Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising is a 2004 first-person shooter computer game from Novalogic that focuses almost entirely on its expansive online multiplayer mode. Set in Indonesia in the near future, Joint Operations takes the player to a country on the verge of disintegration. Regional independence movements have acquired advanced weaponry as the nation's military splits into competing factions. Escalating violence threatens innocent civilians and Western economic interests. Developed using the Black Hawk Down engine, Joint Operations promises superior rendering technology and an enhanced 3rd generation multiplayer experience.
Gameplay
Although the game contains a series of single player training missions and operations accessible under the main page option "Missions", most players utilize the game's multiplayer option to compete online under the main page option "Novaworld" which connects the player to Novalogic's online gaming environment, Novaworld. Each Joint Operations server at Novaworld has the potential to hold up to 150 players, based on server bandwidth capacity, making the game a Massive Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter. Although a number of these servers are run by Novalogic, anyone with a PC and sufficient internet bandwidth can host a server, with a player limit of up to 64 people. Many independent servers exist, hosted by individuals or groups of players who form clans.
In the multiplayer setting, the game has five modes, which dictate how gameplay proceeds on any given map:
-Coop: All players are on the Joint Operations side and fight against a rebel artificial intelligence team.
-Advance and Secure: Both teams try to capture and hold all the bases on the maps before time runs out.
-Team King of the Hill: The teams try to occupy a small zone on the map for ten minutes to win.
-Deathmatch: A kill limit is imposed, and all players operate independently seeking to kill other players to reach that goal before the clock runs out.
-Team Deathmatch: A kill limit is imposed, and both teams try to kill players on the opposing team to reach that goal before the clock runs out.
Features
-Joint Ops features tons of drivable vehicles. Use land, sea, and air vehicles to attack the enemy. You can pilot helicopters, command boats, and drive fast attack vehicles with your team on board, firing on the move. Use LCACs (Landing Craft Air Cushioned) or Chinook helicopters to transport teammates and vehicles from island to island or across expansive terrain.
-Choose from a vast amount of weapons to defeat the enemy.
-You can play as a team online through NovaWorld, NovaLogic's online gaming service, or have a LAN party.
-Play as a member of the Joint Operations team or the Rebels team with a different choice of weapons depending on what team you join!
Source: Wikipedia, "Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising", available under the CC-BY-SA License.