Glest

Glest is a free and open-source real-time strategy computer game from 2004. Glest is set in a medieval fantasy world with two factions, and was compared with Warcraft III and the Empire Earth series.[1] The game received positive to mixed reviews from the press,[2][3] has been downloaded over two million times,[4] and spawned several derivative continuation projects which are under active development.[5][6]

Glest
In-game screenshot
Developer(s)Glest Team
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Linux
ReleaseDecember 25, 2004 (2004-12-25)
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Development

The game was started by a team based in Spain around 2004.[7] Release of version 3.0 added online multiplayer LAN/Internet support. Glest is designed to be moddable, with game elements defined by editable XML files, and includes a map editor.

Since April 2009, development on the original game has ceased. However, two forks, MegaGlest[5] and the Glest Advanced Engine (GAE)[8] have continued developing the game and its engine further. While MegaGlest is focused on stable releases which provide reliable cross platform multi-player games and deliver new game content out of the box, GAE is primarily oriented towards improving the game engine and providing more options for full conversions, and is more experimental in nature.

In 2011 it was suggested that the two forks should merge[6] but due to different philosophies and goals amongst the developers of both forks this effort was called off during the planning stage.[9]

Gameplay

Glest is set in a medieval fantasy world with two factions, named Magic and Tech, each with their own set of units, buildings and upgrades. The Tech faction uses traditional human warriors and has medieval mechanical devices in its arsenal, and are strong in melee combat. The Magic faction is designed for advanced players with most of their units morphed from or summoned by others. It lacks the hand-to-hand combat strength of the Tech faction but features more versatile units. Tilesets and maps are selected at the new game setup menu and determine the graphical nature of the Glest game world.

Because of the moddability of the engine, Glest can play games from a variety of player-created mods. These range from futuristic science fiction themes to dark, high fantasy settings.

Reception

"For a freeware game, Glest stands out at an astonishing level. A real-time strategy game in the vein of Warcraft III or the Empire Earth games, it asks players to create workers, harvest resources, construct buildings, produce military units, and ultimately destroy enemy bases. Though its technology isn't quite as deep as the commercial games, we were quite surprised to find very well-rendered 3D textures, good music, detailed models, and a well-developed game system. [...] Given the game's solid gameplay, good design, a small size, and, above all, a price tag of zero, we highly recommend Glest to anyone with a soft spot for real-time strategy games"

  • happypenguin.org: Rating: 4.48 out of 5 stars[2]
  • Casualty gamer: In October 2008 reviewed version 3.1.2.[11]
  • About.com: Reviewed the game and highlighted the detailed 3D graphics in Glest, but criticized the underdeveloped gameplay and small number of maps in that version.[3]

By July 2016 Glest had been downloaded on Sourceforge alone over 2,300,000 times.[4]

See also
  • List of open-source games

References
  1. "CNET Glest review". download.cnet.com. February 27, 2009.
  2. "Happy Penguin review".
  3. Haas, Juergen. "Linux Game: Glest". About.com. Retrieved 2010-05-23. Glest is a game that would be an interesting try for all RTS lovers. If you can get the developers to continue working on this, I would be thankful. The graphics, as they are, may impress you. The audio music is also decent. The gameplay is just a few steps away from becoming fully developed. This review article is not dated, and therefore, it is not possible to see to which version of the game the review refers and whether the review is current
  4. Glest - stats on Sourceforge.net (accessed 2016-07-19)
  5. "MegaGlest website".
  6. "Glest forks to merge into one". 2011-02-01.
  7. "Glest official site".
  8. "Sourceforge page of Glest Advanced Engine".
  9. "Glest forks to join forces?". glest.org.
  10. "Acid Play review".
  11. "Casualty Gamer review".
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