MegaWars was an immensely popular text-based, eventually online, strategy game back in the 80s which ran all the way until 1999. Our latest #IndieDev interview comes courtesy of Matt Parisi at Crimson Leaf, the development house responsible for the extremely ambitious (and eagerly anticipated) remake. A massive online, multiplayer game, MegaWars looks ready to take on the 21st century.
Hello Matt, you are currently working on MegaWars – a massive multiplayer battle game – How did the initial idea for game come about?
I had played MegaWars for years. The game then disappeared in 1999 and I felt that there was a void left in the industry. My longing to play MegaWars yet again, pushed me toward the re-development of the game! (hurrah! – Ed)
What can we expect to see in MegaWars?
MMOBA, 30day resetting wars…
Player vs player like no other, battles in MW are not always fought ship to ship but through alliances and diplomacy (oh crikey, we’re screwed… – Ed).
What software and resources are you using to make MegaWars?
We are using Visual Studio, Unity, Microsoft SQL server, IIS. Our artist is using Maya as well.
MegaWars boasts that every player has an equal chance of winning the game – how exactly will this work?
When playing MegaWars you will be immersed in a completely social game. No NPCs and everything is PvP. As a result, you are scored both individually and as part of a team. You have to be on a team of players in order to strategically take over the galaxy. There are plenty of incentives for teams to pick up new/rookie players within the game. There are also three different levels of play that you can chose from and your selection in this has to do with how much time you can dedicate to the game each month/war. Each level has certain abilities within the game. As a result, teams need players at all levels, in order to win.
As mentioned previously, there is scoring for both individual players (planets/tax collection, resource management) and teams (combat and strategy). The seeding within each scoring matrix has to do with how well you perform within your given level of play.
MegaWars aims to appeal to both casual gamers and die hard gamers alike – how are you hoping to accomplish this and do you think it is a gamble not to focus on just one type of player?
There are incentives for both. Each category of gamer needs the other in order to win. No matter your level of play/skill/time commitment – you want to win. The better you do during each war, the better your chances of being selected for the WAR OF THE GALAXY at the end of the season. Those who win this final war will get some pretty sweet trips/deals/prizes. Since it is completely social, you need all levels of players to do well.
MegaWars is a really ambitious project – what has it been like to work on?
A tremendous amount of fun. I have spent the past six years writing this game purely for the love of it! In working with the players, to recreate this game as accurate as possible, has been challenging, yet very rewarding.
This game would not be where it is today without the dedication of many of the original players of MegaWars.
The current Unity version was started in 2013. Much of this time has been dedicated on a part-time basis. We are currently in late stages of Alpha testing and hope to release Beta by the end of July 2015.
Are you targeting MegaWars to the retro gamer?
MegaWars has roots back to the 1980s when a game, by the same name and text based, was played by thousands. We have developed MegaWars, in its current version completely from scratch and have added the latest playability features.
We are marketing the game to retro gamers as many of them remember playing the older versions. In fact, we have a group of avid MegaWars fans who, while the game was completely off the market, were searching high and low for it. It was only after Crimson Leaf LLC distributed MegaWars III and MegaWars IV were those gamers able to start playing the game they so dearly loved all over again.
What platforms will MegaWars be available on?
MegaWars will be available on PC, Mac and Linux upon release. We will have mobile and tablet alerts. Game play on mobile and tablets will be available shortly after initial release.
When is MegaWars available and where can we purchase it from?
MegaWars will be available in the coming months. We are still hammering out a schedule with potential crowdfunding, steam, greenlight, etc. We expect that pre-sales will be open in the next few weeks with some exclusive supporter rewards. Pre-sales will be available on www.megawars.net
What are your views on the video game industry of today?
I believe that there isn’t a ton of uniqueness in the marketplace. There seems to be many games that are listed under different titles and played in different settings, yet have the same objectives and rules. Additionally, there is a LOT of play to win that is out there currently.
What tips / advice would you give to any budding video game developers who are thinking of making their own indie games?
A little bit of work on your title everyday!
If you could share a few pints with a video game character who would you choose?
Morrigana from Dragon Age: Inquisition
Thanks Matt!
-Adrian