Latest Eternal Crusade Blog Post Details Territory Control

If you're eagerly awaiting the Warhammer 40K MMOTPS, you will be happy to know that the developers have posted a new State of the Crusade address that covers territory control. It seems to take quite a bit of inspiration from Planetside. It seems there may be a bit more depth, but the core ideas remain the same. You have a tactical map, reached from your faction's social zone and you can drop into a specific zone, join a group that is going to battle, or hit a button to just be dropped wherever you're needed most. Upon completing a battle, you take a bit more territory and shifting the front line in your favor.

The core difference is in the flow of battle. Upon first showing up on the Strategic Map, a battle will enter a phase that only allows Commanders to join it. During this phase, the attackers and defenders are decided—it is not yet detailed how this is decided—and Warlords for this battle are chosen from among the Commanders. In order to ensure that there is always a Warlord, if no Commanders join a battle, any player from that faction can volunteer to be one. The battle then enters the Assignment Phase, during which anyone from the factions that have joined the battle can join until either a timer runs out or every player slot has been filled.

Once the Assignment Phase is completed, players get dropped into the battlefield and the battle enters the Setup Phase. This phase allows players to strategize through squads being assigned, Warlords picking powers, and waypoints being set. Then the battle begins.

The address goes on to detail multiple goals, depending on location. There are several types of outposts but each revolves around taking checkpoints. Strongholds offer something a bit different, with defenders seeing a limited number of reinforcements that must be wiped out by the attackers, but overall, each of these goals is quite simple.

Unlike its predecessors, Eternal Crusade does not reward you for holding all of the game's Territories. As it is put in the address, "territory control is just a means to an end." It is a way to stay ahead in the current Campaign. Dynamic and scheduled events take place during the campaign and cause impromptu battles all over the continent, providing various objectives to each of the factions.

At the end of the address, it is stated that this is only what they are planning to do for the first version of war. As their ability to do so increases, they plan to open entire territories for "massive-level conquest." They want to create a "living battlefield" and it seems they are going to continue to aim towards that goal even after launch.