Empire World II: The Art of Supremacy is the soonhoped-for-released expansion pack to concluding twelvemonth's epic real-fourth dimension strategy game near history. In Empire Globe 2, you could guide one of fifteen historical civilizations from the depths of the Stone Age all the style to the modernistic era and beyond. That meant that you could go from guild-wielding primitives to robotic war machines in a single game. The Fine art of Supremacy will add more stuff to play with, in the form of new civilizations, units, and features. To learn more, nosotros caught upwardly with Dr. Ian Davis, the CEO of developer Mad Medico Software and the creative director of the series.

GameSpot: What were Mad Doctor's goals going into the development of the expansion? Was information technology to simply add a few new playable sides and campaigns, or did you get specific feedback from the community that y'all wanted to accost?

Ian Davis: Nosotros had such a slap-up response to Empire Earth Two, we really couldn't have been happier with how the game was received. So we came to the table knowing nosotros wanted to create an expansion worthy of its predecessor. We wanted to offer upwards new civilizations, new campaigns, new scenarios, lots of new content to expand the game. All the same when it came down to it, our core focus was this: Nosotros wanted to be sure to add together something new to the gameplay feel for fans. I similar adding in a few new twists and turns. I dear keeping players on their toes, giving it a little kick. We wanted to take the game to the next level, and with new modes, new civilizations, custom civilizations, an entirely new African region, native tribes, the ability for units to persist across multiple scenarios, and new twists like tug-of-war and fealty manner, we've hit the marker quite nicely. In that location's plenty hither to make fans of the series very happy.

The Art of Supremacy adds four new civilizations and a lot more gameplay.
The Fine art of Supremacy adds four new civilizations and a lot more gameplay.

GS: In that location are four new civilizations in the expansion: The French, Russians, Zulu, and Maasai. Were there any nations that you wish you could have added just didn't for one reason or another? Speaking of which, how did you winnow downward the candidates to the 4 that were selected?

ID: Truth is, information technology's always a tough choice, what to add, who to add, how to arrive enrich the thespian's feel. I can always find something, someone, I'd like to add. This game is so deep, and nosotros really practice endeavor to make information technology as representative of a diverse assortment of cultures, of experiences, of civilizations, every bit possible. There are no set criteria for how we decide. Rather, it's really a question of what we already accept in the game, what we feel will add together the most to the experience, what nosotros can play off of, and what works well within the context of the game. We've added France and Russia, as well every bit an entirely new African region, to aggrandize Empire Earth 2's earth of 15 civilizations.

We've likewise added native tribes (the Iroquois, Inuit, Navajo, and others). So, for instance, players tin look forward to acquisition or allying with these tribes to gain bonuses (higher population caps, extra units, faster healing abilities). With The Art of Supremacy, we really wanted the game to accept more coverage of the Earth to circular things out nicely. Nosotros want the Empire World series to be the series that spans all of history, then we chose nations that helped u.s.a. achieve that goal.

GS: Could you briefly draw some of the gameplay improvements and interface enhancements in The Art of Supremacy?

ID: The Art of Supremacy'southward new features and upgrades allow a totally new level of customization and strategy. For case, players can create their ain custom civilization and lead it to celebrity by choosing which region they desire their culture to belong to; selecting ii culture attributes from the dropdown lists; choosing unique units for each set of epochs; and by choosing technologies to take automatically researched for their culture when they start a game beyond epoch 1. Players can too create a list of urban center and territory names to use for their civilisation by typing names in the text box.

There are new groups of people who live in the game globe that players can trade with, assimilate or ally with, and fight as they encounter fit. Both trading and assimilating with these native tribes take benefits. Nosotros've added new game types like tug-of-war (when one side beats the opposition on a map, the victorious thespian/team gets to bring leaders and heroes they earned with them to the side by side map). Each side gets to cull new starting troops from the reinforcements screen before continuing on to the next battle, all players' epoch and tech-tree progress is transferred to the next map, and the war resumes.

We've also had a little fun with territory hotspots (a number of territories on the map are considered vital). Unlike normal hotspots, all territory hotspots are revealed when the game starts. To win the game, a player or team must control a simple bulk of all territory hotspots for a prepare time. These core elements all come together quite nicely in the game, they really enhance the Empire Earth II feel, and it'southward a lot of fun!

GS: There are a couple of "turning bespeak" battles included with the expansion, such as the Boxing of Kursk. Could y'all tell us why they were called out of all the possible "disquisitional" moments in history?

ID: As I said, we were looking to round the game out, to expand on the game's coverage of the Earth. Battles were chosen inside each new civilization's context and history, with the obvious goal of hitting the most dramatic gameplay experiences possible.

GS: This is a broader question, merely over the course of making Empire Globe II and the expansion, what has Mad Doc Software learned about making strategy games and near strategy gamers in general?

ID: Well, we've got years and years of feel making strategy games, so nosotros've got a good handle on things here; nosotros know strategy games, and we understand our audience. I suppose, though, at the end of the solar day, the lessons, or perchance the focus, is always the same: Keep your eye on the prize. And to u.s., the prize is delivering the all-time gaming feel possible for our fans. Specifically, though, we picked upward a few new tricks. We learned, for case, an awful lot well-nigh balancing a game; since Empire Earth II has more gainsay units than any other game out there we had to develop new, automated techniques to help the designers.

The expansion will arrive in stores this week.
The expansion will get in in stores this week.

GS: Mad Doctor has been making Empire World Ii and the expansion for the past 24 months or so, hasn't it? What's information technology similar to get to the terminate of the road?

ID: Information technology's always prissy to get to the terminate of the road, to finish a game. There'southward a real sense of having done something to your best, and we've got a real sense of investment in the games we brand. We care nigh the experience our fans go when they sit downwards with a Mad Doc game. We accept our fans, and our games, very seriously. So for me, for usa, getting to the finish and delivering a great game experience is what it's all virtually. And it'south nice to exist able to take a week off at the end, too!

GS: And what's next for Mad Doc Software? Are at that place long vacations in the hereafter? Or is at that place some other, non-Star Trek project that needs shepherding?

ID: Alas, no rest for the weary, equally there's ever more work to exist washed. Making games is serious business organisation; it actually does require a great bargain of dedication and smarts. I don't know if people realize just how much work goes into the making of every game. And so, we may stop for a moment's rest, but just for a moment. The studio has grown tremendously over the final few years, and we now take well over a hundred employees working on multiple titles for PC and both adjacent-generation consoles. Onward and upward!

GS: Thanks, Ian.

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