description Close Combat Overview
Close Combat is a 1996 World War II real-time tactical computer game developed by Atomic Games and published by Microsoft. Set during the Normandy campaign, it follows the Allied advance from Omaha Beach through the hedgerow fighting. The game is notable for pioneering a psychological model for individual soldiers, where morale, fatigue, stress, and experience affect combat performance. Soldiers can panic, flee, or refuse orders, creating a tactical simulation distinct from other real-time strategy titles of its era.
help Close Combat FAQ
How does morale affect soldiers in Close Combat?
Individual soldiers can become suppressed, panic, refuse orders, or break under fire instead of behaving like expendable RTS units. Atomic Games combined morale with fatigue, experience, wounds, and ammunition to model small-unit behavior.
Does Close Combat have base building and resource gathering?
No. The 1996 game focuses on real-time tactical combat between infantry, support weapons, and vehicles across compact Normandy maps, with victory locations replacing the economy loops of games such as Command & Conquer.
What part of World War II does the original Close Combat cover?
It follows fighting in Normandy after the Allied landings, beginning around Omaha Beach and moving through the bocage countryside. Hedgerows, buildings, fields of fire, and unit cohesion are central to its tactical play.
Which Close Combat sequel focuses on Operation Market Garden?
Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far, released in 1997, shifts the series to Operation Market Garden. Later entries include The Russian Front and Battle of the Bulge, expanding beyond the original game's Normandy campaign.
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