William Oshkinowe

[censored], Waubun, MN
[censored]-1199
[email protected]

30 March 2021

Ironclad Games
[I can't find PO box]
Vancouver, British Columbia
[nor any contact info]

Dear Ironclad Games,

I am writing to you as a long time fan of Sins of a Solar Empire (SOASE), as well as the
Real Time Strategy (RTS) genre as a whole. I have been playing SOASE since its release in
2008, and I can say without a doubt that it has immense potential. I have been analysing games
in the past, and have a few things about your game that I would like to share with you to make it
much more interesting and replayable.

I would like to introduce an idea for a new sequel to SOASE, and to create a game that
will make the RTS genre more presentable for people who have never played any games like it
before. The game uses parts of already existing features in SOASE and other RTS games, but
focuses more on the story and progression of the playable races. The game will also feature more
dynamic variables for the player to learn and take advantage of. The most crucial aspect of this
game, outlined more deeply in this essay, is the lore and differences between the races.

My proposal will start with an outline of the research and development that went into
imagining a new sequel to SOASE. I will then talk about the different ways in which RTS games
have adapted to a multitude of variables, and how those adaptations have helped the game or the
genre. I will also delve deeper into the working aspects of my proposed game, and how it can be
beneficial to not only your company but the future of RTS titles.
 Part one

Real time strategy games throughout the years have not really changed in the last 20

years. Sure the games have gotten more detailed and intricate as computers have gotten better,

but the vast majority of RTS games stick to a proven, but often repetitive playstyle. One of my

favorite RTS games of all time, Starcraft, is one that stands out from the rest, because it offers a

great story, and interesting lore that pulls the player into the game. However, the actual gameplay

does not truly differ from other popular titles. Fraser Brown of PC gamer, used Starcraft II in an

article about the current state of RTS games, and said that, “it didn't have a positive impact on

the genre. Instead of proving that an RTS was still viable, it proved there wasn't room for more”.

Starcraft II, while more technologically advanced compared to its predecessor, still follows this

repetitive playstyle of starting a skirmish, finishing it, and restarting a very similar one. Recent

games of the genre are getting more and more complex, but lack any real interesting hook that

will pull new people into the genre. A perfect example of this is the infamous, Aurora 4X. This

game is so complex, that it can take someone weeks to learn how each knob and dial affects their

gameplay, and much more time to finally master and use them properly, but plays like any other

4X game. These games have garnered the reputation of being games only for the most nutty of

strategy game fans, and have pushed away other potential players as they come off as daunting

and nearly impossible to learn.

In the past, games such as SOASE had such promising game features, but unfortunately

Ironclad Games fell short on some of the most important ones. They have tried to fix them with

expansion packs and DLCs, but still cannot hit the sweet spot that will make their game sell.

Stardock, the publisher of SOASE, reported in an article that technical limitations is a key

setback in the genre. However with modern day computers and software, the issues SOASE has,
can be fixed. Newer forms of AI can be implemented, as pointed out by Kevin McGee, and

Aswin Thomas Abraham’s research paper, “Real-time team-mate AI in Games”, newer AI that

uses neural networks and machine learning can be a feasible method to make more human-like

opponents, and make the gameplay much more dynamic. Other known issues, such as DVD

storage limitations, are now obsolete as downloadable games have now become the norm. In

addition to better computers, the market for these games are ripe, as discussed by Jake Theriault

on “Is Real-time Strategy Dead?”, two RTS games were in the top 20 best selling steam games

for 2017, beating out some fierce competition for that year.

Ironclad studios have not released a new title since the failure of ‘Sins of a Dark Age’ in

2015, and their attempts at sustaining SOASE can only take them so far. The making of a new

game that brings new ideas into a stagnant genre can increase the reputability of the company, as

well as ensuring the company higher profits and increased publicity.

Part Two

In the mid to late 90’s, a resurgence in video games took the world by surprise, and as a

result it introduced a few games that gave the RTS genre a strong foundation for future games to

reference. Starcraft was one of these games. It showed that games of this genre can tell a story,

and immerse the player like any great novel can. It gave the player an option between three

equally balanced races, with each having their own reasons for existing and prospering. It

described a world and a threat to each race, all the while engaging you in fast action gameplay

that required the full attention of the player. While other games of the genre also gave a

backstory, none had done so as well as Starcraft did. After its release, many companies tried to

do the same with other titles, but the ‘world building’ in those games did not affect how the races
played and interacted with each other. A video by GeneralsGentlemen titled, “What Makes RTS

Games Fun: Asymmetric Design in RTS” touched on this point by saying, “Its intuitive for a

Zerg drone to transform into a spawning pool, but it would be strange to comprehend a Terran

SCV turning into a barracks” (1:26). The different approaches each race used to complete a task,

such as mining, building, attacking and researching, each told a story about who they were, and

what they represent. A sequel for SOASE will benefit from having a great story and deeper lore.

The more the player can uncover about the world they are exploring, the more they will want to

keep exploring.

As the years went on, and games were able to use more and more computer power, RTS

games were able to become increasingly more detailed and complex. Games that contained more

intricate gameplay, took more time to finish, and extended the lifespan of the game, however,

many companies took this too far, and made it almost unplayable for new players. Like

mentioned before, Aurora 4X, while having a very noble following, cannot get the sales it needs

to be profitable, due to its extreme learning curve. Other extremely detailed games, such as the

Distant Worlds franchize, lack the hook that will pull new players into learning a difficult and

time consuming game. This does not mean that more intricate gameplay equals less playability,

but that there needs to be a reason as to why a game needs to be extremely detailed. Incorporate

deep lore and story into the mix, and the player will have a reason to learn the more intricate

parts of the game. As an example of this, imagine you are playing through an RPG, you want to

explore more parts of the world, but lack the proper armour and weapons to do so successfully.

The player will take their time to level up, complete lesser dungeons, and develop enough money

to buy the required material to finally go explore that part of the world. That long grinding
process is not just a technique, it is part of the game, and will keep the player playing. As a

result, the game lives longer, and pulls in more revenue

Part Three

Using the information gathered in the previous section, a sequel to SOASE would greatly

benefit the franchise. When the game came out, it came with a multitude of different ideas and

techniques that were not seen in previous titles. The game presented a working economy,

different ways to ally with once believed enemies, and gigantic battles that showed how space

games should look like. However, the new ideas were implemented shallowly, and did not truly

fit in with the high stakes gameplay. Instead of going on a diplomatic route, it felt like the player

was doing chores for the other opponents, and the overall gameplay was linear at best. If a game

were to sequel SOASE, it should not remove these features, but delve deeper into them, giving

them a reason to exist and a purpose for the player to care about them.

The relationships the player can build with the other factions lacked any real interactions

between opponents. The player can affect multiple variables that are presented to be influential

to the other players, but have little to no effect on them. An example of this is the economy in the

game. The player can dump all of their money into buying metal from the market, and raise the

price of metal for all opponents, but the other opponents are not impacted by it in the slightest. A

working economy should be a working economy, and reflect its health on the prices for the ships

and resources. The player would then have a real consequence of dumping thousands of credits

and resources into the market, for the players could be slowed down by a massive shock in

market price. Another example is players' lack of communication with the AI. Although the AI

does respond to your messages in game, they can only respond in pre-programed messages,

making the whole point of the messaging system pretty much worthless. The proposed sequel
introduces an AI that can create dynamic dialog for the player, as well as more ways for the

player to interact with the AI (requesting ships, resources, information, etc.). More diplomatic

options will be implemented to allow the player to request short missions and other objectives to

the other opponents. It also proposes a newly refined economy that makes the market price

change how effective trading, building, and mining are. The new economy allows for players to

make quick and early decisions that will later impact the direction of the game, such as providing

the players with leverage over each other's prices, and how they go about collecting resources.

Story is the most important part about any game, and unfortunately the original game did

not have a story. The original game had multiple races that you can play as, but the player has no

knowledge of who these races are, and why they should care about them. Similarly, the overall

lore for the game lacked any explanation for who and what the races are, only giving them a

short description to differentiate them. Lore gives direction to the progression of the story, and

gives the purpose and motivation behind the separate races. It also influences how the player

feels about each race, and how they should go about playing them. In the Warcraft franchise, the

orcs and the humans are well described, giving the player enough information about who they

are, as well as how the race should be played. A similar approach will be used in the proposed

sequel, to pull the player into a long game that feels well accomplished and well deserved. The

lore will also be a point of interest for more adept RTS players who want to discover the history

of the world, and adds replayability to the game’s campaign.

The best part about SOASE was its longer skirmishes compared to other games. One

could spend an entire week playing just one skirmish, and not get bored from it. However, it is

doubtful that one could play multiple skirmishes and feel the same way. The gameplay follows a

linear progression that the player cannot really separate from. When compared to other games,
such as Starcraft, the game makes you play each race in the campaign, and indirectly shows you

what is different about each race, and how to properly use them. To make the sequel more

replayable, the proposed sequel will need more varied races. Although the races have different

backgrounds in the original game, they play so similarly that it can be easy to play the same

strategy over and over again without any fault. The linear progression in the original game means

that the player will only have to play once to have the full experience of the game. Having more

varied races will also artificially make the game longer, by having the player learn new strategies

to be successful, rather than use the same strategy over and over again.

One of the largest and most important changes that will be in the proposed sequel, is the

implementation of RPG elements into the game. Being able to control the battlefield is exciting

in its own right, but being able to control the entirety of the game’s story, can be even more

exciting. Most RTS games include a linear storyline that the player can only sit back and watch,

despite the player being the person who is seen as the ‘hero’. The proposed sequel will start with

a story that describes who the races are, and the conflicts they are in. The player is then allowed

to choose what race they will play as, and be able to go about creating a large base that will be

with them throughout the entirety of the campaign. The game will revolve around the conflicts of

all of the races, and the player can choose to complete the main quest, or do smaller quests in

hopes of gathering more information and more resources. The point of this campaign is to allow

for players to explore the world they are in, and to get a firm understanding of how each

mechanic works, and how they will be beneficial to them.

www.pcgamer.com/can-real-time-strategy-come-back-from-the-brink-of-death/.

GGTheMachine. “Dev Journal: The Challenge of Balancing an RTS.” Stardock Games -

Everything about Stardock Games,

www.stardock.com/games/article/487949/dev-journal-the-challenge-of-balancing-an-

rts.McGee, Kevin, and Aswin Thomas Abraham. “Real-Time Team-Mate AI in Games.”

Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games -

FDG '10, 2010, dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1822348.1822365

Theriault, Jake. “Is Real-Time Strategy Dead?” Medium, SubpixelFilms.com, 20 Jan. 2020,

medium.com/subpixelfilms-com/is-real-time-strategy-dead-f5a50d88f8ca.

PwnageMachine0, director. What Makes RTS Games Fun: Asymmetric Design in RTS. YouTube,

YouTube, 24 May 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1w-qCbYVe8.

Adil, Khan, et al. “State-of-the-Art and Open Challenges in RTS Game-AI and Starcraft.”

International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, vol. 8, no. 12,

2017, thesai.org/Downloads/Volume8No12/Paper_3-

State_of_the_Art_and_Open_Challenges_in_RTS_Game.pdf
Example of how the player will be able to request the other opponents to interact with the

environment
Example of how the economy can positively and negatively change prices
Example of how the TEC (human) race will be adjusted to be more lore friendly

- Top: before

Bottom: after