Fanstratics月报#2#2020-10

来源：Newsletter #2 October 2020，以下由Edwin_Yang翻译。

• HoMM3 HotA, while a work in progress, satisfies most of our heroish needs. Why would I want to switch from HoMM3 HotA to Fanstratics? What are you going to provide the team behind HotA cannot?
• 问：玩家为什么要放弃深渊号角(HotA)去玩FST呢？FST能给HotA的玩家哪些不一样的体验呢？
• This is a good question, and a difficult one to answer. It is my job is to give fans every possible reason to willfully move on from HoMM3 HotA to Fanstratics. In many respects, my current situation is very comparable to what I faced when I designed HoMM3. At the time, HoMM fans rightfully asked, “What can HoMM3 offer that HoMM2 hasn’t already delivered?” My response now, is similar to my response then. My goal is to give fans a careful and respectful evolution; new lore, reinvigorated creativity, revitalized graphics, smart quality of life adjustments, revised and improved gameplay mechanics... while maintaining the spirit of the original. It’s an incredibly daunting task, and I’m going to give it my best. I know details are scarce, but try to be patient. Features will slowly be revealed over time, and in the end, hopefully, I will have given fans plenty of reasons to look forward and not backward.
• 答：当初我在开发HoMM3的时候，也碰到了类似的问题。别人问我：HoMM3能带来哪些HoMM2没有的体验呢？我的回答还是一样：我想在忠于前作的基础上做一些更精细的改进。新的故事，新的创意，更精美的画面，游戏机制的更新改进，让游戏更适应现在的生活节奏。当然，以上的前提是要忠实于前作的风格。这很难，但是我会努力的！

• How about a day and night cycle where creatures change abilities based on the time of day, like vampires or werewolves?
• 问：你觉得加入昼夜系统怎么样？生物的能力也会随时间段改变，比如吸血鬼和狼人这种。
• This is a good idea, and when I was originally brainstorming Fanstratics, a day and night cycle was one of the original features. In the end, it was cut for a number of reasons, but the biggest was ‘too much complexity within an already vast game. As stated, day and night cycles are very interesting because of the ‘transformational’ opportunities for specific troop types; playing one way during the day, and playing another way during the night. Armello touches upon this, and it looks like Songs of Conquest may be doing something with it as well. Truthfully, it’s a central mechanic around which an entire game could be made.
• 答：我有想过这点，但这个游戏的系统本来就很庞大，再加上这个就太复杂了。但不得不说，阿门罗（Armello）和征服之歌（Songs of Conquest ）把这个系统运用的很好。

• HOMM’s storylines have been interesting, but with each sequel, the previous world and characters have been tossed aside and new ones created. Are you planning to do the same, or do you have a grand plan in mind?
• 问：HoMM的剧情是很吸引人的，但问题是以前新作总是会推翻或弃用前作的世界和设定，你打算也这么干，还是有其他的考量？
• Truthfully, at NWC we didn’t have a lot of time to work on story elements, so map and quest makers were given relative freedom to work within quickly established guidelines. This led to each team ‘wanting to do their own thing’, without the restrictions imposed by the lore of a previous team. With FST, I want to put considerable effort into the lore and lay a strong foundation for future story lines. We’ll see what happens, as there are many hurdles to overcome, but my goal is ‘longevity’. There may be other stories, involving different characters from different continents, but I would prefer to stick with one world and one progression of characters.
• 答：讲真，以前在NWC的时候我们没太多时间去打磨剧情。地图制作者只会有一个大的框架做参考，其他的可以自由发挥。所以有时剧情会冲突。至于FST，我打算在剧情上狠狠地下一番功夫，为以后的剧情做好扎实的铺垫。以后可能有其他角色和其他大陆的剧情，但我计划它们都发生在同一个世界里，人物的发展也保证前后一致。

• I loved the hand-drawn artwork of Heroes I & II, the realistic look of Heroes III, and thought Heroes IV was OK. While the scenery in Heroes V was really nice, I was less keen on its exaggerated, anime-style characters. PLEASE give us Heroes II or III graphics. No Japanese inspired cartoons.
• 问：我喜欢H1和H2的手绘原画，H3的写实风格，4代还好。5代虽然惊艳，但我不是很喜欢这种动画风格。可以采用2代或3代那种风格吗？
• A TBS game like Advance Wars, originally made for the Game Boy Advance, can easily get away with an anime or manga art style because... well... it was for Nintendo. For a more modern descendant, see WarGroove, which started out on the PC, but was clearly made with consoles in mind. With the right artists, I think a cartoonish art style could work, but in the end, it really comes down to ‘public expectations’ and ‘appropriateness’. Without a doubt, Fanstratics is a fantasy war game, for the PC. So, a certain level of seriousness is expected. As you can see from Justin Gerard’s concept work, I’m aiming for an art style similar to HoMM3. It’s essentially an old school approach, deriving its inspiration from 1st and 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons.
• 答：游戏的美术风格其实和平台有关。FST是个PC游戏，所以我打算采用比较严谨的写实风格。我打算采用类似于HoMM3的风格，就是那种传统的从DnD1,2版发展出来的风格。

• Will there be a Forge-like faction?
• 问：会有类铸造族吗？
• Personally, I like the mixing of sci-fi and fantasy, but plenty of people do not. If Ubisoft dropped Might & Magic into my lap, I would lean into it, but truthfully... it’s very divisive. As for Fanstratics, a couple of ‘clockwork’ troops are currently planned for one faction, but it is highly unlikely (never say never) there will be an entirely ‘technological’ faction.
• 答：FST的某些种族会有类机械的兵种，但要做一整个科技种族，可能性是很小的，不过我也不会把话说死。

• I still don’t like the name. Is there any chance you will change it?
• 问：我还是觉得现在这个游戏名不好，以后有可能改吗？
• I’ve thought it over, and this is what I propose for those of you who can’t get past the game’s name. If Fanstratics becomes a top ten crowd funded video game, I’ll put the name up for a vote, and let the backers make the final decision. Using a double elimination tournament system, Fanstratics will be required to run a gauntlet against three other potential game names (I promise to put significant effort into the three alternatives (community suggestions welcome)). Here are the top ten most crowdfunded video games of all time (Star Citizen and Shroud of the Avatar don’t count).
• 答：如果FST能在众筹游戏中挤进前10（这得要315万美刀），我就开一个投票，让金主来决定用什么名字。投票采用双败制。FST和其他三个名字竞争。当然我会认真挑选另外3个竞标名字。

• Are you looking for Beta Testers?
• 问：你们现在在找Beta测试者吗？
• As most people know, Fanstratics is currently in pre-alpha production. We have a very long way to go before reaching Beta, and at this stage, it’s undecided how we will handle bug testing. Dedicated internal? Early Access external? Combination? When the AI is good enough to play against, my intention is to push FST into Early Access, where players will have plenty of opportunity to play test, report repeatable bugs, and give feedback.
• 答：目前游戏还在Pre-alpha阶段。而且我更倾向于用抢先体验发行的方式让玩家参与测试。

• Windows PC only? Steam only? What about Apple or Android or GOG?
• 问：游戏是PC独占？Steam独占？苹果和安卓平台呢？
• Let me clarify, regarding potential platforms. In stating Fanstratics would be, first and foremost, a Windows PC game, my main goal was to reassure fans, I would not be compromising the game’s design for consoles or mobile (as is rather typical these days). Apple and Linux desktops are in the cards. iPad is a possibility, but it really comes down to how the GUI translates to a smaller screen. With moderate adjustments, Civ6 was able to pull it off, so we’ll definitely give it a look. If we can produce something to our liking, for a reasonable cost, we’ll happily port it, but if the result is janky... it won’t happen. As for retail platforms, I think it is safe to say we will be submitting Fanstratics to Steam, Epic, and GOG. How this roll out will be accomplished, and in what order, is currently undetermined, as priority one is reaching `production alpha`.
• 答：FST肯定是个PC游戏。而且我想说我不会为了上其他平台就去阉割游戏，在这个前提下我也会考虑苹果，Linux和IPad。另外Steam,Epic和GOG也会上架。

• What game engine and programming language are you using?
• 问：你们用的什么引擎和语言？
• Currently, we are using Unity and scripting in C#. Unless we are given significant reason to change, we expect to continue using Unity.
• 答：Unity和C#。

Shout out to Songs of Conquest.

There are more, very specific game play questions I have yet to answer, but I’m going to save them for next month. So, before I wrap up, I wanted to give a shout out to Songs of Conquest (SoC).

I was doing ‘market research’ for Fanstratics, when SoC appeared on my radar, because it was characterized as ‘inspired by HoMM’. After checking it out, I liked what I saw, and I have every intention of purchasing a copy when it releases next year.

It just so happens, in the first month after Fanstratics’ accidental announcement, one particular subscriber to the Newsletter caught my eye. It was Magnus Alm, co-founder of Lavapotion, the developer or SoC. I could have let it go... but instead, I wrote an email, said ‘hello’, introduced myself, and told them I was looking forward to their game. Magnus wrote back, and since then, we have continued to communicate.

It may seem odd at first, but most game developers tend to be friendly with one another, despite implied market competition. Why? Few people, outside of game development, understand the highs of making a good game, the lows of making a disappointment, and the extreme effort required when crafting either. In the end, it creates a odd fellowship born out of uncommon experience.

I sincerely wish Lavapotion the best, and would suggest checking out SoC.

It looks like fun. :-)