Tribal Trouble

Tribal Trouble is a real-time strategy video game for Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. The game pits natives of tropical islands against invading Vikings. The game was developed by independent studio Oddlabs, and has won several awards, including four top 5 positions in indie game review site GameTunnel's 2005 awards in the categories of best multiplayer game, best graphics, best strategy game and best game overall.

Gameplay

Characters

Characters are the heart and soul, and possibly the the spleen, of Tribal Trouble. Each tribe can have up to 250 characters on the island at one time, but they come in many shapes and sizes.

Peons

When a new game starts, each tribe has 10 characters known as peons. These people are used mostly in building structures and gathering supplies to make weapons(which they build while in an armory). A quarters allows peons to reproduce at a rate of about 1 peon every 8 seconds. This process speeds up if there are more peons in a quarters. Peons who are in an armory can be trained to be warriors, equipped with weapons made of rock, iron ore, or tropical chicken beak. Peons are capable of attacking and killing enemies, but they must stand next to them to do so. This might be a strategical disadvantage. It will take at least 5 peons to bring down a rock warrior. This number increases if they are facing an iron or chicken warrior. Peons individually are weak, but in large numbers, they are a deadly force.

Warriors

Warriors are basically a step up from peons. They are dedicated only to serving and fighting/dieing for the tribe. There are three types of warriors: Rock, Iron, and Chicken. The rock warriors are the most common, but weakest of the warrior types. They carry weapons with blades made of rock. Iron warriors are slightly more powerful then rock warriors. Chicken warriors are the most dangerous of the warriors. They carry weapons made of the beaks of tropical tropical chickens. These weapons carry magical powers that allow them to bounce off of enemies. These warriors should be created sparingly, but be sure to have at least 5 when attacking a large army.

Chieftains

The medieval version of WMDs. These ruthless soldiers have the defense of a quarters and the attacking power of an atom bomb. Each tribe can have only one chieftain, but it's more then they need. Each one has magical powers that make it unique, and deadly.

Viking Chieftains

Essentially "Hagar the Horrible" on steroids. These monstrosities carry large tuba-like instruments. These are used in battle as "magics" to kill enemies. Magics are powers that chieftains have that can be used to destroy buildings or kill enemies. The Viking Chieftain has magics include a burp that slowly kills passing enemies, and a sort of "ground pound" that destroys all buildings and kills all enemies in range.

Native Chieftains

The Native chieftains carry large cauldrons of soup that is so foul, it can kill. No, really. Kill. This guys magics include a burst of smoke from the cauldron similar to the viking chieftains burp, and "The Crackling Cloud". A small lightning cloud that will electrocute a selected target.

Buildings

There are three buildings, tower, armory and quarters.

Quarters

The quarters is the first building made by a tribe. It houses peons and allows them to reproduce. They are the most sturdy and hardest to destroy of the buildings, but without them, you can not produce more peons so protects yours at all cost.

Armories

Armories make this game interesting. They hold peons that serve many functions. Gathering resources, making weapons, and training warriors. The more peons that are in the armory, the faster these tasks can be done.

Towers

Towers are the primary stationary defense of a tribe. They can be placed around the tribe to protect it. If a warrior is placed in a tower, they can through a weapon very far. Towers are however very weak and are easily destroyed, so the more the merrier!

Maps

Tribal Trouble has a range of maps that are all unique. They range in size from small, to medium, to large. They also come in a tropical terrain (Native), to Northern terrain (Viking). The amount of trees and resources, as well as the amount of hills in a maps can be edited. These can drastically alter the game play.

Resources

Peons in an armory can be ordered to gather resources to make weapons.

Wood

Wood is extracted from trees found all over an island. It is used in the production of all weapons and to build buildings.

Rock

Rock is found in boulders all around the island. It is used to make rock weapons.

Iron Ore

Iron is extracted from iron ore found along the island. Like rock, it is usually found in concentrated groups on an island. It is used to make iron weapons.

Tropical Chicken

Tropical chicken are the only living resources. They have been observed falling down from trees if a strong breeze blows. They are killed and they're beaks are used to make powerful weapons that kill targets then bounce off of them.

Online Play

There is also an option of multiplayer. This is somewhat limited to the demo player, prohibiting guest chat (due to increased cyberbulling), disabled rated games, cannot keep track of rating, wins, and losses and cannot be logged in the hall of fame. The layout consists of a hall of fame, displaying the top 50 players ranked by rating, the chatroom(s), where the users can chat, view games, and private message each other, and game, which displays pending games and their discription. Players can first make an online account, and then an online profile. Once done, players can play matches and chat. It is known that having an account can create a legacy known on the server. (ex. the hall of fame, virtual friends, and even fame). It is strictly observed that there is no exploit of rules such as no cyberbulling, hacking [which is impossible as of now] , harassmment, and exploit of rights).

References

* [http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=611 Inside Mac Games Review: Tribal Trouble]

External links

* [http://tribaltrouble.com/ Official website]