Tom Clancy's ruthless.com
Corporate warfare in a board-game-like environment.
In 1998, Red Storm Entertainment released Tom Clancy's ruthless.com, a turn-based strategy game where you run a new software company as its CEO. It includes a campaign, six scenarios with varying difficulty, and multiplayer. This video game later inspired a novel in the Tom Clancy's Power Plays series.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Red Storm Entertainment
- Designer
- Kevin Perry
- Programmer
- Scott Williams
- Artist
- Doug Oglesby
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- November 20, 1998
- Genre
- Turn-based strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Overview
The game places the player as the new CEO of a software company, where scheming, forming and breaking alliances, and undertaking sometimes criminal actions are necessary to reach the top. Play occurs in a board-game-like environment, offering six individual scenarios or a full campaign. Scenarios place the player at an advanced point with opposing corporations already established and a small history in place, while the campaign is more freeform, starting with one building and three departments and no immediate opponents. Campaign objectives require controlling seventy-five percent of the market for four turns. Game setup includes choosing game length (20, 40, or 60 turns), AI difficulty (novice, intermediate, or expert), and a personal difficulty level that determines bankruptcy debt limits: easy allows up to $10,000 debt, medium $5,000, and hardest $2,500. Players name their corporation and select a CEO, each with a unique benefit such as "Talented," "Whiz Kid," or "Banker." For example, Whiz Kid adds five percent per level to all computer points generated, while Banker allows going twice as deep into debt before bankruptcy. Each turn, the CEO receives two orders from groups including Corporate, R&D, Marketing, Admin, Human Resources, Acquisitions, Legal, Security, and Computer. These groups contain actions like "build new department" and "build new product" in Corporate, "executive training" in Admin, and "assassinate executive" in Security. At round's end, a comparative report informs players of newsworthy events such as stock price performance, tragedies, or executive promotions. As executives gain experience, they become higher-level and may acquire additional traits.
Gameplay
The game map represents the market share of all competing companies. Each player is a CEO of a software company, and legal, security, and computer attacks are common. Competition centers on fighting over market share squares. A CEO builds initial buildings and introduces a product to the market, where product quality determines its dominance. Market dominance generates income for building additional buildings, bidding for takeovers, or launching various attacks against competitors.
Reception
GameSpot awarded the game 6.3 out of 10 in 1999, criticizing the short campaign, limited scenarios, and lack of replayability, but noting the multiplayer mode was "about as much fun as turn-based multiplayer games can be" and praising the well-designed interface and inventive visuals. Game Revolution gave a B+, commending the gameplay, multiplayer mode, and interface while criticizing the start difficulty and "poorly explained manual." Other scores include PC Gameworld 85/100, GameGenie 80/100, Gamepower 2.5/4, Allgame.com 3/5, Gamecenter 3/5, IGN 5.2/10, and Gamespot UK 4/10.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Tom Clancy's ruthless.com released?
Tom Clancy's ruthless.com was released on November 20, 1998.
What platforms is Tom Clancy's ruthless.com available on?
Tom Clancy's ruthless.com was released for Microsoft Windows.
Who designed Tom Clancy's ruthless.com?
Tom Clancy's ruthless.com was designed by Kevin Perry.
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