Halo Wars 2 ViDoc: Multiplayer

Halo Wars 2 ViDoc: Multiplayer is a video documentary by 343 Industries and Creative Assembly which discusses the multiplayer modes of Halo Wars 2, including Blitz, where tactical combat meets card-based strategy - choose a Leader, build a deck of cards, and deploy them in explosive battles.

Transcript
TRACKING TARGET TARGET FOUND COORDINATES LOCKED
 * Dan Brewer : I'll see I suppose the guys who don't just do something, they think about why they're doing something. When you’re watching an intense chess match and you're seeing a battle of minds, a battle tactics, that isn't even just on the board it's five moves ahead, 10, 20 moves ahead.
 * Oliver Smith : This ability for the action to just kind of turn on a dime.
 * Michael How : If you know the person you're playing you might know what their favorite tactics are.
 * Max Szlagor : You know you think I got that game wrapped up and then all of a sudden two bases go down another base gets built.
 * Dan Ayoub : They think they've got you they've got their units coming in and then you just drop death out of the sky.
 * Kevin Grace : Do you build for long-range siege you go air do you go heavy guns.
 * Dan Ayoub : What's my enemy doing how am I gonna counter react to that.
 * Max Szlagor : Time’s ticking down the scores ticking up.
 * Oliver Smith : I've taken on board what you’re throwing at me now I'm gonna dismantle that.
 * Dan Ayoub : First thing I had to figure out it was who we were going to work with on this and my mind immediately went to Creative Assembly.
 * Kevin Grace : They are synonymous with RTS.
 * Dan Ayoub : These guys been doing this for 20 years they're still at the top of their game.
 * Oliver Smith : We wanted to make this feel like a game that was very much a sequel to the original.
 * Cassie Arsenault : We already have a wonderful RTS and we're trying to build on top of that.
 * Alistair Hope : What we really wanted to do was add layers of depth so the wide range of players can have a fantastic time.
 * Dan Brewer : Bring those players in go actually it's not really that complicated. It's a real action focus strategy game.
 * Michael How : We're also doubling down on the size of these environments so you have the space to get involved in some serious combat.
 * Kevin Grace : If you want to practice your base strategy you can go into domination, go into death match. If I'm in the mood for a fast game I can jump into Strongholds so we've got different kind of ways to play the game for different kind of players.
 * Dan Ayoub : We absolutely want those hardcore players and we've absolutely got games and game modes that are suited to that but then we've got on the other end of the spectrum modes like Blitz. It’s something nobody's ever done before.
 * Cassie Arsenault : Blitz is a whole new way to play RTS.
 * Alistair Hope : We're really excited about Blitz.
 * Kevin Grace : It really changes the way people will look at RTS games.
 * Oliver Smith : Blitz is a fast-paced arcade action version of Halo Wars 2 where instead of building your army at a base, you're building them before a match as a deck of card. And you fight by deploying cards from your hand into the battlefield in real time.
 * Cassie Arsenault : There is no base building there's no economy management, it's all about the combat.
 * Dan Ayoub : I don't want to worry about tech trees I don't worry about resource collection.
 * Oliver Smith : The original design intention for Blitz was to make something really accessible that everybody could enjoy.
 * Alistair Hope : Whether you're new to strategy games or an RTS veteran.
 * Dan Brewer : It brings the really cool bits of RTS of commanding a huge army bringing down huge leader powers.
 * Alistair Hope : It's all about playing the right card at the right time.
 * Oliver Smith : At the end of the match you're wielding these large forces with all sorts of different powers and abilities.
 * Cassie Arsenault : And start bringing out bigger guns, Marauders, Blisterbacks.
 * Dan Ayoub : Even if you're a really seasoned vet it's such a different way to play an RTS.
 * Oliver Smith : Building a deck is going to be heavily influenced by the leader that you choose going in.
 * Cassie Arsenault : You'll have a number of cards that are unique to that leader.
 * Max Szlagor : Trying to differentiate each leader to make them feel like they have a unique purpose and a unique playstyle.
 * Dan Ayoub : I tend to be a little more aggressive when I play so I will lead towards like an Atriox or a Decimus.
 * Cassie Arsenault : I like that we're taking a risk, we're making something really exciting that I think people haven't seen before.
 * Alistair Hope : You're playing with the units on the field you're playing with the leaders and the abilities. I think it was a taking on the player you're reacting to what their actions are. You really can turn the tide.
 * Oliver Smith : There's always an opportunity to kind of fall back to your base, shut down your opponent's tactic and then come forward with a strategy of your own.
 * Alistair Hope : One of the joys of RTS is the battle’s never over till it's over.

Know Your Enemy February 21, 2017