1914: The Great War Interview

Trinod Entertainment teams-up with Fishtank Interactive to bring you their latest turn-based strategy game. 1914: The Great War features realistic 3D landscapes, a total of 30 missions (players can choose between Allies or Germans), and there will be more than 60 units from the following nations: Germany, France, Great Britain, and the US). One more interesting thing is that your units will be upgradeable, so you'll have the possibility of converting them into elite fighting units, therefore adding an RPG element to this turn-based strategy.

As a follow up to our previous update, we sit down to chat briefly with the Trinode Entertainment's PR Manager Silke Wengemann and the Lead programmer Pierre Flick.

If the game's turns out like this... :)

Boooom and Kabooom!

Action Trip: To begin with, let us know a little bit about your development team and its previous involvements in the game industry.

Trinod Entertainment: Our team consists of 20 people, who are working full-time on the project. The leader of the team is Bernhard Ewers, who previously developed Battle Isle 1-3 and History Line. Before 1914 - The Great War we developed the strategy-game Rim - Battle Planets and did several board and card-game adaptions.

AT: As you've revealed one of your team members worked on the classic title History Line 1914-1918. Can you draw any parallels between this game and 1914 - The Great War, in terms gameplay?

TE: The biggest parallel is definitely the historic background.

AT: Tell us what you think strategy games lack these days.

TE: Most of the strategy games today are real-time games which is not bad, but we want to give the player time to figure out the best strategy and all the time he needs for it.

AT: In a gaming world thriving with various types strategy games, especially those that focus on the happenings of the 'great wars,' in what way do you hope to make it unique?

TE: At the moment there's no other WW1-strategy game on the market and with the high detailed units and history-closeness, 1914 the Great War is a unique WW1-game.

AT: Your press release uncovered that the player begins his career as an officer and he must prove his strategic abilities throughout various tasks. Give us a more detailed look on these missions and scenarios. Does the development team plan to include some missions that occurred in actuality?

TE: We hold on to historic events, while concentrating on the most interesting parts of the battles. The player will be able to command the Red Baron, he'll be put in the depths of trench war fare, and he'll take part in the 1st massive artillery-fights; for example, Verdun/France and lead the 1st tank-attack in human history. The player desides how to achive victory in the mission, there are various ways to solve the mission.

Reload men!

The Red Baron's going down!

AT: As your game announcement says, 1914 - The Great War is a 3D strategy game and it is going to feature some realistic visual effects. Tell us more about these features and the technology that powers them.

TE: Especially for 1914 - The Great War we've developed a visually stunning effect-system. The engine runs on the well proven technology of Pulsar 3D, our in-house developed 3D engine.

AT: Give us more details about the various units and vehicles we'll get to handle throughout the game.

TE: There will be units like the Red Baron, the British MarkIV-tank, the famous US Steamtank, the German A7V and Dicke Berta, the French train-artillery and other historic units and vehicles.

AT: What are your plans for the multiplayer aspect of the game?

TE: 4 players can play on two sides against each other.

AT: When exactly can we expect the game to hit the shelves?

TE: The German release is expected for the second quarter 2002.

AT: Maybe it's a bit early to ask, but do you any other game-projects in the works right now?

TE: Of course 1914: The Great War won't be the last you've heard of TriNod Entertainment, but for the moment we can't pass any information of following projects.