Lead Your Units into Battle and Record Every Move in “Arena Wars”

by Louis Bedigian

“It's got that immediate pick up and play factor that most people will appreciate.”

“We found this on an obscure land not too far from the obscure planet we discovered.”

“What do you think it is?”

“We’re not really sure.  Some suspect that it’s a sign of purple aliens…”

“…Or a tribute to Pikmin 2.”

“No, it can’t be!  The Pikmin are galaxies away from here!”

“Then it could only mean one thing.  Arena Wars is on its way.”

“Arena Wars?  What’s that?”

“It’s a real-time strategy game with some really intriguing features.  They say you can take action, destroy the enemy, and record every moment of it.”

“Wow, that’s like reality TV!  But with polygons!”

Arena Wars is coming to a PC near you this month.  Alan Wild, International Product Manager for Ascaron Entertainment, took some time away from product managing to talk about the game’s unique features.

Arena Wars comes into a world that is currently being flooded with real-time strategy games.  What sets this one apart from the rest? 

Alan Wild: It's addictive. The easiest way of describing Arena Wars is to say "go and download the demo, install it and have a blast for 15 or 20 minutes." It's got that immediate pick up and play factor that most people will appreciate.

What has been accomplished in blending the RTS and action genres together? 

AW: We've got a game that looks stunning, has a truly unique feel, is well priced for the gamer, and is extremely entertaining to play!

Looks like a protective force field.

Arena Wars includes two unique game modes – Bombing Run (BR) and Double Domination (DD).  Can you tell us about those? 

AW: In Bombing Run mode the objective is to grab the bomb (usually located in the center of the map) with one of your units, then take it to your enemy's bomb dropzone (at their base) and drop it there. The bomb then counts down from 20 seconds and, if the bomb isn't moved by your enemy, it will detonate causing a massive explosion around the bomb dropzone and giving you a point in the process.

However, say the bomb counts down... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... and then it's taken from the dropzone, well, the next time that bomb's on a dropzone the owner will only have 4 seconds left to save their base!

Don't forget to defend as well!

Double Domination is, as the name suggests, a mode where you have to control 2 points simultaneously for a set period of time. So, grab the domination key, capture a point, go and grab the domination key when it re-spawns, then capture the remaining point, then hold both points and SCORE.

Capturing and holding 2 points isn't as easy as it sounds... but it is a whole lot of fun!

How expansive is the map editor? 

AW: Umm. It's 100% expansive. Is that an answer? Hmm, ok, how about "This is the exact same map editor we used to create all the retail maps, with a whole collection of texture packs, objects, models, and so on..." That better? Oh, and yes, you can edit existing maps. The map editor is so easy to use, even someone who has never used a map editor before can literally have a great looking map ready to go in around 30 minutes.

“Man am I tired.  I’ve had to carry this giant energy bar on my head all day!”

AI is said to be unscripted and unpredictable.  Talk about this and how it makes the game difficult to master. 

AW: Arena Wars has 13 different AI difficulty levels. These range from "Dummy Defensive" to "Insane Aggressive". Put simply, the AI is like a chess computer. What this means is that it learns during the game. A dummy AI opponent will learn at a much slower rate than an insane opponent, likewise a defensive opponent will be harder to breakdown than perhaps an aggressive opponent (who in turn will usually be significantly harder to defend against), although that will depend on your skill and the progress of the game.

The real beauty of the AI is that a single player can have a true multiplayer experience just by selecting computer AI opponents (you can also select the AI to be an ally, so making games like 2 vs. 2 with only one human player perfectly possible and incredibly playable). 

Arena Wars allows you to record the game and replay your every action.  What is the purpose of this?  Why is it important? 

AW: Arena Wars is a game of tactics and strategy. There are two good ways of learning games like this...either play them or watch them. With the replays you've got the best of both worlds. And watching those classic battles in full 3D with a completely rotatable camera angle is really quite something.

What are the power-ups and how are they used? 

AW: There's a whole bunch of power-up (or items) which can be collected. There are 4 colour types: red, blue, green and yellow. Red and blue items are great for disabling your enemies, their tactics or their units, while the yellow and green items help boost your own or allied units. One example would be to destroy a number of your enemy's units as they defend their flag, then send in your buggy to grab the flag, drop a blue Virus on your opponent to stop them building more units and knock their radar out, then whack a yellow Speed boost on your buggy and get out of there fast.

Remember, your enemies can collect items too! 

I’m guessing we attack here?

This game appears to have a top-down camera angle.  Can this be changed?  Or have you found that this angle works best for this particular game? 

AW: Arena Wars is completely 3D, and this can be shown best in replays (or using the map editor) when you change the angle of the camera. However, during actual gameplay it's simply nowhere near as playable, and when we tested using the fully customizable camera angles in-game, it became obvious this wasn't how Arena Wars was best played. 

Multiplayer games include an observer feature.  Does this mean you can watch other people play without  actually being in the game? 

AW: It sure does. Provided the game host has allowed observers, you can join the game and watch it however you please.

Tell us about the Webcam and voice chat features. 

AW: This is what online gaming is all about. Real time voice communication is something which every game that has online multiplayer support should have. It adds a whole new dimension to any game, whether it be tactics in a serious game, or simply having a laugh with your mates. And with gamers having faster connections these days we wanted to go one step further and get the webcam in there too. What's better than hearing your enemies cry in anguish? Watching them!

At the end of the game you can also choose to save the voice/webcam data into your replays, so you can watch those great moments again and again. 

 

Thanks for your time Alan.