When comparing World in Conflict vs Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, the Slant community recommends World in Conflict for most people. In the question“What are the best singleplayer games on Steam?” World in Conflict is ranked 48th while Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is ranked 166th. The most important reason people chose World in Conflict is:
Taking place during an alternate history 1980's, World in Conflict depicts a world in which the Cold War suddenly turns hot, with the Soviet Union invading Europe and the United States. With a majority of the US military staving off the Russian advance in Europe, a small, retreating force of United States Armed Forces is left charge of repelling the Soviet assault on American soil. The campaign takes the player to the upper west coast of Washington, the mountains of Colorado, lush green fields in France and the snow-covered forests of Russia, each mission telling a story of the world's desperate attempt to stop the Soviet advance.
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Pros
Pro Engaging story
Taking place during an alternate history 1980's, World in Conflict depicts a world in which the Cold War suddenly turns hot, with the Soviet Union invading Europe and the United States. With a majority of the US military staving off the Russian advance in Europe, a small, retreating force of United States Armed Forces is left charge of repelling the Soviet assault on American soil. The campaign takes the player to the upper west coast of Washington, the mountains of Colorado, lush green fields in France and the snow-covered forests of Russia, each mission telling a story of the world's desperate attempt to stop the Soviet advance.
Pro Balanced battles
Utilizing an enhanced rock, paper, scissors combat system, World in Conflict allows balanced in play, as this intuitive system is something most are familiar with in RTS games and will be easy to grasp.
Pro Customizable AI lets players have fun without friends
In skirmishes, you can set up different personalities for, and customize, the AI. Before matches, you select certain roles for the AI to take: Infantry, Armor, Air, or Support, as well as define their difficulty. If you wish to have the max player capacity (16), you can set up the AI to take over seven positions on your team, leaving you the role you wish to play as for that battle.
Pro LAN battles between friends and AI
World in Conflict features LAN play with up to 16 players, including AI opponents. This is ideal for large-scale battles among friends and the all-but-forgotten LAN parties of old.
Pro Campaign Merges RTS and RPG
The campaign of Dawn of War 2 differs from other iterations in the series as, instead of base-building and steamrolling your foes with an overwhelming force, you are instead placed in charge of up to four hero units, leading them against the vast hordes of Ork, Eldar and Tyranids. During the campaign you will gain experience and thus allocate skill points into four different trees, with every fifth point in any tree giving your units new abilities and powers, as well as equipping your heroes with new weapons, armor and accessories, further increasing their deadliness in battle.
Pro Easier than other Real-Time Strategy titles
For those looking for a title that is a bit easier than your standard RTS, Dawn of War II may fit the bill as there is less of a focus on strategy and the gameplay is a bit more streamlined. The Single Player and Muti-Player components of the game focus more upon the placement of units rather than amassing a singular horde. A single unit in cover can decimate enemy combatants with ease if they find themselves out of position. With the main mechanic being fewer but more powerful units, this makes for an ideal scenario where players looking to get into the genre can easily understand how to play within a few matches.
Cons
Con Lack of multiplayer ranks
No ranking system, which are prevalent in most online experiences, is present in World in Conflict, thus inexperienced players can too easily join in on matches with experienced players. Due to this, matches may be lopsided, especially if one team has more experienced players participating on it, or a team that always plays together.
Con Multiplayer taken offline
On October 6, 2015, Online Multiplayer through Massgate was to be terminated, however the server shutoff was postponed due to public outcry. Since that time, the game no longer connects to Massgate servers and requires players whom wish to experience the online Multiplayer component of World in Conflict to download a mod that re-enables multiplayer once more. Because of this, matches are scarce and is all but dead.
Con No challenges to manage
The designers have dumbed down the game to make it easier for new players to learn, however this makes it less rewarding to experienced players who are looking for a challenge.
Con Weak gameplay
Con Lack of logistical strategy
Unlike in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War I, Dawn of War II does not allow base building. This was a design decision to allow faster-paced combat, streamlining the core multiplayer experience. However, it may be seen as a downside to some if they were expecting the much-accustomed-to logistics of other Dawn of War titles.