Day of Defeat (DoD) is a popular team-based multiplayer World War II first-person shooter computer game that immerses players into a 3D simulated virtual reality of the European Theatre of World War II. The game's graphics and sounds have been influenced by the movie Saving Private Ryan and use some of the movie's actual soundtracks.

Day of Defeat is a 3D-shooter that simulates infantry battle between the adversaries of World War II's European Theatre: The Allies or The Axis Powers. The goal is to complete various mission objectives.

Players choose which side they will fight on and what character class their soldier will be. There are unique soldier classes for the Allies (United States and United Kingdom) and the Axis (Nazi Germany). Class determines which weapons the player will carry, and what they will look like.

A round begins with two opposing teams starting simultaneously in their respective spawn area of a map. A round ends when one team accomplishes all of its objectives.

Player casualties become reinforcements which are supplied according to a timer. The reinforcements originate at spawn and can be composed of anywhere from 1 soldier to the entire team. The reinforcement timer is usually between 10-20 seconds, but this time may vary from server to server.

Like other Half-Life mods, Day of Defeat tracks each player's accomplishment of team objectives, how many enemies each player has killed and how many times each player has died. The game also tallies these statistics for the entire team, this reflects the team's score which is primarily based on objectives.

After many rounds, the game ends when a set time limit expires, and the team with the most objectives achieved is the winning team regardless of kills or casualties, except in the case where both teams have not achieved any objectives or are tied in the objective score. The scoreboard is displayed and the game is restarted, usually with another map. There really is no "The End" to Day of Defeat.

Day of defeat maps do not always require that both teams have the same objectives. Some of the more popular maps have different objectives for both teams.

• Capture the flag

Players can capture a flag by standing near the flag for a certain amount of time. Certain flags require more than 1 player for capture. Flags are presented as either uncaptured (Grey), Axis (Red) or Allies (Green). Certain maps (dod_charlie) do not allow a captured flag to be recaptured by the defending team.

• Destroy target

Players destroy a target by first planting a bomb at the target. The bomb is obtained from the spawn area. This bomb can also be picked up from the body of dead comrades. To plant the bomb, the player has to just stand within the designated bomb area. Bombs once planted cannot be defused and will always cause a big explosion.

• Capture target

This is a variation of the capture the flag. Instead of a flag, a target (truck or building) can be captured.

DoD began as a Half-Life 3rd party mod in 2001. Later, the DoD team joined Valve Software and produced a standalone version published through Activision. DoD (ver.1.0) was officially released in May 2003. It was converted over to the Steam delivery system in version 1.1. Day of Defeat: Source was released on September 26, 2005.

With the initial release of the game (when you could only be Support Infantry, Sergeant, Rifleman or Sniper), choosing a class determined your speed. Rifleman moved the fastest and Support Infantry moved the slowest. Sergeants moved at a medium pace. This was considered highly unrealistic, for if the developers were basing speed on weight of weaponry (which was a common assumption before Beta 2.0 came out), the Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) of both sides (American Master Sergeant and German Unteroffizier, equivalent to the American Army rank of Corporal) would have to move at a different speed, since the Thompson submachine gun is heavier than the MP40, and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) is far heavier than the German Sturmgewehr 44 (MP44).

With the release of Beta 2.0, people saw the expansion of character classes and the speed differential was eliminated. This version added the Allied Staff Sergeant who carried an M1 Carbine. The Germans now could use two versions of the both powerful and deafening FG 42 Fallschirmjäger weapons (one with a bipod and one with a scope) and the Sniper Rifle from the Beta 1.0 versions (the Gewehr 43) was replaced with the deemed "more fair" Karabiner 98k. The Gewehr could now be selected as a class, to compete with the semi-automatic Garand rifle the Allies used. Furthermore both sides now recieved machineguns (.30 Caliber for the Allies, and the MG34 and MG42 models for the Axis), which added a new tactical element to the game. Also, so called head-bobbing or gun-sway was introduced, so players could not just point and shoot while moving, but now had to stand still for improved accuracy. Gun kick was also introduced, and kneeling and lying down allieviated this and made a player's shot more accurate. Also, bipods were introduced to the lighter machine guns (BAR and FG 42). The British were not in the game at this time.

Beta 3.0 added the Allied Sergeant, who carried a M3 Grease Gun, as well as the para gameplay mode which was similar to Counter-Strike in that players did not respawn until the end of the round. This mode was eliminated in version 1.0.

Day of Defeat features historical weaponry used in World War II: M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, Thompson submachine gun, M3 Grease Gun, Springfield 1903 rifle, Browning Automatic Rifle, .30 Caliber Machine Gun, Bazooka, Karabiner 98k, Gewehr 43, MP40, Sturmgewehr 44, FG 42, MG34, MG42, Panzerschreck, Lee-Enfield, Sten, Bren, and the PIAT.

Soldier class determines which weapons the player will initially be using. Each player carries a pistol (U.S. M1911, German Luger, British Webley Revolver) and a knife or German "spade" and a limited amount of ammunition. Each player also carries 0-2 grenades (American Frag grenade, German Model 24 grenade ("stick grenade"), British Mills bomb).

Players may also drop their main weapon in order to pick up those left by dead soldiers or discarded by other players, thus Allied players can wield Axis guns and vice versa.

Along with the standard movement controls of any first-person shooter game, day of defeat has a few extra buttons.

• Sprint

Holding the sprint button is used to make a quick dash. The player will lose stamina during the sprint. If there is no more stamina, the player stops sprinting and moves slowly. The player can stop sprinting at anytime by releasing the sprint button.

• Prone

A player can go prone by pressing the prone button. A proned player will have increased accuracy and lower recoil while firing his weapon. Certain weapons can also be deployed by right-clicking. Players can stand up by pressing the prone button while proned.

• Drop Ammo

There are 2 drop ammo buttons. 1 button drops ammo for the same class as the player. The other drops a box of ammunition's for the mg34 or mg42 class. The other player can pick up the ammo by walking over it.

• Bandage

If bleeding, the player must bandage himself to prevent death. Bleeding normally occurs if the player survives an attack which causes near fatal damage. This feature was removed after Day of Defeat left the betas.

Day of Defeat maps muster scenarios of historical World War II battles requiring teams to control territory and complete objectives. Territorial control scenarios require the players to capture flags at important choke points throughout the map. Objective-based maps take players into battle for mission targets, such as a bridge or German Nebelwerfer(artillery) or any other various tactical targets. To achieve most tasks requires the players to use TNT charges at the objective. The many different possible objectives types include "clandistine missions", such as as obtaining secret documents and returning them to headquarters.

Official DoD maps included with the game encompass scenes such as the infamous battle at Omaha Beach (dod_charlie), streetfighting in the Italian city of Salerno during Operation Avalanche (dod_avalanche), and a Glider mission where the American 101st Airborne lands in a WACO Glider and has to destroy such objectives as a radio antenna and Flak 88 mm gun anti-aircraft gun (dod_glider).

Custom DoD maps available for download are also frequently constructed and remodeled by independent designers thus creating battles with unlimited missions for players to experience. Several servers specialize in Counter-Strike maps.

Day of Defeat maps offer the player the ability to blast through certain parts of the map to gain entry into new sections. This offers a twist to normal map strategies. The sections are normally marked with a crack in the wall, which can be opened by either planting a bomb or by shooting a bazooka shell at it.

The next version of the game, Day of Defeat: Source, an update of DoD using the Source engine used for Half-Life 2, was released on September 26, 2005. Unlike previous releases of DoD, the game was only available as part of Half-Life 2 bundles available on Steam.

The game is available to HL2 Silver and Gold owners. It is also available via Steam, as well as along with the upcoming retail package of Counter Strike: Source, which also includes Half-Life 2: Deathmatch.

On September 14, 2005, preloading of Day of Defeat: Source began. Valve also added the option to pre-order it from Steam with a 10% discount if purchased before the release date of September 26, 2005.

At 22:00 GMT on September 26, 2005, the game was activated on Steam and the release seemed to go smoothly. Many servers were running almost immediately, but finding a free player slot was very difficult due to the huge number of players and some servers had serious lag issues. At release, 4 updated versions of original maps were available: dod_anzio, dod_flash, dod_avalanche and dod_donner. Now there are a couple of custom maps out on some servers. Some of the custom maps resemble halo maps.

According to a statement made by Doug Lombardi for the magazine Computer Gaming World, Day of Defeat: Source is an ongoing project that will receive consistant updates through steam depending on community feedback. "We're bringing players into the process," says Lombardi, "this way they feel a tighter affinity for the product." This means user input will always be taken into consideration, so gamers should voice their concerns in the Day of Defeat forums.

Day of Defeat: Source features two sides, the US Army and the Wehrmacht (with the United Kingdom absent). Several character classes from Day of Defeat have been removed and others edited. The significant changes are as follows:

• The Rifleman class no longer carry a pistol or hand grenades, but instead carry rifle-launched grenades.
• The M1 Carbine class has been removed, although the weapon is still available for use as a secondary weapon for the United States Army Bazooka Class.
• The G43 class of the Wehrmacht has been completely removed.
• The bipod of the Browning Automatic Rifle has been removed and now the secondary fire for the BAR and StG44 switches the weapons between automatic and semi-automatic fire,with automatic being more acurate if firing in burts. This was criticized as being a useless feature. However, as of the October 19th update, the single-shot mode is more accurate than full-auto.
• The Assault Class for both sides (which carry the Thompson/MP40) now carry a single smoke grenade. They also can punch with the secondary fire button, and since Oct. 19th the punching speed was increased to match the knife and spade melees.
• The MG34 Machine Gun has been completely removed.
• The Wehrmacht Panzerschreck Class now carries an automatic pistol, known as the Mauser C96 'Broomhandle'.
• Instead of the bayonet stab/melee with the K98/M1 Garand, secondary fire with the K98/Garand now puts up an iron sight for increased accuracy, which is excellent for sniping with when you don't have access to a sniper rifle.
• The BAR/STG44/Panzerschreck/Bazooka classes no longer carry pistols.
• Bolt-action rifle strafe shooting (known as K98 or Enfield strafe-shooting) is no longer a bug in the Source Engine. In DoD 1.3 , if you carried a bolt-action rifle and strafed to either side and stopped, your rifle would have immediate pin-point accuracy.
• Fragmentation grenades now prime when you click to throw them.
• Machine guns now have a cone of fire and no longer a "laser line of death", especially noticeable with the MG42 which leaves open the possibility of the return of the MG34 and its superior accuracy.

Some not visible/rumored changes are:

• Slightly reduced damage for K98.
• Increased recoil for M1 Garand.
• Ineffective cone spray pattern for SMGs.
• Certain solid walls can be shot through.
• Slightly reduced damage for M1 Garand.
• Decreased recoil for StG44.
• Sandbags "protecting" Axis spawn can be shot through with a high-velocity bullet, at least from the spawn area if not also into the spawn.

• Rifleman
  • US Army: M1 Garand
  • Wehrmacht: Karabiner 98k
• Assault
  • US Army: M1 Thompson
  • Wehrmacht: MP40
• Support
  • US Army: Browning Automatic Rifle
  • Wehrmacht: MP44
• Sniper
  • US Army: Springfield M1903
  • Wehrmacht: Karabiner 98K (scoped)
• Machine Gunner
  • US Army: Browning M1919
  • Wehrmacht: MG42
• Rocket
  • US Army: Bazooka
  • Wehrmacht: Panzerschreck

Although Day of Defeat is primarily multiplayer online, an offline mode with user-created bots (computer-controlled opponents) can also be played. Popular DoD bots are SturmBOT [1] and ShrikeBot [2].

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• Planet Half-life: Day of Defeat
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