The game includes a combination of pre-rendered cut-scenes and over an hour of live action

film. Live action was shot in Montreal, Canada during the summer of 2004. Pre-rendered cut-

scenes were done using machinima technique, wherein one person plays while being

recorded from different angles (with all interface elements hidden). The recorded video is

then postprocessed and provided with sound effects and dialog.

Act of War features many new gameplay elements, including heavily wounded soldiers being

immobilized and unable to engage in combat until they can be reached by medical help, the

ability to take prisoners of war, buildings that are realistically destructible, and the ability to

create barricades.

Act of War did not add many innovative concepts to the RTS genre, and its most prominent

gameplay feature was balance. Unlike most RTS games in which some units are massed and

are used almost exclusively over other units for an easy victory, Act of War required the

player to use a variety of units which allowed for diverse strategies.