I recently got a chance to talk with Christoph Quas, game designer for Sproing. The topic? Their recent DS strategy title, Panzer Tactics.

Read on for the full interview.

4 color rebellion: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and what your role was in the development of this game.

Christoph Quas: My name is Christoph Quas, and I am the game designer of Panzer Tactics DS. Sproing, the company behind Panzer Tactics, is based in Vienna, Austria, and is one of the biggest independent console developers in the German speaking market.

How does Panzer Tactics differentiate itself from other turn-based tactical games?
Our goal was to close the gap between classic turn-based wargaming of the 90s (inspired by games like Panzer General or Battle Isle) and the more casual and modern approach of Advance Wars. Panzer Tactics DS offers -– as currently no other game on the Nintendo DS -– deep-going strategy while still remaining accessible. Additionally, we are featuring a comprehensive and unprecedented multiplayer mode, including Hotseat, LAN and WiFi. That means, you can play against up to 4 players worldwide and compare yourselves in an online highscore ranking list.

What kind of story can we expect from the campaigns, and is there much character development?
The story is obviously derived from the events of WWII. In the first campaign – playing the German Wehrmacht – you’ll start in 1939 with the invasion of Poland and end in 1943 with the Battle of Stalingrad. At this point, you’ll switch over to the Russian campaign and drive the Germans back to Berlin again. In the third and hardest campaign, you’ll control the Western Allied troops, starting with the landing operations in Italy and Normandy and finally ending the war in the heart of Germany in 1945.

In Multiplayer you’ll select an avatar that stays with you throughout your multiplayer career, beginning as an inexperienced private and ending as a tough and aged general.

How in-depth was the research that went into gathering the historical information? Were any WWII veterans involved in the process?
There was a lot of research work on Panzer Tactics DS. First of all we tried to be as authentic as possible while designing the maps, so we studied endless numbers of historical maps and articles. Secondly we wanted the units to be as accurate as possible, so we did a lot of research on the weaponry of WWII as well. I personally have always been interested in WWII a lot, so I tried to bring some expertise into the game as well.

How complex is the gameplay of Panzer Tactics? Is the gameplay straight forward enough for the casual market, or is this game targeted more towards hardcore gamers?
It was very important for us to offer a game that constantly challenges and satisfies the experienced player without overwhelming the strategy rookie. The depth of the game should definitely please the veterans, but still we are convinced that the newbie will have just as much fun with our game.

Did you have any influence outside of video games for this game? Being a board game fan myself, it reminds me a lot of the excellent Advanced Squad Leader.
When you’re designing a game, there are a lot of influences coming from various directions that help you to create a better game. Talking about board games, Axis & Allies for example or Memoir 44 certainly had their influence, albeit rather indirectly.

Tell us more about the online modes. I imagine playing through a 4 player skirmish must take a long time to complete. Did you implement any kind of save features for random disconnects?
As mentioned earlier, Panzer Tactics DS offers a Hotseat, LAN and WiFi mode for up to 4 players. The players can customize a multiplayer match regarding turn-time limit, initial resource amount or win condition. This directly influences the duration of a multiplayer battle.

Cheating was a serious topic for us. That’s why we implemented a system that punishes cheaters and rewards fair play. E.g. when you disconnect or turn off the power of your Nintendo DS, you will get a flag in your statistics. This means, if somebody has 100 power-off flags I might not want to play against him anymore. If a player wants to leave, I want him to surrender with honor. If he does so, he’ll get all the fame he gained so far during the match. If he disconnects or turns off the power, he’s left empty-handed. The remaining player will be automatically rewarded as the winner then.

How do Heroes work in the game? Are they actually on the field?
Heroes are abstract units that can be recruited and assigned to an existing unit. You can have up to 3 officers, but be warned, they are very expensive! An officer raises certain parameters of the assigned unit and all surrounding units. Officers come as specialists (air officer, tank officer etc.) that you can use to fulfill your strategic needs. But officers have a weak point: They can be assassinated through commando units that operate invisibly behind enemy lines. So, you’d better have an eye on your precious heroes!

Are you satisfied with how the game turned out? Is there anything that you had to cut out due to time constraints?
Of course, being a developer, you are never 100% satisfied, because there is always something else that you would like to add or do differently. But after all I can say that we are very happy with Panzer Tactics DS, for it is a high-quality product that will certainly entertain you for hours and hours.

What kind of games do you usually play?
My favorite genres are RPG’s, Action-Adventures (I love Zelda) and – what a surprise – strategy games. But right now I am jumping between Halo 3 and Metroid Prime Corruption.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

Panzer Tactics DS Official Site