article

Tribes: Vengeance (sometimes called T:V or Tribes 3) is a sci-fi first-person shooter (FPS) computer game of the Tribes video game series. It was developed by Irrational Games and released by Sierra Entertainment (part of Vivendi Universal) in October 2004. It was built on enhanced version of the Unreal Engine 2/2.5, which Irrational Games called the Vengeance engine. In addition to its multiplayer network maps, Vengeance includes a complete single-player campaign.

Storyline

Set hundreds of years before the events of Tribes, Vengeance depicts the birth of the growing Tribal War. It focuses on the events surrounding five different characters over the course of two generations and how they lead to the growing Tribal Wars that follow. The story actually begins with a Phoenix sub-clan Leader named Daniel abducting the soon to be Queen Princess Victoria. He takes her to his home world to show her the injustices done to his people and the two eventually fall in love. They try to make amends between the Imperials and the Phoenix, but it all ends disastrously when the Phoenix's enemies, the Blood Eagle, stage a raid on a Phoenix base disguised as Imperial troops. In a rage, Daniel kills the Imperial King, Tiberius, and Victoria kills Daniel. It turns out that Victoria was pregnant with Daniels child, who was born female under the name Julia soon afterwards. Many years later, Daniel's brother, General Jericho, raids the Imperial Palace and kills Victoria in front of Julia. Enraged, Julia becomes an anti-Tribal extremist who uses her powers and fighting abilities to humiliate them at every time possible. Eventually, she captures the leader of the Phoenix, Esther, and stages a trap for Jericho. Jericho, however, is killed by an assassin named Mercury before she can do anything to exact her revenge. She then learns about her true father and goes to the Phoenix for guidance. They take her in and try to make peace. It is then discovered that the Blood Eagle had raided the Imperials and taken Olivia, Julia's only remaining family, prisoner. Julia goes to rescue her, but discovers that Olivia was in fact manipulating the Blood Eagle, the one who had hired the assassin Mercury, and was planning to set up a 'freighter accident' to destroy a large part of the Imperial population center. Julia stopped her and foiled her plan.

Main Characters

Daniel: A leader of a sub-clan within the Phoenix Tribe and the father of Julia. He was the one who spared Victoria, and almost made peace between his people and the Imperials. However, he is tricked into killing Victoria's father, and is killed by a now disillusioned Victoria.

Victoria: An Imperial Princess who was captured by a Phoenix Leader named Daniel. The two fall in love and have a child together. She kills Daniel after he murders her father, and lives long enough to raise their daughter, Julia, to an age around 6 years old. She is then killed by Jericho.

Jericho: A Phoenix General under command of his brother, Daniel. He is completely opposed to the idea of anything Imperial. After his brother Daniel dies, he kills Victoria for vengeance. He is later set up by Victoria's daughter, Julia, and killed.

Julia: The bastard daughter of Imperial Queen Victoria and Phoenix sub-clan Leader Daniel. She originally had brown eyes, but has some sort of mechanical yellow eyes in the future for unclear reasons (most probably due to her toying around with spinfusors). She is the one caught up in the hopes of her parents, the friction between the tribes, and a behind the scenes plan to destroy the tribals once and for all.

Aunt Olivia: The sister of Queen Victoria, and the support character in Tribes: Vengeance. However, she is actually an Imperial extremist who believes in the total eradication of all Tribals. For some hypocritical reason, she seems to favor the Blood Eagle. It is unclear on whether or not she is killed or if she gets away. It is a possibility that this was to be touched on in the unreleased patch as an additional story mode, but it will never be found out now.

Tiberius: The king of the Imperials, and father to both Olivia and Julia. He seems to be against Imperial-Tribal unification at first, but he later softens up to the idea after nearly killing Daniel in an extraordinarily unbalanced arena match. However, before anything about the situation can be done, he is killed.

Seti: The only apparent leader of the Blood Eagle at any time in the entire story. He is the main antagonist, but there is not much known about him in the game except that his is a boligamist, manipulative, sadist. He is killed by Julia.

Albrecht/Mercury: Albrecht is some sort of military leader for the Imperials. It is unclear on whether he is part of Tiberius' family or if he is only considered close enough to be part of the family. He is the only member of the Alaxian faction in the entire game that is revealed. Near the end of the game, he is also revealed to also be the Cybrid assassin, Mercury. He is killed by a very irate Julia.

Factions

There are three main factions in this entire game, and two minor factions. Due to the fact that Tribes: Vengeance takes places centuries before any of the other Tribes games, the Star Wolf, Diamond Sword, and the BioDerms do not appear in this game.

Imperials: The evolution of the Great Human Empire. During the time of Tribes: Vengeance, the Empire has been depicted as prosperous and relatively at peace within its borders. On the whole, the Imperials regard tribesmen as yokels, and look down upon the Tribes as lowly pariah societies. They do, however, have old connections to the Blood Eagle tribe, and maintain somewhat favorable relations with them. The Imperial symbol is a golden lion's head in profile.

Phoenix: They are more or less the victims of the whole mess. They have both the Blood Eagles and the Imperials as the enemies and are restricted to the most desolate and uninhabitable planets that are still able to support life by royal decree. They are not permitted to fight in the Imperial Arena. Their symbol is a human skull with flames pouring from the eye sockets. They believe that they all descend from a being named Harabec, the immortal Phoenix and hope to unite all of the Tribes under Harabec. Harabec is based on the Phoenix.

Blood Eagle: They are shown as antagonists in the game. Often referred to as 'Beagles', they are another Tribe who inhabit the same planet as the Phoenix, but receive special treatment, land rites, and technology from the Imperials. The Blood Eagle are descended from an Order of Imperial Knights that was long ago sent to subdue the Children of the Phoenix. They are, in fact, the second oldest faction among the Tribes. They are allied with Olivia in order to destroy the Imperials and Phoenix, and are allowed to fight in the Imperial Arena. Their symbol is a wiry eagle viewed from the front against a black background.

Cybrid: The evolution of the Cybrids who were last seen in Starsiege. It can be inferred that although the humans hunted down the majority of Cybrid civilization in retaliation for their genocidal acts towards humanity, Cybrids chose to infiltrate human society, rather than completely retreat from the galaxy. The only known Cybrid through out the entire game is Mercury. Cybrids are shown to have no emotions or feelings, including pain, sadness, or even fear of death. Furthermore, it is unknown whether they eat, drink, sleep, or anything that may be a trait of living. The intentions of this group are unknown, as conclusions cannot be drawn from an individual concerning an entire group, but it is known that those humans who are aware that there are Cybrids among them are naturally suspicious of their motives. Cybrids are not known to have any symbols.

Alaxians: This is the most mysterious faction in the entire game. They are mentioned on rare occasion and there is only one person revealed to be an Alaxian, Albrecht. While there is not much known about this group, it is known that they are of a noticeable size in the sense of all political groups and are not prejudiced against as the Tribals and Cybrids are.

Game types

Single player - Follow the adventure of the troubled youth, Julia, and her parents, Victoria and Daniel, whose forbidden love nearly brought two factions together, but an unseen enemy constantly prevents such a thing.

Multiplayer - Online games between real people in five different challenges.

  • Arena - Arena is a Team Free For All in which two teams fight over the course of multiple rounds. There is no respawn, so once a player dies, he/she must wait for the next round before he can play again. Whichever team has more points at the end of a round wins. This game is from earlier Tribes games.

  • Ball - Two teams play against each other with a goal for each team. There is a single ball located somewhere on the map. The objective is to get the ball and throw it into the enemy’s goal. Whichever team has the most points at the end wins. This game is original to Tribes: Vengeance.

  • Fuel - Both teams have a fuel depot at their base. There are multiple fuel cells scattered around the map, which players must find, collect, and return to their fuel depot. The max amount of fuel a character can carry is 15, and each fuel cell contains a specific amount of fuel. Whenever a player dies, their team's fuel depot loses one fuel. Whichever team fills their depot faster is the winner. This game is original to Tribes: Vengeance.

  • Rabbit - This is the only Free For All game mode in Tribes: Vengeance. In this, there are no teams, but a single flag on the map somewhere. The objective for every player is this. Grab the flag and run. Whenever a player grabs the flag, every other player will be alerted, and whoever has the flag will be marked as their enemy. Points are gained in this by holding on to the flag as long as possible. Points are lost in this by killing somebody who does not have the flag. No points are gained by killing the flag carrier. The game is timed, and whoever has the most points at the end is the winner.

  • Capture the Flag - A Tribes, or most any other game, staple. There are two teams, each with a flag and a flag stand. The objective for each team is simple, capture the enemy flag and bring it back to your base. However, the team’s flag must be at their flag stand in order for them to capture the enemy’s flag. Points are awarded for every flag capture. The game can be ended by time running out, or a team capturing the enemy flag until the max amount of points achieved. If it is ended by time, whichever team had more points wins.

Weapons

Weapons used in Tribes: Vengeance are very similar to weapons in previous entries in the series with only a few changes.

  • Energy Blade: A low damage sword available to all players. It has infinite ammo and draws from the player's energy bar.

  • Spinfusor: A holdover from previous versions of the game, the Spinfusor fires explosive energy disks that yield high damage on a direct hit and have a good splash damage radius. This is usually an all purpose weapon. In multiplayer games extra 'style' points are awarded for a 'mid air disc' which is a direct spinfuser hit on a enemy who is in the air. However, players must calculate the speed of the disc relevant to the distance from the foe, along with which way their opponent is going to successfully pull off a mid air disc.

  • Blaster: An energy shotgun that fires shots that ricochet off walls. It has infinite ammo, but draws from the player's energy bar.

  • Chaingun: A rapid-firing chaingun that overheats and becomes inaccurate if fired for prolonged periods. The player must regularly allow the weapon to cool down to restore its accuracy.

  • Grappler: Fires a grappling hook and line that a player may use to rapidly change direction, climb verticle surfaces, swing, or whatever it may be used for. Also, the grappler can be used to grab items from a distance and bring them closer (with the exception of a few such as the flag, fuel, and etcetera). If something passes through the line that connects the gun and the hook, the connection is severed.

  • Grenade Launcher: Fires high explosive grenades further than hand thrown ones. It is similar to the Mortar, but less powerful. This weapon comes with a series of horizontal lines to help the user aim better over distances.

  • Rocket Pod: Fires a burst of mini-missiles that can be guided by the player to some extent. Mainly useful against vehicles and, when combined with a speed pack, sensors.

  • Burner: An energy-based weapon that fires a ball of flame. It will go a certain distance before exploding and it will then stay suspended in the air as a fiery mass. Anything that touched it will catch fire for a duration of time, including the person that fired it. A direct hit with a burner will more damage compared to a player touching the fire ball and catching on fire.

  • Buckler: Only available to players in medium armor, can be thrown as a bladed boomerang, used to reflect shots, and also used to bounce players back who get too close. If it is halted during flight, it will not return to the person who fired it. Instead, it will reappear in their hands after several seconds.

  • Mortar: Fires Fusion Mortars that cause massive damage. Can only be wielded by players in Heavy Armor. This weapon comes with a series of horizontal lines to help the user aim better over distances.

  • Sniper Rifle: Can only be used with light armor. The weapon consumes all energy in the bar to fire, and the damage is proportional to the energy used. Unlike all previous Tribes games, this version of the Sniper Rifle also requires ammunition. A headshot with the Sniper Rifle inflicts more damage on the target, and gives the player an additional style points in multiplayer.

Packs

When equipping at an inventory station, the player can choose to wear one of several different packs. Each pack has a passive effect that works even while the pack is deactivated, and an active effect that can be used by pressing the designated key.

Energy pack

Passive Effect: Recharges energy faster.
Active Effect: Gives a momentary jet pack boost.
The use of this pack is visible to other players as blue flame on the players jet pack.

Repair pack

Passive Effect: Slowly repair player's damaged armor.
Active Effect: Repairs all friendly objects (including other players) nearby.
The use of this pack is visible to other players as green lines radiating from the player to the player, vehicle or base equipment being repaired.

Shield pack

Passive Effect: Reduces damage taken by 25%.
Active Effect: Reduces damage taken by 75%.
The use of this pack is visible to other players as a white (almost reflective) sheen on the player.

Speed pack

Passive Effect: Increases the player's walking speed.
Active Effect: Decreases the player's reload-time.
The use of this pack is visible to other players as a purple haze around the player.

Armor

Three armor types are available, and can be accessed at an inventory station. Heavier armors supply more protection, energy, and ammunition as well as additional weaponry and equipment at the cost of mobility.

  • KINETIC Light armor - Fast and light with very little protection. Only class able to use the laser rifle, a high powered sniper rifle capable of dealing heavy damage. Able to drive vehicles.

  • NATURAL Medium armor- In between the light and heavy. The most versatile armor. Only class able to use the buckler, an energy shield used to deflect projectiles. Able to drive vehicles.

  • COLOSUS Heavy armor - Bulky, slow, and tough to destroy. Only class able to use the mortar, a powerful explosives weapon. Can only be gunners on vehicles.

Vehicles

There are four different types of vehicles in this game, all of which are accessible to every faction. Unlike in all of the previous games, the is no station that spawns vehicles for player use. Instead, all vehicles are laid out on the field, ready to go from the start. This means that there is less danger of being sniped while getting a vehicle, but once that vehicle is destroyed, it's gone for the rest of the match.

  • Rover - This fast moving vehicle can act as a mobile point base, a spawn point, or an assault vehicle for 'hit-and-run' tactics. This vehicle can only carry two people, a driver and a gunner. While the driver has no weapons and is relatively unprotected while driving, the gunner is completely covered and has access to an energy turret that appears to be an anti-aircraft turret. It is very effective against Medium and Light armors, but cannot easily standup to Heavy armor, turrets, and mines. This vehicle cannot be used underwater without taking damage.

  • Jump Tank - This mid-speed tank does exactly what the name offers. Using a quick boost of energy, this tank can leap over obstacles, or onto enemies. This vehicle can carry two people, a driver and a gunner. It provides total protection for both positions and offers weapons for both as well. The main driver has access to a mortar like cannon that can be used to easily clear obstacles while the gunner has access to a nearly 360 degree swivel chaingun turret located on the top. This tank has the second highest armor of all the vehicles, but takes heavy damage in its use. This vehicle cannot be used underwater without taking damage.

  • Fighter Pod - This semi-fast speed aircraft is a small, spherical fighter with an infinite amount of energy rockets as a weapon. It only carries one person, offers no cover for the pilot, and has a pathetically low amount of armor. However, it can make up for this with maneuverability, its small size, and the fact that this is the only vehicle that can travel safely underwater. It is mainly good for scouting, minor aerial support, and infiltration.

  • Assault Ship - This is the largest, most heavily armored, most versatile, and the slowest vehicle of all. Besides the fact that it is slow, the only downside to this vehicle is that it only provides cover for two out of the three people it can seat. All in all, it holds: A pilot and two gunners. The pilot has access to the same weapon that the pilot of the Jump Tank has, while the two gunners have access to energy turrets that appear to be anti-aircraft turrets. All in all, it's good for a troop transport, heavy artillery, base raider, and a path clearing device. This vehicle cannot be used underwater without taking damage.

Base Equipment

  • Generator - A generator powers the entire base. When it is destroyed by the opposing team, all base equipment, with the exception of the Emergency Repair Pack, is disabled.
  • Flag Stand - A flag stand is the point where a team's flag is held. Flags are captured when a player brings the opposing side's flag to his or her own flag stand. A common tactic among players is to place mines or turrets near the flag to foil incoming "cappers."
  • Sensor - A sensor detects incoming enemies. It can be disabled quickly by utilizing a speed pack and a rocket pod.
  • Emergency Repair Pack - A free repair pack, often used to repair damaged or destroyed base equipment.
  • Inventory Station - An inventory station outfits players with their equipment of choice. Usually, there are three or four inventory stations around each other, so equipping can be as efficient as possible.

Deployables

  • Turret -
  • Mine -
  • Inventory Station -
  • Repair Station -
  • Catapult -

Cancelled patch

On March 23, 2005 it was announced that Vivendi Universal games were ceasing all support for the game, beginning with the termination of the 1.1 version update. This disappointed many members of the Tribes community who had been anticipating the release. In a January, 2006 interview, in response to suggestions of a falling out between VU games and Irrational, Ken Levine said "This falling out with VUG is some kind of Jedi mind trick, man. We just finished an expansion pack SWAT 4 for them, and it went as smooth as cream cheese. With Tribes, we did a patch, and for whatever reason they decided not to release it."*.

Trivia

  • Although the faction known as Imperials is talked about in other games, Tribes: Vengeance is the only game in the platform to actually feature them.
  • In the game, Julia is threatening some Blood Eagle with her spinfusor and comments that they explode on impact with a solid object. However, later on in the game, she fires a spinfusor disk through Mercury's head, and it simply tears straight through him.
  • When Julia is talking to Esther later on in the game, she presents Mercury's mask and challenges her on it. Esther comments that she knows who the mask belongs to and tells Julia about Mercury's attempt to assassinate Daniel as though she had seen him. She even gives an account on the weapons he was using. However, when Mercury was performing that mission, the Phoenix were clueless as to who it was and they never actually found out in that time. This means that even if they had found out later through some form of intelligence, there is no possible way that Esther could have seen Mercury.

External links

Websites

2004 computer and video games | First-person shooters | Tribes | Windows games

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Tribes: Vengeance".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world