PC Gamer | 08/06/03
We sat down with über-designer Rick Goodman to get the low-down on Stainless Steel's next RTS juggernaut, Empires, including the first information on the game’s single-player campaign and two of the final playable civilizations.
PC Gamer: What’s the current state of [breathe!] Empires: Dawn of the Modern World? Is everything coming along as you’d hoped?
Rick Goodman: Currently, we have completed the design and programming for each of the unique civilizations, units, technologies, and single-player campaigns. The game will soon be art-complete, too. From a balance perspective, we’ve been play-testing since last year with our team of dedicated programmers.
We’re at the point where things reach a crescendo and all remaining to-dos get tied off in a rapid succession. Development is like surfing a giant wave barreling toward shoe: You carefully steer the best course on the colossal wave of momentum. I’m pretty sure the team feels this is the best work we’ve ever done.
PCG: How are the lessons that you learned from making Empire Earth affecting Empires?
RG: This title is a culmination of everything that we’ve learned over the past five years. While both games are historical, the similarity ends there. Empires is much more realistic: Each civilization has been thoroughly researched and its representation has been expertly crafted to offer truly unique strategic options. We’ve combined historical realism with a new level of challenge, fun, and excitement. From a fun standpoint, we’ve tossed off the shackles of traditional historical games, and have incorporated new concepts, technologies, and abilities, the likes of which players have never seen before in a historical RTS. The result is a game full of new surprises and unique strategies, depth, and challenge.
PCG: How does the release of all the other RTS games into a crowded market impact your development process?
RG: Our team consists of lifelong gamers. So, like most of you, we play almost every game we can fit into our busy schedules. We feel it’s important to play and understand what makes each game fun and interesting. These games often inspire us to consider entirely new ideas and approaches, which can lead down interesting paths. But it’s always our design vision that ultimately guides us in our creation of the end product.
PCG: Empires promises something that’s fairly rare in RTS games: A fully developed story. What can you tell us about the game’s plot?
RG: You’ll relive three single-player campaigns, deep with storylines and intense action. The first details Rich the Lionheart’s ascent to the English throne amid plots of medieval treachery and intrigue. The second campaign puts you in command of the Korean Empire in 1592, confronted by the over-whelming might of the Japanese invasion force: Outnumbered 100-to-1, you must devise a skillful battle plan to save the empire. The third campaign places you under the command of General Patton – you must engage the Third Reich in massive combined-arms air, land, and sea operations, including D-Day.
PCG: Have you managed to finalize the number of civilizations? Which ones are shaping up to be particularly cool?
RG: You’ll lead one of seven mighty civilizations in the game. Here’s an overview of two:
An old Russian proverb says “Adversity and poverty are the mother and father of Russian character.” In the game, as in real life, the tools of the massive Russian state include Communal Living, Revolutionaries, Equipment Reissue, Communism, Propaganda, Night Attacks, and Steam Roller. And, if these fail, Katusha rockets.
It is said that “The French are an inspired and brilliant people who have all the gifts except that of running their country.” The french proved to be a challenging civilization to create. What characteristic does the French civilization possess that makes it unique and different from all other civilizations? Our answer was cleverness. And this national trait is reflected in the game through their unique special powers of Battlefield Plunder, Natural Philosophy, Militia, and Partisans. That’s probably why France is my current favorite civilization to play.