Field Commander

Overview

SOE's last title on the PSP is an addictive little Advanced Wars clone with a few twists. The art style is much more realistic than its cartoony counterpart, but the units all have a nice sci-fi look to them. The story of Field Commander is about a secret agency called ATLAS that is above the law in every nation as long as they get their job done quickly and without being seen. ATLAS has several top ranking members called Field Commanders that lead their small armies on politically sensitive missions around the world. ATLAS also has access to every countries top military accoplishments, which means the Field Commander's troops are far superior to any rag-tag terrorist group.

Gameplay

Field Commander's gameplay consists of two main parts, managing your money, and managing your troops. Players gain money by having cities in their posession. Netrual or enemy cities are captued by players placing an infantry on the city for two turns, or if they do not want to capture the city, they can blow it up, to deny the enemy an asset. Players can use money to buy new land vehicles and infantry units at factories, new naval vehicles at shipyards, and new aerial vehicles at the airport.

Unit management is the meat and potatoes of Field Commander. Players take turns moving their units around the battlefield and attacking with them. Each unit has several stats that will be displayed for the player to see. The first is the number of tiles that the unit can move. The second is fuel, which only vehicles have. Fuel determines how many tiles a vehicle can move before it stops dead in its tracks The third think is ammuniton, which determines how many shots a vehicle's primary weapon and infantry's special weapon can fire. Both fuel and ammuntion can be replenshed by an adajacent supply truck, boat, or helicopter to the unit, or by placing them on top of any friendly building. The unit selection in Field Commander is just about the same as Advanced Wars but with a few unique twists. One of the most original units that the developer has come up with is the spec ops. The spec ops is a infantry unit that carries an exetremely powerful assualt rifle, and a mortar launcher that fires 2 tiles away and can devastate lighter vehicles like half-tracks and scout ATVs. The spec ops also carries a mine that can be deployed, and when an enemy steps on it, they stop dead in their tracks. Two other unique units found in Field Commander are the sniper and the stealth tank. Both units have the ability to go stealthed at the cost of reduced movement and highly increased fuel consumption for the stealth tank. The catch is both units can only use their special weapons when stealthed. The sniper carries an infantry shredding sniper rifle and the stealth tank has a deadly cannon that can destroy a heavy tank in one shot, so the reduced movement is well worth the players time. While the single player campaign is fun, it rarely ever tests a players strategy skills. Multiplayer on the other hand is very strategy intensive and even the most veteran player's minds will be tested.


Multiplayer

Multiplayer can be played in four different ways. Hot swap is two players using one psp and exchanging back and forth when its time for the other player to take his turn. Ad hoc is your standard multiplayer with two copies of the game and two players in close proximity to each other. Infastructure is online multiplayer for two people. Players can select what map they want to play, including user generated maps, and go at it for either a few minutes or several hours. For the people that can't spend an hour or two playing one game there is Transmission mode. Transmission is sort of a play by play mode that is similar to play-by-email in which players make a move, send it to the server, and then the other player does the same. Transmission games can take days or even weeks.

Map Editor

Field Commander features a very deep map editor. First, players choose froma wide variety of templates. The template determines the maps overall size and terrain. Players then add building and additional terrain. Field Commander has a server where players can upload any map they have created for other users to download directly to their PSPs. User can also rate the maps that are uploaded to the server, so that the best designed maps will rise to the top.

Tips

An effective combo would be two spec ops working together. One lays down a mine at a choke point, and when an enemy vehicle or infatry steps on the mine, they stop moving. The second spec ops then moves in to finish the injured enemy with his mortar launcher or assualt rifle.

Reception

Field Commander met a good reception with many reviews scoring it in the 8.0 region, but several reviewers gave it a very poor score for just being a Advanced Wars knockoff. Despite good reviews, Field Commander didnt sell very well and the chances of a sequal are slim.

Commanding Officers 

Shadow Nation

Patriarch
Real Name: James Edward Porter
Age: 39
Blood Type: Unknown
Position: Commander-in-Chief

James Edward Porter, or Patriarch as he’s called these days, is the man behind Shadow Nation. An inherited billionaire, Patriarch spent his years as a young man turning his family’s engineering company into one of the world’s largest private defense contractors and arms dealers. Without notice or warning, Porter simply disappeared one day and was not seen until ten years later, when it is believed that he founded Shadow Nation. A brilliant commander, tactician, and inventor, Patriarch now leads his private army on a personal crusade of terrorism, warfare, and global domination.

Redclaw
Real Name: Yuri Zarovich
Age: 46
Blood Type: A Positive
Position: Infantry Commander

A former commander, the great bear of a man known as Redclaw was discharged and exiled from his home country for being for too eager to sacrifice his troops in battle. His suicidal charges, while inflicting heavy casualties on his own men, were nonetheless both deadly and effective. Redclaw is known for having a bad temper and refusing to back down from a challenge, making him easily baited.

Fragfest
Real Name: Jonathan Harrows
Age: 40
Blood Type: AB Positive
Position: Infantry Specialist

Dishonorably discharged, Sergeant Jonathan Harrows, or Fragfest as he’s known as now, is a violent killer through and through. Fragfest has been charged with over 67 war crime violations but has yet to be caught by any proper authorities. His ruthless behavior makes him an ideal Shadow Nation agent, and the soldiers assigned to him generally share his blatant disregard for human life.

Whisper
Real Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Blood Type: Unknown
Position: Unknown

Whisper and his or her (no one is really sure) division are the worldwide masters of stealth and ambush tactics. Almost every operation believed to have been carried out by this assassin was over before anyone even knew they were under attack. Entire bases have been known to just disappear with not a trace of evidence or battle left behind.

Scavenger
Real Name: Victor Helsin
Age: 32
Blood Type: O Negative
Position: Second Line Captain

A former supply master, Victor Helsin defected to Shadow nation when too many questions started being asked about missing equipment. Although not the most brilliant of military minds, Scavenger has a knock for putting together ragtag divisions of troops from seemingly nowhere and sending them into battle. Shadow Nation seems to hold some value in his talents nonetheless, which makes him an enemy not to be underestimated. Scavenger is also known for collecting trophies at the end of his battles, both in the form of scrap from busted Tanks and human body parts.

Alacrity
Real Name: Shannon Murphy
Age: 19
Blood Type: B Positive
Position: Tactical Colonel

As beautiful as she is deadly, Alacrity is one of the youngest agents ever to serve as an officer for Shadow Nation. A former terrorist operative, Alacrity is best known for her blinding speed and efficiency. With a knack for demolition and mechanics, most divisions that serve under her said to move much further and much faster than one could possibly believe.

Strike Zone
Real Name: Karl Stranost
Age: 42
Blood Type: 0 positive
Position: Bomber Wing Commander

Strike Zone and his division of bombers and fighters are some of the deadliest air combatants on the globe. Pinpoint accuracy defines the deadliest of his talents, with the ability to hit minute targets from several thousand feet in the air.

Chameleon
Real Name: Unknown
Age: 37
Blood type: AB negative
Position: Intelligence Operation Commander

Chameleon is a master of disguise, able to assume alternate identities as easily as a normal person changes their clothes. Taken in by Shadow Nation early in his career, they have since turned him into a master spy, making him one of their key intelligence operatives. As a commanding officer, Chameleon uses his various talents to conceal his troops and to confuse his enemies.

Aqualung
Real Name: William Barton
Age: 48
Blood Type: A negative
Position: Commodore

Called one of the last "true" pirates, Aqualung excels at naval combat and navigation. Wanted on crimes of piracy and murder, Aqualung gladly took up a position within Shadow Nation and now serves as their chief naval officer. With a gut instinct for Battleship range and an uncanny knowledge of where enemy Submarines are hiding, it's no wonder he has never been caught or defeated at sea.

Watchdog
Real Name: Unknown
Age: 31
Blood Type: 0 positive
Position: Mercenary Group Commander

Watchdog commands a group of skilled mercenaries that make their living from stealing weapons technology and supplying them to the highest bidder. Currently working for Shadow Nation, Watchdog and his group are only as loyal as their next paycheck. More of a businessman and thug than a soldier, he's here to make sure that the job gets done at a minimal cost to the group itself.

Necro
Real Name: Sebastian Sirakov
Age: unknown
Blood Type: unknown
Position: Covert Ops Commander

An expert in stealth and ambush tactics, Necro prefers to lure his enemies into tight passages and then strike at them from the shadows. As a division commander, he is usually so careful about hiding his ranged units that one is never too sure just how many enemies they are up against. Even his own troops fear Necro as he rarely talks and says anything other than the order he is giving.

ATLAS

Brick
Real Name: Kenneth Cuthbert
Age: 52
Blood Type: AB negative
Position: Chief Training Officer

A former drill sergeant, Brick now serves as the chief training officer for ATLAS. Tough as nails and as hardheaded as a hammer, Brick ensures that those who make it through the legion's basic training program are worthy of the tasks set before them.

Shellcase
Real Name: Elizabeth Lexington
Age: 24
Blood Type: 0 positive
Position: Quartermaster

As the ATLAS Quartermaster, Shellcase is in charge of assigning and overseeing the transfer of all equipment to Field Commanders in ATLAS operations. Liz definitely has an unconventional way of doing things, but nonetheless manages to do her job better than anyone else who's ever held her position.

Mercury
Real Name: Sun Zhang
Age: 32
Blood Type: B negative
Position: Special Operations Infantry Chief

An expert in both hand to hand combat and guerilla warfare, Mercury earned his codename from his reputation for his fluid like movements in combat and cool sharpness when it comes to flashpoint operations. As special operations infantry chief for ATLAS, Mercury is in charge of Special forces advanced infantry training and serves a special advisory role to Field Commanders who must rely heavily on their Grunts and Special Ops units.

Broken Arrow
Real Name: Sayid Simantob
Age: 27
Blood Type: 0 positive
Position: Senior Tactical Flight Officer

A true fighter ace, joined ATLAS after serving 2 terms in the force. While somewhat cocky and arrogant, his reputation cannot be understated as his dog fighting skills in the air are second to none. 's chief role these days is one of long range scouting and air support for governments who can't "legally" shoot down enemy aircraft. He also serves as an advisor to Field Commanders just looking to get a feel for what their air units can accomplish.

Whirlpool
Real Name: Gregory Taylor
Age: 28
Blood Type: A positive
Position: Chief Submarine Specialist

A former surfing champion in his youth, Whirlpool joined ATLAS after giving up a promising career in the Royal Guard. A master of tides and currents, Whirlpool is a whiz when it comes to submarine navigation and stealth combat. His ambushes of enemy forces by sea have been so successful that he now serves as an advisor to all field commanders engaged in naval combat operations.

Flintlock
Real Name: Joseph Krechnik
Age: 35
Blood Type: AB positive
Position: Senior Artillery Specialist

Flintlock's ability to hit targets with indirect fire at amazing distances is attributed to both his mastery of geometry and his innate ability to analyze terrain conditions. Truly a master of his craft, Flintlock is said to spend hours staring at the ground upon which a battle will soon take place and taking into account all of its variables. When not serving as a commander or an advisor on operations, Flintlock spends most of his time at the ATLAS live fire testing grounds, constantly tuning and reconfiguring Rocket launcher firing systems.

Ghost
Real Name: unknown
Age: unknown
Blood Type: unknown
Position: Stealth Ambush Specialist

Only general Banner knows the true origins of Ghost, because that was Ghost's mastery of stealth technology and techniques have put ATLAS well beyond the cutting edge of modern stealth warfare. Although mostly serving as an absent advisor, Ghost has engaged in several operations during his time since joining up and every one of them was a complete success.

Diamond
Real Name: Susan Casey
Age: 25
negative
Position: Chief Mobile Armor Specialist

As cool as ice and as hard as her codename suggests, Diamond is in charge of the ATLAS tank and armor divisions. A dedicated soldier through and through, Diamond prides herself on defensive tactics and leads her troops into battle with the understanding that everyone is going to take a hit eventually, it's whoever's shell cracks first that ends up losing. Diamond's tanks are some of the toughest in the world, just like their commander.

Spider
Real Name: Dennis Nesmet
Age: 38
Blood Type: 0 negative
Position: Chief Intelligence Specialist

One of the world's most brilliant hackers, Spider was on his way to a 20 year prison sentence for computer fraud when ATLAS offered him a get out of jail free card. Since that day, Spider has proved an invaluable part of ATLAS operations. A natural code breaker and mathematician, Spider's command style is to gather so much intelligence     beforehand that he's nearly able to predict the enemy's every move in combat. With a spy network that stretches the globe, Spider is usually the first to know when a situation arises that might require ATLAS's intervention, a fact that he likes to brag about regularly.

General
Real Name: Brigadier General Robert Banner
Age: 64
Blood Type: AB positive
Position: Commander in Chief

General Banner took over command of ATLAS at the turn of the century, and has personally overseen the assignment of every single operation ever since. A highly decorated General, Banner had worked with ATLAS from time to time on top secret joint ventures. General Banner seeks to lead ATLAS in establishing the safety and security of all the world's people from the likes of Shadow Nation and other lawless organizations.