Development Diary for Lost Empire: Immortals #2

Chapter 1: The Legend of the Beta Testers

As game development challenges go, a technically solid foundation is always the primary task. Graphical implementation exemplifying our grand vision comes next. With these now both completed, the final task remains ensuring every game feature and operation actually works.

As with virtually any innovation process we arrived at a point, being too close to our own creation to effectively approach this task. This issue is perhaps best expressed by the phrase: “Not being able to see the wood for the trees.” Unfortunately this proved true for us when “we could not see the bugs for the anti-bug spray” or something to that effect. After working so long on game logic we found we began to lose objectivity, with regards to player comprehension of the game. It became essential to have outsiders test the game.

To this end, we recruited a number from among the ultra-cool members of the original Lost Empire forum to become beta-testers for this new title. Our own Beta Task Force, if you will. Man, have they been effective! If BAFTA awards were given to the most devoted beta testers, ours would win hands down. By creating a special beta forum for our testers, we gave them the opportunity to question, to criticize, to offer suggestions and not least of all, the mechanism to report any bugs they encountered during testing. We also welcomed discussions about their own personal preferences. Though things have gotten a little heated at times, their dedication has never been in question. With their help, the game has been taken to the next level, in our view, to near perfection.

Chapter 2: Immortal Combat

Meanwhile, across the other side of the globe Jonas, our lead programmer completed his assignment to promote the game in San Francisco. Thankful to depart the cold, gray dreariness of the Danish winter, he spent four days showcasing the game to a number of influential game sites. For us, it’s a very cool feeling having our latest game previewed and recognized on these major gaming sites. Though we suspect that for large companies this may have become a routine process, to a relatively upcoming company like ours, it has created a wave of genuine excitement. We are still getting used to this kind of attention.

It is not easy being a small company in this business. Computer games are expensive to make and demand both a high degree of skill and dedication from the game-makers. As the computer games industry is still relatively new, there is a lot of competition to secure the financial support needed to in order to commence such a costly production process. We are wary that smaller companies eventually fold, not because of their creative vision, but due to the lack of sufficient funding. That is why we are so excited to release our second game. Not too many young companies actually make it this far. So we’re pretty psyched.

One of the things that have been important to us is ensuring it remains accessible to every type of player, from novice to expert. Turn-based strategy games have a reputation for being difficult to approach. Sometimes players can take hours to gain a basic level of understanding. With this in mind we have worked hard to make our game accessible. Yet, we have aimed to keep a certain level of complexity to ensure longevity. To walk the fine line between accessibility and complexity has been a real challenge. We have coined the term “Easy to access, difficult to master” - that’s almost the definition of being a small game company.

Now with the international release dates unceasing creeping up on us, the feeling of joy and horror meld together in anticipation. Damn we’re excited! Our game, our only focus for so long, is about to be released. How cool is that!

Pollux Gamelabs

Long ago the immortal Aeons presented the fledging races with the technology to travel the stars. Without pause for reasoning, vast fleets colonised the cosmos expanding the interstellar community until a great cataclysm occurred.

Now the Aeon's, a technologically superior race that once guided the lesser races, is all but lost to myth. Their colonies and technology lie beyond reach - scattered throughout the galaxy, like so many stars.

Only fading memories recall the cause of the Aeons downfall and the loss of the star-gates that ended the first Galactic War. Devoid of the means to navigate the stars, the empires of the six major races began to look inwards as communication between worlds was lost.

From the depths of the abyss, the long forgotten desire for exploration and conquest calls out once again. For it would only be a matter of time before each race would: recover the knowledge to rebuild their fleets, reawaken their desire to explore, rekindle their need to expand and return to warring ways.

As the six galactic empires make ready for the arduous struggle ahead, all manner of citizens are rallied to the cause. Scouting expeditions leave the safety of their stellar berths seeking out potential systems ripe for colonisation. Close behind terra-forming ships prepare planets for swelling populations. Throughout countless shipyards powerful battle-fleets are forged from newly acquired resources, ready to face the threats that emerge with every cycle of the sun. A new age has arrived.

Key features

• Colossal Galactic Map – Explore the vastness of a fully populated macrocosm, teeming with up to 5,000 stars of varying configurations. Encounter the interstellar communities of six playable empires and twenty-eight uniquely evolved minor civilizations
• Vast Scientific Multi-nodal Research Tree – Conduct research across eleven scientific categories, branching out into 150 individual advances.
• Customize Ship Construction – Spaceship models consist of eight classes that conform to a mission type: exploration, reconnaissance, defensive patrolling, fleet interdiction and planetary invasion.
• 3D Rendered Dual Warfare System – View massive 3D rendered space battles between turns, through an action camera and adjust your strategy based on the outcomes of the space battles.
• Multiplayer Action – Invite up to ten players to play in any one game.Create attributes to ensure that no two sides play with identical races.

Lost Empire: Immortals for the PC is scheduled for release during Q1, 2008 and will retail for $29.99/€29.99.