Smoking Gun Interactive talks to us about Age of Empires: Castle Siege

Our interview with Smoking Gun Interactive'south co-founder almost the upcoming Age of Empires game made for touchscreens

Microsoft will offer Windows Telephone owners not one but two new games based on their Age of Empires strategy franchise this fall. In addition to the previously announced Age of Empires: World Domination game from developer KLab, the visitor announced last week plans to release Age of Empires: Castle Siege for Windows Phone and Windows 8.i old in September.

As the title implies, this game concentrates on offering players a way to build a castle, consummate with defenses that will exist made to keep information technology from falling to enemies. Developed by Vancouver-based Smoking Gun Interactive, Historic period of Empires: Castle Siege will offering a way to link upward with friends on Xbox Live for alliances besides as support for online leaderboards. We got a chance to chat with John Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of Smoking Gun Interactive, to find out more about Age of Empires: Castle Siege, including how the costless-to-play game will handle in-game purchases and more than.

Beginning, how did Smoking Gun Interactive get the gig from Microsoft to develop Age of Empires: Castle Siege?

"We had a great relationship with Microsoft having worked on many projects and many teams with them over the concluding few years. We were very excited to pitch for AoE: Castle Siege Every bit our founders and many employees accept extensive RTS feel and that gave u.s. a bit of an edge."

Many people might be wondering how Castle Siege ties into the Age of Empires franchise besides just the name. What elements in the game make it a true Age of Empires championship?

"AoE: Castle Siege brings AoE gameplay to touch devices. We've kept a lot of what fabricated the original AoE so popular: We're grounded in history, you can play one of half-dozen civilizations and each have 3 unique heroes and one unique troop blazon. You can directly control all the units during gainsay just like other RTS titles. We have a tech tree to advance through as well as many ages to advance through that all gain ameliorate weapons, units, defenses and other structures. And as with AoE, the game is primarily about advancement and combat."

What sort of castles and defenses can players brand in the game?

"Players tin can arrange their castles in any way they choose with lots of different tactical layouts that can piece of work. There are a variety of defensive towers such equally Archer towers, Crossbow towers, and ballista towers and, at higher levels there are more powerful towers similar the flame tower that shoots Greek fire. In addition, there are emplacements which are more fragile than towers, but take a longer range. Walls protect your buildings and defenses and you can place troops on walls to defend them. In addition, Patrol points let yous assign one-2 squads of troops (of your choice) to defend your castle and Guard Houses volition constantly spawn defensive troops until the guard house is destroyed so these are all-time placed in protected areas. There are a variety of traps players tin hide such equally caltrops, fire traps and engineer traps."

What kinds of units can the actor access to lay siege to the castles?

"Players can access Infantry, Spear Infantry, Raiders, Ladder Invaders, Archers, Crossbow Men, Cavalry, Battering Rams, Siege Towers, Catapults and Ballistas. Some come in later ages and all troop types can be upgraded over time. Each civilization also has its own unique unit of measurement: Briton – Longbowman, Franc – Knight Templar, Tuetons – Tuetonic Knight, Byzantine – Cheirosiphon, Keivan Rus – Raiders of Muscovy, Saracen – Mamluk. Units have specific roles there are better at in gainsay and directing units in battle will maximize its role effectively. That is a key skill players will pick up as they advance through the ages."

What gameplay modes will be available in Castle Siege?

"AoE: Castle Siege is really all about edifice and combat. You build up your castle to defend yourself and protect yous loot and your keep. You lot so build armies and attack other player's castles to try to destroy as much of their castles as you can. In that location are 10 historical missions you play every bit well."

What other features will brand Age of Empires: Castle Siege stand out from the many mobile strategy games currently available?

"In the mobile arena nosotros experience our touch based directly control sets us apart and really gives an RTS sensibility to the title. Each troop type has a specific gainsay role and players will have to master ordering their troops to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Hero special abilities can really turn the tide of the battle and are a lot of fun to use. Players tin also exercise research on both an economic and military tech tree. We experience we've given the player lots of flexibility to lay out their castle with many tactical options available. The combat is truly a skill based game, which will have time to master merely however attainable plenty for the casual user."

How easy or hard was it to make the game piece of work in Windows Telephone and Windows 8.i and will it be a universal app with cross platform support?

"There are challenges with any platform, especially with the range of devices available. We besides had challenges making the game back up both touch and keyboard/mouse input for desk top users. In the terminate we landed with something that really worked well for touch and PC. Yes the game is compatible on all platforms so yous can attack players on PC from your mobile device and vice versa. You can log into the same account from multiple devices as well. So practice some attacks from home, continue on your mobile device and when yous get to work log in and continue from there."

The game will have some in-game app purchases. Can you talk nigh what these elements will be similar and if they will exist needed to successfully play the game?

"It takes time to build everything in the game. Players can skip the await buy purchasing and spending gilded (yous can also acquire gilt by attacking other players or setting up trade routes). There are no power ups or other consumables for purchase so fifty-fifty if yous accelerate your castle's progression, you lot will still accept to develop your combat skills to be successful. Everything is available in game without having to buy, so you don't have to spend a dime, if yous don't want to."

What can you tell the states most the fine art design and the graphics for Castle Siege?

"We wanted to make sure the game read well on smaller phone displays. Nosotros also had to support a wide range of devices with dissimilar resolutions and abilities while still assuasive the player to exist able to discern gameplay elements. It is a departure from the original AoE, simply we were going for a residual between the original more realistic style and yet still appeal to a mobile audience and accept art that was instantly recognizable on smaller devices. It'due south a fine line, but we roughshod nosotros struck a residual that works well for both PC and mobile. There are lots of little touches in the game from collapsing wall animations to fume and burn effects that give a real visual punch."

If the game is successful, could we see it on iOS or Android devices at some signal?

"For now the game is being released for Windows 8 PC and Windows Telephone viii."

Any plans for boosted content to exist added to the game subsequently it is released?

"Yes. We do have plans for additional content."

Finally, is there anything else y'all wish to say virtually Age of Empires: Castle Siege?

"We're very excited to see the game get released. We worked very hard to make a game that, hopefully, appeals to both coincidental players and fans of the franchise. Nosotros are hoping to bring in a whole new audience to the Age franchise. We're especially pleased at the level of player control and tactical gameplay depth we've been able to add together to a mobile strategy championship and we promise people like it."

Nosotros would like to thank John for taking the time to answer our questions!

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/smoking-gun-interactive-talks-us-about-age-empires-castle-siege

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