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Thanks to the generosity of the Frost Giant team, I was granted another opportunity to test Stormgate in pre-alpha one month after the first test. There were many improvements on the previous version, and the faith I already had in their team has been multiplied a hundred times over. Not only are they working with good ideas, they are making haste. The amount of new assets loaded in since the previous version is impressive. The artists are good at what they do and are working quickly.
Gameplay wise, I got to see a major expansion in how players can interact with the map. Gone are the tired days of holding watchtowers and breaking rocks! New uses for our armies await us -- new incentives that can be sought and contested! At a fundamental level, Stormgate is looking to make a lot of interesting action on the map.
They were transparent about their current progress compared with the overall goals they have for the game, and have yet to work on campaign content (single player and co-op) or the monetization framework (similar to SC2). There was major headway in fleshing out the units and structures of the human faction, but Infernals are not playable just yet. The map Tricia and I played on was different, and I was pleased to see the addition of some new ways to find value on the map -- beyond just harvesting 2 resources from patches!
For privacy of their process, I won't get specific about what exactly was in the version I tested, since much is subject to change in this stage of development. Instead I want to express the reasons for my faith in the project as a whole, based on the experiences I had at Frost Giant's HQ.
WHY STORMGATE CAN WIN
1. The Passion
The people at Frost Giant want to make an RTS. They know US -- the devoted nerds who want a hard fought contest of micro, macro and decision-making. They studied the various ways people played StarCraft, be it through 1v1 ladder, team games, arcade, co-op, or campaign. They see the breadth of how many ways RTS can be enjoyed, and want to include all of those types of gamers. RTS might not be the most profitable genre to punch into, but many of us believe it to be the most epic and glorious! I salute their bravery and purity of purpose!
2. The Freedom
While it is harder in many ways to build a polished game from a smaller company, Frost Giant is granted many freedoms as a result of not being beholden to a larger entity like Blizzard. For one, they get to establish their own culture and identity as a games company. What is their culture like so far? From what I could tell from my brief visits, it is focused, driven and humble. They know the size of the task ahead of them, and have no delusions of an easy path to success. They work together. When they hit the climbing gym together, they are encouraging and supportive -- wanting everyone involved to succeed from where they are.
3. The Engine
StarCraft 2 is a snappy and responsive video game, but it is built on ancient technological constraints. Frost Giant is building something from the ground up, with modern tech. This means faster, better performing game clients that can handle more things going boom on the screen without chunking our computers. This means more freedom to add sweet skins and crazy maps with more going on. While StarCraft reached a very finished level of polish, it had some constraints based on the foundations it was built upon. Stormgate has no such constraints. Stormgate is free.
4. The Experience
The people at Frost Giant have been part of developing many of the games we love the most, and at this point they know what the f*ck they're doing. Give them time, encouragement, and wishlist Stormgate on Steam.
5. The Leadership Style
Tim Morten is a true warrior of strong, compassionate servant leadership. He puts the team before himself and he puts faith in people. When Tricia and I went to the rock climbing gym, he cheered for us to go further. You don't have to lead like that -- many CEOs lead to maximize how things look this quarter. Tim is captaining a crew of skilled sailors toward Destination: Awesome RTS and seems to be leading them in the right direction! Also, he's jacked and climbs like a beast.
6. The Multiplayer Design
Kevin Dong is working hard to make sure that all of the multiplayer modes of Stormgate are both entertaining and highly performing. He was on the StarCraft team and knows the level of polish the pro gamers expect, and will frequently check how Stormgate performs compared to StarCraft in responses to player behaviors. If things get slow or clunky somewhere, they work hard to iron that out. Content wise, Stormgate will have lots more valuable reasons to get your army out of the base for some fresh air, I can tell you that! Also, Kevin is jacked and climbs like a beast.
7. The Office
The Frost Giant studio is in a new building and very well kept. They have a gym and a cafe with plenty of windows and sunshine. There wasn't any sticky stuff on the floor. Their office is dog friendly. A couple dogs walked by during the playtest and were well-behaved. The Frost Giant team has a focused energy about them while they work -- at least while I was there.
8. The Cara
Did you know that Day9 and Tasteless's mom is on the Frost Giant team? She's cool as heck, and wants you to spread the word to your friends to wishlist Stormgate on Steam!
9. The Art Style
The lighting of the maps and the distinct shapes of the units makes Stormgate a very visually accessible RTS that doesn't compromise on style. The direction they are choosing will make it more friendly to both player and spectator to track the action of what is going on and enjoy which units are doing what in the fight.
10. The Community Engagement
Theirs is a team that listens and wants lots of community feedback. On their subreddit /r/stormgate they are regularly asking the community for their opinions. When I visit, I feel heard and understood. Integrity like that is rare in this world and I salute their righteous process of making a heckin amazing videogame. Keep it up, Frost Giant!
-Neuro
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