History Videogame / CallOfWar

Set in [[{{UsefulNotes/World WarII}} World War Two]], players can take control of a number of countries, each adherring to one of four "doctrines" (factions).

* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. As the game progresses, human players who declare war on AI will become unpopular with other AI, leading to war or trade embargoes. By the late game, the only deals on the stock market are exorbitant.
* TheAlliance: Coalitions are the in-game equivalent, allowing players to band together for a victory.

* ConservationOfNinjutsu: State-based damage efficiency of an army means that, if the army's size exceeds 10 units, only the ten most effective will deal damage. As such, it's not uncommon for a smaller stack or group of much smaller stacks to defeat a much large "doom stack" due to their higher SBDE.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: The game mechanics try to avert this. It takes three days to rejoin after leaving a coalition, making people think twice before betraying their teammates.

* TheEmpire: What every player aspires to be.

* FragileSpeedster: Many Pan-Asian units, particularly armoured vehicles, are this, since the Pan-Asian doctrine emphasises speed and surprise over power.

* GeoEffects: The Terrain Bonus is this. The five types of terrain -- plains, hills, mountains, forests, and cities -- all offer advantages to different types of units. Certain terrain -- particularly mountains -- also slows units down.

* MoraleMechanic: Every province has a morale score, decreasing depending on, among other things, distance from the capitol. Fighting multiple wars or invading lots of countries very quickly will usually do bad things through the "expansion penalty" [[DiminishingReturnsForBalance to challenge accomplished players.]]

* QualityVsQuantity: At one end of the scale, the Axis doctrine ("power") boasts units with high hitpoints and damage. However, they are expensive to make and losing one will cost you. On the other end of the scale, the Comintern doctrine features cheaper, but less effective units that are best deployed ''en masse''. Somewhere in the middle of the scale, the Allied doctrine ("optimisation") has reduced production time while still having decent units.

* SpaceFillingEmpire: Often averted; a number of small AI nations exist generally to be invaded by players. Often these will be ignored if players have more important things to do.

** AntiArmour: Artillery, anti-tank guns, tank destroyers, and attack bombers deal the most damage against heavy armour. Tanks and commandoes are best against light armour.

** The "Capital Rush" event takes this [[Exaggerated Trope to the extreme]]. The sole objective is to capture as many enemy capitals as possible.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Atom bombs. While they do massive damage to enemy units, buildings, and morale, due to their prohibitive costs, lengthy research time, and the comparative[[note]] they still have over 60 hitpoints[[/note]] vulnerability of nuclear bombers to interceptors and anti-aircraft guns, as well as their limited range, mean that they are rarely used.

* QualityVsQuantity: At one end of the scale, the Axis doctrine ("power") boasts units with high hitpoints and damage. However, they are expensive to make and losing one will cost you. On the other end of the scale, the Comintern doctrine features cheaper, but less effective units that are best deployed ''en masse''. Somewhere in the middle of the scale, the Allied doctrin ("optimisation") has reduced production time while still having decent units.

* InvadedStatesOfAmerica / DayOfTheJackboot: The premise of the ''Dawn of the Patriot'' map is an [[AlternateHistoryNaziVictory Alternate-History Axis Victory]]''a la'' ''Literature/TheManInTheHighCastle'', featuring three factions; a Japanese puppet state on the Pacific coast, a Nazi puppet state on the Atlantic seaboard, and an [[LaResistance American Remnant]] in the mid-west.

* AIGeneratedEconomy: AI nations make the majority of Stock Market deals, meaning then effectively control the in-game economy; if enough AI choose to embargo a human player they can also cripple their nation's economy. However, the game also has aspects of a PlayerGeneratedEconomy in that human players represent most of the demand for these resources.

** The "Capital Rush" event. The sole objective is to capture as many enemy capitals as possible.

** The "Capital Rush" event takes this UpToEleven, with the sole objective being to capture as many enemy capitals as possible.