RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS

[Drowsy Emperor]

 

 

Old news but still interesting: two months after Civ V was released, lead designer Jon Shafer "left" Firaxis.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/12/21/jon-shafer-leaves-firaxis/

He was leading up some Kickstarter project relatively recently: At the Gates

 

 

Developer churn is still a fairly regular thing.  It doesn't mean that there's bad blood or anything.

 

 

Would be strange not to have the lead designer around for the expansion packs?

 

Rumor is that he was fired (but this may just be wishful thinking on CivFanatics forums)

[Morgoth]

Old news but still interesting: two months after Civ V was released, lead designer Jon Shafer "left" Firaxis.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/12/21/jon-shafer-leaves-firaxis/

 

And since he left, Civ V improved considerably. Or so I heard with the release of the first expansion pack.

[Humanoid]

Pretty standard for the Civilization designers to leave after their game is completed. Bruce Shelley after Civ1 left and did Age of Empires. Brian Reynolds after Civ2 and Alpha Centauri to do Rise of Nations. Soren Johnson left to help with Spore.

[Drowsy Emperor]

 

Old news but still interesting: two months after Civ V was released, lead designer Jon Shafer "left" Firaxis.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/12/21/jon-shafer-leaves-firaxis/

And since he left, Civ V improved considerably. Or so I heard with the release of the first expansion pack.

 

 

From what I understand his major "failing" was that he implemented the hex system without enough foresight as to how difficult AI is to program in that system (supposedly very difficult) and the scope of changes that system would bring to Civ even in trivial things like map size (necessity of having many more hexes to strategize with single unit armies than square grids in Civ stacks), leading to permanent congestion of the world map.

 

I like the single unit per hex idea but most fanatical players argue that the implementation was poor. 

 

There is a new upcoming expansion (most likely the last one) and that will probably be the last version of the game and better opportunity to see what the final product is like.

[Malcador]

Wonder what, if anything, Sid does.

[Azdeus]

Some people have short memory: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-08-03-activision-diablo-3-has-over-10-million-players

10 million units sold in the first three months.

 

Dunno about you but that sounds pretty swell to me.

 

 

How many of those were people that paid for a years WoW subscription and got D3 for free I wonder...

[Monte Carlo]

I think a better gauge of how well D3 has done / is doing will be console and XP sales. I'll probably end up getting both.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Wonder what, if anything, Sid does.

 

Spend money.

 

Would't we all like his job

[Amentep]

 

Is this speech supposed to be emotionless? Cause it's obviously written from a vulcan perspective. This is plain bad. Bad bad bad.

 

"We must face doubt"? Doubt? Does this word even exist in vulcan vocabulary? This is beyond bad. This game has gone where no game has gone before.

Did you forget how to Star Trek?

 

 

 

 

/

 

 

Must every Star Trek discussion turn to "slash fiction"?

 

[Hurlshort]

 

Old news but still interesting: two months after Civ V was released, lead designer Jon Shafer "left" Firaxis.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/12/21/jon-shafer-leaves-firaxis/

He was leading up some Kickstarter project relatively recently: At the Gates

 

 

I backed it.  It looks like a very nice independent strategy game at this point.  I enjoyed Civ V, so I figured I could throw the guy a few bucks.

[pmp10]

 

 

Old news but still interesting: two months after Civ V was released, lead designer Jon Shafer "left" Firaxis.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2010/12/21/jon-shafer-leaves-firaxis/

And since he left, Civ V improved considerably. Or so I heard with the release of the first expansion pack.

 

 

From what I understand his major "failing" was that he implemented the hex system without enough foresight as to how difficult AI is to program in that system (supposedly very difficult) and the scope of changes that system would bring to Civ even in trivial things like map size (necessity of having many more hexes to strategize with single unit armies than square grids in Civ stacks), leading to permanent congestion of the world map.

 

Firaxis always had some excuse for making poor AI that just cheats more with every difficulty level and there is no need to put it down on account of Jon Shafer. He's guilty enough of other disasters like Civ5 diplomacy. It's quite funny that soon after that he went to stardock supposedly hoping to rescue Elemental.

[Tigranes]

The new XCOM will be on sale by itself at $10 around 5/28-5/31.

[alanschu]

Wonder what, if anything, Sid does.

 

He's creative director and will have guiding influences on all the games he made.

 

If you read the fantastic post mortem on Polygon with Jake Solomon and XCOM's development, Sid was pretty much the principle sounding board for Jake, and helped Jake keep his sanity and assisted with various things like prototyping ideas and so forth.

[Malcador]

The new XCOM will be on sale by itself at $10 around 5/28-5/31.

Hm, decent price for it, I'd say. But yes, figured that was pretty much Sid's role, not much in the way of actual grind work.

[alanschu]

Well, in the post-mortem they basically talk about Sid (and Jake) coming up with a working prototype from scratch over the course of a weekend, so I suppose it would depend on what one means by "grind work."

[Monte Carlo]

Sid creates games using the POWER OF HIS MIND. He doesn't need to do grind work.

[Malcador]

Well, he's worked his way up to that kind of role, certainly.

[Cultist]

Slitherine has announced Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, which it partially revealed back in March through a partnership with Games Workshop.

The developer has acquired the exclusive rights to the Battle for Armageddon setting in order to create a series of multiplatform, turn-based, hex games.

The initial game is set during the Second War of Armageddon and players will lead the Imperial forces of the Armageddon Steel Legion and Space Marines from the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Salamanders Chapters against Ghazghkull Thraka’s massive Ork invasion through over 30 scenarios, on the “hostile terrain of the planet and its gigantic Hive Cities.”

“It is very exciting to see a game like this come alive – I just can’t wait to play it!”, said Iain McNeil, development director of the Slitherine Group. “It’s been almost 15 years since a turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe has been released and we think it is now time to deliver that experience to all fans around the world”.

“The Battle for Armageddon is a classic event in the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, having been detailed in games, models and novels over the past 20 years.” said Jon Gillard, head of licensing at Games Workshop. “Slitherine’s masterful use of their classic digital wargame style applied to this seminal setting will delight fans of both.”

Main features of the game include:

• The game portrays the Second War for Armageddon in great detail, from the initial Ork landings to the final liberation of the planet.
• A large branching campaign with 30 major scenarios, plus additional 5 tutorial scenarios that explore the story in detail.
• A complex plot, which can develop during a mission, right in the middle of battle, creating an engaging story line with unexpected twists.
• Players lead Imperial troops of the Armageddon Steel Legion, with supporting assets from a number of Space Marine chapters against the ferocious Orks.
• Fight alongside Commissar Yarrik and Commander Dante against the cunning Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka.
• Carry over battle-hardened veterans from scenario to scenario, using their experience and upgrading their equipment.
• Detailed combat model with terrain, weather and morale effects.
• Extensive modding options delivered through a powerful and easy-to-use game editor.

Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon contains over 35 scenarios, more than 100 unit types, with unique roles, stats and special abilities; and there will be 20 different units stats.

A separate set of maps are designed and balanced specifically for multiplayer via Slitherine’s PBEM++ system.

The game is currently in development for PC and iOS and will release in the first quarter of 2014.

[melkathi]

Will that be similar to Final Liberation then?

[Morgoth]

I just got myself Wizardry 8 from GoG for old times' sake. Tis gon be gud.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Slitherine has announced Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, which it partially revealed back in March through a partnership with Games Workshop.

 

The developer has acquired the exclusive rights to the Battle for Armageddon setting in order to create a series of multiplatform, turn-based, hex games.

 

The initial game is set during the Second War of Armageddon and players will lead the Imperial forces of the Armageddon Steel Legion and Space Marines from the Ultramarines, Blood Angels and Salamanders Chapters against Ghazghkull Thraka’s massive Ork invasion through over 30 scenarios, on the “hostile terrain of the planet and its gigantic Hive Cities.”

 

“It is very exciting to see a game like this come alive – I just can’t wait to play it!”, said Iain McNeil, development director of the Slitherine Group. “It’s been almost 15 years since a turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe has been released and we think it is now time to deliver that experience to all fans around the world”.

 

“The Battle for Armageddon is a classic event in the lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, having been detailed in games, models and novels over the past 20 years.” said Jon Gillard, head of licensing at Games Workshop. “Slitherine’s masterful use of their classic digital wargame style applied to this seminal setting will delight fans of both.”

 

Main features of the game include:

• The game portrays the Second War for Armageddon in great detail, from the initial Ork landings to the final liberation of the planet.
• A large branching campaign with 30 major scenarios, plus additional 5 tutorial scenarios that explore the story in detail.
• A complex plot, which can develop during a mission, right in the middle of battle, creating an engaging story line with unexpected twists.
• Players lead Imperial troops of the Armageddon Steel Legion, with supporting assets from a number of Space Marine chapters against the ferocious Orks.
• Fight alongside Commissar Yarrik and Commander Dante against the cunning Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka.
• Carry over battle-hardened veterans from scenario to scenario, using their experience and upgrading their equipment.
• Detailed combat model with terrain, weather and morale effects.
• Extensive modding options delivered through a powerful and easy-to-use game editor.

Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon contains over 35 scenarios, more than 100 unit types, with unique roles, stats and special abilities; and there will be 20 different units stats.

 

A separate set of maps are designed and balanced specifically for multiplayer via Slitherine’s PBEM++ system.

 

The game is currently in development for PC and iOS and will release in the first quarter of 2014.

 

Sweet. The list of PC games I want to play grows by the day.

[entrerix]

whoa that warhammer 40k game sounds like it has some serious potential

[Keyrock]

Sounds awesome, but I'd much rather play as the awesome Orks and smash the filthy umies.

[alanschu]

Will that be similar to Final Liberation then?

 

I actually enjoyed that game, and was my primary introduction to the Warhammer 40k universe haha.

[Serrano]

RTS and wargame fans should take a look at this

Edited May 24, 2013 by Serrano