Dawn of WAR II operates under the assumption
DateTime:7/8/2009 5:21:12 PM

Dawn of War II's novel approach to mission design was driven because the developers wanted to provide players with shorter, but more satisfying levels ?and more of them. Key story missions will always have to be completed, but the individual battles can unfold in something of a non-linear fashion. Even the missions themselves can be completed in multiple ways due to optional targets and different missions occurring on the same physical territory over time.Every mission is a single battle in a larger war, you keep any items collected during a mission, even if the mission itself ultimately results in failure. Every attempt you make helps progress your character and improves your chances of success down the line. Failed missions do cost time, however, so having to repeat a given mission may mean you don't have time to complete another mission.

For example, some of the larger maps we played on included special buildings: communication arrays, shrines and foundries. Going out of our way to capture one took extra time, but the benefits paid off in later missions. For example, capturing an array gives you additional intelligence information when operating later missions on the same planet. Capturing a shrine gives you the Rosarius item, which renders a given squad invulnerable for a limited amount of time, but it only works when a shrine is in range. Finally, the foundry gives you automated turrets. Like the shrine, they only work when the foundry is in range, but can be a powerful defensive weapon.