Smarter Stormtroopers
The artificial intelligence of the game needed to be extremely well planned and architected to allow design flexibility through XML data and LUA scripting. First, there needed to be great tactical unit AI during the space and land battles; not just scripted reactions, but really logical and sometimes tricky tactics. Next, there needed to be unit-pathfinding AI to traverse troops, vehicles, and ships across their maps while avoiding hazards and not running into each other. Both space and land modes posed their own unique challenges for pathfinding. Finally, there needed to be well-crafted strategic AI at the galactic level. The AI would need to create plans, execute goals, and perceive what was going on across the galaxy. It needed to play a chesslike game similar to a human player, and if it was flawed, the galactic game experience would crumble. There was a team of people dedicated to AI for just about the entire course of Empire at War's development.Multiplayer technology was also planned and implemented from the very start of the project. Connected games with other players (over the Internet or LAN) would need to be synchronized with each other on all machines. With the wide array of connection speeds, PC processors, and multiple varieties of Windows, this would continue to be a challenge throughout development. Adding multiple game modes (land, space, galactic), object persistence between them, and AI added to the complexity of the task. To have working multiplayer technology was an ongoing effort throughout the entire course of development.
As the game engine technology, development tools, and asset pipelines became developed enough for actual game data implementation, the art, audio, and design teams began to grow. Over time, the art team created the models, textures, user interface,visual effects, and map objects that would contribute to everything visual in the game. The Petroglyph audio team was made up of just audio director Frank Klepacki. The design team wrote stories, created new characters and units, designed and implemented maps, and did everything else involved with making the code, art, and audio all come to life.
When Empire at War was finally unveiled at E3 in May of 2005, the reception could not have been better. The LucasArts booth looked incredible, it was constantly packed with guests, and Empire at War showed beautifully. The LucasArts public relations and marketingteams did a phenomenal job in creating a massive buzz. It was at E3 where Empire at War was nominated for four Best Strategy Game of E3 awards, and ultimately won three of them. We were thrilled--it was time to finish the game.
As we hit the homestretch of development, both companies worked closely together to wrap everything up for the launch of Empire at War. A huge effort went into quality assurance (QA), where the QA team helped us track and fix bugs as we gradually stopped adding new code, assets, and features. Voice actors were recorded and text was localized in countries around the world for Empire at War to havea simultaneous, worldwide launch in all supported languages. Our team crunched for four weeks to hit our alpha milestone, which involved working longer hours during the week and on Saturdays, without getting burned out. With coordination from LucasArts, we hit the alpha milestone date and were heading for beta.
As we frantically worked toward the beta milestone (with the game being feature, content, and code complete), we also assembled the Empire at War demo, which would be released in January 2006. After the demo was finished and signed off by QA, we then raced toward beta, hitting the milestone on time.
Final work to the balancing, polishing, and bug fixing was completed by the QA team. And then, as February arrived, it was announced that all versions of the game had gone gold for worldwide release, meaning that gold master disc images were en route to the mastering labs for mass production. It was a great day for the Empire at War team.
We are thankful for the support and goodwill that the community has given to Star Wars: Empire at War, and we hope that everyone enjoys playing our game as much as we have enjoyed creating it. We feel that LucasArts and Petroglyph have taken a creative risk in innovating beyond the traditional real-time strategy formula, and we are encouraged by the feedback we have received.
May the Force be with you, always!
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