LucasArts Interview release 03/17/206

[Siddus]

Gamedaily released an interview with LucasArts' Director of Global Marketing Kevin Kurtz and Kevin Kebodeaux, Director of Global Sales of Empire at War.

 

You can read it directly here :

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/toppers/?id=12136

 

For hurried people, here is the most important thing :

 

I think it's very likely you'll see LucasArts and Petroglyph working together again.

 

Have fun !

[Guest JediIgor]

Rebellion was the first Star Wars strategy title, and it maintains something of a cult following even to this day, despite mediocre sales and reviews at the time of its release.

 

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Now how about a sequel to that for your next SW game, Petroglyph?

 

With a game performing just as well as other PC strategy titles like Age of Empires III and Civilization IV, Petroglyph has obviously made a compelling product in Empire at War.

Just incase you missed this, they were referring to performing well in terms of # sold, not necessarily game quality itself. In fact, they pretty much hint at the SW games being average quality in an earlier paragraph .

[OMEGA]

What's with all the hate Igor? Is that just your thing? ???

 

This game far surpasses any other Star Wars strategy title. It can easily compete IN TERMS OF QUALITY with any other RTS game out there. This isn't just the opinion of a crazed Star Wars fanboy either. I play other RTS games, and this one has a feel to it unlike anything else out there. You are truly mistaken if you think that the ridiculous complexity of Rebellion is any match for the simple grandeur shown in Empire at War.

[Nevets]

You are truly mistaken if you think that the ridiculous complexity of Rebellion is any match for the simple grandeur shown in Empire at War.

 

It was complex and a lot to take in at once, but it really wasn't that much of a learning curve. I picked it up really quickly and I was like what, 12, at the time. The complexity never impeaded my gameplay and it made each game unique and made me able to comeback to this day and still have fun with it. EAW is really flashy, and can be lots of fun, but gameplay is dumbed down. Basic strategy choices like "how many of each fighter you want to put in your capital ship" or "what ships I want to send in to battle first" have been taken out in order to keep things simple.

 

So as I have stated before you can be too complex (rebellion) and to simple (EAW) so I am hoping with mods and/or expansions we can reach somesort of middle ground.

[Cain]

You are truly mistaken if you think that the ridiculous complexity of Rebellion is any match for the simple grandeur shown in Empire at War.

 

Well the main problem with Rebellion is that it has a Windows system GUI (interface) and this is highly unusual especially with a very poor tutorial. So it takes you a lot of time to learn that darn game. Without manual it will take you 1-2 weeks to get some satisfaction out of it.

 

Anyway ... in terms of difficulty and diversity SWR is not more complex than Rome TW in fact Rome has more stats to remember than SWR.

 

I personally know extremly well 3 RTS games: RTW, SWR, EAW ... and EAW only with extensive modding can equal one of the other two.

 

The problem with EAW as someone else once said it is that it seriously lacks strategic depth ex: Not enough units, no gameplay variables on the GUI interface (the game is to fast paced), no diplomacy, only medium/low quallity models/textures, etc.

 

I remember an event from these days. One of my friends with who I used to play SWR many long hours in the past (I lured him to learn that game in 2003/4) said that EAW sucks and they should have made a SWR 2. He didn't even finished EAW... now that friend is from my country but he has similar conclusions like Igor. And this was a real pain to me to have that home. It hurt like hell.

 

The point is that once you play SWR and learn that game it's almost impossible to like EAW more than 2-3 hours even if you are a SW fan.

 

I think that Delphi-PG didn't played SWR more than 1-2 days and to have a firm grasp of that game you need at least 2 weeks even more and a lot of MP. Or maybe it was Joe who missed to sense the good things from SWR and to implement them in EAW... we will never know.

 

Bottom line is even now I somehow feel the need to mod SWR as much as EAW. I always considered that EAW will smash SWR to bits but this is not the case. The case is that most of the EAW producers and game designers ignored up to the end many good RTS aspects that could have been taken from SWR since anyway some SWR aspects were used in EAW.

 

EAW was originally designed to have diplomacy and more units and many other things but somehow or someone decided at one moment that it is too much. This is a classic dev error mainly due to bad QA sometimes (*my opinion). The QA tends to concentrate more on MP so the MP (due to their feedback) influences the SP. Now if you have this and a producer or the sales also gets the idea that less means better since we will get to do an expansion or even an EAW 2 ... you then have a mix of ideeas that will go for the simplest form of the developed game.

 

Generally even 1 year ago our feedback was to late to influence significantly EAW so we could not do much to change for the better EAW in terms of strategic depth and game features.

 

The idea is simple - SWR has survived 8 years and it is still played and modded...  EAW will not survive with the current game features more than 2 years max. SWR will continue to be a very good RTS game until EAW decides to remove all the bad things from SWR and keep the good ones - there is no other way. And 8 years from now SWR will still exist in fact it will continue to exist until EAW will deliver the killer blow.

 

So in the end nobody says that EAW is not a good game … it is. But not more than that … just a good game. SWR is a legend and it will remain a living one.

 

EAW still has the potential to "kill" SWR and I'm sure that many excellent mods will help achive that goal. Personally I will prefer that Petroglyph will do that and not the mods.

 

A better realism orientated balance in the game will help a lot (something to slow down the gameplay in SP). Better textures and scale will help also ... etc. Any of this things are minor changes that mainly necesitate game design work and QA testing. So its up to Petro if they still want to make a Legend out of EAW or if they are ok with a just good game.

 

For those who have no clue what SWR is (since it is 8 years old) here is a link to a total conversion:

http://pff.swrebellion.com/index.php?topic=409.0

Edited March 20, 2006 by Cain

[Foshjedi2004]

I was waiting till you'd link to your Mod Cain

 

Anyhow.  EAW is the first Step on the Great Temple Ziggurut.  It is the bones of a great game.  Now this game needs fleshing out.  The Game engine needs to be beefed up and so do the polys.  I accept that LEC and Petro probably chose to be able to get more sales by lowering the quality of the game.  In my opinion there is so much more that could be added to the game....Diplomacy and units that are integral to Star Wars are missing.  Certain things like the Dreadnaught and Carrack Cruiser are needed in All Star Wars games.  Squints, Preybirds, B-wings and Defenders could have been added in quite easily to give the Imp fighters a boost and the Rebels a nice punch against ISDs.  IMO the Y-wings have the Stats that the B-wings should have.  The Y-wings are too powerfull.  Modding can only do so much.  Certain things need to be completely revolutionised in the future if EAW is to last the Test of Time and Become a much loved LucasArts Classic Game, like X-wing and TIE Fighter Flight Sims, with expansions rejuvinating the game this could be a better game than all of the C&C games, RTW, Rebellion/Supremacy, Dawn of War...The List goes on...

 

So IMO.  Good First draft LEC and Petro... When can we expect the final Version??

[Garbageben]

Agree with what's already been said.  We've got our "Death Star Prototype", now we want the DS2 lol.  I think that Unit Experience, Diplomacy, more ship variety, and some kind of upkeep system would have added immensely to EaW.  Also I think the number of planets could be double and allow for the actual placing of land structures (yes this would add to the micro), although you could have an auto-place feature.  I'd like to see a lot larger timeline.  Start Old Republic Sith War era and have it go to the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.  Allow for there to be custom-made civilizations and custom created heroes.

[Neba1G]

Personally RTW was a great game until you tried to play it online. LEA needs to get away from Gamespy bottom line. Personally I judge all online rts games by Blizzards' rts games. Starcraft came out approx 8 years ago and today the game is still played by hundreds of thousands. I just don't see why companies don't incorporate there own server/software set up for online gameplaying instead of gamespy. Battle.net is a very successful set up, even in the begining. Successful online play will put EAW above other rts such as AOE III and the total war series. LEA has the money to do it, unfortunately they limit there success by not applying their ability. Battlefront series (mainly II)would of surpassed all in FPS if it had online stability.

 

JUST DO IT!

[Spiralarchitech]

Lucasarts is a buisness, and run like one. I can't see them spending money on something that they feel they won't see a return on.

 

Can't really blame them but at the end of the day if we wanted a great online service for all our starwars games someone is gonna have to put some money on the table somewhere along the line.

[Neba1G]

A server service would have a return. I think battle.net gave Blizzard the ability to move away from rts and try a mmorpg(wow). People will buy a good online rts for years probably even decades: starcraft. 

[Nevets]

Lucasarts really needs to come up with its own online service. It has shot them selves in the foot many time, SWG probably the major one.

[wherryj]

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. Now how about a sequel to that for your next SW game, Petroglyph?

Just incase you missed this, they were referring to performing well in terms of # sold, not necessarily game quality itself. In fact, they pretty much hint at the SW games being average quality in an earlier paragraph .

 

I would agree.  While Rebellion had a problem with "death by a million clicks" (poorly designed interface) and the inability to speed up space battles that could literally take hours at times, I guess that I'd be one of those "cult" followers.  With lessons learned and new hardware available, a sequel to Rebellion might actually have a chance (though probably a small one) of succeeding.

[Strat]

The problem with EAW as someone else once said it is that it seriously lacks strategic depth ex: Not enough units, no gameplay variables on the GUI interface (the game is to fast paced), no diplomacy, only medium/low quallity models/textures, etc.

 

I totally agree with your post Cain.  I played SWR, and EAW just holds no weight to it.

 

In the first month EAW went from hundreds of online players to almost 200 on a good day, with half that humber in games being played. Single player is a piece of cake, and multiplayer is unbalanced and simple(ok, haven't done campaign yet).

 

The game doesn't hold to the SW line, doesn't require too much thought, and doesn't hold my attention but for 1-2 hour a week.

 

The game engine seems powerful enough, so I belive a mod can save it.  There are many games out there where people never play it stock anymore - a Mod is the standard.  It just sad we'll have to wait for a mod made by fans who don't get paid to do what the game designers should have done.

 

I don't post much but I watch these forums.  You know since the game was released I think there has been a drop in posts here?  Its becuase so many people droped the game a short while after they bought it.

 

The game may have been successfull in sales, but for the long term it's limping.

 

I could go on about the units, the features it needs, the features it doesn't need, what changes need to be made... but its all been said.

 

This game is like SWBF2 vs BF2....  Its an arcade game lasting 10 minutes, with no depth and no thought required.. and it holds my attnetion for about that long.  And BF2 has thousands of people online, while SWBF2 has a drop compaired...

 

I still go play EAW from time to time, and am about to try out the campiagns.. Perhaps they will be a little more entertaining - or challenging.

[Stellar_Magic]

The game engine seems powerful enough, so I belive a mod can save it.  There are many games out there where people never play it stock anymore - a Mod is the standard.  It just sad we'll have to wait for a mod made by fans who don't get paid to do what the game designers should have done.

 

Just like Homeworld 2, they should start pay EvilleJedi Royalties for the growth in their sales since the appearance of his mod.

[swgbex]

Maybe they should hire modders to make their games.. then im sure we can see something with quality

[Nevets]

I agree, modders tend to know more of what the gamers want these days then the game makers. From the majority of people it seems like we all wanted a grand strategy game with lots of depth.

 

Arcadish games are out; epic, openended, sandboxish games are the new hotness.

[Foshjedi2004]

So Why isn't EAW a Hit then??.... :

[Nevets]

So Why isn't EAW a Hit then??.... :

 

EAW sold well, because of the Star Wars title. Sure the Star wars feeling made it fun, but if you took the star wars out of it would the game have been any good? probably not. Same with the battlefront games.

 

That is how most star wars games are with the few exceptions of KOTOR, Rebellion, and the flight simulators.

 

I just wish there were some more star wars games that were just  stand alone great games, not just passable because they are star wars.

 

But as has been said before, as long as these games keep selling, LA wont focus more on making classic games.

[swgbex]

So Why isn't EAW a Hit then??.... :

 

Because noone of the mods that are supposed to make it a hit are out yet

[Dorkthehunter]

Because noone of the mods that are supposed to make it a hit are out yet

I disagree. EAW is already a hit. It is a very fun game. Sure the challenge may lack in some areas, but that's what multiplayer's for. I think the mods will be good, but the game is a hit already. The mods are just "the icing on the cake"

 

Also, to Nevets: If you took the Star Wars out, there would be no game. It would just be "At War". Doesn't that seem exciting. But if you put the "Empire" back in, not meaning the Star Wars Empire, and just made it a sci-fi grand strategy game, it would still be pretty fun. But not nearly as good. KOTOR, Rebellion, and the flight simulators wouldn't have been anything special without Star Wars either. KOTOR would just be another RPG, Rebellion would be an old sci-fi grand strategy game, and the flight simulators would be just like any other one. It is the Star Wars part that makes the game. The reason why the game was made is that people have long wanted to fight for the entire galaxy in epic battles(hate to say it, but Rebellion doesn't really fit that) The game was made to take over the galaxy in a fight of good versus evil(depending on which side you think is good) It is a very fun SW game, and I think it is one of the top RTS(or grand strategy)games that I have played. With a couple more patches for balance and one for improved AI, the game would be even better. I'm not trying to put down the mods, which I am sure are going to be good and will be very fun. I'm just saying that the game is already good. The mods are just expanding on the game. EAW is a battle leading up to Episode IV, and going into it. The mods(Legacy of War and others) are expanding that and leading it up to the NJO. I think some of the mods would be great expansion packs, and that the modders should be careful that LA doesn't "borrow"(steal)their stuff. I am going to load LOW and maybe Warlords myself when the tools come out.

 

So really, this whole thing can be summed up as: The game is a hit, and the mods are expanding on the hit. There's my two cents.(maybe three)

[NOT Hadoken13]

i have to agree with dork. EAW is a great game, sure some parts disappointed me but come on what game has everything we want it to have? the game will live on maybe it isn't as monumental as other games, but that's because eaw didn't really introduce anything new to the gaming industry. eaw is fun and mods can only add to the greatness. eaw ranks up there with the best strategy games i have ever played.

[Strat]

I disagree. EAW is already a hit. It is a very fun game. Sure the challenge may lack in some areas, but that's what multiplayer's for. I think the mods will be good, but the game is a hit already. The mods are just "the icing on the cake"

So really, this whole thing can be summed up as: The game is a hit, and the mods are expanding on the hit. There's my two cents.(maybe three)

 

  Of-course you like it.  You have a 99 on a Nerd Test.

 

 

 

lol 

[Dorkthehunter]

  Of-course you like it.   You have a 99 on a Nerd Test.

 

 

 

lol 

 

I just took that test after I wrote that. And I have to admit, I just put all the nerdy answers to get a 99!  ;D

I guess I'll change that.....*force persuade* You never saw that....

[Juggernaut1985]

Personally from my standpoint, EaW doesn't have the depth that others have. I consider DoW to be one of the best RTSs out there for ground combat and its system of gameplay on the ground.

[Dorkthehunter]

Personally from my standpoint, EaW doesn't have the depth that others have. I consider DoW to be one of the best RTSs out there for ground combat and its system of gameplay on the ground.

 

What do you mean by "depth"? It has a good replay value, and good multiplayer....