Space Sector对AOW工作室的采访

来源：http://www.spacesector.com/blog/2013/06/interview-with-triumph-studios-on-age-of-wonders-3/

• SS: Keith
• LS & AW: Lennart Sas & Arno van Wingerden, Triumph 工作室的创建者。
• SS: Age of Wonders 3 is going to feature at least six races, six classes, and six specializations upon release. Given such varied options and potential, game balance can be a difficult thing to get just right. Allowing players access to incredibly powerful abilities can offer an exciting experience, but can also be very difficult to do in a game incorporating multiplayer. What is Age of Wonders 3′s strategy regarding game balance?
• AoW计划发行时将有6个种族，6个职业，6种专长。考虑到有如此多的选择，游戏的平衡不是一下就能做好的。逆天的能力可以让单人玩家体验痛快淋漓的感觉，但不见得在多人游戏中受欢迎。AoW3打算怎么处理平衡方面的问题呢？
• LS & AW: In Age of Wonders 3 we approach balance from multiple angles. There are initial spreadsheet checks and logic limitations (i.e. avoid units achieving full physical immunity through buffing). Next we have an in-game valuation system that puts a value to each game entity and of course there is iterative development with testing; including automated AI vs AI testing. But in the end nothing matches fine-tuning the game after release with the feedback from thousands of players. That being said, we value variation and experimentation. AoW3 is a game strong on empire building where we encourage people to experiment and we actually welcome a limited amount of imbalances. E.g. in previous games Halflings were a bit underpowered, however some experienced players actually played with them because of the extra challenge they posed.
• 我们从多个角度考虑了AoW3的平衡性。从最初的建立数据表来检查，到从逻辑上进行一些限制（ 比如，一个单位再怎么强化也不能完全物理免疫）。然后还有个游戏内的权值系统，给予游戏里的每一个单位一个权值。当然，有些修改也是基于反复的测试。比如，我们做了AI自动对战的测试。不过这些与游戏发行后，根据玩家们的反馈所做的修正相比，那是没法比的。说了这么多，我们重视多样化和新尝试。AoW3是侧重于帝国建造的游戏，我们鼓励玩家尝试新方法，甚至允许少量的不平衡存在。比如说，上一代游戏，半身人是不怎么给力的种族，但还是有些老玩家为了挑战自己去选半身人。
• SS: AI is a subject near and dear to the heart of many strategy gamers. What elements of your AI design do you think help you stand out as opposed to other similar titles, and how is your AI strategy influenced by differences in the selected game difficulty level?
• AI是对很多策略游戏都至关重要的。AI设计中的那些元素让你觉得与其他同类型游戏相比独树一帜呢？ 难度的选择将如何影响AI的行为呢？
• LS & AW: With all core systems now implemented and the game being close to Alpha the AI is currently our main focus in terms of programming. AIs have different personalities this time around. In the design phase, we addressed AI weak points from previous games, such as transport ship combat which was easy to abuse by human players. For higher difficulty logic, the AI will calculate through a larger amount of scenarios, which is made possible with advanced CPU power and multi-threading AI routines. Our main goal is to have AI players that provide a meaningful challenge and entertain the player.
• 现在游戏的核心部分已经完成，接近Alpha版本了，所以AI是我们目前程序方面的核心工作。这次AI将会有自己的性格。在设计阶段，我们就强调了以前AI的弱点，比如攻击运输船的手段就经常被玩家滥用。对于高难度的AI逻辑，AI会采集大量的样本进行计算。这是通过高速CPU和多线程AI程序来实现的。我们的目标是让AI能对玩家构成挑战，让玩家兴致盎然。
• SS: Will we see any espionage mechanics or increased diplomatic options in Age of Wonders 3 in comparison to the prior titles in the series?
• 与前作相比，游戏会有间谍机制还是更多的外交选项？
• LS & AW: Age of Wonders remains firmly rooted in the fantasy realm, with camouflaged rogue units infiltrating enemy domains and magical scrying to tell what`s going on at your rival`s towns. Adding a Civilization style espionage system currently doesn`t have a high priority.
• We have improved the bartering system, with more trading options and we have increased interaction with independent towns and monster dwellings. In previous games there was an alignment check to determine whether or not an indie settlement would join you for the right amount of gold or if you`d needed to conquer it by force. We`ve now extended the interaction with these neutral settlements to include questing to gain their favor and rewards, which include cool rare monster units or monster mounts for your heroes.
• AoW依然牢牢的以奇幻国度为背景。在那里，伪装下的盗贼潜入敌人的领域，魔法呓语会告诉你对手的城镇正发生着什么。加入一个类似《文明》的间谍系统并不是当务之急。我们改进了以物易物的系统，增加了交易选项，独立城镇和野外巢穴间的交互也增加了。以前的游戏中，游戏会判断你的阵营，以此决定你是否能花钱收买一队独立的住民，还是需要武力征服他们。我们增加了和这些中立住民的互动，包括通过探索来增加他们的好感，赢得他们的回赠，甚至能得到稀有的怪物或者坐骑。
• SS: A lot of 4X and turn-based strategy games of all genres tend to reach a point in the mid to late game where gameplay becomes more about micromanagement and tedious mop up of your opponents than about having fun. What steps have you taken to keep the player engaged and interested in the later stages of a game?
• 所有类型的4X和回合制的策略游戏都有个趋势，就是游戏进入中期后，游戏对细节的管理越来越多，对敌人基本是无聊的地毯式碾压，而不是越来越有趣。你用了什么方法来让玩家在游戏后期也能兴致盎然呢？
• LS & AW: It`s our goal to keep the games as exciting as possible in each phase. Each class includes powerful end-game skills resembling a nuclear option to make enemies bow down in submission. In a free-for-all game, enemy AIs can join forces and gang up against you in a last ditch attempt to thwart their impending annihilation. The game features high level exploration sites and monster dwellings reserved for late game uncovering. Also don`t forget Age of Wonders has always been a game heavy on combat. The map is fully malleable and the end game might show a lot the towns in ruin and the countryside corrupted by blight or high-level magic. Subsequently the final conflict might focus on a couple of remaining developed hot spots. But beware; alignment is now fully dynamic. Scorched earth tactics might provide short-term gain, but will most likely work against you over long term.
• 我们的目标就是让游戏在任何一个阶段都一样的有趣。每个职业在游戏末期都有核武器级别的技能，足以不战而屈人之兵。在完全自由的游戏中，敌人AI可能会在最后关头团结一致对抗力，以免遭受灭顶之灾。游戏后期有高等级探索点和怪物巢穴可供发掘。还有，别忘了AoW的游戏一直很侧重战斗。地图的可变性很大。游戏后期可能很多城镇和乡镇会被瘟疫或高等级法术侵蚀。导致的结果就是最后的激战可能集中在几个发展很完善的地点。但是请当心，阵营这东西现在是完全可变的了。焦土战术可能会让你赢得片刻胜利，却可能让你输掉长期博弈。
• SS: Out of all the improvements and elements you`ve added to Age of Wonders 3, which aspect of your game do you feel stands out and is going to be the most exciting to players?
• 在AoW3所有的元素和改进中，哪些你觉得是最突出的，最能让玩家兴奋的呢？
• LS & AW: Age of Wonders 3 has so many systems, which all have seen improvement, from the added depth of the tactical battles, to more variety in location on the world maps, to new domain system. In the end it`s all about how these systems work together. As it`s such an overarching feature I`d go pick the new leader classes which really are at the root of the new Age of Wonders experience, where the player is able to be a leader of a fantasy realm that is an extension of his own character and provides great variation in game play as RPG character classes do.
• AoW3的所有系统都有或多或少的改进。例如战术更具深度，地图元素更丰富，新的领域等等。最终还是要看这些系统如何共同作用。作为游戏一项主要的特色，要我就选新的领袖职业。这是新AoW的更本要素。玩家可以成为一个奇幻国度的领袖。这是对他自己所扮演角色的延伸，也带来了RPG游戏中的职业所能带来的那些多样性。

以上内容由Edwin_Yang翻译，另外官方BLOG还发了一份关于战场图像制作方面的东西，想来大家也没多少兴趣看，所以未翻译：http://www.ageofwonders.com/dev-journal-visualising-the-battlefields/