Revision 107352773 of "Benutzer:Ruption/Vangers" on dewiki

{{ Infobox VG
| title =         Vangers
| image = [[File:Vangers Coverart.png]]        
| developer =     [[K-D Lab]]
| publisher =     [[Buka Entertainment]] (Russia)<br/>[[Interactive Magic]] (North America)
| designer =      
| engine =        
| released =      {{vgrelease|NA=June [[1998 in video gaming|1998]]|EU=1998}}
| genre =         [[Racing game|Racing]], [[Role-playing video game]]
| modes =         [[Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
| ratings =       
| platforms =     [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Linux]], [[FreeBSD]]
| media =         [[Compact Disc|CD]]
| requirements =
| input =         [[Keyboard (computing)|Keyboard]] and [[Mouse (computing)|Mouse]]
}}

'''''Vangers''''' (''Вангеры'', also known as '''''Vangers: One for the Road''''') is a 1998 [[video game]] that combines elements of the [[Racing game|racing]] and [[role-playing video game|role-playing]] genres, developed by [[K-D Lab]], a [[Russia]]n company<ref>[http://www.kdlab.com/eng/products/product_view.php?id=16 K-D LAB: Vangers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. It was released in North America in June, 1998 after receiving positive responses at that year's [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]]<ref>[http://www.kdlab.com/eng/company/index.php K-D LAB: Official profile<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.

==Plot and setting==
At the beginning of a new game the player is provided with text introduction to the major events of the game world genesis.

According to the introduction, a faction of advanced humans, termed as Spirits, at some point in time gains a technology of creating the Passages between different worlds, the source of technology being Spirits' transcendental contacts. With this knowledge humans undertake rushed construction of the Passages and the new worlds colonization. Similar events are provided as a starting point of the later ''[[Perimeter (video game)|Perimeter]]'' game, but other than that the initial game settings differ.

As explained further, expanding humanity comes across an alien insectoid race of Cryspo. Humans fail to subdue Cryspo with military firepower, and the Conflict occurs. Losing their battle for survival, humans try to isolate themselves and employ genetic weaponry. That ultimately wipes away both sides and large scale chaotic transformations lead the in-game world to the state it's in by the beginning of the game. The world is inhabitted by a couple of strongly ritualistic races spawned from the chaos. The races practice endless cult cycles in their underground cities (a race is termed a Bios, a city population is referred to as Bunch). The player is assigned a role of Vanger. Vangers are entities capable of travelling the worlds and are relied upon by the Bunches, when it comes to finding and delivery of goods, running errands etc.

The game of ''Vangers'' starts with the Bios of Eleepods producing the player-Vanger. Gameplay-wise, player sees oneself as an [[automobile]]-like existence (although protected with regenerating shields, able to be outfitted with weapons and capable of making jumps) in the world-exploration mode. When entering the cities, player reads the narrations of Bios representatives, is allowed to use the trading facilities, and can ask patterned questions of "what or who is", about the notions encountered to the point in game. Advancing the plot requires gaining the favor of Bioses, which means for player character to successfuly participate in their rituals, to transport goods, to compete with and destroy other, computer-controlled Vangers.

Several endings are available, of which major ones deal with the factions omitted from initial introductions, and declare that the game of ''Vangers'' itself has actually been the test for the player (as in "the human person sitting in front of his or her personal computer") devised by the side of those factions. The conveyor test is claimed to sort the player persons according to their possible practical use in the events to come.

[[Image:vangers02.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Screenshot of ''Vangers''' gameplay]]

==Technology==
All the worlds in ''Vangers'' were created with [[Surmap]] A.R.T., [[K-D Lab]]'s proprietary terrain editor, and the accompanying voxel-polygonal technology. It is features of [[Surmap]] that allowed creating such organic worlds. They look nothing like manually painted models, yet every detail was carefully planned and designed by an artist; there's no randomly generated stuff. Each object on the map is destructible, vehicle wheels leave traces on the ground, an explosion may even break the road... There is an option allowing you to keep all changes to the terrain on the hard disk, what makes your traveling even more realistic.

==Port to Unix==
In 2008, work began on porting the game to Linux and other operating systems <ref>[http://forum.vangers.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=2054 vangers.org forum topic]</ref>. As of July 18, 2009 the ported game is playable, though still buggy, but unresolved legal problems remain<ref>[http://kranx.com/ru/node/712#comment-3970 Kranx Productions blog]</ref>.

==See also==
* ''[[Maelstrom (video game)]]''
* ''[[Perimeter (video game)]]''
* ''[[Perimeter 2: New Earth]]''

==External links==
* [http://www.kdlab.com/vangers/eng/ Official Vangers web site (English version)]
* [http://www.kdlab.com/vangers/eng/solution.html "The way of the Vanger the way it is meant to be", a walkthrough of the game by the developers]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1998 video games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Role-playing video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Russia]]
[[Category:Video games with voxel graphics]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]

[[ru:Вангеры]]