Tactical Advantage: How visuals can affect strategy games
Rob Zacny gathers his troops in our monthly Tactical Advantage column to examine the complexities of strategic gaming and development. This month, Rob explains how pretty visuals don’t necessarily make a better strategy game.
A PC upgrade can make everything feel new again, even something as minor as using Microsoft Word. I’m giddy at how much information my new 27-inch monitor can display. With enough desktop space to write in one window while others show me sources and chats with editors, I feel like the world is at my fingertips. I wish strategy games gave me that feeling more often, since they actually do put a world at my fingertips. Too often, strategy developers take the wrong approach to visual design and misplace their priorities when it comes to graphics.
Next Humble Indie Bundle to feature Introversion Games?
Bargain games stalwart Lewie Procter has alerted us to this post on DIY Gamer, which seems to suggest that the latest Humble Indie Bundle might include Introversion software. All Introversion’s games to date are included, with the low-tech delights of Darwinia, Uplink, Defcon and Multiwinia listed in Mac and PC varieties.
The bundle was discovered by sneaky internet users poking about in Steam, who stumbled across Subscription 12283, aka Introversion Humble Indie Bundle Retail. There’s no word on release date, and Humble Indie themselves haven’t commented on it. But Introversion are an ideal match for the Humble Bundle – their low-fi approach and refusal to sell out have made them one of the most-loved developers in the world, and the Bundle gives a lot of its proceeds to charity.
According to DIY Gamer, Introversion have fallen on hard times, though, with their fascinating strategy heist title Subversion being put on hold indefinitely so they could concentrate on something else. Hopefully the Humble Bundle will put some cash in Introversion’s coffers – and remind the world that they still exist.
Play with StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm units now on modder’s custom map
StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm is still in development somewhere behind the supply depot/bunker ramp defence in front of Blizzard HQ, but Blizzard did drop lots of details on Heart of the Swarm’s new units at Blizzcon a couple of weeks ago. One modder on Reddit has devoted 60 hours of his life to recreating the new units in a custom map using the StarCraft 2 editor.
Blizzard dev on Blizzard DOTA: “We felt like we really needed to simplify things”
Defence of the Ancients games are fast becoming the equivalent of hatchback cars. They’re mostly the same, but each manufacturer is going to put a different spin on it – a bigger bumper, maybe, or a sunroof designed to catch people with giant perms. Blizzard DOTA, though, is looking to shake things up a bit. At Blizzcon the devs outlined a number of intriguing changes to the classic DOTA formula designed to streamline the experience for new players and “get the depth back where it belongs.”
We caught up with senior designer, Johnny Ebbert at Blizzcon for a to find out why why the developers felt as though they “really needed to simplify things,” and why DOTA should become more like chess.
20 Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm screenshots
Blizzard have released tons of chitinous screens for insectiod sequel Starcaft II: Heart of the Swarm. You might have seen some of them in our preview earlier, but there’s plenty more inside to whet you appetite. Not enough? Check out the new trailer.
Epic battles in Feudal Japan coming in Sengoku
In an early announcement at GDC, Paradox have revealed their newest title to the word: Sengoku. A grand strategy title set in 15th century Feudal Japan, Sengoku promises to be historically accurate and offer a deep political game experience. You can see the serene first reveal trailer above, and get all the details after the jump.
StarCraft II 1.3 patch now in beta testing
Blizzard are releasing another main patch for StarCraft II, and are allowing players to try it out before the official release date. The 1.3 patch is now current available to download via StarCraft’s public test server.
Patch 1.3 adds a new Grandmaster League to the 1v1 ladder matches. This league is available to the top 200 players in each of StarCraft II’s global regions. Additionally, the usual fixes of balance changes and general bug fixes are all present and correct, along with some improvements to the Join Custom Game feature and the game’s editing tools.
The full patch notes can be found over at the StarCraft II forums.
[via Big Download]
Nine new maps coming to StarCraft 2; others removed from playlists
Blizzard are making some changes to StarCraft II’s multiplayer. The popular RTS will be receiving nine new maps to its ladder rotation. But with added content comes some disappearances; some old maps are being pulled from the ladder matches section. Fans of the maps that are removed needn’t fear though, since they will still be available in custom matches.
Blizzard have provided a list of the new maps and those that have been removed, along with commentaries explaining the decisions, which you can read here. The developer has also promised more maps in the coming weeks, “including a user-made 1v1 map that is currently being featured in the Global StarCraft League”.
[via Big Download]
Interview: Chris Taylor on Age of Empires Online
Yesterday we learned that Robot Entertainment are handing development for Age of Empires Online over to Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander creators Gas Powered Games. We had a chat with CEO of Gas Powered Games, Chris Taylor about the challenges of taking the reins on a series as revered as Age of Empires.
The best Starcraft II mods available now
Yesterday Blizzard revealed the three custom game modes they’ve designed using the StarCraft 2 editing tools. However good they turn out to be, they’ll struggle to compete with the wealth of player-made offerings made over the past 6 months using the same kit. The community has done some amazing things. There are mods out there that can turn StarCraft 2 into a fully fledged RPG, a survival horror, a tower defence game or even a game of space combat. Read on for our pick of eight of the best.
Hearts of Iron III to receive new expansion
Hearts of Iron III is to receive a new expansion pack – For The Motherland – Paradox Interactive have announced today. Click more for the details.
Heroes of Newerth update adds casual mode and item store
The DotA-esque Heroes of Newerth has just been bumped up to version 2.0. The free update has added a series of new features designed to make the game more accessible to new players, including a revamped matchmaking system and a casual mode to help new players learn the game. Other additions include an item store that will let players pay extra for cosmetic items. Read on for the full update details and a trailer.
Gamers holding Rumble in the Bronze StarCraft 2 charity grudge match
Rumble in the Bronze is a charity StarCraft 2 event in which six teams are set to fight for donations to hospitals of their choice. This competition has more going for it than a good name and a good cause, the first match will be fought with an interesting ruleset. It’s a 2v2 scrap in which the base building and economy is handled by Diamond players, while all the nitty gritty troop control is done by less experienced Bronze players. The whole event will be broadcast live, and they’re taking donations for Child’s Play now. Read on for details.
Dawn of War 2: Retribution Eldar Heroes detailed
Relic have revealed more information on the four heroes we’ll be commanding as part of the Eldar single player campaign in Dawn of War 2: Retribution. Read on for images and an overview of each of the heroes.
StarCraft 2 fan creates Protoss build order program
Recently a programmer called Lomilar created EvolutionChamber, a computer program designed to come up with optimal build orders for the Zerg race in StarCraft 2. One of the first strategies the program produced was a deadly seven Roach rush that had players on the Starcraft 2 forums scrambling to invent a counter. Now a different AI coder has taken Lomilar’s program, and rewritten it to work for the Protoss race.
