Exclusive Interview: Rick Goodman
Empire Earth Aeon | 12/01/01

Empire Earth Aeon: Where do you see SSSI and the EE series two years from now?

Rick Goodman: Stainless Steel Studios will always focus on what we do best. Creating a new game and/or a new brand from inception, then, implementing and delivering it successfully, to the market is challenging and time intensive. Stainless Steel Studios would like to widen its diversity of projects in the future, but we will always set a high bar for our own achievements. If we think we will be able to meet or exceed the bar we set for ourselves, then, the project is one that we would consider undertaking.

EEA: There have been many retail sites displaying an expansion pack available for release later this year, are there any plans to release one?

RG: I am sure Sierra will happily answer that question in due time.

EEA: Has player input been a help to you as a developer. If so how?

RG: From the very beginning we harnessed community input. We began by recruiting a small group of Pro-Gamers onto our "Strike Team". These folks provided very valuable feedback in the early conceptual stages of the project. As soon as the game was playable, we opened in-house play testing to Boston-area volunteers who came in on weekends to provide feedback. Some of our volunteers, including, John, Adam, Chris, GJ, Rob and Sean have been play testing for us for over 2 years. These guys rock, we couldn't have completed the project without them.

EEA: How soon do you think we will see a surprise from SSSi/Sierra?

RG: I won't speak on behalf of Sierra. But, as far as SSSI is concerned, we'll talk more about our future plans when the planets are properly aligned.

EEA: What removed feature/unit/building do you think you miss most?

RG: It would have been nice for us to have kept the Modern Missile Base as part of the multiplayer game. Historically, speaking, long range missiles do not have any conventional counters and this made the Missile Base challenging to balance. We decided not to stretch realism simply to balance this unit. Realism is important to us.

EEA: What is your favorite Hero in EE?

RG: Alexander the Great is the hero whom I have studied the most. He is an amazing historical fugure, having conquered most of the known world by the time he was 32. Although he was an honorable man in his youth, he grew mean and courrupt in his later years. He also fathered 300 sons. If you are not related to Alexander, I'd be surprised.

EEA: If there is anything you could realisticly change in EE, what would it be and why?

RG: I am very happy with the way Empire Earth turned out. My teammates worked day and night to complete Empire Earth. The AI is one of the things I am most proud of, I think the AI team did an extraordinary job. Outside of the game, I would love to have been able to support GameSpy match making service.

EEA: Are user-created multiplayer maps something we can look forward to?

RG: Stainless Steel will reevaluate the importance of this feature in future titles. The on-line gaming community from such sites as EE Aeon, EE Heaven, MFO, and GameScope represents a vocal audience. We listen to all comments and criticisms. With the information obtained frrom these sites, we have compiled a master list of gamer suggestions and changes, along with our own internal ideas. This list has been prioritized in terms of each item's benefit to gamers. This master list will serve as the basis of future projects we may undertake.

EEA: What are your next plans in game design, and after?

RG: I will continue to be actively involved in game design, because this is what I love to do most. I enjoy working with the other members of the design team, Jon, Richard, Chris, and Mike. We all have diverse and interesting ideas and we work together, well. I am looking forward to continuing to push the team to new heights and vice versa.

EEA: What inspired you to create the shock > pierce > arrow method?

RG: The Empire Earth game system is somewhat more complicated than this. Nevertheless, Empire Earth is a game with many, many units. So, at the outset, we knew we needed a unit balance system which would be unbreakable even as we added our 175th 176th and 177th units to the game. This was a tall order. We needed a system that would enable us to add virtually an unlimited number of (as yet undefined) units, but which, at the same time, would insure that all units had appropriate counters. The result was a foundation within which we could create any new unit we wanted, at any time during development, and be assured that the unit would have appropriate counter units.

Thanks EEA gamers for your excellent questions, but most of all Thank you Mr. Grinch!