Playtester Interviews: Andrewk113

Q: What is your name?

A: Andrew Kenny

Q: What is your online handle

A: Andrewk113

Q: How long have you been playtesting Empire Earth? How did you find out about playtesting?

A: I've been play testing Empire Earth for about four months. Actually, the first time I came across EE was at the Cossacks Heaven forums, in one of those threads "Cossacks vs EE". I was fascinated by some of the screen shots posted, so I followed up and started looking for info on the 'net. I was thinking to myself, this really looks like one really revolutionary RTS. Imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that the game was being developed by a Cambridge based company, less ten two miles away from my Boston Apartment. Filling out the online form for play testing was the next step. I was emailed by the Producer a week or two later, and before long I was actually playing the game.

Q: How good would you say you are compared to the other playtesters?

A: Ah, the moment of truth! Well, it's hard to say, but I can usually hold my own against the Weekend Playing testing bunch. On a good day I can make things pretty difficult for them. ;)

Q: What is your favorite epoch(s)?

A: I like the Epochs where there are fundamental shifts in the important units. An example of this would be Renaissance, with the interduction of gunpowder. Another would be Atomic Age-World War I with the advent of Tanks and Aircraft.

Q: Which unit is the best looking/animated?

A: With so many diverse units in the game, each drawn and animated so beautifully, I would have a hard time picking one that looks the "best". My personal favorite are the oar powered warships. I've always thought they were something special in their animation.

Q: What are some features that make EE different from other RTS's?

A: Epic scope, 100's of units, large pop cap, huge map sizes, deadly AI, incredible Scenario Editor, etc. Take your pick. ;) I am amazed by the sheer depth of the game. With every period of history represented, plus the many units each relating to each other, you'll be coming back to it time and time again, each time discovering something new. The units are superbly balanced, making Multi Player games a joy.

Q: How long does a typical multiplayer game last?

A: Usually between half an hour to two hours. By changing the settings a little, you could make your games last much longer then this, without sacrificing any of the heart pounding action. Or, you could modify the settings to allow for a "rush happy" kind of game.

Q: Do you prefer land, sea, or air combat, and why? Do you think there is enough diversity in each of those categories in EE?

A: I personally have had more fun in the past with land combat (I usually am the one to fall victim to those pesky B-17s), but the land and air forces further balance the game, providing more avenues for surprise attacks, and wide ranging strategies. Naturally, land units take up a larger percentage of the total units, but the air and sea forces have their own RPS, and aren't lacking in representation.

Q: Have you ever flooded your opponent with one unit, and did it work well?

A: I always try to balance my force with at least three different unit types, but when you're short on time and resources it's tempting just to send in those twenty Panzers you've been saving. If you give in to that temptation, you can kiss those babies goodbye. For every unit in the game there is an effective counter unit. The hard part is knowing what the enemy is going to produce. Instead of in AOK where you had to worry about one, possibly two types of units, in EE you have to counter many different types of units. The overall effect is excellent, and it effectivly ends any kind of 'Champ Flood' time strategy.

Q: If you were a beginner, which epoch do you think it would be the best to start off with?

A: The earlier Epochs are defiantly easier to learn, since that don't involve quite so many units. In the later Epochs where you are juggling Air, Sea, Land, and Mech units, each with their own subcategory and RPS, things can get pretty hectic. However, the large number of different units never take away from the game play.

Q: What is the first thing you are going to do when you get the retail version?

A: Get on-line and take advantage of my early knowledge of the game by thoroughly thrashing everyone else. (Gotta enjoy it while it lasts ;) )

Q: Can you think of any funny bugs that you've caught during testing?

A: One time I clicked to unload some troops from a transport in a scenario I was testing. Well, unload they did - but at a ninety degree angle! All the units appeared to be laying on their backs, or in the case of the horsemen, half sunk into the ground, as if charging straight out of the ground. In another scenario, missiles sometimes circle their target endlessly, creating a little halo around the unit, never actually hitting it.

Q: Have you played a multiplayer game that was particularly memorable? Care to share a warstory?

A: All the games I've played have been excellent - even the times I've been sacked myself. I've played a few games where one of the team mates comes back from near total destruction, later to finish the game. Those are always special games. There's nothing like having the two opposing teams of the game in the same room, one rooting for the on coming Nuclear Bomber, the other praying the AA guns will finish it in time. The result: either a fizzle, or a blinding light followed by that gigantic beautiful mushroom cloud. Great times. =)