The Eagle Standard Interview - DesertFox and RTR 7

[Perikles]

An Interview with DesertFox

by Perikles

Well we've all heard of RTR haven't we? And we all know RTR 7.0 is in development, so I thought I better catch up with the team and see how things are going...

What are the aims and inspiration of RTR 7.0?

Our aim in making 7.0 is to close the chapter of excellent realism modding from our entire team, alumni and current. Our goal has always primarily been to create a historically accurate atmosphere for all gamers to enjoy and I don't see why 7.0 will not be the apex of this goal. 7.0 Will be the culmination of everything we have done and learned from our past versions, into the ultimate final version of Rome: Total Realism. It will be unrivaled in depth and scope and will be the most ambitious realism project yet for Rome: Total War.

So when is RTR 7 going to be released, got any plans for MTW2?

RTR 7.0 will be released by Q2 of 2007, maybe sooner, depending on how fast our developers can work and whether we will be getting more help from new developers. And yes, there are rumors that there might be a RTR for MTW2, but that is all speculation for now.

What is your favourite mod besides RTR?

Hmm, I definitely enjoyed Caius's Crusades mod, mainly since I've seen it progress from an idea into reality, and a wondrous reality it is! After that, I would have to say Fourth Age: TW because im a sucker for LOTR and its a very well done mod to reflect the Middle Earth universe accurately.

So who is actually on the RTR team?

Really too many to list but some of the people include:

Dark89
Me
Marcus Cornelius Marcellus
Cheexsta
Vindafarna
Kali
Publius
Marcus Camillus

What advice whould you give to someone starting a new mod?

I would advise getting any ideas down off the paper and into reality is the number one priority for small mods. Think big and release whatever changes you make to the game to the public. Then you can build on it, gain public attention and support, and end up increasing team size.

Why is your mod better than or different to the rest?

We at the team and our fans [of course] feel that RTR is superior to other realism mods because of our perfect blend of realism, gameplay, and interaction. We have excellent historians who work with us that make the game as historically possible as the game engine would allow, while providing much much fun for the gamer by providing innovative and brilliant game tweaks such as the Area of Recruitment. This would seem almost impossible for most mods, as a misconception exists in the gaming world that increased historical accuracy results in less fun and worse gameplay. Most importantly, we LISTEN to the fans and any criticism we get in order to improve the mod in the next version. The fans are integral to the success of the mod and without their feeback, whether negative or positive, we would not be where we are right now. Our developers are always willing to listen to these fans and adapt any changes to the fans' requests.

If you could make a slogan or catchphrase to go with the mod, what would it be?

Rome: Total Realism - "Where History Flashes Before Your Eyes"

Any new screenshots or eye candy that our readers can feast thier eyes upon?



This Oscan Armoured Infantry is hot off the presses and is still WIP. It isubject to change but it is a new unit not seen by the general public before. So its an exclusive for you guys. Also, we are doing weekly unit previews now on the RTR Forums. Come check it out for previews of new stuff

Thanks to DF for doing this interview - JP