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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/submarine_titans.jpg]]
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4'''''Submarine Titans''''' is a RealTimeStrategy game developed by Ellipse Studios and published by Strategy First for the PC on August 9, 2000.
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6[[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture It is the 22nd century,]] and [[ColonyDrop a comet has struck Earth]] and [[AfterTheEnd poisoned the surface world,]] [[OceanPunk driving humanity beneath the waves.]] The survivors are split firmly into two camps: [[TheEmpire the militant,]] {{a|ttackAttackAttack}}ggressive [[AnimalMotifs White]] [[ThreateningShark Sharks,]] [[TakeOverTheWorld who believe that humanity must dominate the oceans utterly,]] and the [[TheSmartGuy scientific,]] [[StealthExpert elusive Black Octopi]], [[GreenAesop who seek to preserve the already damaged ecosystems around them.]] The comet also brought with it [[AlienInvasion an alien race called]] the Silicons, [[PlanetLooters who are stuck here since their ship got damaged in the crash and are after our resources.]]
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8The game is thus split [[MeleeATrois between the three factions]]. As you might expect, each faction has largely distinct sets of units, structures, research and upgrades.
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10Besides being one of the only [=RTSes=] to take place entirely underwater, the game boasts considerable depth and complexity ([[GuideDangIt sometimes too much so]], according to some critics), offering large {{tech tree}}s, the ability to control a unit(s) and a structure at the same time, and a configurable AI assistant that can do everything up to and including ''play the game for you.'' According to Website/TheOtherWiki, it is also the earliest RTS to have a full spectator mode for both single and multiplayer, and also one of the first to have fully user-editable AI scripts, including an extremely detailed manual included on the CD on how to mod your own AIs.
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12The game received mixed reviews, and boxed copies are somewhat difficult to come by. However, it's available on [[https://www.gog.com/game/submarine_titans GOG.com]] and [[https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259380/Submarine_Titans/ Steam]].
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15!! The game provides examples of:
16* AbnormalAmmo: It starts with torpedoes, but then there's lasers, flechette shells, magnetic mines, exploding jellyfish mines...
17* AllThereInTheManual: The game's manual contains a detailed timeline explaining how Earth's civilizations reacted to the comet's approach, the founding of the organizations that would one day become the White Sharks and Black Octopi, and why the Silicons are on Earth to begin with.
18* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: When capturing structures, small explosions are visible on said structure signifiying a raid. Best not to think what happens in there...
19* ArtificialBrilliance: You can even have your AI assistant ''play the game for you.''
20* AnimalMotifs: [[ThreateningShark Sharks]] for the White Sharks and octopus for the Black Octopi.
21* ApocalypseHow: Clarke Comet's impact on the Earth destroyed most of civilization, between the tidal waves, earthquakes, radiation, or the subsequent 15 year winter followed by a period of extreme global warming and rising sea levels. Mankind did see this coming and built large numbers of deep-sea habitats which survived virtually untouched, but only a portion of humanity was able to make it down there. The fluff indicates that there are scattered bands of survivors on the surface, at roughly Medieval levels of technology (these are the people you can trade with for resources).
22* BigBulkyBomb: The Laser Bomb, Black Octopi's WeaponOfMassDestruction.
23* ColonyDrop: Clarke Comet impacted the Earth a couple decades before the game began, and is the reason all advanced civilization is underwater. Mankind did try to blow up the comet before it hit Earth, but this just resulted in shattered comet chunks striking everywhere around the world, rather than one big impact.
24* CommandAndConquerEconomy: It is actually possible to {{avert|edTrope}} this! You can set the AI assistant to do things like resource gathering and base building.
25* ACommanderIsYou: The White Sharks are Balanced. Their units sport respectable speed, armour and firepower. They also have some elements of Technical, such as the [[HatePlague Psychotron]] and the [[AntiMagic Liberator sub]].
26** The Black Octopi are a fusion of Powerhouse and Technical. Their units are vastly superior than their counterparts (their most basic sub, the Fighter, is ''a lot'' stronger than any other subs in it's class) and also make use of numerous sneaky tactics such as the [[InvisibilityCloak Phantom stealth sub]].
27** The Silicons are a cocktail of Industrialist, Spammer, Economist and a dash of Technical. Their use of Capsule Prototypes allows them to set up bases faster and they also have a myriad of base defences to suit their turtler-style gameplay. Their basic sub, the SHS sub, are very cheap and can easily be massed produced and used as CannonFodder to weaken the enemy first before bringing in the big guns like the Dreadnought for the killing blow. They also require only one type of resource for general construction (which is continuously produced at the Silicon Extractors) and their need for metal as energy can ''seriously'' cripple the other factions' economies as metal is their primary resource for construction.
28* ConstructAdditionalPylons: You have a single type of main production structure that creates all your submarines. You'll need to build O2 plants to provide air (power, in other words) to your buildings, and resource extractors over deposits of metal and corium, as well as storage depots for both.
29* [[DamageIsFire Damage Is Bubbles]]: Damaged structures leak air.
30* EnemyExchangeProgram: A particular class of submarine for each side has the ability to capture enemy buildings. This does include production buildings.
31* EnergyWeapon: The Black Octopi loves this trope. How they managed to get such weapons to work underwater owes to their brilliance.
32* {{Expy}}: The Silicons are basically a CaptainErsatz of the Builders from ''Film/TheAbyss''. They're not all that friendly though, what with them having a sizeable navy and will actively kill humans. Their general art-style, particularly in their building architecture, is very similar to that of the [[VideoGame/StarCraft Protoss]].
33* GlassCannon: White Sharks' late-game Terminator submarine fires plasma torpedoes that can deal ''a lot'' of damage, but at the same time, it is definitely less durable than more conventional Cruiser.
34* HatePlague: The White Sharks' Psychotron. It causes all enemy units that stray into it's area of effect to start attacking the closest target, usually their comrades. There are counters to this effect fortunately.
35* HeroicDolphin: Subverted. The Silicons can field Cyberdolphins. {{Cyborg}} [[SuicideAttack suicide bombing]] dolphins to be exact.
36* HotSubOnSubAction: Par for the course, as all your combat units are various classes of submarine. The game has five predefined depth levels that subs can move between to cross over or under obstacles, or in this case, dodge incoming torpedoes and other projectiles.
37* HumansAreBastards: Though it might just be out of fear of an AlienInvasion, the Silicons just want to go back home but not before sucking up as much resources as they need. On the other hand, the two human factions want to kill each other.
38* ImportedAlienPhlebotinum: Corium, an exotic element brought to Earth by the comet. It is element number 276, with an isotope called Corium 296. (Corium is actually the name of a real material, though it isn't an element: it's a waste by-product of nuclear meltdowns, and also the flesh of your nail beds aka "quick.")
39* InterfaceSpoiler: The silicons appear as one of the campaign choices, in addition to appearing in the diplomacy screen for White Tiger mission 5. Although their sudden appearance would be a shocking twist, their previous mention prevents them from being an outright surprise.
40* KillSat: The Gas Laser Satellite, the Silicons' WeaponOfMassDestruction.
41* LandMineGoesClick: Averted. Depth Mines/Acoustic Mines/Laser Snares don't even give any warning other than showing up immediately as enemy targets swim into it's range. By then you know they're screwed.
42* [[MacrossMissileMassacre Marcoss Torpedo Massacre]]: Cassette shells, a Black Octopi produced weapon. These are torpedoes which fly straight some distance away [[RecursiveAmmo before fanning out into numerous smaller torpedoes]]. Both the Magnetic Mine Launcher and the Invader submarine use these weapon.
43* MeaningfulName: The White Sharks prefer swift, brutal attacks and the Black Octopi live up to their namesake by being hi-teched. The Silicons are so-called due to their dependence on the element silicon for life creation.
44* PlanetLooters: Subverted. The Silicons ''are'' gathering large amounts of resources, but only because their mothership crash-landed on Earth (along with the comet that wiped out the surface), and they just want enough to repair it and leave. There's no indication that the Silicons have any intention of looting Earth, or indeed, have any hostile intentions against humanity at all.
45* RecycledINSPACE: The game is essentially ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' UNDERWATER!
46* SlapOnTheWristNuke: Nuclear torpedoes, the White Sharks' WeaponOfMassDestruction.
47* SiliconBasedLife: The Silicons got their name for this reason.
48* StarfishAliens: The Silicons. Bonus points for being an entirely aquatic race.
49* StrategicAssetCaptureMechanic: Resource nodes (Corium and Metal deposits) have to be capped withresource extractors
50* TakingYouWithMe: Be very careful when destroying Silicon Bio-Acid Assaulters. Their acidic payloads go out with a bang!
51* {{Teleportation}}: This allows sending units anywhere on the map, including dropping a raider (or capturing vessel) near an enemy turret. There is also teleportation gates that the Silicons can construct.
52* {{Threatening Shark}}s: The White Sharks. Taken more literally with their Shark Control Center, which is able to domesticate up to three wild sharks to act as guard dogs against Cyberworm and Cyberdolphin attacks.
53* YouRequireMoreVespeneGas: There are three resources. Air is used for "power", Metal is used for basic construction, Corium for advanced construction, and Gold to purchase upgrades. The Silicons are a bit different: Corium is used for upgrades as well as advanced construction, they use Metal as a source of ''energy'' rather than building materials, and they do not have any use for Gold or Air. They also use Silicon as their primary building material, which no other faction does anything with.

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