Interview with the creator of Birth of Empires on 17 November 2006. (thanks to mstrobel for his kindness to retranslate the complete interview into readable english
)The ST-GALAXY NETWORK recently had the opportunity to speak with Sir Pustekuchen, the project lead for Birth of the Empires. Birth of the Empires is a community-driven project aimed at continuing the legacy of Star Trek: Birth of the Federation creating and using a new self-written game content and intellectual property.
ST-Galaxy Network: Hello, Sir Pustekuchen! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. When did you first start developing the Birth of the Empires project?
Sir Pustekuchen: Hello, and thank you for having me on this interview. I first began developing Birth of the Empires in January 2004. The project website (http://www.birth-of-the-empires.de) was launched later in January 2006.
STG: You've said that Birth of the Empires was originally intended to be a successor to the game Star Trek: Birth of the Federation. What features are planned, and what has been developed so far?
Sir Pustekuchen: Listing all of the innovations and changes would take us beyond the scope of this interview. However, I can say that there will be a significant number of new innovations, though the gameplay model established by BotF is not changed that much. Some of the more significant innovations include harvesting and consumption of resources; special research projects; in-game ship design; an improved diplomacy system; a galactic senate similar to the one in Master of Orion 3; a larger galaxy map; new planet types; many new minor races; a galactic news service; a completely new commerce system; and much more. The core features of BotF will be recognisable in this game too, though most features will be extended to include new functionality. At this time, many new features have been added to make gameplay more exciting and unpredictable. Lastly, the game is designed to be very mod-friendly. Unlike the original BotF, the BotE project allows modders to easily add new ships, buildings, and minor races to the game.
STG: Are any new races planned? Will any existing races be replaced?
Sir Pustekuchen: Yes, the Omega Alliance will be added as a sixth playable race. Many new buildings and ships will emerge as well. The number of minor races is almost limitless, with over 120 minor races already included in the Alpha version.
STG: What kind of support do you receive from the community on your website? Are there still positions on your team that need to be filled?
Sir Pustekuchen: First, I would like thank all of the visitors who contributed ideas on our forums. Additional thanks goes out to everyone who assisted me with the game content. We have received significant public support in many areas. Unfortunately, however, we are still in need of graphic artists. Our greatest setback so far has been a lack of original artwork.
STG: You have already released one public Alpha. What kind of feedback have you received from the community regarding this release?
Sir Pustekuchen: I am pleased to say that the Alpha release has succeeded beyond my highest expectations. The Alpha has been downloaded over 1,000 times, and I would like to thank all of the testers who took the time to file bug reports.
STG: How will you proceed from here, and when will the fans be able to play the final version of BotE?
Sir Pustekuchen: I cannot reveal any more information about the Final release at this time. It is still a long ways away, and because we have a small team, it is difficult to estimate the amount of work left. However, the next step will be the release of a second Alpha version. In the second Alpha, the Rotharians will be added as a playable race. Multiplayer support will also be included, allowing for LAN and Internet matches.
STG: How does the future look for BotE? Windows Vista will soon be released to the public. Will BotE be compatible with Vista?
Sir Pustekuchen: BotE is fully compatible with Windows Vista. BotE will also be playable under Linux using WINE. At the moment, there is still one incompatibility issue with WINE, though I hope to have that resolved soon.
STG: Thank you very much for your time.
but I go in advance and tell ya all the 0.45c is out for download on our forum. Files are available under downloads.
