03/15/05 >> ParaWorld
Genre: Prehistoric Real-time Strategy
Developer: SEK
Publisher: Sunflowers
Official Site
GPM had the chance to speak with Reinhard Döpfer of Sunflowers to discuss their upcoming prehistoric RTS ParaWorld. A big thanks goes out to Reinhard and Svetlana for getting this together.
Tell us a bit about this prehistoric RTS and how it differs from other real-time strategy games?
Paraworld is the first RTS Game set in a prehistoric world in which humans have subjugated the giants of primeval times. Besides the actual RTS part, the game boasts an incredibly exciting atmosphere, an engrossing story and units never before seen in a game. We’ll introduce a totally new unit management system and are confident that this constitutes a groundbreaking development in the genre.
ParaWorld will feature 5 different climatic zones (Northlands, Jungle, Savannah, Ice Wastes, and Lava). How does each zone affect gameplay?
The number refers to the Singleplayer Campaign and the climatic zones in Singleplayer and Multiplayer Mode. The various climatic zones are: Northlands, Jungle, Savannah, Ice Wastes, and Volcano/Ashes. The different climatic zones and their various landscape settings continually challenge the player to make new tactical decisions. In addition, there are wild prehistoric animals, each with specific behavioral aspects. From peaceful herbivores which mean no harm to the player to extremely dangerous predatory dinosaurs which one should be very wary of ;-) – different creatures can be found in each climatic zone. You might come across a saber-toothed tiger in the Ice Wastes or see a predatory dinosaur in the Savannah, e.g. an Allosaurus.
What kinds of gameplay modes will the game provide?
Multiplayer:
PW supports up to 8 Players per Multiplayer Match. There will be three different Multiplayer Modes:
1 .Death Match / Team Death Match (with or without dimension gate)
2. King of the Hill
3. Defender
In the Defender Mode, the Player will defend a specific position on the map (which was designed specifically for this mode) against his enemies. In the beginning, players have more resources at their disposal in order to ensure equal opportunities (after all, they might, for example, be attacked by 3 enemies at once). If the player manages to defend his position within a set time-frame, he wins the game.
Singleplayer:
We are very keen on varied mission targets and exciting gameplay in the Singleplayer Campaign. This means that every single mission is different. For example, the protection of a number of mammoth (spread out over the level) might be at the centre of a mission, whilst you have to defend yourself against an enemy tribe at the same time. In some of the missions, the heroes are playing the leading part, whereas others are similar to the multiplayer mode “Domination”.
The player controls a variety of dinosaurs, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Tell us about these units and how the 3 different tribes play.
I wouldn’t want to reveal too much, but each people is distinctly different from the others. Some peoples might be more on the defensive and thus be equipped with well-armored units. Another people might be very mobile and offensive. One of the people is technically superior to the others and quite cunning when it comes to defensive action. And finally, there is a fourth people – but I won’t (or can’t) reveal their secret just yet…
Let’s talk about the Heroes of the game. This is certainly a trend in RTS games of late (Age of Mythology, Warcraft 3). How will the Hero unit affect gameplay?
Heroes play an important role in PW, be it in Singleplayer or Multiplayer mode. They possess special skills and can progress through various levels in the course of a Multiplayer game or a Singleplayer level by gaining experience points. On the first level, they are clearly stronger than other units and also have more hitpoints. On the second level, they receive an environment bonus, on the third level a “Special Move”, on level 4 they get access to new units or buildings, and on the highest level they receive a bonus for their entire people. You can have more than one hero for each people, but there will be certain limitations in the Singleplayer Campaign. If one of the heroes dies, he can be bought back in the inn, where new heroes can also be recruited, provided the player has sufficient resources.
ParaWorld will feature over 50 different types of animals. That’s a huge number. How many units can a player control at once?
At the time of going to press, the Player can control up to 60 Units simultaneously.
Will ParaWorld feature large-scale battles?
No, our focus is not on large-scale battle situations with hundreds of units but on medium battles where the player can deploy individual units in a tactically astute manner.
What can you tell us about unit management?
The Unit Management in ParaWorld is unprecedented. We are exploring a totally new avenue which will provide the player with new tactical possibilities. Furthermore, by way of this type of management we also minimize negative features typical for RTS like, for example, the tank rush.
Will ParaWorld be presented at the E3 this year? If so, in what form?
Yes, we will be presenting ParaWorld at the E3. By then, we will be about a month before the beta version. This means we will be able to prepare a fully playable version of the game.
Will a demo be released?
I can’t give you any information as to that just yet.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, go buy the game!! ;-)
Interview by Alex Hammond
