Hardware: Online Arena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hardware: Online Arena | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | London Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Sony |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) | November 7, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | online multiplayer |
| Mode(s) | Single player offline, online multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | pegi: 7+ |
| Media | DVD-ROM PlayStation disc |
| System requirements | 1 network adaptor (Ethernet) for PS2, Broadband connection |
Hardware: Online Arena is an online multiplayer game that focuses on vehicular destruction using varying means such as missiles, lasers and machine guns. The game was released for PlayStation 2 with the launch of online play for the console and was possibly the first online game for PS2. The game was not a huge commercial success, selling very little. Later the game was added onto the network access disk that comes when you buy the network adaptor and during 2005 was one of the three most popular games played online having over 200 users on at any one time. GamesMaster Magazine said the game was, "A great indicator of the shape of things to come for PS2 online."
Contents |
[edit] Features
- Online multiplayer military action game
- Offline mode available but online play strongly recommended
- Multiple game modes include 'King of the Hill', 'Team King of the Hill', 'Deathmatch' and 'Team Deathmatch'
- 5 different expansive environments
- 8 tanks and jeeps to choose from
- Wide array of weapons, from cannons to heavy missiles
- Talk to other players online with a USB headset
- For 1-16 players
[edit] In-Game
Online Arena is a very functional title, eschewing presentation in favour of what it does best, which is to present arcade-style blasting action without letting real-world physics get in the way of a good time. It has to be said that vehicle handling is straight out of the cartoons, with tanks developing the ability the race off of cliffs and buildings and soar through the air before bouncing like a space hopper when they finally touch bare earth.
That said, the sole objective of Hardware: Online Arena or 'HOA' is to destroy everything that moves with your weapons. Or at least that's what you do most of the time, using tanks and jeeps to combust rivals or enemy clan members. Some strategy is involved and in modes such as capture the flag it is needed but mostly the player just blows up anything that isn't on their side.
This provides a lot of explosions and although the premise may be simple it provides a lot of entertainment and there are many different situations that can occur in the same environment. A game can turn either which way between two warring game clans and the result is not always the same. The main things to do are these:
- Go head to head with friends or enemies
- Destroy anybody with your arsenal in deathmatch
- Team up and take out a rival clan in team deathmatch
[edit] Vehicles
Tanks:
- Sledgehammer (T-80U Renamed)
- Barbarian Mk II (Challenger 2 Renamed)
- Predator (M1A1 Abrams Renamed)
- Hooligan MBT (Leopard 2S/Stridsvagn 122 Renamed)
Jeeps:
- Hog
- Wraith (Suspected Desert Patrol Vehicle Renamed)
- Nomad Mk III
- Scarab LSV
[edit] Arsenal
Laser: Although it isn't the most accurate of weapons, a laser kills on contact and if used in an area where a group of rival players are seen it can be put to devastating effect. Usage drains the power and the weapon only lasts for a couple of seconds before it dyes out. In every map only two lasers can be found which are usually in inconvenient places to obtain as the laser has the most potential to frag multiple enemies. The laser can fire through thin surfaces (e.g. walls) and kill players on the other side of them if the player at hand is a short distance from the other side of that surface.
Rockets: Fast spreading short distance weapon. You fire 5 rockets at once. Perfect tank killer. Harms enormous when you shoot them in a "dog fight". 10 rockets are usually enough to destroy any enemies vehicle. It is possible to fire rockets continuously (without any reload). This can be achieved by obtaining 5 rockets, shooting them, and then retrieving the desired number of rockets that the player would like to fire ceaselessly. By tapping the "fire" button (usually R2), the rockets will erupt out of the players turret until ammunition runs out, causing devastating effects in close-quarter battles. Rockets are almost completely ineffective at long range due to the fact that five rockets are fired at once, spreading out in all directions. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Light Missile: Not very effective unless used in bulk. A number of "lights" is needed to destroy a vehicle unlike the heavy missile. These use a heat-seeking target mechanism to lock onto targets to track them, this can be achieved from the other side of the level in safety if need be and can be done with the heavy missile and railgun too if you are a proficient sniper. Lights fly high into the air when shot and hit the enemy falling down on him. Escape is hard when there is no possibility of cover. By holding down the fire button it is possible to get a "behind the missile" view of where the projectile is going. Because you can not control the missile this feature would only be advantageous if the player wishes to get a different view of the map as the missile flies through it (to look where players might be situated etc.) Of course the player is completely defenceless while using this feature. This weapon is a perfect jeep killer, however a tank (especially an armoured one) can take a substantial amount of light missiles before it is destroyed. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Heavy Missile: "Heavies" are lock-on missiles similar to the lighter version except for the fact that they pack a much bigger punch. Two can usually be picked up at a time and when locked on they track with the target through the air to reach their destination. Two shots will usually explode a tank. Heavies don't fly up in the air when shot. They are deep fliers so you can escape them easily when you reach a wall or other. Lights are faster than heavies. As with lights, the heavies can be viewed from behind the projectile by holding the fire button. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Railgun: Primarily the weapon of a sniper, the Railgun is used for making long-distance kills and destroys nearly anything with one shot. This is the most accurate weapon in the game if used properly. Instead of being fired by chemical means it uses electrical potential energy to send a projectile out at an extremely high velocity. It carries so much force with it that it is possible to frag a vehicle if the railgun is shot right next to a player (i.e. the actual projectile doesn't appear to hit the vehicle but instead makes contact near the player and results in a frag). The railgun is made for long range but, although difficult to use at short distances, still has the same devastating effect if it hits a vehicle. This weapon can be used in a variety of ways depending on the players style e.g. from an elevated stationary position (sniping), in a "dogfight" -up close and personal (killing multiple enemies at once), or in the air whilst jumping off or over objects, hills or other. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with or extremely near the other side of that surface.
Plasma: A multi-firing weapon that shoots a barrage of blue plasma at an enemy. Damage is medium but can be fatal if used in combination with say a tank's turret. Plasma has a very fast lock on. Plasma is a multi-purpose weapon. It can be very effective at long ranges and can also be used in close-quarter battles with ease. The main disadvantage of this weapon is that it does not have a "lock on" as such. If the enemy moves out of the target proximity the target will "unlock", essentially meaning the player has to track moving vehicles while firing to ensure all of the plasma barrages hit the player. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Machine Gun: On Jeeps only. A rapid-firing piece of equipment that can prove more effective than larger weapons in close-combat situations. It is made for short to medium ranges.
Bombs: 5 small bombs flying around and bouncing like balls when they hit something and explode when they don't bounce anymore or hit the enemies jeep/tank. You can shoot them continuously. Great for clearing out rooms or hangers etc. as the player does not need to be in view of his enemy to frag him/her. Bombs are fired one at a time but come in sets of 5. More than 5 bombs are needed to frag any armoured vehicle if that vehicle also has full health. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Cannon: On tanks only. A powerful endless firing gun which harms more than the machine gun but needs some time to reload. It can be turned 360 with the tank's turret. It is made for short to medium ranges. This weapon can destroy vehicles through thin surfaces if the enemy is in direct contact with the other side of that surface.
Emps: Missiles which do not harm the opponent but cause a freeze movement or firing lock on the enemy. Drive emps cause the player to be stationary for a short period of time (sitting duck). They can still shoot and harm enemies under this emp's effect. Weapon emps cause the player's weapon system to be disabled for a short period of time. They are completely defenceless under this emps effect, but can still drive and hide.
The following is a table that shows the approximate amount of units of each weapon that is needed to take out particular vehicles:
| Laser | Rockets | Light missiles | Heavy missiles | Railgun | Plasma | Bombs | Machine gun | Cannon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 40-50 | 5 |
| Armoured Jeep | 1 | 5-10 | 3-6 | 2 | 1 | 5-10 | 5-10 | 50-100 | 5-10 |
| Fully Armoured Jeep | 1 | 10-15 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 100 | 10 |
| Tank | 1 | 5-10 | 3-6 | 2 | 1 | 5-10 | 5-10 | 50-100 | 5-10 |
| Armoured Tank | 1 | 10 | 3-6 | 2-3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 50-100 | 5-10 |
| Fully Armoured Tank | 1 | 10-15 | 6-9 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 100 | 10-15 |
Note: In weapons such as Plasma and rockets 5 units means one fire round with five barrets of the rocket or plasma etc.
Note: the above table shows only approximate values. Of course every case is subjective. Example- some tanks are proven to be ever so slightly more robust than others (at the expense of speed) so may take slightly more damage. Also, a vehicle can be fully armoured but could lack health and so can be taken out easier. Also note that damage can arise from other instances, rather than being shot by opponents. Crashing into walls, falling from great heights etc can damage your vehicle to various extents. Emps are excluded from the table as they do not cause damage.
Note: If you collect a powerup different from the current, it replaces the current, and if you collect the same type of powerup it increases the amount of that weapon held. The maximum is 100 pieces.
[edit] Specials
Countdowns: On Mayan and Area 51 only. Mass-Destruction-Weapons which can be started by reaching a certain spot that reappears every 5 minutes after it gets launched. On Mayan a special laserbeam is shining from the magma up to the sky and destroys every vehicle outside the temple. On Area 51 after the countdown F-16 Jets bomb the whole level and destroy everything outside. The only place to hide is the bunker underneath the main hangar with two tunnel entrances, AI in the single player model will attempt to reach the tunnel before 50 seconds is over to achieve maximum effectiveness, keep the enemy out. In the Bunker there is quite a selection but not a great quantity of weapons.
[edit] Network Play
HOA is an online game. Although it does have an offline training mode the bulk of the gaming experience is garnered through connecting and playing against real people other than computerized bots used in offline play. It is not all that difficult to get Hardware working online. What you need is a Broadband connection, Ethernet adaptor for PS2 (not required for the Slimline version) and then you're ready to go. A couple of button clicks, log into the online service and you're off, thundering around a half dozen combat zones with a vehicle selected from the tanks and armoured personnel carriers on offer.
[edit] Game Bugs
- firing though walls is possible, e.g. with a laser
- possibility to get out of the boarder-lined map
- lag: time delay, due to low connection speed and/or high ping rate (not really a bug as such as this is typical with any online game)
- various glitches
- cheats: infinite weapons and invulnerability, used by the German NGE-Clan; the cheaters handles are "NGE (name)" or "x (name) x", "xx (name) xx", "o (name) o" or "oo (name) oo"
- server refresh: leads to disconnection in a game
- other server problems: Australian and New Zealand players can enter and play the European server, Europeans can not join the Australian and New Zealand servers
- teamers: team-players who enter a deathmatch game and team up there to shoot the solo-players (also known to the Australians and New Zealanders as "bunny hunting".
