Gaming Nexus Interview with Derek Paxton

Published on May 3, 2011 By Island Dog In Elemental News

Gaming Nexus has an interview up with Stardock’s Derek Paxton, and discusses the upcoming Elemental: Fallen Enchantress.

“So how have things been since you started at Stardock? What kinds of changes have you implemented since you got there?

The biggest change has been in formalizing processes around production. Previously Stardock's games team was a small but successful part of Stardock's total business. Although Stardock had excellent management of the business side, the games side was less defined. Now everyone understands the end goal, and that goal doesn't change. Everyone understands the schedule and what part of the puzzle they are responsible for.

I love working at Stardock. There are great and talented people here, and we get to make the games we want to play. We don't have to hit specific timeframes in order to meet quarterly revenue goals. We don't have to make a game that will appeal to everyone.”

Read the full interview here!

Comments

Phylast57

on May 03, 2011

Sweet. Looks incredible. Makes me jones more for the latest patch. Thanks!

dowdyhoody

on May 03, 2011

Very . Getting excited here..................

Trojasmic

on May 03, 2011

Now I'm excited.

Leeovold

on May 03, 2011

I am very excited now! You guys simply rock! *swoons*

Awesome dedication.

Campaigner

on May 03, 2011

Pretty good read. Don't feel I got so much out of it but nice to see that some site is interested in fantasy 4x strategygames.

I like when he said that they're making the game for hardcore gamers. We still exist!

When the interviewer asked that dumb question about facebook I was like: "OMG...."

Austinvn

on May 04, 2011

Perhaps this has been mentioned before, but in this interview is the first time I've seen it:

We also separated movement from combat speed [in Fallen Enchantress]. In the old system if a unit had 6 combat speed he could move 6 spaces, attack 6 times or a combination of the two. That made combat speed a god stat, since allowing more attacks multiplys a units damage. Now we can have high movement units without making them killing machines (or make really slow killing machines).

Now that has been a long time coming. Maybe not the flashiest or most exciting change, but it's one of those basic mechanics WoM needed - very glad to see it in FE.

Campaigner

on May 04, 2011

Austinvn

reply 6

Perhaps this has been mentioned before, but in this interview is the first time I've seen it:

We also separated movement from combat speed [in Fallen Enchantress]. In the old system if a unit had 6 combat speed he could move 6 spaces, attack 6 times or a combination of the two. That made combat speed a god stat, since allowing more attacks multiplys a units damage. Now we can have high movement units without making them killing machines (or make really slow killing machines).

Now that has been a long time coming. Maybe not the flashiest or most exciting change, but it's one of those basic mechanics WoM needed - very glad to see it in FE.

They haven't fixed that yet??! Incomprehensible....

I'd love to see the reason why THAT wasn't fixed immedietly.

StevenAus22

on May 04, 2011

I think it was a limitation in the WoM engine, AFAIK.

Best regards,
Steven.

LightofAbraxas

on May 04, 2011

Maul sounds pretty sweet. That interview also makes it sound like essence is coming back in some form or another?

RogueCaptain

on May 05, 2011

Glad to hear the old outdated speed/combat mechanic is being addressed. That imbalance has been a long lingering problem since Galactic Civilizations.

Thank you Derek for correcting this.

*Edit: I am assuming it was Derek as he did the interview.

Thormodr

on May 09, 2011

Looks good. ^^

I especially liked this part:

Seeing a player with a huge amount of mana stored should be like seeing an opponent with a stockpile of nuclear weapons. It's not good.

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