Profile of SturmtigerCobra

Adam Isgreen, creative director for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, suggested the recently
released game could arrive on Steam at some point in the future.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/age-of-empires-definitive-edition/aoe-definitive-edition-relevance-adam-isgreen-interview
*SNIP*
Is Age of Empires: Definitive Edition just a nostalgia trip, or do you think it has a place in the market today?

AI: I believe that any genre that exists for a long time eventually gets more and more complicated. You see that in FPS. Every genre is like ‘add more complication, add more layers, add more this or that’. I think that along the way, RTS split into many different genres: you’ve got everything from Farmville, which is like the base-building of an RTS, to Clash of Clans, which is like super-simplified RTS about input, to MOBA, which all about individual unit control. Those are all awesome vectors that RTS has gone off on.

But I don’t think we’re alone in saying that we think people still want the experience that a core, fundamental, ‘let’s build a base, let’s have a fight, let’s explore’ RTS can bring. We see that as games pop up from time to time. They Are Billions is an interesting example of a base-building/tower defence RTS that has been super successful. So I think there’s still a demand for those games.

Obviously, we’re putting our foot down and saying ‘we think RTS is relevant here at Microsoft’, because not have we got Age I Definitive Edition, but we’re also working on Age II and III, and of course we’re making a brand new Age game with Age of Empires IV, so we firmly believe that RTS has a place in the market. And I bet you that Blizzard is working on something similar, for whatever is going to happen next with Warcraft or StarCraft.

http://www.pcgamesinsider.biz/industry-icon/66694/how-and-why-microsoft-updated-age-of-empires-for-the-upcoming-definitive-edition/
*SNIP*
Age of Empires was a massive brand in the late 90s and early 00s, but these days it isn't the behemoth it once was. Is there a pressure for this game to do well, and help reintroduce the brand, ahead of Age of Empires 4's release?

Most certainly. Sometimes I don't think companies treat their IP with the respect that they deserve or they should. I've been really delighted that we've been given permission and support to go and make the Age of Empires games the way we want to make them and make them as good as they can be for the fans and support all the features that the fans would love. There's a pressure, though. We want Age of Empires 4 to be an amazing game and the team at Relic has been doing some amazing work on it. I'm very happy with how it's going now. The message we're sending with all of the Age of Empires games as we go through them and do these Definitive Editions is that we really care about this franchise and what makes an Age of Empires game an Age of Empires game. This is all part of not only showing how great these games were, but it is a build up to a new game. We have a lot of respect for this IP, so hopefully, when Age 4 comes out, people will say they've loved all three Definitive Editions and will jump in even though they don't know much about it. There are a lot of people who still play the Age games on a daily basis, a lot more than people realise. Maybe because it's not in the limelight of the press all the time. It's a big number.


At the moment, Age of Empires Definitive Edition is pencilled for launch on the Windows 10 Store but not Steam. Are you worried you might be limiting your PC audience by not bringing it to that marketplace?

Sure. I'm the one who makes the games; I don't worry too much about where they go. But of course, we want our games to be enjoyed by everybody. That's a natural tendency. Right now, because this is a UWP game, we want to make sure we offer the best experience that we can offer and UWP allows us to do all this stuff we want to do on the live side - multiplayer, cloud saves and so on. We really want to have all this in place and concentrate on this version before we think about what comes next. The Windows 10 Store is an alternative to Steam, obviously, and Steam is huge. But competition is a good thing. I can't promise where the game is or is not going to go in the future because that's not really up to me, but we want to have the best version of the game that we can make right now and then we'll figure out what we can do with it after that.

I talked with both Spencer and Booty in an interview, as both me explained what the changes will mean for Microsoft’s game business and all of the developers and executives reporting to them. Booty will be focused on making sure that the studios get the resources they need and work together to share knowledge across various development teams.

http://www.relic.com/#news/8379

Hey Ian. Let’s kick it off with gaming. Hit me with your favorite games.

Hmmm... how far back do I go? Recently, I’ve been playing Horizon Zero Dawn. The technical achievements in that game are brilliant. They’ve been able to deliver on technical prowess, as well as gameplay, and storytelling. I’ve watched presentations on how they accomplished all of that, and I’ve been really impressed with it.

Historically is tough. I know there was one point way back when I was studying for exams, and I had to call a friend and be like – dude, please can you come over and sit at my computer and play Civilization so that I can’t? I was so into that game that I felt the only way I couldn’t play was if someone denied me the resource of my computer.

Ok, you’ve been here nearly 20 years. How did it all start for you?

Well I was computing while at school and went on to study at SFU. I kept in touch with some friends who joined Radical Entertainment after graduating. I heard a lot about it from those guys, and I ended up getting a job there when I finished my degree.

A year or so later, one of my school buds joined this new company called Relic. He was telling me all this great stuff about the game that was to become Homeworld. As the game became more public, I became a bit of a fanboy. I was going over, hanging out at the office, and stuff like that. Eventually, it was like, okay, I just need to work there.

For a grizzled vet who’s seen it all, what projects stand out most for you?

Well Company of Heroes for sure, but Impossible Creatures was my first full project at Relic and it was a really important game for us. With Impossible Creatures we were figuring out how to build the tech, and how to create together. We made a good game, but Impossible Creatures was all about us learning. That process allowed us to make a great game in Company of Heroes.


Ian Back in 2000

I hear you’re involved in a big Essence Engine upgrade right now, can you explain it to a luddite like me?

Basically, we’re rebuilding a lot of the system, but the broad goal is to make our games perform better. Whether that means more units, the same number of units with better behaviors, or better stability, we want our games to perform better for a wider audience.

What’s great about working with an in-house engine?

Essence lets our programmers across the studio work together. The way we use Essence means we work closely with the creative people, like designers and artists, to bring their vision alive in game. That’s what’s so awesome about game development – working together to create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

You are a Vancouverite born and bred, what keeps you busy around here?

I’ve got family and kids here. My sister is in town, my dad’s nearby, my fiance’s family is here, so it’s very much a small bubble that keeps me pretty busy. I can sometimes end up as a tourist in my town when people come to visit. Somehow, and very embarrassingly, I’ve never done the Grouse Grind, and my son did it at the age of six!

Now for the most important question. You always wear shorts, why?

Oh man, yeah, high school. I wore shorts, and there was this other guy who wore shorts. There was this kind of mild allegiance, like yeah, we wear shorts, that’s our thing. Embarrassingly I ran into him a couple of years after high school, and I was like, you’re wearing pants? He was like yeah… of course.

Also, I’ve been ‘the shorts guy’ for so long, I don’t think I could stand the ridicule if I switched to pants.

Jump back to quoted post19 Feb 2018, 23:51 PMValeran

Not trolling, and I think interesting post for SturmTigerCobra.
In October 2016 Relic hire from defunct UFG Lead Gameplay Designer veteran Chris Stimson to work on coh team.

As our Game Director you will…
Play a key role in steering the strategic creative decisions of our franchise
Ensure the creative vision of the game is fed into every aspect of gameplay, art, story, design, and cinematics
Drive the team around creative goals
Lead kickoffs that allow for new content ideas
Create content briefs and outlines to guide art and content creation
Team up with stakeholders to ensure that the game’s creative vision is reflected both in the game & outside of it
Drive process improvement and practices that increase quality and accuracy
We’re looking for someone who has…
10+ years of experience shipping AAA titles in design roles
Shipped multiple titles in a lead role with direction over design
Previous experience as a Game Director or Creative Director
Proven success from previously released titles
An exceptional ability to communicate and pitch ideas
An ability to inspire teams
The skills to lead a team on gameplay, design, story, art, and content development
Experience developing RTS games

https://boards.greenhouse.io/relic/jobs/237032
If so, our Senior Programmer openings on an exciting unannounced title might be the perfect fit for you!
*SNIP*
As our Senior Programmer, here's what you might be doing...
Maintain and develop features for our game and the tools that go with it
Contribute ideas on all aspects of game production and development
Collaborate with team members of various disciplines to review proposed features and develop those features from definition to testing
Create software systems that are intrinsically scalable and cross platform
Roll up your sleeves and work to regularly debug, profile and optimize code
We're looking for someone who has...
8+ years’ experience in games or has shipped multiple AAA or console titles
A post-secondary education (degree) in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field
Strong knowledge of C++
Knowledge of C#, Java, Action Script 3, and Lua
A love for games: You’re a gamer with a passion for creating the best games for our players
A down to earth attitude: You strive to be the best in your field and you welcome feedback, change, and real talk!
Passion to evolve and grow: You want to hone your craft to create a legacy while contributing to Relic’s roadmap to the future

'Company of Heroes': Relic Entertainment "open" to a console version - MAY 2012
http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a382937/company-of-heroes-relic-entertainment-open-to-a-console-version/

Relic Entertainment is "open" to the idea of Company of Heroes on a console.

General manager Alex Peters said if the studio can find a way to bring the series outside of PC it will "do it".

"RTSs (real-time strategy) have struggled to find their place on console. If we can figure out, and the timing's right, how to deliver a great experience - and I think it would be a different experience - we'll do it," he told Digital Spy.

"But, again, it has to be that we'll feel confident that we deliver that kind of experience people expect from Relic."

Announced earlier this month, Company of Heroes 2 is the sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed strategy titles of all time.

Alex Peters Game Credits;
http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,5579/
With Bullfrog RTS studio, he was the Lead Programmer behind Dungeon Keeper 2;
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dungeon-keeper-2

Jump back to quoted post15 Feb 2018, 11:20 AMSturmpanther

FYI:
Btw A_E and dow3?