Interview: Phillippe Boulle, Dawn of War II designer

Mike Bantick
Friday, 03 April 2009 08:07

Opinion and Analysis

ITWIRE:  Games Workshop are understandably protective of their IP, How closely did the DOW II development team work with Games Workshop? 

PB:  We worked very closely with Games Workshop, just as we have on previous games in the series. They were involved from the early concept phase all the way to the final touches, both making sure their IP was well represented, and also contributing ideas and suggestions.

Vancouver and Nottingham are eight time zones from one another, so face-to-face visits only happened every so often, but we spoke on the phone and via email several times a week.

ITWIRE:  Did GW approval prove to be a challenge to the team?

PB:  Not at all. Sure there were times when they asked us to adjust some details, but it was always for the good. Really, they were great to work with.

ITWIRE:...or did the challenge stem more from knowledge of the level of expectation ravening hordes of fans from the original game, and Warhammer 40K in general?

PB:  Oh, that was a challenge – but a desirable one. The expectations were just as high on the team itself – we all were fans of Dawn of War and 40K and wanted to excel, and do justice to those games and that setting.

I'll leave it to the readers and the players to decide if we succeeded.

ITWIRE:  The multiplayer part of the game is a step away from the single player campaign; can you explain the ideas behind how the team wanted to differentiate the online experience of Dawn of War II?

PB:  You know, there are lots of differences in the details of Campaign and Multiplayer play, but the overall visions are much closer. Both are built around a focus on a small number of squads in which the player feels invested, all within the framework of rapid play and plentiful rewards.

The differences come from the fundamental distinctions between a player-vs-player model and a player-vs-environment model. In PvP, it's all about creating a balanced playing field, where the distinctions come from player tactics and skill. In PvE, that is all still important, but it’s not about even-handed competition, but creating a satisfying challenge for the player.

ITWIRE:  DOW II follows the trend of the DOW franchise in providing only one race to feature as playable in the single player campaign.  Was this done due to time pressures?  Are further race campaigns, planned for the future?  Is the plan to release further content as DLC or fully fledged expansions?

PB:  I can't answer questions about specific future plans, but that sure would be great . . .

ITWIRE:  Given the focus on small numbers of units, is it possible DOW II could cross over to a console platform in the future?

PB:  Forgive the repetition, but "I can't answer questions about specific future plans, but that sure would be great . . ."