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[Chantcd_com]

:w00t: :yes: :cool2:
The World's first Browser-based RTS is now complete and ready for testing!

Ortico Melbourne is proud to announce:
Age of Penguins

http://www.AgeOfPenguins.com

The official beta-testing period has now begun!

Anyone who would like to help test the game, please send an e-mail to:
matthew@ageofpenguins.com

After 6 months in development, the game is very solid at this point (it has undergone much testing in-house), but there are many things (such as game balance) that require the input of many players. Because many things might need changing, (and there is a bit of work created in compiling a level), only 10 levels were created for now. The finished product will probably have about 30 or 40 (maybe more!) There's no real limit.

What makes Age of Penguins special:

* The first browser-based Real-time Strategy game!
In the history of browser games, no company (big or small) has ever attempted to release a full-length game of this complexity -- with saving/loading and all the features of a game like Warcraft II (where you gather resources, build up a city, produce an army, destroy the computer's city, etc.)

* Play it anywhere -- no install required.
All you need is a 1 GHz or better Windows computer with 512 MB RAM (enough to run programs smoothly), 1024 X 768 screen resolution, and Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher! Entire game is only 1 MB. It downloads in a matter of seconds on a high-speed Internet connection. For best results, use a PC with a actual, separate video card. (PCs with "onboard video" which use system RAM for video memory will exhibit poor performance)

* No special software or plug-ins required.
The game was written in Javascript for this very reason. No Flash? No Java runtime? No problem!

* Not a Flash game
Macromedia Flash doesn't allow the use of the right mouse button, etc. which is required to produce a browser game that feels like a regular DirectX Windows game. All Flash games are the same -- simple and repetitive; something a single programmer could write in a weekend (excluding the graphics).

* No hidden fees
No strings attached. You don't have to install a browser bar, a special plug-in, or any kind of spyware to enjoy Age of Penguins. To support development of this game, we only have banner ads and a donation page.

* Play while web browsing, getting work done, etc!
It plays in a normal browser window, and behaves perfectly well with all other running programs. Doesn't cause slowdown, nor does it require exclusive, full-screen mode.

* Save/Load your game at any time -- even continue your game on a different PC!
Games are saved to the server -- simply login with your User ID and Password wherever you are, and you can continue any saved game. There is no limit to the number of accounts you can set up!

* Good Play Control
So many games leave out this critical piece of the puzzle. There are many games that WOULD HAVE BEEN great if the game controls were easier or more intuitive -- if you could get around and do things in the game without much thought. A user-friendly interface was actually one of the main objectives when Age of Penguins was being developed. If you've played Real-time Strategy games before, you should have no problem getting used to this game. Do you have the urge to right-click on a resource to have a Worker harvest it? Go ahead! Want to move around the world with the arrow keys? Go ahead! And if you want to be able to use the mini-map for navigation, your wish is also granted!

[imerso]

Congratulations for finishing your game!

But... world's first browser RTS?

Sorry, I'm pretty sure I've played other RTS within a browser before. Including a StarCraft clone, two years ago. =)

[rouncer]

Star craft was awesome, not including all the sick fan art.