TripleA
TripleA is a free and open-source turn based strategy game based on the Axis & Allies board game.
Screenshot First World War themed TripleA map | |
Original author(s) | Sean Bridges |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Kevin Comcowich (ComradeKev), Mark Christopher Duncan (Veqryn), Wisconsin |
Initial release | October 1, 2001 |
Stable release | 1.9.0.0.13066
/ 18 November 2018 |
Repository | https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/ |
Written in | Java |
Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux[1] |
Platform | IA-32, x64; Java SE |
Size | 43 MB (basegame) |
Available in | English |
Type | Turn-based strategy |
License | GPLv3 (before 2018 GPLv2) |
Website | triplea-game |
Gameplay
TripleA features multiplayer and several AIs for single-player mode. For live multiplayer games, the community maintains two lobbies for the most current Stable and Unstable versions. There is also a Play by Email multiplayer mode.[2]
A wide variety of map scenarios have been developed for TripleA (e.g. World War II, Punic Wars and Napoleonic wars)[3] with a variety of rules, units and many options, such as "low luck" which reduces the number of dice rolled making game depend more on strategy.[4]
History
TripleA is developed in Java and can run on personal computers with Java SE installed. Some TripleA designers also worked on FreeCol, and Open General. Originally set up on Sourceforge repository in 2002, development was in 2016 migrated to GitHub. In February 2018 the game's GPLv2 license was re-licensed to the GPLv3.[5]
Reception
TripleA has been compared to Axis & Allies and also Risk.[3][6]
A Chip.de review called TripleA a "well done copy of Axis&Allies"[7] and ranked it 30 of 238 in their strategy game ranking list. Chip.de named TripleA also among the "Best free 30 strategy games" in 2011.[8] A cnet.com/download.com staff review rated it 4.5 of 5 and noted that "TripleA offer a level of complexity and detail that is reminiscent of the real thing [...] TripleA is an excellent portal to a world of historical and fantasy scenarios [...]".[4] A Games4Mac review of the macOS version rated the game 70 of 100 in 2006.[9] giga.de rated TripleA 3 of 5.[10] Other reviewers of TripleA include Macworld,[2] Ghacks, and O'Reilly Media, Inc..[11][12][13][14] A review in German computer print magazine LinuxUser 2007 / 12 praised the Linux version of TripleA as "among the best open source strategy games" and "ambitious and addictive game fun".[15] Linux Format magazine in December 2011 reviewed the game and called it "graphically gorgeous" and "TripleA isn't just a great version of the game though - it's more like a game engine [...]".[16]
TripleA was also used and mentioned in computer science relating scientific publications due to its open source nature and project size and maturity.[17][18]
The Polish game magazine CD-Action included TripleA on a cover disk in 2012.[19] As TripleA is fully free and DFSG conform[20] in software and content, it is included in many Linux distributions, for instance Ubuntu OS, Gentoo, or Debian.[21][22][20]
TripleA became a popular freeware title which was offered by multiple download outlets,[23][24][25][26][27][4][7] including digital distributor Desura.[28] Alone from Sourceforge.net the TripleA client was downloaded between 2002 and 2016 over 1.2 million times.[29] The game's maps are provided via a separate GitHub repository and are downloaded from there after a TripleA client (from whatever source) is installed and started, indicating the existence of over 7 million TripleA installations between 2010 and May 2017 (prior to the GitHub migration) from SourceForge alone.[30]
See also
- Axis & Allies (1998 video game)
- List of open source games
References
- "Download". triplea-game.org. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- Mike Williams (12 February 2017). "TripleA 1.9.0.0.3627 - Annihilate your enemies and conquer the world in this free turn-based strategy game". Macworld. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
Verdict: The graphics are basic and there's a lot to learn, but TripleA's gameplay also has real depth, and if you're happy to spend time figuring out how everything works then there's plenty of fun to be had here
- Moddb review on moddb.com (archived)
- "TripleA Editor's review". CBS Interactive. 19 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
4.5 Outstanding
- License on github.com
- Playing World War II Game, TripleA, on Linux review on RDTechie.com (archived, Jul 18 2011)
- TripleA on chip.de by Michael Humpa (in German, retrieved on 16 May 2017)
- Tolle Taktik: Die 30 besten kostenlosen Strategiespiele - Platz 29: TripleA by Rupert Mattgey & Dominik Hayon on chip.de (29.05.2011)
- TripleA Review on games4mac.de (archived, in German, October 2006)
- TripleA on giga.de (in German)
- Ghacks article retrieved on 16 May 2017
- Open Source Mac Gaming by Robert Daeley on O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2005)
- TripleA was ranked 2 in 2008 FreewareGenius' ranking of turn based strategy games on Freewaregenius (archived)
- TripleA 1.9.0.0.3627 - Annihilate your enemies and conquer the world in this free turn-based strategy game by Mike Williams on PC Authority
- Die Welt ist nicht genug on LinuxUser 2007 / 12 by Kristian Kißling "TripleA gehört sicherlich zu den besten strategischen Open-Source-Spielen. Es bringt ein gut gemachtes Interface mit, bietet ansprechende Grafiken und lässt sich über das Netzwerk spielen. Zugleich bietet TripleA anspruchsvollen und süchtig machenden Spielspaß, der Sie über mehrere Stunden fesselt. Wenn Sie Strategiespiele mögen, sollten Sie TripleA eine Chance geben − es wird Sie nicht enttäuschen." (in German, December 2012)
- War gaming - TripleA in Linux Format issue 151, December 2011, page 72 (December 2011)
- An Empirical Analysis of the Distribution of Unit Test Smells and Their Impact on Software Maintenance by Gabriele Bavota, Abdallah Qusef, Rocco Oliveto, Andrea De Lucia, David Binkley, University of Salerno, University of Molise, Loyola University Maryland on 2012 28th IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance
- Mind Game: (Axis and Allies) Dissertation by David Lupien St-Pierre, University of Glasgow (2009)
- CD-Action #789 on ry-online.pl
- java-dev on blends.debian.org/games
- How To Install TripleA under Ubuntu
- triplea on packages.gentoo.org
- "TripleA with Java 1.2.5.4". LisiSoft. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- "TripleA 1.6.1.4 Download". Loadion. Heyday Entertainment. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- Soft Files review and download on soft-files.com (archived)
- "TripleA for Linux 1.6.1.4". BrotherSoft. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- TripleA on computerbild.de (in German)
- triplea on Desura.com
- 2002-01-10+to+2017-05-16 downloads of TripleA on sourceforge.net (May 2017)
- download stats of tripleamaps on sourceforge.net (May 2017)
External links
- Official website
TripleA at Wikibooks Media related to TripleA at Wikimedia Commons