it’s much easier for us humans to form an emotional attachment to a person than to a building. However, we couldn’t incorporate any of these shifts
into RoC without changing its foundation and core mechanics – which we didn’t want to do to a live game that was performing well, out of respect for the player base. So, again, we came up with the idea of simply taking RoC and altering and extending it to create an entirely new game. This kickstarted our production process, allowing us to move fast instead of taking years to build a new foundation and art style. We wanted all of the above: way longer sessions, greater
variance and a higher density of characters compared to inanimate objects. The result is Heroes of History – probably the most fun game I have ever worked on – and it is definitely standing on the shoulders of the two giants that came before!
What role does the “second screen” phenomenon play? Nowadays, games are often used as a second screen while you’re relaxing. Many mobile games are more of a hobby than an actual game. They’re something you can do on the side, even while doing something else. We wanted to make sure that there are enough activities in HoH that require little mental effort that you can easily do while doing something else, such as watching TV. Being as accessible as possible is really important here.
Which player types (Killer/Achiever/Explorer/Socializer) are Forge of Empires, Rise of Cultures, and Heroes of History aimed at? Has this changed over the decades? The best games out there try to appeal to a wide target
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audience and several different player types. If you compare the three games, FoE and HoH are definitely more competitive than RoC, which is a more solitary and peaceful game. In FoE, your city can be plundered by other players (though not destroyed!), and there’s extensive Alliance vs. Alliance and PvP gameplay. Competitive elements, especially in combination
with social features such as player rankings, PvP battles, etc., have always played a significant role in our genre, and I’d argue that their importance has increased over the years. While the target audience of FoE, for example, was more Achievers and Explorers, the rise of multiplayer has also unlocked Socializers and, to some extent, even Killers as audiences.
You pitched the sequel to Forge of Empires over ten years ago, as a relative newcomer to the industry. What game design innovations did you have in mind for Rise of Cultures? Which of these innovations were implemented? Has it been more than a decade already? Okay, now I feel old … I was still quite young back then and full of ideas. Many of them were bad, actually. Fortunately, I had to pitch them regularly to a group of very experienced people, including our Studio Director and Creative Director. This process really helped me develop a sense of design intuition, as I learned which ideas stuck to the wall and which didn’t. Overall, I wanted to enhance the simulation elements
of the game. Although the genre of FoE is often referred to as “simulation”, I have always felt this is a bit misleading. When the player stops interacting with FoE, it also stops responding. Instead, I felt that a true
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