The Battle for Newerth

The Digital Media and Gaming Club began with another tutorial in ALICE. A simplified 3D animator that encourages programming and creative construction. The students are making real progress with ALICE, some of the animations we hope to showcase on our college website, I am very proud of the lower College students in particular. ALICE opens up the realms of what is possible and the young students seem less inhibited than their more realistic, conscious older colleagues. Don’t get me wrong, ALICE is fun, but DMGC finished with something far more important, ‘The Battle for Newerth.’

The two armies are now in sight, the smell of battle is in the air, and the drums of war begin a dance of death. Victory or extinction, glory or defeat, the very hand of fate lies in the warrior grip of the SAVAGE.

The Battle for Newerth is a multi-player contest that combines aspects of the real-time strategy (RTS) and first-person shooter (FPS) genres and is credited as being the first real time strategy shooter (RTSS) – these three acronyms are now added to my quickly expanding gaming vocab. It takes place in the distant future when humankind has rebuilt society following an apocalypse, but is threatened by intelligent beasts.

Those of you that know me, will know I am not a passionate gamer. What I am passionate about the engaging students. Rest assured, Savage – Battle for Newerth will see a significant increase in DMGC popularity next week. Although my colleagues play, I tend to watch how the students interact. The different roles and interplay required means that students have to work together, form alliances and collaborate. Jon also mentioned he liked that fact that everyone, over 40 players, were involved.

‘….a level of trust is essential in your team and strategy to outwit your opponent.’

With each battle lasting an hour, there will be only one winner…. the DMGC. My thanks to my colleague Andrew for his hard work with this project.

I think I may even try and get a slot in the assemblies to show the students what is out there. Did I mention is was free. According the website (blocked in school) Savage 2- A Tortured Soul is also available.