Exclusive: Evil Genius Dev Diary #5 Feature

The final part of the Elixir development diaries, chronologically detailing Evil Genius as it came together, wraps up what has been a great insight into the creation of a game from one of the worldâ??s most creative teams. With the release date set for 1st October we put the final set of questions to the team.

The Final Interview

SS â?“ Sandy Sammarco (Lead Designer), DH â?“ Demis Hassabis (Creative Director)

TVG: Now youâ??ve come nearly to the end of creating EG what has been the toughest aspect in putting the game together in both code and game design?

[SS] From a design point of view it was keeping track of the game rule dependencies. Evil Genius is a massive set of related rules, and when you pluck at one you can feel the reverberations run through the whole game, potentially messing up ten others. Frankly, it can all get a bit frightening, but you have to dive in and do it.

TVG: If you had to succinctly describe the game to entice gamers to purchase it what would you say?

[DH] You get to be a megalomaniac Evil Genius and take over the world. Build up a secret lair, recruit loyal henchmen and create the ultimate doomsday device.

TVG: Can you pick one innovation within EG that you are really pleased with?

[DH] I think we got the blend right between the simulation and strategy elements of the game. The underlying simulation (via the AI-controlled minions) automatically takes care of the basics for the player like the building of rooms, or manning of equipment. Leaving the player time to personally intervene with important issues like the arrival of a super agent through the direct control of their henchmen and Evil Genius.

TVG: When creating a game like EG do you look to both challenge the player whilst also giving interest and thought provoking ideas? Are you looking to cryptically challenge or do you prefer to immerse? Tell the perfect mix?

[SS] Our main aim has always been to entertain the player. We offer challenges, certainly, but only so that the player can enjoy overcoming them. We hope that people will see plenty of new ideas in EG, and that maybe they will get thinking, but the final word for us has to be "fun". If a player is having fun, they are likely to get immersed in the game by default.

TVG: Compared to the development of Republic: The Revolution, the development of Evil Genius appears to have been comparatively fast and pain-free; what are your overall thoughts of the time spent Evil Genius?

[DH] The development of Evil Genius has been remarkably fast. It has taken just over two years to create from start to finish and weâ??ve hit every single milestone dead on time along the way. That is a great achievement for an original title and Iâ??ve very proud of the teamâ??s effort. There are many reasons why the development was a lot smoother than Republic including: much improved production processes, more tightly defined design scope, based on existing technology and tools, and not having to build a company at the same time!

TVG: What are your hopes for the game upon its release?

[DH] We hope people will have as much fun playing the game as we had making it. And of course that it sells enough copies so that we get the chance to develop our ideas further!

TVG: Do you feel that youâ??ve accomplished all of the aims set out during the initial conception stages, and does the final product meet or exceed your initial ideas?

[SS] The overall aim of the game that we set during the conception was met. Of course as a designer itâ??s inevitable that when I look back at the final product there are things I see that could have theoretically been improved given infinite time/resources. But given that we operate in the real world with real constraints I am immensely proud of what weâ??ve achieved as a team.

TVG: What type of gamer do you feel will be immediately attracted to Evil Genius?

[DH] We think the game will appeal to a wide range of gamers including: those that like base building games/tycoon games, those that like strategy games, and those that just like the premise and style of the cool world of the secret agent. The game can be enjoyed at many levels from basic building, tinkering and exploration to advanced strategies such as surveillance networks and interrogation production lines!

TVG: Do you envisage any expansions to Evil Genius; perhaps in the shape of expansion packs or depending on its success, a sequel?

[DH] We have lots of exciting plans to expand the world of Evil Genius: from multiplayer to island sculpting tools. Watch this space!

TVG: For all the TVG readers tell us one hidden secret or in game anecdote that youâ??ve yet to tell anyone?

[DH] There are so many cool things for the player to discover but my personal favourite occurs when the ability to create freakish monsters out of body bags has been researched. This allows you to create hugely powerful freak creatures that, whilst incredibly strong, are unfortunately extremely dumb. Creating an army of freaks safely locked up without them destroying your base is a challenge but well worth it for the chance to â??unleash the freaksâ?? on a hoard of unsuspecting secret agents attempting to infiltrate your base.

TVG: Do the team start thinking about new ideas for a game, or maybe you have one which is already well underway?

[DH] At Elixir we are always working on new ideas, all at various stages of completeness. It is a continuous process and all Iâ??m allowed to currently say is that there is a signed, unannounced, exciting and ambitious new project well under way.

TVG: How eagerly do the team look for review scores and feedback from the press and does it have an effect on how you go about creating subsequent titles? Do you feel the press can make or break a game?

[DH] Of course review scores are incredibly important and waiting for them is always a very nerve-racking time! But all the press feedback weâ??ve had so far has been universally very positive so we are hopeful this will ultimately translate into sales.

TVG would like to thank all of those at Elixir Studios involved with the Evil Genius developer diary; weâ??ve had a lot of enjoyment working with you and look forward to doing so in the future.

Evil Genius is scheduled for release on October 1st; be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the review of the game, which we hope will be very soon!