Interview With Aaron Hall - Page 2

raynor · #11 February 8th, 2001, 08:32 AM

The developers of the original XCOM are working on a new project. Check it out at:
http://www.mythosgames.com/

Daynarr · #12 February 8th, 2001, 09:28 AM

You guys may want to pay this site a visit: http://www.freelancer.ag.ru/index_eng.shtml

It has lots of stuff about X-Com series, Jagged Alliance series, infos and other stuff from Dreamland and other similar games. Btw. I can't wait for Freedom Ridge to come out. It sure look like it will be a bLast (I miss that feeling I had playing UFO-Enemy Unknown).

[This message has been edited by Daynarr (edited 08 February 2001).]

Atrocities · #13 February 8th, 2001, 10:07 AM

Thanks for posting about the interview.

*quotes from interview with Aaron Hall at Twin Galaxies*

quote:
AH: I've been creating games since I first starting using a TRS-80 in the 5th grade.

Hey, I used those in hi schools. We affectionately referred to them as Trash80's.
10 CLS
15 PRINT "HI"
20 PRINT "INPUT NAME"
25 INPUT = A
30 PRINT "HELLO"
35 PRINT A

(Ok, might not be totally accurate for basic, but its what I recall.

)

quote:
AH: We had a whole line of temporal weapons on paper that would create solar systems, armageddon the entire galaxy, bring ships from the future, and so on. However, most of these had to wait due to both time and balance issues.

TG: Had to wait? Not ruled out completely? I think you just made a bunch of the hardcore players drool.

*wipes drool from mouth.*

quote:
AH: That's an easy one. I would make Space Empires an on-line strategy game with a persistent world, but probably with multiple galaxies. A huge database would back the game up with thousands of worlds. And there'd be enough data to give each world its own character and appearance. Players would then build their empires, encounter each other, and battle. The history of the galaxy would be written and maintained for all to view and re-live.

Sign me up brother.

I am on board.

That was a great interview. Thanks TG for doing it, and thanks for posting about it here.

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"We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats! They invade our space and we fall back -- they assimilate entire worlds and we fall back! Not again! The line must be drawn here -- this far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Patric Stewart as Captain Picard
UCP/TCO Ship Yards

henk brouwer · #14 February 8th, 2001, 11:17 AM

Hmmn strange screenshot on the interview page(the space empires IV screenshot in the comparisons)

The player starts his game on a sphereworld??

geoschmo · #15 February 8th, 2001, 08:06 PM

quote:
Hmmn strange screenshot on the interview page(the space empires IV screenshot in the comparisons)
The player starts his game on a sphereworld??

Actually if you look at the right colony screen on the right side you will see the colony type of "mining colony" If that were the starting planet it would be "Homeworld".

In another thread there is a discussion about ways to make the starting planets be ringworlds/sphereworlds though.

Nyx · #16 February 8th, 2001, 10:37 PM

That screenshot is right off the MM homepage. When he spoke about the code coming from old generatiosn to the newer games I thought it would be cool to show how far the game's come, so I snagged one tactical screen from each edition of the game. He said that he'll try to get us a photo of himself soon so maybe we'll be lucky and be able to put a face to him too.

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Compete in the Space Empires IV World Championship at www.twingalaxies.com.

ColdSteel · #17 February 9th, 2001, 12:58 AM

Hey Atrocities, pretty good from long ago memory.

I think you just left off the "$" on the "A". A$ is a string variable in this usage. You could also put a ";" between the print statements so they'd all print on the same line if you so wanted.

So okay, you can now tell how I spent my wasted youth.

Jubala · #18 February 9th, 2001, 05:46 PM

Very good interview. Thanks Nyx and Aaron.

One thing that bothered me a little was that I got the feeling that Aaron wants to move the game into th real time camp at least as far as combat is concerned. I don't like that because every so called real time strategy game I ever player always made me feel rushed and stressed out trying to everything needed to be done. An impusle move system would be better imo.

quote:
Quote from the interview with Aaron I think the paradigm of the Online turn-based games will have to change somehow. The problem most have is that you play a turn a day, and then wait. However, most players want direct feedback in their games. I think more turn-based games will need the feel of an action game where you can immediately pick it up and play against others Online.

Personally, I like to play sim turn pbem games with one turn/day. Gives time to plot my moves and engage in diplomacy and write a game story if I so desire. I hope he won't remove that possibility in future Versions in the SE series. Playing others Online is also fun, but I don't want that to be the only way to play.

Overall a good interview with good questions and answers. Only one tiny little question I would have liked to see though:

Will the game ever see a currency and advanced trade with trade routes and goods? Buying and selling of ships/tech/planets/whatever on the "open market"?

But we can't have everything, now can we?

Nyx · #19 February 9th, 2001, 11:10 PM

Send those over as wishes, he's pretty good about trying to include everything. And I don't think he's looking at moving into real time, he just wants a faster model for turn-based play Online. Even his Version of the massively multiplayer game that he's looking at for #5 is supposed to be turnbased. I didn't press him because he wanted to keep some secrets. I am really curious though, because when I spoke to the design team over at Firaxis about the mp Version of Civ III they mentioned that Sid wasn't happy with the way turn-based games work Online either, but he too is refusing to move to a real-time interface. I'll be very interested to see what both Aaron and Sid come up with.

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Compete in the Space Empires IV World Championship at www.twingalaxies.com.

SunDevil · #20 February 9th, 2001, 11:14 PM

Didn't you just give Aaron a huge compliment by mentioning him in the same sentence with Sid Meier.

I could see Aaron someday ranking up there with Sid, but kind of makes you wonder what Aaron could accomplish if he had a fraction of the resources Sid Meier has had over the length of his career.