Interviews with Bart Farkas and Jeff Green

Authors of upcoming "Warcraft" books from BradyGames

BradyGames has shared with us two interviews with the authors of "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos(tm) Official Strategy Guide" and "The Art of Warcraft." The Art of Warcraft will be a book featuring rare and never-before-seen artwork from the "Warcraft" universe. Readers will enjoy the expansive coverage, including illustrations and story elements from "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, plus an exclusive look at the upcoming "World of Warcraft(tm)" game. In addition, it will provide behind-the-scenes commentary from the Blizzard development team and anecdotes about the story and events in the series.

The "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos(tm) Official Strategy Guide" will be a premier-quality guide. BradyGames are pulling out all the stops on this one. Everything isn't finalized yet, but "Warcraft III" fans can be rest assured that this will be one of the best, most comprehensive PC strategy guides they've ever seen.

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Q&A With Bart Farkas - Author, the "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Official Strategy Guide"

Farkas has written more than 45 strategy guides and computer books. His recent titles include the "State of Emergency Official Strategy Guide," the "Global Operations Official Strategy Guide" and the "Battle Realms Official Strategy Guide." His previous works include the "Diablo II: Lord of Destruction(tm) Official Strategy Guide" and the "Max Payne Official Strategy Guide." He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with his wife, two sons and two cats.

Q. Is "Warcraft III" worth the wait?

A. Oh yeah! I think it will set sales records. I've been playing it for months now, and I am most certainly going to buy it and keep playing it, no joke!

Q. So is it just another real-time strategy game?

A. The "Warcraft" series of games (and later on "StarCraft") set the tone for what a real-time strategy game should be. These games were so good that they are still being played today, years after their release. In the world of computer games, this is an amazing stat.

"Warcraft III" isn't just another real-time strategy game, it's the evolution of a fantastic franchise into a game that takes the real-time experience to new levels.

Q. At this point, how much have you played it?

A. I've played the multiplayer game extensively and have toyed with all four races a great deal. Based on multiplayer alone, this game is incredible already!

Q. What have you seen that beta testers haven't?

A. I was out at Blizzard just before the beta was released, and I was able to see some features and skills in the game that have since been removed from gameplay. Blizzard is constantly adjusting the game to ensure that it is as balanced as possible.

Q. What's your role in the BradyGames project?

A. I am the author of the "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Official Strategy Guide," and the co-author of "The Art of Warcraft," BradyGames' collection of the artwork behind the games.

For the strategy guide, I must play the game extensively and work hand-in-hand with Blizzard to create a book that will be helpful to all levels of "Warcraft III" gamers.

Q. So far, what's your favorite part of "Warcraft III"?

A. I tend to enjoy the single player campaigns in any game. That said, in "Warcraft III," I would say that the entire game is a treat. Probably my favorite aspect of the game is the fact that you can play four very different races, which always keeps the game fresh.

Q. Do you have a favorite character race?

A. Right now I'm a Night Elf man.

Q. How is "Warcraft III" different from "Warcraft II"?

A. These differences could fill a book, and will ;-). That said, the three most dramatic differences are:

1. "Warcraft III" is fully 3D and used polygonal models rather than sprites for each unit.

2. There are essentially three new races in the game (two that you can play), making the game play much more varied and complicated.

3. The inclusion of RPG hero elements gives the game another layer of interest for gamers.

Q. How is it different to play a game with the goal of writing a strategy guide, versus playing a game to have fun?

A. Very different. When you're playing a game to write a guide you are constantly thinking about alternate ways to do things, how best to get the concepts across in writing, what would make a valuable table or chart, and how the maps will be drawn. Basically, when you're playing the game to write a strategy guide you can't relax and enjoy the game the same way you would if you were just playing for fun. You are constantly soaking up information, taking notes and trying alternate ways of doing things so that you can create the best book possible in the time given.

Q. Blizzard has a reputation for perfectionism. What's it like to work with them?

A. They are indeed perfectionists, but that doesn't transfer to the way they work or to their environment in a negative way. They are THE company to work with. They are the single most helpful group of people I've ever worked with, and going to Blizzard to work on a book is always a treat.

Blizzard understands the difficulties involved with creating a strategy guide under tight time constraints, and they are always available to me to help make the guide the best it can be. Blizzard is always very involved in the guide's creation, and the Blizzard staff often contributes a great deal to the book's content.

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Q&A With Jeff Green - Author, "The Art of Warcraft"

Green is editor in chief of "Computer Gaming World" magazine. He's been gaming all his life, and can pinpoint the exact moment when his career path was chosen: when he played pinball instead of attending one of his final exams at U.C. Berkeley. He lives with his wife Annie, his daughter Sarah and his cat PJ in Berkeley, Calif.

Q. How much have you seen of "Warcraft III"?

A. Well, I've been looking at it for the last couple years, in various stages, and I've been participating in the beta test since it first started.

Q. What have you seen that the beta testers haven't?

A. Mostly non-gameplay stuff: concept art, sketches, and things like that. Most of the mysteries-like the plot-remain a mystery to me as well.

Q. What's your role in the BradyGames' "The Art of Warcraft"?

A. I'm writing some "color" commentary - my overall impressions on different aspects of Blizzard's artistic achievements. I've never made a secret of my love for the series, so this was just a chance for me to ramble about it publicly.

Q. Why would people be interested in an art book?

A. Because it gives you a chance to really see the talent and care and detail that goes into games like this, without the distraction of the game itself getting in the way. It's easy to just get lost in playing these games, but when you stand back and look at the work of some of these artists, it's really just mind-boggling.

Q. From an artistic standpoint, how does "Warcraft III" compare to other PC games?

A. Blizzard is always on the cutting edge - it's what helps them stand out and be so successful. I don't necessarily mean cutting-edge in terms of technology-this is their first 3D game, after all-but in terms of sheer aesthetics. The attention to detail, the humor, the "life" brought to these drawings all set "Warcraft III" apart from the majority of similar PC games.

Q. In your opinion, what sets "Warcraft III" apart from "Warcraft II"?

A. The new dimension (the 3rd) is the most obvious difference, giving the entire universe a very detailed, very "real" feel to it. And the new playable races essentially make this an entirely new game, fundamentally challenging all players (even the most seasoned "Warcraft" veterans) to learn all-new strategies.

Q. What's your favorite character race?

A. The Orcs, easily. What can I say? I'm a traditionalist. The new races are cool, and maybe I'll love them more over time, but there's something about those big, dumb, green monsters that's totally loveable. Maybe it's just the way they say "Zug Zug".

Q. What's it like to work with Blizzard?

A. They're always great -- professional, and yet, amazingly, given their successes, totally humble. They always want to get it right. They always feel they can do better. They never want to rest on their laurels. Working with people like that, it just makes you want to work harder too.

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