<s>
Sacrifice	O
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
published	O
by	O
Interplay	O
Entertainment	O
in	O
2000	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
wizards	O
who	O
fight	O
each	O
other	O
with	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
summoned	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
9.2	I-Operating_System
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
no	O
system	O
of	O
workers	O
;	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
wizards	O
collect	O
souls	O
to	O
summon	O
creatures	O
,	O
and	O
their	O
mana	B-Application
—	O
energy	O
for	O
casting	O
spells	B-Application
—	O
constantly	O
regenerates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
customize	O
their	O
attacks	O
by	O
choosing	O
from	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
creatures	O
aligned	O
to	O
five	O
gods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sacrifice	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
a	O
small	O
team	O
of	O
developers	B-Application
;	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
work	O
was	O
done	O
by	O
four	O
key	O
personnel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphic	O
engine	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
tesselation	B-Algorithm
:	O
thousands	O
of	O
polygons	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
display	O
an	O
object	O
and	O
as	O
lesser	O
details	O
are	O
needed	O
,	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
polygons	O
is	O
reduced	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
the	O
keyboard	O
and	O
mouse	O
,	O
players	O
move	O
their	O
wizards	O
around	O
a	O
virtual	O
world	O
,	O
directing	O
armies	O
and	O
casting	O
spells	B-Application
to	O
eliminate	O
their	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wizards	O
can	O
cast	O
spells	B-Application
that	O
harm	O
opponents	O
(	O
combat	O
spells	B-Application
)	O
,	O
heal	O
damage	O
taken	O
,	O
or	O
summon	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
advanced	O
combat	O
spells	B-Application
affect	O
large	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
battlefield	O
,	O
taking	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
tornadoes	O
and	O
volcanoes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Casting	O
spells	B-Application
requires	O
energy	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
represents	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
mana	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recovery	O
of	O
mana	B-Application
is	O
slow	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
wizard	O
accelerates	O
the	O
process	O
by	O
staying	O
close	O
to	O
his	O
or	O
her	O
altar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Close	O
proximity	O
to	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
fountains	O
of	O
mana	B-Application
scattered	O
across	O
the	O
world	O
increases	O
his	O
or	O
her	O
recovery	O
rate	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
wizard	O
can	O
monopolize	O
a	O
mana	B-Application
fountain	O
by	O
erecting	O
a	O
structure	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
manalith	O
over	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
mana	B-Application
can	O
always	O
be	O
regained	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
an	O
infinite	O
resource	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Souls	O
are	O
the	O
other	O
type	O
of	O
resource	O
in	O
this	O
game	O
;	O
they	O
are	O
used	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
to	O
summon	O
creatures	O
,	O
who	O
form	O
the	O
mainstay	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
offensive	O
capability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
souls	O
are	O
limited	O
in	O
quantity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Manahoars	O
help	O
to	O
recharge	O
their	O
summoner	O
's	O
mana	B-Application
by	O
channeling	O
energy	O
from	O
manaliths	O
to	O
him	O
or	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
abilities	O
of	O
the	O
creatures	O
are	O
designed	O
along	O
the	O
ethos	O
of	O
five	O
gods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Her	O
counterpart	O
,	O
Charnel	O
,	O
God	O
of	O
Strife	O
,	O
celebrates	O
death	O
and	O
decay	O
;	O
his	O
creatures	O
are	O
undead	O
and	O
his	O
spells	B-Application
drains	O
the	O
life	O
of	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
each	O
mission	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
a	O
god	O
for	O
Eldred	O
to	O
champion	O
,	O
receiving	O
creatures	O
and	O
spells	B-Application
from	O
that	O
god	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
can	O
build	O
up	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
units	O
and	O
spells	B-Application
from	O
different	O
gods	O
by	O
changing	O
Eldred	O
's	O
allegiance	O
between	O
missions	O
;	O
the	O
selections	O
are	O
used	O
in	O
later	O
missions	O
or	O
multiplayer	O
sessions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
stated	O
goals	O
in	O
each	O
mission	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
secret	O
objectives	O
that	O
if	O
accomplished	O
bestow	O
bonuses	O
to	O
Eldred	O
's	O
attributes	O
(	O
magical	O
and	O
physical	O
resistance	O
,	O
more	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
,	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
could	O
only	O
be	O
played	O
over	O
small-area	O
networks	O
of	O
computers	O
(	O
local	B-General_Concept
area	I-General_Concept
networks	I-General_Concept
)	O
,	O
or	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
through	O
an	O
integrated	O
matchmaking	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
software	O
patches	O
added	O
online	O
rankings	O
and	O
the	O
capability	O
to	O
connect	O
computers	O
via	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
Suite	I-Protocol
(	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
allowing	O
play	O
over	O
the	O
internet	O
without	O
the	O
matchmaking	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Macintosh	O
version	O
's	O
matchmaking	O
,	O
handled	O
by	O
GameRanger	B-Operating_System
,	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
installed	O
through	O
a	O
patch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
lead	O
programmer	B-Application
,	O
Martin	O
Brownlow	O
,	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Chaos	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
of	I-Application
Wizards	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1985	O
for	O
the	O
ZX	B-Operating_System
Spectrum	I-Operating_System
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
old	O
game	O
,	O
players	O
take	O
turns	O
to	O
control	O
wizards	O
,	O
summoning	O
creatures	O
and	O
casting	O
spells	B-Application
to	O
eliminate	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shiny	O
desired	O
to	O
avoid	O
repeating	O
the	O
bad	O
experience	O
of	O
marketing	O
their	O
last	O
product	O
Messiah	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
designer	O
Eric	O
Flannum	O
,	O
formerly	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
recalls	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
only	O
three	O
other	O
key	O
personnel	O
:	O
two	O
programmers	B-Application
and	O
an	O
animator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
basic	O
features	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
been	O
completed	O
,	O
James	O
Phinney	O
,	O
lead	O
designer	O
and	O
producer	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
1998	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
StarCraft	B-Application
,	O
was	O
hired	O
to	O
write	O
the	O
plot	O
for	O
the	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sacrifices	O
graphics	O
engine	O
was	O
developed	O
from	O
Messiahs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
older	O
game	O
renders	O
its	O
characters	O
by	O
tesselation	B-Algorithm
,	O
using	O
thousands	O
of	O
polygons	O
to	O
make	O
up	O
character	O
models	O
and	O
decreasing	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
polygons	O
when	O
lesser	O
details	O
are	O
required	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
drawing	O
the	O
object	O
at	O
a	O
distance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
array	O
of	O
infinite	O
triangles	O
derived	O
from	O
these	O
divisions	O
is	O
stored	O
in	O
a	O
binary	O
triangle	O
tree	O
data	B-General_Concept
structure	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
the	O
simplicity	O
of	O
the	O
division	O
and	O
its	O
data	O
management	O
algorithms	O
frees	O
up	O
the	O
graphic	O
processor	O
for	O
other	O
duties	O
,	O
allowing	O
more	O
resources	O
to	O
be	O
spent	O
on	O
managing	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sacrifices	O
spell	B-Application
effects	O
are	O
composed	O
of	O
parametric	O
surfaces	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
can	O
be	O
broken	O
down	O
into	O
triangles	O
,	O
facilitating	O
tessellation	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
2000	O
,	O
the	O
computer	O
industry	O
released	O
the	O
first	O
video	O
graphics	O
cards	O
capable	O
of	O
processing	O
transform	B-Algorithm
,	I-Algorithm
clipping	I-Algorithm
,	I-Algorithm
and	I-Algorithm
lighting	I-Algorithm
(	O
T&L	B-Algorithm
)	O
instructions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
appropriate	O
software	O
,	O
these	O
new	O
cards	O
took	O
over	O
the	O
burden	O
of	O
T&L	B-Algorithm
processing	O
from	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
processor	O
,	O
allowing	O
more	O
detailed	O
graphics	O
and	O
smoother	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sacrifice	O
was	O
acknowledged	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
to	O
make	O
full	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
graphic	O
cards	O
(	O
the	O
GeForce	O
2	O
and	O
Radeon	B-Device
series	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
artists	O
 '	O
incorporation	O
of	O
humor	O
in	O
their	O
work	O
did	O
not	O
escape	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
's	O
notice	O
;	O
many	O
pointed	O
out	O
the	O
quirky	O
allusion	O
of	O
James	O
,	O
God	O
of	O
Earth	O
,	O
to	O
Earthworm	B-Application
Jim	I-Application
,	O
star	O
of	O
Shiny	O
's	O
previous	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
selected	O
a	O
thousand	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
public	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
a	O
beta	O
test	O
of	O
Sacrifices	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
,	O
receiving	O
feedback	O
on	O
software	B-Error_Name
bugs	I-Error_Name
,	O
performance	O
issues	O
,	O
and	O
possible	O
improvements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
17	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
Interplay	O
released	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
tool	O
displays	B-Application
the	I-Application
user	I-Application
's	I-Application
changes	I-Application
as	I-Application
they	I-Application
are	I-Application
added	I-Application
to	O
the	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
have	O
total	O
control	O
over	O
the	O
positioning	O
of	O
models	O
and	O
scripting	B-Language
of	O
events	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
tool	O
does	O
not	O
provide	O
the	O
capability	O
to	O
create	O
new	O
spells	B-Application
or	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
designs	O
were	O
so	O
unconventional	O
that	O
gaming	O
journalist	O
Michael	O
Eilers	O
remarked	O
,	O
"	O
It	O
is	O
as	O
if	O
Salvador	O
Dalí	O
and	O
H	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
Giger	O
got	O
together	O
and	O
played	O
around	O
with	O
3D	B-Language
Studio	I-Language
Max	I-Language
for	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
with	O
a	O
cooler	O
full	O
of	O
Bass	O
Ale	O
between	O
them.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
fellow	O
journalist	O
Kieron	O
Gillen	O
,	O
Sacrifice	O
resembled	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
strategy	O
game	O
Command	B-Application
and	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
as	O
designed	O
by	O
Renaissance	B-Application
painter	O
Hieronymus	O
Bosch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
spell	B-Application
effects	O
also	O
elicited	O
positive	O
reactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
fast-paced	O
combat	O
ensured	O
that	O
fights	O
tended	O
to	O
be	O
messy	O
affairs	O
,	O
where	O
aside	O
from	O
picking	O
out	O
their	O
units	O
from	O
a	O
chaotic	O
mass	O
to	O
issue	O
commands	O
,	O
players	O
had	O
to	O
see	O
to	O
their	O
wizards	O
 '	O
safety	O
,	O
and	O
cast	O
spells	B-Application
to	O
support	O
their	O
army	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sacrifices	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
GameSpots	O
Sam	O
Parker	O
observed	O
,	O
tended	O
to	O
be	O
long-drawn	O
stalemates	O
until	O
the	O
wizards	O
obtained	O
more	O
powerful	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
developers	B-Application
concentrated	O
on	O
enhancing	O
their	O
game	O
's	O
visuals	O
without	O
concern	O
for	O
innovations	O
in	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
 '	O
2000	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Computer	O
Innovation	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
PC	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
awards	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Conquerors	I-Application
,	O
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
the	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
RTS	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
at	O
the	O
CNET	O
Gamecenter	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Awards	O
for	O
2000	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
Best	O
Multiplayer	O
Game	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
Earth	B-Application
2150	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
won	O
the	O
award	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
,	O
Artistic	O
"	O
at	O
GameSpots	O
Best	O
and	O
Worst	O
of	O
2000	O
Awards	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Sound	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
GameSpys	O
"	O
2000	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Sacrifice	O
was	O
honored	O
as	O
a	O
quality	O
game	O
,	O
industry	O
observers	O
pointed	O
out	O
that	O
its	O
qualities	O
were	O
forgotten	O
by	O
most	O
people	O
;	O
the	O
staff	O
of	O
GamesRadar+	O
said	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
"	O
practically	O
invisible	O
to	O
the	O
gaming	O
public	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
according	O
to	O
Gillen	O
,	O
few	O
remembered	O
Sacrifice	O
as	O
the	O
pioneer	O
of	O
the	O
mouse-gesture	O
control	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
praised	O
as	O
revolutionary	O
in	O
Peter	O
Molyneux	O
's	O
later	O
game	O
Black	B-Application
&	I-Application
White	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gillen	O
further	O
lamented	O
that	O
Sacrifices	O
release	O
heralded	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Shiny	O
's	O
forays	O
into	O
creative	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
company	O
switched	O
to	O
producing	O
more	O
mainstream	O
products	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Enter	B-Application
the	I-Application
Matrix	I-Application
.	O
</s>
