effects, including high dynamic range lighting, dynamic lighting & shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping.
 
   
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Like many RTS games, the fighting units generally form a rock/paper/scissors hierarchy.
''COH'' is rendered in 3D with intricate detailing on the infantry, vehicles and structures while still retaining a solid frame-rate, without, Relic claims, the need for a high-end gaming system. It claims that there are nearly 2,000 different animations for a basic infantry unit alone.
 
   
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Vehicles and infantry can eventually be upgraded by researching specific capabilities. Upgrades generally improve the unit's effectiveness. Some upgrades are global, granting immediate benefits to all deployed units, while others must be purchased on a unit by unit basis.
On [[May 29]], [[2007]] Relic released a patch for ''Company of Heroes'' that included a new [[DirectX 10]] rendering mode with enhanced terrain, additional world objects, and improved shadows and lighting. This patch made ''Company of Heroes'' the first commercial video game to support Direct3D 10.
 
   
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In addition to units which engage in direct (line-of-sight) combat, both powers can build mortar and artillery units, which engage enemies at standoff distance through indirect fire. Indirect fire is characterized by a long time of flight to target, and low accuracy, but possesses a wide area of effect. It is particularly effective against massed infantry and light vehicles, but less hazardous to armored vehicles. A perfectly-coordinated artillery strike can turn the tide of a battle, while a poor one can inflict significant friendly-fire casualties.
==Receptions==
 
===Reviews===
 
The game received highly positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 94% based on 61 reviews making it the third highest rated game of 2006 and highest rated PC game of 2006. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 93 out of 100, based on 55 reviews &mdash; considered "universal acclaim" by the site. Currently, it is one of the highest-rated real-time strategy games.
 
   
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Most combat takes place through direct, line-of-sight engagements. For small arms fire from infantry units, weapon accuracy and range are factored into the damage calculation. Cover, which can be gained from map terrain, occupying a building, or an adjacent armored unit (such as an anti-tank gun), factors heavily into the calculation. Cover does not provide any protection against most types of indirect attacks (grenade, mortar, artillery), or specialized anti-personnel weapons (accurate sniper fire, flames.) Vehicles also receive cover, though through much more complicated mechanics, usually resulting in survivability bonuses - not unlike their infantry counterparts. In addition to range and accuracy, the direction of fire also has a major impact on the damage a vehicle takes, especially if weak spots are targeted, such as the rear armour of a tank. A head-on shot into the glacis of the tank will do much less damage than a shot to the side, or a direct shot into the rear of the hull. Although terrain cover does not offer the same protection for vehicles as it does for infantry, obscuring terrain increases the difficulty of scoring a target hit by reducing the target's exposed profile. Thus, combat outcome is as much a function of tactical deployment and battlefield terrain, and not just unit composition.
Games for Windows gave Company of Heroes a 10 out of 10, and featured it in their "Tom vs Bruce" section.
 
   
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[[Weapon Team|Crew-served weapons]] can also be manned by friendly troops or captured by enemy troops once the weapon's crew is killed ; this includes machine guns, mortars and anti-tank guns from both sides as well as German [[150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery|Nebelwerfers]], [[Flakvierling 38 20mm AA|Flakvierling 38 AA guns]], [[[[88mm Flak 36 AT/AA|Flak 88]]]] cannons and American 105mm howitzers. A few infantry weapons are also susceptible to be reclaimed or captured, including American BARs and German bipod MG42s. The high firepower of these weapons (and their elevated production prices) often make them prime targets for enemy snipers.
PC Gamer UK awarded Company of Heroes 94%, the second highest they have given an RTS (behind Red Alert which received 95% in 1996). They also gave it a "Must Buy" tag. PC Gamer US gave ''Company of Heroes'' a 96% as well as an Editor's Choice award, their highest score given to an RTS ever, and later named it game of the year for 2006. PC Zone in the UK awarded ''Company of Heroes'' 93% in Issue 173, meaning it was awarded with a Classic award. The game is also at the top of their Buyers Guide list for Strategy games, marking it with a ''Must Buy!'' Edge, a UK publication, awarded ''Company of Heroes'' a score of 9 (out of 10) in Issue 167.
 
   
 
===Factions===
GameInformer gave ''Company of Heroes'' a 9.5 out of 10.
 
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====Allies====
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Represented by the [http://companyofheroes.wikia.com/wiki/United_States Americans], this faction boasts cheap, versatile units. Veterancy is earned through the act of combat; units gain veterancy as they kill more and more enemy units and buildings. American infantry units are slightly more numerous than their Wehrmacht counterparts, but are generally less effective in a straight fight, and rely on upgrades and abilities to gain the edge in a fight. American vehicles and tanks, while lacking in raw power, are generally faster and capable of various support tasks. The Sherman tank for example, can clear mines using an obtainable mine flail.
   
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'''Companies:'''
Online, ''Company of Heroes'' has received a score of 9.0 from [[GameSpot]][http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/review.html] (original score was an 8.9, revised because 1.2 Patch fixed SLI problem<ref>{{cite web| title = Company of Heroes Redux | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-24694822&user=GregK}}</ref>), a 9.4 from [[IGN]][http://pc.ign.com/objects/743/743961.html], 5 out of 5 stars from [[GameSpy]][http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/company-of-heroes/732881p1.html], 10/10 from [[Eurogamer]][http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67931], and a 10 out of 10 from [[1UP.com]][http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3153681].
 
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*[[Infantry Company]]: Centered around defense and infantry support, this doctrine allows players to train infantry and build defenses faster, employ heavy artillery, and call in reinforcements such as the elite US Army Rangers, or a randomized group of units with the "Battalion Reinforcement"
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*[[Airborne Company]]: Centered on air support, this doctrine allows players to deploy paratroopers, call in recon planes, and enjoy the destructive capabilities of the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber.
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*[[Armor Company]]: Centered on vehicles and armor support, this doctrine is slow to gain strength, but boasts powerful abilities, such as improved vehicle production, vehicle field repairs, the [[T34 Calliope|Sherman Calliopes]] and the powerful [[M26 Pershing]].
   
===Awards===
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====Axis====
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Represented by the German [[Wehrmacht]], this faction employs a wider range of units than the Americans. Wehrmacht units are generally more expensive and powerful, but also more rigid and ill-equipped beyond their intended roles. For the Wehrmacht, veterancy is not earned, but "bought" at their Kampfkraft Centre. Wehrmacht infantry range from simple Volkssturm militia to elite Knight's Cross Holders. Their armor, likewise, also gives players the choice between [[Ostwind|Flak Panzers]], the [[Panzer IV]] or the powerful [[Panther Tank]]. Their force is rounded out by a few more specialized tanks and powerful support units such as Officers and [[150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery|Nebelwerfer rocket batteries]].
*PC Gamer: Game of the Year 2006
 
*Computer Games Magazine: Game of the Year 2006
 
*GameSpy: PC Game of 2006, Best Sound, Best PC Strategy Game, Best PC Multiplayer
 
*GameSpot: [http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/platform/index.html?page=11 Best PC Game 2006], [http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/genre/index.html?page=11 Best Strategy Game]
 
*IGN: [http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/39.html PC Game of 2006], [http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/17.html Best PC Strategy Game], [http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/25.html Best Use of Sound on PC], [http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/28.html Best Online PC game]
 
*[[E3]] 2005:
 
**Game Critics Awards: Best Strategy Game<ref>{{cite web| title = 2005 Winners | url = http://www.gamecriticsawards.com/win.html | publisher = gamecriticsawards.com}}</ref>
 
**GameSpot: 2005 Best PC Game of Show; Best Strategy Game of Show; Best Overall Game of Show<ref>{{cite web| title = 2005 Winners | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/news.html?sid=6127234 | publisher = GameSpot}}</ref>
 
**IGN: Runner-up, Best [[Strategy Game]] ([[Personal computer|PC]]), Runner-up, Technological Excellence ([[Personal computer|PC]])
 
**[[GameSpy]]: Best of [[E3]]
 
   
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'''Doctrines:'''
==Technical==
 
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*[[Defensive Doctrine]]: Centered on artillery and defense, this doctrine allows base structures to defend themselves against Infantry, offers bonuses for defending infantry, and allows players to call in rocket barrages and deploy the powerful [[[[88mm Flak 36 AT/AA|Flak 88]]]] cannons.
With the release of ''Opposing Fronts'' ''CoH'' owners were given a comprehensive 1.7 GB patch to version 2.101, required if they wish to continue playing through Relic Online. The patch unifies ''CoH'' with its stand alone expansion pack regarding the game engine and art assets allowing the two to play with each other online. A patched installation of the original ''CoH'' does not include the unit speech for the two new factions, while ''Opposing Fronts'' includes all content from both games. As ''Opposing Fronts'' contains both games the original will be uninstalled, if detected, during the installation to merge the two products
 
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*[[Blitzkrieg Doctrine]]: Centered on speed and offensive operations, this doctrine allows players to speed up their military and economy, and allows players to deploy powerful assault units such as [[Stormtrooper Squad|Stormtroopers]] and the [[Tiger I]].
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*[[Terror Doctrine]]: Centered on psychological warfare and destructive power, this unusual doctrine provides players with die-hard infantry and the ability to rout the enemy, be it with propaganda, devastating [[V1 Rocket Artillery|V1 rockets]], or a single, powerful Tiger Ace (which has since been replaced in patches by the [[King Tiger]] tank).
   
 
===Multiplayer===
Content in both games is unlocked through online verification and CD keys. This created a small controversy as although the ''Company of Heroes'' box clearly says one set of discs is required per computer for multiplayer games this was not enforced until the release ''Opposing Fronts'' and the large patch for ''CoH'' which retrofitted this activation scheme into the original game.
 
 
For ''Company of Heroes'', Relic began using a new online gaming system called [[Relic Online]]. Previous Relic games used GameSpy Arcade or World Opponent Network services. This new system includes many features that the previous systems did not have, including a built in automatch and ranking system.
   
 
This game allows multiplayer matches of 2-8 players via [[LAN]] or the Internet.
Users of both games are required to log into Relic Online if they have an active internet connection, even if they do not wish to play online matches. Without an active internet connection CoH will fall back to traditional physical media verification. Also, forum posts from Relic employees have confirmed that both games now send various statistics back to Relic, without the possibility to opt-out.(Citation needed)
 
   
 
Company of Heroes allows players to fight as both the Allied and Axis forces in multiplayer matches.
Patch 2.102, released on October 12, 2007, revealed that the preceding 2.101 patch introduced a requirement of having the game patched up-to-date if the user has an active internet connection. If the user disables their internet connection the game will not be able to automatically download a patch and will run as it did previously.
 
   
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===Game modes===
Patch 2.202, released on March 05, 2008 attempts to update from the incumbent 2.201 version. When the game auto retrieves the patch from the servers and attempts to update, the following message is displayed: "This patch updates CoH version 2.201 but you appear to have version 2.101 installed already. To download the latest patches, run CoH and login to Relic Online. (Error code 10244)"
 
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====Victory Point Control====
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These games focus on controlling several victory points around the middle of the map. These victory points can be captured similarly to strategic points. When one side has more victory points under their control than another, the other side's "points" start to decrease. When one side's counter runs out of points, they lose. Alternatively, the player can simply destroy all enemy structures to win the game. Before the start of the game, the host can choose between 250, 500, or 1000 points. The point function in ''Company of Heroes'' works much like the ticket feature in the ''Battlefield'' series.
   
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====Annihilation====
Patch 2.300, released on March 17, 2008 addressed numerous balance complaints and fixed outstanding bugs such as allowing the Assault Grenades ability to target units in British trenches. The application of the patch also adds features to Relic Online, most notably the Team Automatch capability, which allows players to invite friends to team up for a ranked game.
 
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Annihilation games lack the victory points of the VPC game mode. To win, the player needs to destroy all enemy buildings excluding observation posts on points.
   
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==Campaign==
For a genuine owner of Company of Heroes to be playing online before the 2.202 patch, he must already have updated from version 1.xxx to 2.101, and then from 2.101 to 2.102, and so on. Hence the idea that the problem that prevents 2.201 from being patched, is that "version 2.101 (is) installed already" is an oxymoron. In relation to the previous controversy, as the game is now outdated with regards to Relic Online, and because the game will not allow you to proceed any further until you have an active Internet connection and patched to the most current version, the genuine owner of the game is locked out from any further activity, which includes watching replays, continuing the single player campaign, etc.
 
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===Single player campaign===
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The single player campaign puts the player in some of the major American operations during the Battle of Normandy.
   
==See also==
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====D-Day====
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The game begins with Able Company's assault at Omaha Beach during the D-Day of Operation Overlord. Able Company must first breach the Atlantic Wall, then take out German bunkers overlooking the beach, and finally disable four 88 mm Flak 36 guns shelling the beach. The game also introduces two of the game's major characters: Captain MacKay and First Sergeant Conti.
   
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====Battle of Carentan====
*[[Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts]]
 
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The next three missions are about Fox Company and their actions during the capture and defense of Carentan. On the night before D-Day, Fox Company must first regroup after the chaotic and hectic airdrops at the crossroads near Vierville, then disrupt enemy operations in rear areas by opening new drop zones, prevent the Germans from reinforcing the beaches by securing the road link, and destroying a convoy from the 91st Grenadiers.
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After D-Day, Fox Company is then tasked to capture the town of Carentan to secure a link between Utah and Omaha Beach and to defend it against the expected German counterattack. Though constantly bombarded by artillery and under siege by the 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment and elements of the 17th SS Panzergrenadiers with [[StuG IV]] assault guns, Fox Company is eventually relieved when Able Company with elements of the 2nd Armored Division arrives at the town and the link is finally secure.
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====Battle of Cherbourg====
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Able and Dog Companies form the spearhead of the Allied advance to secure Cherbourg and its deep-water port. En route to Cherbourg, Allied supply routes are threatened by elements of the [[Panzer Lehr Division]] commanded by Hauptmann Schultz, and Dog Company is ambushed in the process. Able Company drives the Germans back and defends the supply route for the [[Red Ball Express]] to pass through, but earns the enmity of Schultz and the Panzer Lehr for the rest of the campaign.
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With the flank secure, the Allies continue to advance onto Cherbourg. Able and Dog Companies, supported by the 4th Cavalry and the ''USS Texas'', are tasked with capturing the port facilities. Although Able successfully subdues the German defenders and holds thousands prisoners, the port has been badly damaged and is unusable to the Allies.
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Despite the empty victory, Able Company finds documents from an Axis bunker which shows a [[V-2 Rocket]] launch site near Sottevast. Fox Company has been called in to conduct an airborne assault on the V2 facility, while elements of Able Company rush to the site with armor support. The site is destroyed but Fox Company is seriously depleted.
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====Operation Cobra====
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American forces begin to approach the city of Saint-Lô and Able Company begins approaching from the north. German defenders at St. Fromond hope to stop Able's advance by blowing up the only bridge leading into the town. Able Company is able to repair the bridge under fire from across the river, and drives the Germans out of the town. German defenders regroup and organize several counterattacks with [[150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery|Nebelwerfer]] support, but all assaults against Able Company are thrown back with heavy casualties.
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The Panzer Lehr mauls Charlie Company while attempting to secure Hill 192 at the outskirt of Saint-Lô. Able Company is assigned to take the hill. Hedgerows around the hill and hidden [[88mm Flak 36 AT/AA|Flak 88]] batteries provide a formidable defensive position against the Allies, but Able Company breaks through by employing bulldozer-equipped [[M4 'Crocodile' Sherman]] tanks to plow through the hedgerows and flank the Germans.
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German defenders at Saint-Lô decide to hold out against American forces by heavily fortifying the city center, but Able Company plans to surround and trap the German defenders at the city center rather than a head-on assault. Although the operation is successful, some German units, including the Panzer Lehr division, manage to escape destruction. Able Company calls in the 8th Air Force in response and the escaping German units suffer heavily due to [[carpet bombing]].
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Badly reduced and under constant air attack, the shattered Panzer Lehr division is chased by American forces, and Able Company manages to intercept what is left of the division at [[Hébécrevon]]. A raid is conducted with fast moving [[M10 Wolverine|M10 tank destroyers]] against the Panzer Lehr's positions, and almost all of its armor strength, including the last seven surviving [[Panther tank]]s, are completely wiped out. However, during the course of the mission, Captain MacKay is killed by a Tiger I under Schultz's personal command.
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====Operation Lüttich====
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MacKay's death puts newly promoted First Sergeant Conti in command of Able Company as a Second Lieutenant, which has been put off the line and reassigned to relieve Dog Company at Hill 317 near Mortain. Unfortunately, the respite is only short, as Mortain becomes the focal point of a new German counterattack. Surprised and outnumbered, Able Company is forced to hold the hill until reinforcements can arrive in the morning.
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Dog Company arrives with armor support and Able Company digs in and consolidates their positions. German forces renew the counterattack in force after their surprise night attack failed to take the hill, but all attempts are beaten back. Able Company successfully forces the Germans to retreat after inflicting heavy losses, including the destruction of a [[88mm Flak 36 AT/AA|Flak 88]] battery.
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====Falaise Pocket====
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The last section of the single player campaign deals with the destruction of German forces in the region. After suffering a string of defeats, the German Seventh Army is forced to retreat in order to avoid encirclement. Allied forces are racing to trap the Germans before they can escape. Baker Company is assigned to shut down one of the escape routes at Autry, but Schultz's Panzergruppe, which escaped the destruction of the Panzer Lehr division, annihilates them. Able Company rushes to the scene with an [[M26 Pershing]] tank  (although it should be noted that in reality the M26 Pershing wasn't fielded till January 1945, too late to appear in the timeline in which the game is based on) and destroys Schultz's Panzergruppe in return. Schultz's Tiger is among those tanks destroyed in the battle.
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Chambois becomes the Seventh Army's last hope for escaping the Falaise Pocket. With heavy air cover, Canadian, Polish and American forces, led by Able Company, secure all bridges around Chambois and close the Falaise Pocket. The German Seventh Army attempts to break free, but they are met with heavy aerial bombardment and are forced to surrender.
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The campaign ends with the caption that Able Company had suffered an 80% casualty rate by the end of World War II.
  +
  +
===Distinguished characters===
  +
*Captain [[Captain McKay|John MacKay]]
  +
:The commander of [[United States|Able Company]]. He appears to be an Army Ranger by his character model, although he commands a regular infantry company. MacKay is killed when hit by a tank shell fired by Hauptmann Schultz.
  +
  +
*First Sergeant (later Second Lieutenant) [[Joe Conti]]
  +
:The game's narrator, served as the second-in-command of Able Company under Captain MacKay, and is a close friend to MacKay ever since recruit training. Conti is almost killed alongside Captain MacKay, and commands Able Company for the rest of the game. Joe Conti survives through the war.
  +
  +
*Hauptmann [[Joseph Gunter Shultz]]
  +
:A German tank captain commanding the "Tiger Ace" from the Panzer Lehr division. He serves as the personal antagonist of Able company. He commands the Panzergruppe that attacks the [[Red Ball Express]], where his unit first met Able Company. Suffering from heavy losses, he watches Captain MacKay from afar while his unit is busy retreating. He later crosses paths with Able Company while commanding the forces defending Saint-Lô, but manages to escape encirclement by Able Company. He kills Captain MacKay when his unit is destroyed while retreating from Hèbècrevon. Schultz later defends the [[Falaise Pocket]] from encirclement, attempting to delay the attacking Americans as long as possible. Able Company manages to surround his Tiger tank and destroy it.
  +
 
==Development==
  +
===Game engine===
  +
 
''Company of Heroes'' is Relic's first title to make use of the "[[wikipedia:Essence Engine|Essence Engine]]". This engine was designed and coded from scratch by Relic in order to make use of special graphical effects, including [[wikipedia:high dynamic range|high dynamic range]] lighting, dynamic lighting & shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping.
  +
 
''Company of Heroes'' also utilizes the [[wikipedia:Havok (software)|Havok]] physics engine, giving it a more realistic physics system than previous RTS games. Parts of buildings can be destroyed by [[grenades]], [[Satchel charge|satchels]] or [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]], and [[tank]]s can drive through sections of walls or other barriers. Smoke created from explosions is programmed to behave as realistically as possible and can even be influenced by wind. Debris is also influenced by explosions; a blast can send barrels flying and shower troops in dirt, whilst leaving behind a large crater. When infantry are [[wikipedia:Bombardment|bombarded]] by [[artillery]], body parts sometimes detach and are dispersed over, and some units are thrown about in the immediate area. Bridges and buildings can be destroyed by engineers using [[demolitions]].
  +
 
On May 29, 2007 Relic released a patch for ''Company of Heroes'' that included a new [[wikipedia:DirectX 10|DirectX 10]] rendering mode with enhanced terrain, additional world objects, and improved shadows and lighting. This patch made ''Company of Heroes'' the first commercial video game to support Direct3D 10.
  +
  +
==Reception==
  +
{{VG Reviews
  +
|1UP = A+<ref name="coh1uprev">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3153681&did=1|title=Company of Heroes Review - 1UP|last=Peckham|first=Matt|date=September 19, 2006|publisher=1UP|pages=1|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|GSpy = 5/5<ref name="cohgspyrev">{{cite web|url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/company-of-heroes/732881p1.html|title=Company of Heroes Review - GameSpy|last=Raush|first=Allen|date=September 14, 2006|publisher=GameSpy|pages=3|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|EuroG =10/10<ref name="coheurogrev">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67931|title=Company of Heroes Review - EuroGamer|last=Gillen|first=Kieron|date=September 25, 2006|publisher=EuroGamer|pages=2|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|IGN = 9.4/10<ref name="cohignrev">{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/732/732059p1.html|title=Company of Heroes Review - IGN|last=Adams|first=Dan|date=September 11, 2006|publisher=IGN|pages=3|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|GRadar =10/10<ref name="cohgradarrev">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/review/company-of-heroes/a-20060919154059812037|title=Company of Heroes Review - GamesRadar|last=Stapleton|first=Dan |publisher=GamesRadar|pages=3|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|Atrip =9.3/10<ref name="cohatriprev">{{cite web|url=http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/companyofheroes.phtml|title=Company of Heroes Review|last=Jojic|first=Uros |date=September 19, 2006|publisher=ActionTrip|pages=1|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|GSpot =9.0/10<ref name="cohgspotrev">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/review.html|title=Company of Heroes Review - GameSpot|last=Kasavin|first=Greg |date=September 11, 2006|publisher=GameSpot|pages=2|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|
  +
|MC =93%<ref name="cohmetacrirev">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/companyofheroes|title=Company of Heroes Review - MetaCritic|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|GR =93.82%<ref name="cohgamerankrev">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/927618-company-of-heroes/index.html|title=Company of Heroes Review - GameRankings|accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref>
  +
|award1 =(2006)PC Game of the Year<ref name="COHaward-IGN">{{cite web|url=http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/39.html|title=Company of Heroes - Game of the Year (2006)|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-09-15}}</ref>
  +
|award1Pub =IGN
  +
|award2 =(2006)PC Game of the Year<ref name="COHaward-GameSpy">{{cite web|url=http://goty.gamespy.com/2006/pc/index11.html|title=Company of Heroes - Game of the Year (2006)|publisher=GameSpy|accessdate=2008-09-15}}</ref>
  +
|award2Pub =GameSpy
  +
}}
  +
 
===Reviews===
 
Upon its release the game received wide critical acclaim. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 94% based on 61 reviews<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927618.asp |title=Company of Heroes Reviews |accessdate=2008-03-19 |publisher=Game Rankings}}</ref> — making it the third highest rated game of 2006, the highest rated PC game of 2006 and the highest rated Real-Time Strategy game of all time. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 93 out of 100, based on 55 reviews considered "universal acclaim" by the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/companyofheroes |title=Company of Heroes (pc: 2006): Reviews |accessdate=2008-03-19 |publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> Currently, it continues to remain the highest-rated real-time strategy game.
  +
  +
In June 2011 the game was ranked #51 on IGNs Top 100 Modern Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/top/modern-games/51|title=Company of Heroes ranking on IGN Top 100 Modern Games |accessdate=2011-07-02 |publisher=[[IGN]]}}</ref>
  +
  +
===Awards===
 
* PC Gamer: Game of the Year 2006
 
* Computer Games Magazine: Game of the Year 2006
 
* GameSpy: PC Game of 2006, Best Sound, Best PC Strategy Game, Best PC Multiplayer
 
* GameSpot: Best PC Game 2006,<ref>{{cite web|title=Best PC Game 2006| url=http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/platform/index.html?page=11|publisher=Gamespot}}</ref> Best Strategy Game<ref>{{cite web|title=Best Strategy Game 2006|url=http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/genre/index.html?page=11|publisher=GameSpot}}</ref>
  +
* IGN: PC Game of 2006,<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Game of 2006|url=http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/39.html|publisher=IGN}}</ref> Best PC Strategy Game,<ref>{{cite web|title=Best PC Strategy Game|url=http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/17.html|publisher=IGN}}</ref> Best Use of Sound on PC,<ref>{{cite web|title=Best Use of Sound on PC |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/25.html|publisher=IGN}}</ref> Best Online PC game<ref>{{cite web|title=Best Online PC Game|url=http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/28.html|publisher=IGN}}</ref>
  +
* Game Critics Awards: Best Strategy Game
 
* GameSpot: 2005 Best PC Game of Show; Best Strategy Game of Show; Best Overall Game of Show<ref>{{cite web| title = 2005 Winners | url = http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/news.html?sid=6127234 | publisher = GameSpot}}</ref>
 
* IGN: Runner-up, Best Strategy Game (PC), Runner-up, Technological Excellence (PC)
 
* GameSpy: Best of E3
  +
*Interactive Achievement Awards: Strategy Game of the Year
  +
  +
==Expansions==
  +
===Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts===
  +
{{main|Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts}}
  +
''Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts'' is a standalone expansion pack. It contains two factions; the [[British Second Army|British]] and the German Panzer Elite. Owners of Opposing Fronts will be able to play against owners of Company of Heroes and vice versa, although only using the armies from the game they own. Owners of both games will be able to play all four armies in multiplayer. Opposing Fronts was officially announced on April 5, 2007<ref name="COH:OFAnno-IGN">{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/778/778892p1.html|title=Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Announced|last=Adams|first=Dan |date=April 5, 2007|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-09-15}}</ref><ref name="COH:OFAnno-GS">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroesopposingfronts/news.html?sid=6168639&mode=all|title= THQ Announces Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts |first=Press Release|date=April 5, 2007|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=2008-09-15}}</ref> and was released on September 24, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroesopposingfronts/news.html?sid=6179816&mode=all|title= Shipping Out September 24–28: Halo 3, Opposing Fronts |date=September 24, 2007|publisher=GameSpot|accessdate=2008-09-15}}</ref> Opposing Front was later rereleased along with Company of Heroes as ''Company of Heroes Gold'' and later as part of the ''Company of Heroes Anthology'' (together with Tales of Valor).
  +
  +
===Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor===
  +
{{main|Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor}}
  +
''Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor'' is a standalone expansion pack. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor was officially announced on November 3, 2008 and was released April 8, 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081103005317&newsLang=en|title=THQ Announces Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor for Windows PC|date=November 3, 2008|publisher=Business Wire|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55695|title=Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor Announced|last=Faylor|first=Chris |date=November 3, 2008|publisher=ShackNews|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref>
  +
<gallery widths="185">
  +
COH Loading.JPG|Loading screen for COH
  +
</gallery>
  +
==References==
  +
{{reflist|2}}
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
*[http://original.companyofheroesgame.com/ ''Company of Heroes'' Official Site]
+
*[http://www.companyofheroesgame.com/ Official Site]
*[http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/companyofheroes ''Company of Heroes''] at Metacritic
+
*[http://cohpatch.relic.com/index.html Company of Heroes Official Updates Page] (Offline since 2013~2014)
   
 
{{wikipedia|Company of Heroes}}
 
{{wikipedia|Company of Heroes}}
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{{Factions}}
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{{Navbox/Missions in Company of Heroes}}
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[[Category:Company of Heroes]]
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[[Category:Games]]

Latest revision as of 12:22, 5 November 2023

Company of Heroes is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Relic Entertainment. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was the first title to make use of the Games for Windows label. A standalone expansion, Opposing Fronts, was released on September 25, 2007. A second standalone expansion, Tales of Valor was released in April 2009. Company of Heroes Online, an MMO version of the game was released as a free-to-play, microtransaction based game in South Korea in April 2010.[1][2] Company of Heroes: Online Open Beta ended on March 31st, 2011. According to Relic Entertainment, the reason for the servers being shut down is the developers' new unnamed RTS project which will be unveiled in August 2011.[3]

Company of Heroes is set during World War II. In the single-player campaign the player commands two U.S. military units during the Battle of Normandy and the Allied liberation of France. Depending on the mission, the player controls either Able Company of the 29th Infantry Division, or Fox Company of the 101st Airborne's 506th PIR.

The sequel, Company of Heroes 2, was released on June 25th, 2013.

Gameplay[]

Resources[]

The resource management in Company of Heroes retains micromanagement details such as reinforcing troops, which has the effect of creating a more tactical RTS experience.

Players must take control of certain points on the map. The more of these points a player controls, the more resources they acquire. This concept demands constant expansion of a player's territory. These points are connected like supply lines, and so, during the course of a battle a player can capture one point in the supply line, isolating the rest which had been connected to the base through it, therefore reducing the enemy's resource intake.

Players collect three resources: manpower, munitions, and fuel. Manpower is necessary to produce all units. Munitions allows players to upgrade individual squads or vehicles and use special abilities. Fuel allows players to purchase tanks and other vehicles, build base buildings and acquire global upgrades. The player can decide, at a manpower cost, to place observation posts on his resource points in order to increase his production by 40% and make them more durable against enemy takeovers, which means sacrificing resources in the short-term for a greater long-term intake. Resource points must also be connected as any unconnected captured points can not produce resources.

Buildings[]

Units can occupy a civilian building and convert it into a field barracks, allowing certain units or squads to be created by that building, thus allowing a forward unit production and reinforcement point.

Medic stations can also be built on the field to house medics, who can recover fallen soldiers from the battlefield and return them to the medic station. When enough soldiers are recovered by medics (4 for Germans and 6 for American), the medic station will provide a free squad at no expense of manpower.

Infantry units can also occupy buildings and use them as cover or a garrison to protect against attack, but this limits their firing range because the infantry are a stationary, immobile target, rendering them vulnerable to sniper fire and easy to surround. Also, while garrisoned, infantry units can only shoot out of windows or holes blown into a building. Certain weapons are immensely effective against units holed up in a building; satchel charges or infantry-carried rocket launchers can demolish a building, tank fire can blast the building, and infantry or tanks armed with flamethrowers can literally set the building on fire and burn out the occupants, and finally artillery. However, there are advantages; infantry are well protected from small arms and most buildings are sturdy enough to stand up to limited tank fire before collapsing. Company of Heroes was one of the first World War II strategy games which introduced dynamic building destruction which took advantage of the physics engine used to make the game. For example, if a tank was concentrating its fire on one position of a building near the bottom, then the whole building (once its "health" was completely depleted) would collapse in that specific area first and then the rest of the building would follow.

Occupied buildings can be destroyed after taking fire from enemy units or any other attack, like artillery fire or demolition charges. Civilian buildings cannot be repaired or rebuilt. However, both the Allied and German forces can construct garrisonable buildings (the Allies can build a .30 caliber machine gun nest, while the Germans can construct bunkers).

The Americans can build a barracks and weapons support center to deploy infantry (foot soldiers), a motor pool and tank depot for tanks, vehicles and anti-tank guns. The triage center can heal nearby units that have been wounded from enemy fire. A supply yard is also required to be built before building a motor pool or tank depot which enables upgrades to reduce costs of infantry and tanks.

The Germans can build a variety of structures. The Wehrmacht quarters, Krieg barracks and Sturm armory lets players create infantry. Krieg Barracks and Sturm Armory can build light vehicles and other infantry, while the Sturm Armory and the Panzer Command deploys German tanks at the player's disposal.

The Germans can also build Kampfkraft Centre(s) in order to increase veterancy levels.

Combat mechanics[]

Combat includes controllable units that are recruited and ordered directly by the player (through the user interface at player-controlled buildings, or through a doctrine ability), as well as activated support actions, such as artillery bombardment or aircover suppression. Every controllable unit type, whether infantry or vehicle, has an associated construction cost and recruitment time, as well as a range of fighting abilities.

Like many RTS games, the fighting units generally form a rock/paper/scissors hierarchy.

Vehicles and infantry can eventually be upgraded by researching specific capabilities. Upgrades generally improve the unit's effectiveness. Some upgrades are global, granting immediate benefits to all deployed units, while others must be purchased on a unit by unit basis.

In addition to units which engage in direct (line-of-sight) combat, both powers can build mortar and artillery units, which engage enemies at standoff distance through indirect fire. Indirect fire is characterized by a long time of flight to target, and low accuracy, but possesses a wide area of effect. It is particularly effective against massed infantry and light vehicles, but less hazardous to armored vehicles. A perfectly-coordinated artillery strike can turn the tide of a battle, while a poor one can inflict significant friendly-fire casualties.

Most combat takes place through direct, line-of-sight engagements. For small arms fire from infantry units, weapon accuracy and range are factored into the damage calculation. Cover, which can be gained from map terrain, occupying a building, or an adjacent armored unit (such as an anti-tank gun), factors heavily into the calculation. Cover does not provide any protection against most types of indirect attacks (grenade, mortar, artillery), or specialized anti-personnel weapons (accurate sniper fire, flames.) Vehicles also receive cover, though through much more complicated mechanics, usually resulting in survivability bonuses - not unlike their infantry counterparts. In addition to range and accuracy, the direction of fire also has a major impact on the damage a vehicle takes, especially if weak spots are targeted, such as the rear armour of a tank. A head-on shot into the glacis of the tank will do much less damage than a shot to the side, or a direct shot into the rear of the hull. Although terrain cover does not offer the same protection for vehicles as it does for infantry, obscuring terrain increases the difficulty of scoring a target hit by reducing the target's exposed profile. Thus, combat outcome is as much a function of tactical deployment and battlefield terrain, and not just unit composition.

Crew-served weapons can also be manned by friendly troops or captured by enemy troops once the weapon's crew is killed ; this includes machine guns, mortars and anti-tank guns from both sides as well as German Nebelwerfers, Flakvierling 38 AA guns, [[Flak 88]] cannons and American 105mm howitzers. A few infantry weapons are also susceptible to be reclaimed or captured, including American BARs and German bipod MG42s. The high firepower of these weapons (and their elevated production prices) often make them prime targets for enemy snipers.

Factions[]

Allies[]

Represented by the Americans, this faction boasts cheap, versatile units. Veterancy is earned through the act of combat; units gain veterancy as they kill more and more enemy units and buildings. American infantry units are slightly more numerous than their Wehrmacht counterparts, but are generally less effective in a straight fight, and rely on upgrades and abilities to gain the edge in a fight. American vehicles and tanks, while lacking in raw power, are generally faster and capable of various support tasks. The Sherman tank for example, can clear mines using an obtainable mine flail.

Companies:

  • Infantry Company: Centered around defense and infantry support, this doctrine allows players to train infantry and build defenses faster, employ heavy artillery, and call in reinforcements such as the elite US Army Rangers, or a randomized group of units with the "Battalion Reinforcement"
  • Airborne Company: Centered on air support, this doctrine allows players to deploy paratroopers, call in recon planes, and enjoy the destructive capabilities of the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber.
  • Armor Company: Centered on vehicles and armor support, this doctrine is slow to gain strength, but boasts powerful abilities, such as improved vehicle production, vehicle field repairs, the Sherman Calliopes and the powerful M26 Pershing.

Axis[]

Represented by the German Wehrmacht, this faction employs a wider range of units than the Americans. Wehrmacht units are generally more expensive and powerful, but also more rigid and ill-equipped beyond their intended roles. For the Wehrmacht, veterancy is not earned, but "bought" at their Kampfkraft Centre. Wehrmacht infantry range from simple Volkssturm militia to elite Knight's Cross Holders. Their armor, likewise, also gives players the choice between Flak Panzers, the Panzer IV or the powerful Panther Tank. Their force is rounded out by a few more specialized tanks and powerful support units such as Officers and Nebelwerfer rocket batteries.

Doctrines:

  • Defensive Doctrine: Centered on artillery and defense, this doctrine allows base structures to defend themselves against Infantry, offers bonuses for defending infantry, and allows players to call in rocket barrages and deploy the powerful [[Flak 88]] cannons.
  • Blitzkrieg Doctrine: Centered on speed and offensive operations, this doctrine allows players to speed up their military and economy, and allows players to deploy powerful assault units such as Stormtroopers and the Tiger I.
  • Terror Doctrine: Centered on psychological warfare and destructive power, this unusual doctrine provides players with die-hard infantry and the ability to rout the enemy, be it with propaganda, devastating V1 rockets, or a single, powerful Tiger Ace (which has since been replaced in patches by the King Tiger tank).

Multiplayer[]

For Company of Heroes, Relic began using a new online gaming system called Relic Online. Previous Relic games used GameSpy Arcade or World Opponent Network services. This new system includes many features that the previous systems did not have, including a built in automatch and ranking system.

This game allows multiplayer matches of 2-8 players via LAN or the Internet.

Company of Heroes allows players to fight as both the Allied and Axis forces in multiplayer matches.

Game modes[]

Victory Point Control[]

These games focus on controlling several victory points around the middle of the map. These victory points can be captured similarly to strategic points. When one side has more victory points under their control than another, the other side's "points" start to decrease. When one side's counter runs out of points, they lose. Alternatively, the player can simply destroy all enemy structures to win the game. Before the start of the game, the host can choose between 250, 500, or 1000 points. The point function in Company of Heroes works much like the ticket feature in the Battlefield series.

Annihilation[]

Annihilation games lack the victory points of the VPC game mode. To win, the player needs to destroy all enemy buildings excluding observation posts on points.

Campaign[]

Single player campaign[]

The single player campaign puts the player in some of the major American operations during the Battle of Normandy.

D-Day[]

The game begins with Able Company's assault at Omaha Beach during the D-Day of Operation Overlord. Able Company must first breach the Atlantic Wall, then take out German bunkers overlooking the beach, and finally disable four 88 mm Flak 36 guns shelling the beach. The game also introduces two of the game's major characters: Captain MacKay and First Sergeant Conti.

Battle of Carentan[]

The next three missions are about Fox Company and their actions during the capture and defense of Carentan. On the night before D-Day, Fox Company must first regroup after the chaotic and hectic airdrops at the crossroads near Vierville, then disrupt enemy operations in rear areas by opening new drop zones, prevent the Germans from reinforcing the beaches by securing the road link, and destroying a convoy from the 91st Grenadiers.

After D-Day, Fox Company is then tasked to capture the town of Carentan to secure a link between Utah and Omaha Beach and to defend it against the expected German counterattack. Though constantly bombarded by artillery and under siege by the 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment and elements of the 17th SS Panzergrenadiers with StuG IV assault guns, Fox Company is eventually relieved when Able Company with elements of the 2nd Armored Division arrives at the town and the link is finally secure.

Battle of Cherbourg[]

Able and Dog Companies form the spearhead of the Allied advance to secure Cherbourg and its deep-water port. En route to Cherbourg, Allied supply routes are threatened by elements of the Panzer Lehr Division commanded by Hauptmann Schultz, and Dog Company is ambushed in the process. Able Company drives the Germans back and defends the supply route for the Red Ball Express to pass through, but earns the enmity of Schultz and the Panzer Lehr for the rest of the campaign.

With the flank secure, the Allies continue to advance onto Cherbourg. Able and Dog Companies, supported by the 4th Cavalry and the USS Texas, are tasked with capturing the port facilities. Although Able successfully subdues the German defenders and holds thousands prisoners, the port has been badly damaged and is unusable to the Allies.

Despite the empty victory, Able Company finds documents from an Axis bunker which shows a V-2 Rocket launch site near Sottevast. Fox Company has been called in to conduct an airborne assault on the V2 facility, while elements of Able Company rush to the site with armor support. The site is destroyed but Fox Company is seriously depleted.

Operation Cobra[]

American forces begin to approach the city of Saint-Lô and Able Company begins approaching from the north. German defenders at St. Fromond hope to stop Able's advance by blowing up the only bridge leading into the town. Able Company is able to repair the bridge under fire from across the river, and drives the Germans out of the town. German defenders regroup and organize several counterattacks with Nebelwerfer support, but all assaults against Able Company are thrown back with heavy casualties.

The Panzer Lehr mauls Charlie Company while attempting to secure Hill 192 at the outskirt of Saint-Lô. Able Company is assigned to take the hill. Hedgerows around the hill and hidden Flak 88 batteries provide a formidable defensive position against the Allies, but Able Company breaks through by employing bulldozer-equipped M4 'Crocodile' Sherman tanks to plow through the hedgerows and flank the Germans.

German defenders at Saint-Lô decide to hold out against American forces by heavily fortifying the city center, but Able Company plans to surround and trap the German defenders at the city center rather than a head-on assault. Although the operation is successful, some German units, including the Panzer Lehr division, manage to escape destruction. Able Company calls in the 8th Air Force in response and the escaping German units suffer heavily due to carpet bombing.

Badly reduced and under constant air attack, the shattered Panzer Lehr division is chased by American forces, and Able Company manages to intercept what is left of the division at Hébécrevon. A raid is conducted with fast moving M10 tank destroyers against the Panzer Lehr's positions, and almost all of its armor strength, including the last seven surviving Panther tanks, are completely wiped out. However, during the course of the mission, Captain MacKay is killed by a Tiger I under Schultz's personal command.

Operation Lüttich[]

MacKay's death puts newly promoted First Sergeant Conti in command of Able Company as a Second Lieutenant, which has been put off the line and reassigned to relieve Dog Company at Hill 317 near Mortain. Unfortunately, the respite is only short, as Mortain becomes the focal point of a new German counterattack. Surprised and outnumbered, Able Company is forced to hold the hill until reinforcements can arrive in the morning.

Dog Company arrives with armor support and Able Company digs in and consolidates their positions. German forces renew the counterattack in force after their surprise night attack failed to take the hill, but all attempts are beaten back. Able Company successfully forces the Germans to retreat after inflicting heavy losses, including the destruction of a Flak 88 battery.

Falaise Pocket[]

The last section of the single player campaign deals with the destruction of German forces in the region. After suffering a string of defeats, the German Seventh Army is forced to retreat in order to avoid encirclement. Allied forces are racing to trap the Germans before they can escape. Baker Company is assigned to shut down one of the escape routes at Autry, but Schultz's Panzergruppe, which escaped the destruction of the Panzer Lehr division, annihilates them. Able Company rushes to the scene with an M26 Pershing tank  (although it should be noted that in reality the M26 Pershing wasn't fielded till January 1945, too late to appear in the timeline in which the game is based on) and destroys Schultz's Panzergruppe in return. Schultz's Tiger is among those tanks destroyed in the battle.

Chambois becomes the Seventh Army's last hope for escaping the Falaise Pocket. With heavy air cover, Canadian, Polish and American forces, led by Able Company, secure all bridges around Chambois and close the Falaise Pocket. The German Seventh Army attempts to break free, but they are met with heavy aerial bombardment and are forced to surrender.

The campaign ends with the caption that Able Company had suffered an 80% casualty rate by the end of World War II.

Distinguished characters[]

The commander of Able Company. He appears to be an Army Ranger by his character model, although he commands a regular infantry company. MacKay is killed when hit by a tank shell fired by Hauptmann Schultz.
  • First Sergeant (later Second Lieutenant) Joe Conti
The game's narrator, served as the second-in-command of Able Company under Captain MacKay, and is a close friend to MacKay ever since recruit training. Conti is almost killed alongside Captain MacKay, and commands Able Company for the rest of the game. Joe Conti survives through the war.
A German tank captain commanding the "Tiger Ace" from the Panzer Lehr division. He serves as the personal antagonist of Able company. He commands the Panzergruppe that attacks the Red Ball Express, where his unit first met Able Company. Suffering from heavy losses, he watches Captain MacKay from afar while his unit is busy retreating. He later crosses paths with Able Company while commanding the forces defending Saint-Lô, but manages to escape encirclement by Able Company. He kills Captain MacKay when his unit is destroyed while retreating from Hèbècrevon. Schultz later defends the Falaise Pocket from encirclement, attempting to delay the attacking Americans as long as possible. Able Company manages to surround his Tiger tank and destroy it.

Development[]

Game engine[]

Company of Heroes is Relic's first title to make use of the "Essence Engine". This engine was designed and coded from scratch by Relic in order to make use of special graphical effects, including high dynamic range lighting, dynamic lighting & shadows, advanced shader effects and normal mapping.

Company of Heroes also utilizes the Havok physics engine, giving it a more realistic physics system than previous RTS games. Parts of buildings can be destroyed by grenades, satchels or mortars, and tanks can drive through sections of walls or other barriers. Smoke created from explosions is programmed to behave as realistically as possible and can even be influenced by wind. Debris is also influenced by explosions; a blast can send barrels flying and shower troops in dirt, whilst leaving behind a large crater. When infantry are bombarded by artillery, body parts sometimes detach and are dispersed over, and some units are thrown about in the immediate area. Bridges and buildings can be destroyed by engineers using demolitions.

On May 29, 2007 Relic released a patch for Company of Heroes that included a new DirectX 10 rendering mode with enhanced terrain, additional world objects, and improved shadows and lighting. This patch made Company of Heroes the first commercial video game to support Direct3D 10.

Reception[]

 Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 93.82%[4]
Metacritic 93%[5]
Review scores
Publication Score
1UP.com A+[6]
Eurogamer 10/10[7]
GameSpot 9.0/10[8]
GameSpy 5/5[9]
GamesRadar 10/10[10]
IGN 9.4/10[11]
Awards
Entity Award
IGN (2006)PC Game of the Year[12]
GameSpy (2006)PC Game of the Year[13]

Reviews[]

Upon its release the game received wide critical acclaim. On the review aggregator Game Rankings, the game had an average score of 94% based on 61 reviews[14] — making it the third highest rated game of 2006, the highest rated PC game of 2006 and the highest rated Real-Time Strategy game of all time. On Metacritic, the game had an average score of 93 out of 100, based on 55 reviews — considered "universal acclaim" by the site.[15] Currently, it continues to remain the highest-rated real-time strategy game.

In June 2011 the game was ranked #51 on IGNs Top 100 Modern Games.[16]

Awards[]

  • PC Gamer: Game of the Year 2006
  • Computer Games Magazine: Game of the Year 2006
  • GameSpy: PC Game of 2006, Best Sound, Best PC Strategy Game, Best PC Multiplayer
  • GameSpot: Best PC Game 2006,[17] Best Strategy Game[18]
  • IGN: PC Game of 2006,[19] Best PC Strategy Game,[20] Best Use of Sound on PC,[21] Best Online PC game[22]
  • Game Critics Awards: Best Strategy Game
  • GameSpot: 2005 Best PC Game of Show; Best Strategy Game of Show; Best Overall Game of Show[23]
  • IGN: Runner-up, Best Strategy Game (PC), Runner-up, Technological Excellence (PC)
  • GameSpy: Best of E3
  • Interactive Achievement Awards: Strategy Game of the Year

Expansions[]

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts[]

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is a standalone expansion pack. It contains two factions; the British and the German Panzer Elite. Owners of Opposing Fronts will be able to play against owners of Company of Heroes and vice versa, although only using the armies from the game they own. Owners of both games will be able to play all four armies in multiplayer. Opposing Fronts was officially announced on April 5, 2007[24][25] and was released on September 24, 2007.[26] Opposing Front was later rereleased along with Company of Heroes as Company of Heroes Gold and later as part of the Company of Heroes Anthology (together with Tales of Valor).

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor[]

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is a standalone expansion pack. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor was officially announced on November 3, 2008 and was released April 8, 2009.[27][28]

References[]

  1. "THQ Partners with Windysoft to Bring Company of Heroes Online to South Korea". Relic Online. 8 September 2009. http://www.relic.com/news/September-9-2009---THQ-Partners-with-Windysoft-to-Bring-Company-of-Heroes-Online-to-South-Korea/. Retrieved 16 May 2010. 
  2. "[안내 OBT 오픈 시간 안내"]. Windyzone. 27 April 2010. http://coho.windyzone.com/sub_main/csboard/NOTICE/view/board_view.ws?setting_board_id=NOTICE&seq=119&srch=&selGubun=&category_seq=&page=2. Retrieved 16 May 2010. 
  3. "Company of Heroes Online blog.". Relic. March 25, 2011. http://www.companyofheroes.com/announcements/one-week-left-for-coho. 
  4. "Company of Heroes Review - GameRankings". http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/927618-company-of-heroes/index.html. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  5. "Company of Heroes Review - MetaCritic". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/companyofheroes. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  6. Peckham, Matt (September 19, 2006). "Company of Heroes Review - 1UP". 1UP. pp. 1. http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3153681&did=1. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  7. Gillen, Kieron (September 25, 2006). "Company of Heroes Review - EuroGamer". EuroGamer. pp. 2. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67931. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  8. Kasavin, Greg (September 11, 2006). "Company of Heroes Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. pp. 2. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/review.html. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  9. Raush, Allen (September 14, 2006). "Company of Heroes Review - GameSpy". GameSpy. pp. 3. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/company-of-heroes/732881p1.html. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  10. Stapleton, Dan. "Company of Heroes Review - GamesRadar". GamesRadar. pp. 3. http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/review/company-of-heroes/a-20060919154059812037. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  11. Adams, Dan (September 11, 2006). "Company of Heroes Review - IGN". IGN. pp. 3. http://pc.ign.com/articles/732/732059p1.html. Retrieved 2008-07-09. 
  12. "Company of Heroes - Game of the Year (2006)". IGN. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/39.html. Retrieved 2008-09-15. 
  13. "Company of Heroes - Game of the Year (2006)". GameSpy. http://goty.gamespy.com/2006/pc/index11.html. Retrieved 2008-09-15. 
  14. "Company of Heroes Reviews". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/927618.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
  15. "Company of Heroes (pc: 2006): Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/companyofheroes. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
  16. "Company of Heroes ranking on IGN Top 100 Modern Games". IGN. http://au.ign.com/top/modern-games/51. Retrieved 2011-07-02. 
  17. "Best PC Game 2006". Gamespot. http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/platform/index.html?page=11. 
  18. "Best Strategy Game 2006". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/genre/index.html?page=11. 
  19. "PC Game of 2006". IGN. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/39.html. 
  20. "Best PC Strategy Game". IGN. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/17.html. 
  21. "Best Use of Sound on PC". IGN. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/25.html. 
  22. "Best Online PC Game". IGN. http://bestof.ign.com/2006/pc/28.html. 
  23. "2005 Winners". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroes/news.html?sid=6127234. 
  24. Adams, Dan (April 5, 2007). "Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Announced". IGN. http://pc.ign.com/articles/778/778892p1.html. Retrieved 2008-09-15. 
  25. "THQ Announces Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts". GameSpot. April 5, 2007. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroesopposingfronts/news.html?sid=6168639&mode=all. Retrieved 2008-09-15. 
  26. "Shipping Out September 24–28: Halo 3, Opposing Fronts". GameSpot. September 24, 2007. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/companyofheroesopposingfronts/news.html?sid=6179816&mode=all. Retrieved 2008-09-15. 
  27. "THQ Announces Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor for Windows PC". Business Wire. November 3, 2008. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081103005317&newsLang=en. Retrieved 2008-11-03. 
  28. Faylor, Chris (November 3, 2008). "Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor Announced". ShackNews. http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55695. Retrieved 2008-11-03. 

External links[]

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