Editing Attack Retrieve Capture

{{Infobox video game
|title=Attack Retrieve Capture
| image = Attack Retrieve Capture logo.jpg
|caption=Logo for the game
|developer = [[Hoopy Entertainment]]
|publisher=Hoopy Entertainment<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;(1995–1998)<br>[[Total Entertainment Network]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;(1998–1999)<br>[[World Opponent Network]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;(2000–2001)<br>[[Sierra Entertainment]]<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;(2001–2007)
|designer =
|engine =
|released=1997 (public [[beta version|beta]])
|genre = [[Action game|Action]]
|modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
|platforms = [[Windows (operating system)|PC (Windows)]]
}}

'''''Attack Retrieve Capture''''' ('''ARC''') was a free multiplayer, 2D [[computer game]] created by John Vechey and Brian Fiete, who would go on to co-found [[PopCap Games]], as a college project and was later published by [[Hoopy Entertainment]] in 1995.<ref name="popcap">{{cite web |url=http://www.mobygames.com/company/popcap-games-inc |title=PopCap Games, Inc. (History) |publisher=Moby Games |work=mobygames.com |accessdate=27 February 2013 }}</ref> The game was primarily [[capture the flag]] (CTF), but other game modes existed. In the two-team CTF mode, each team tried to capture the other's flag(s). Players piloted small ships equipped with four types of weapons: lasers, missiles, bouncy lasers, and grenades.

==Gameplay==
There are two to four teams (green, red, blue, and yellow). Each player pilots a ship of his or her team's color. The ships move around a plane. There are obstacles which the ships cannot pass through (walls, areas with no floor, etc.) Ships are armed with a laser and a special weapon. When the laser is fired, its power drains. Laser power returns at a constant rate.

In Capture the Flag Mode, a team wins by bringing the other team's or teams' flags to their own flagpost corresponding to the color of the flag. A team may have multiple flags. There are also neutral flags, which are white. A player carrying a flag moves more slowly than normal; also, he or she cannot use a teleporter or move "against" a conveyor belt.

If a player drops a team flag (not white), a player from that team or another opposing team can pick up the flag after a few seconds. If a player touches their own dropped flag or the flag is left alone for a certain time, the flag is returned to its home post immediately. Neutral flags do not return by themselves.

In Switch Mode or button Mode, the map has one or more switches on it. A player claims a switch for their team by touching it. A team wins by gaining control of all the switches.

In Deathmatch Mode there are no team objectives. Players only attempt to kill each other to gain a high score.

==History==
Initially ARC was hosted on a server rented out by Hoopy at Ulink.net, an internet service provider in Sacramento, California. Clients ran it via HFront (Hoopy Front End), a program downloaded to serve as the game to support multiplayer mode. The original developers of ARC, John Vechey (jv) and Brian Fiete (bf), took ARC to [[Total Entertainment Network]] ('''TEN''') (now pogo.com) in 1998 for its 1.0 release.<ref name="popcap" /> In 1999, TEN went under and ARC appeared to go with it. But by December 1999, [[World Opponent Network]] ('''WON''') had acquired ''ARC'' and began to run another beta test. During this time, WON attempted to make ''ARC'' a source of income, by adding advertisements into the game interface. However, the idea never got off the ground, and WON suffered the same fate as TEN in 2001. The future of ''ARC'' was again uncertain, but [[Sierra Entertainment]] bought WON which included ARC. This kept ''ARC'' going under much the same operation as WON had. A few updates were added to ''ARC'' but these were only security fixes. In 2002, development was handed to a community member with the alias Err0r. Err0r resigned on April 21, 2005 <ref>[http://forums.arc-hq.net/viewtopic.php?t=21944 arc-hq.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311120549/http://forums.arc-hq.net/viewtopic.php?t=21944 |date=March 11, 2007 }} - ''Err0r Resignation post. April 21, 2005.''</ref> handing the lead administrator role over to Goose and Sonique, who were Co-Lead Administrators until Sierra eventually terminated ''ARC''.<ref>[http://forums.arc-hq.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22361 arc-hq.net] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723015710/http://forums.arc-hq.net/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22361 |date=July 23, 2011 }} - ''New ARC Lead Admin(s). May 9th, 2005.''</ref>

In recent years, a devoted community has made efforts to revive the game by rebuilding its engine. These updated versions of the original game have been released under the names "Spark" and, most recently, "Armor Critical" <ref>[https://armor-critical.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=118#p118 ArmorCritical Tutorial]  - ''How to play ARC in 2023. May 9th, 2005.''</ref>

===Termination===
On July 16, 2007, Sierra Entertainment posted a news release on their website<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierra.com/en/home/news/product_news/071607_-_sierra_heritage.html |publisher=Sierra Entertainment |title=Sierra - Notice of Multiplayer Functionality Termination. |date=2007-07-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903181456/http://www.sierra.com/en/home/news/product_news/071607_-_sierra_heritage.html |archivedate=2007-09-03 }}</ref> expressing intentions to terminate multiplayer support for several Sierra Heritage titles (including ''ARC'') as of August 16, 2007.

==Reception==
Christ Centered Gamer gave ''ARC'' an overall rating of B.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christcenteredgamer.com/index.php/reviews/18-computer/4217-attack-retrieve-capture |title=Attack Retrieve Capture review |publisher=Christ Centered Gamer |work=christcenteredgamer.com |accessdate=27 February 2013 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.armorcritical.com/ ArmorCritical - ARC Revival Game]
* [https://discord.gg/HY7gxTn ArmorCritical Community Discord]
* [http://www.arc-hq.net/ ARC Headquarters (official)]
* [https://www.angelfire.com/me/archm/ ARC Historic Museum] 
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ten-adds-four/1100-2464102/|title=TEN Adds Four|last=Feldman|first=Curt|date=2000-04-28|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-25}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/ten-years-of-popcap-the-interview|title=Ten Years Of PopCap: The Interview|website=Gamasutra |language=en|access-date=2019-01-25|first= Frank |last=Cifaldi|date=28 May 2010 }}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.gamezone.com/news/arc_attack_retreat_capture_now_live_on_won_net/|title=ARC: Attack, Retreat, Capture Now Live on WON.net|last=jkdmedia|date=2012-05-04|website=GameZone|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-25}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/polishing-bejeweled/1100-6301815/|title=Polishing Bejeweled|last=Sinclair|first=Brendan|date=2011-03-04|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-25}}
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.pelit.fi/artikkelit/popcap-prokrastinaatio-oy/|title=PopCap – Prokrastinaatio Oy|website=www.pelit.fi|date=10 March 2011 |language=fi|access-date=2019-01-25}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/071/G007198/20110305003/|title=［GDC 2011］カジュアルゲームの雄，PopCap Gamesが語る「Bejeweled」ができるまで。世界中でヒット中のパズルゲームは，どのようにして作られたのか|last=Inc|first=Aetas|website=www.4gamer.net|language=ja|access-date=2019-01-25}}

[[Category:1995 video games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Sierra Entertainment games]]