What is so special about European Wars: Cossacks?
Endless fun by a range of long campaigns and extra scenarios. A true 3D-modelled landscape, that´s seriously affecting tactics and strategies. No less than 16 nations with their unique architectural styles, technologies and units. Not to forget titanic battles with up to 8000 units on one map. The economy system is complex but easy to handle and provides increased game balance, e.g. when iron and coal are used up as ammunition by artillery and warships. Civilian buildings and units can be taken over, so that a fierce guerilla war can be led behind the enemy borders for the first time.
Doesn´t all this look like an Age of Kings clone?
Besides the fact that we have 8000 instead of a few hundred units per game, true 3D terrain instead of stairs across the landscape, you´ll find 16 nations with unique graphical styles of their buildings instead of just 4 continental groups. The ships have 64 phases of animation, which is gorgiously looking and puts an end to zigzagging the seas. Animations like explosions with rubble thrown around and sudden fountains where cannon balls hit the water are showing the difference in graphical quality as well.
In what historical timeframe is European Wars: Cossacks taking place?
In Europe, 17th and 18th century, when wars didn´t cease for a minute. The most noteworthy are: Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the English revolution, the English and Dutch wars, the War for Spanish Succession, the Northern war, the War for Austrian Succession, the Seven Years War, the Ukrainian independence war (1648-1657), sea wars against caribic and mediterranean pirates.
Are there elements of fantasy and RPGs?
No, because this is the age of renaissance, when dragons where replaced by battleships and flame ball spells by thundering howitzers.
What about multiplayer capability?
Especially in multiplayer mode you will be able to use the details and tweaks of Cossacks, with up to 8 players over LAN and internet. CDV is working with the most important online gaming services,
What´s the scale of European Wars: Cossacks?
Four long campaigns: 30-years war, the caribbean sea war of England against Spain, the Netherlands and the pirates, the rise of Russia and the ukrainian war for independence, plus a smaller tutorial campaign to demonstrate the game´s rules. Ten additional scenarios are offering tricky strategic puzzles.
Which nations will we have to deal with?
There are 16: Algeria, Austria, England, France, Netherlands, Piemonte, Poland, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, Venice.
How do you avoid loosing track?
The manual contains detailed descriptions of all nations, units, buildings and technologies.
How do you keep control over all those units?
All important functions of the game can be handled via hotkeys, optional info windows are available, too. The troops can be forged into clear formations, as soon as officers and drummers are present. Those formations will have a combat bonus. You´ll find the usual tools like grouping and way points.
What kind of military units are there?
Basically there´s infantery, cavallery, artillery and navy. Soldiers will have light or heavy armour or bear firearms, guns will fire straight or in a ballistic curve over obstacles. Warships, ranging from light, fast yachts to massive ships of line are providing enourmous fire power. Mercenaries like the famous cossacks can be hired by diplomatic means.
Is Cossacks a RTS, or a management game?
There´s more management than in Age of Kings and more combat than in Anno 1602. But both parts are strictly connected. For instance, a lack of coal and iron will lead to an ammo shortage and silence the guns.
What kinds of resources are there, and are they exhaustible?
There are six resources: Food, to feed the population and build new units. Wood and stone for construction. Gold for research and military salaries. Coal and iron for arms production and ammo supply. All resources are inexhaustible so that possessing a forest will not win the war, but your superior strategy.
Is there a map editor included?
No, but a map generator with a wide range of preselectable features for unlimited variations. You will not have to play the same maps over and over.
What´s the importance of research in Cossacks?
Research is extremely important. The age af renaissance was one of immense technical and scientific progress. This is represented in the game by the unit upgrading system and more than 300 developments.
Which are the hardware requirements?
Minimum: Pentium 200, 32 MB Ram, 1 MB video card, 200 MB available harddisk space, 8x CD-Rom, sound card
Recommended: Pentium 266, 64 MB RAM, 4 MB video card
For which platforms is Cossacks available?
So far, Cossacks can be played with Win95/98/2000/ME and Windows NT.
Is this game really 3D, and do you need a 3D graphics accelerator?
The landscape is actually 3D, you´ll experience this finally when the enemy is throwing hand grenades downhill while your soldiers are slowly marching up. A 3D hardware accelerator is not required.
Can you zoom or turn the view?
No. Viewing a battle from the eagle´s eye or flying a 3D-camera is entertaining but will mostly lead to a defeat, so that feature was excluded.
Which ports do you have to enable/unlock to play Cossacks online ?
(refers to Router,Firewall or Network)
Please enable/unlock the following ports:
Ports for GameSpy:
6667 (IRC)
80 (HTTP)
3783 (Voice Chat Port)
27900 (Master Server UDP Heartbeat)
28900 (Master Server List Request)
29900 (GP Connection Manager)
29901 (GP Search Manager)
13139 (Custom UDP Pings)
Ports for DirectPlay:
Initial TCP Connection 47624 Outbound 47624 Inbound
Inbound TCP Connections 2300-2400 2300-2400, Outbound TCP Connections 2300-2400 2300-2400
Inbound UDP Connections 2300-2400 2300-2400 , Outbound UDP Connections 2300-2400 2300-2400
Where is Cossacks being developed?
In the Ukraine, by GSC.
Am I able to buy European Wars: Cossacks in my country?
Yes, surely. CDV distributes Cossacks world wide.
In which languages will the game be issued?
By now it´s planned to include german, english, french, spanish and russian, but more are to be prepared.
Will there be an Add-On?
Yes, definitely. Let´s unveil just one thing: it will take place on the north american continent.
Can damaged ships be repaired?
Unfortunately, damaged ships cannot be repaired, you have to create new ones from scratch. At this time, we cannot say whether this can or will be changed in the future.
Can I try the game before I buy it?
Yes, just download the demo here!