author: Arantasar
The Creators of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Are Working on Cossacks 3
Studio GSC Game World that reactivated late last year is currently working on Cossacks 3. The game will be a classic real-time strategy modelled largely on the first installment in the series. The title is slated for a PC release later this year.
At the end of last year we witnessed the reactivation of GSC Game World whose portfolio includes games such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R., American Conquest and the Cossacks series. Now, the company is back in business after a three-year absence. As Polygon reports, the Ukrainians are currently working on Cossacks 3. Executive producer of the game, Evgeniy Grigorovich, shared this information in a conversation with the portal.
The first part of the series, Cossacks: European Wars released in 2001 proved to be a huge success, especially in the Eastern European markets. The popularity of the production was largely determined by the scale of clashes, unprecedented in this type of games. The player could control up to eight thousand units at the same time. Cossacks 3 is due to largely resemble that experience and in this respect it will be more of a remake than a continuation. Grigorovich says:
We decided to do a remake of the first Cossacks with all its original gameplay but also give players updated graphics and a new story. We really think that many of the players who were too young in 2001 to play Cossacks literally missed out on it and will be impressed by the gameplay of this classic RTS.
The new edition is to be distinguished by a unique design of artificial intelligence. Instead of treating all divisions as a single unit – as is the case in other strategy games in which we command large armies – the new edition of Cossacks will allow us to give orders to each soldier separately. In addition, each person on the battlefield will be characterized by individual parameters:
Each soldier on the battlefield is a separate unit with its own AI, life and combat parameters. In the majority of RTS games, units are joined into squads and it is possible to take command only over those groups. In Cossacks 3 it is possible to control each individual soldier separately, or to unite them into squads for convenience. Single soldiers and small groups are useful for scouting or capturing enemy’s peasants, buildings and artillery.
When Cossacks 3 launches, we will be able to choose from twelve factions, including France, Ukraine, Russia, Britain and Prussia. Each party will have its unique units and buildings. Eventually, the game is due to include twenty different nationalities, and the number of units available simultaneously is expected to exceed the original eight thousand.
The single player mode will include five campaigns. The multiplayer version will be available to up to seven players – they can split into teams or compete against each other individually. Those who prefer to expand their base before proceeding with offensive operations will be able to benefit from a counter option that will prevent them from attacking before a certain period of time passes:
One of the most popular variants of rules in the original Cossacks was to allow opposing players one or two hours to build up and develop their bases and their armies, and only after that to try their strength against each other on the battlefield.
There will also be an option, known from classic strategy games, of playing matches on randomly generated maps.
The key to victory will be the appropriate use of the strengths and weaknesses of individual nations. In addition, the terrain will be of great importance in the course of the clash. We will be able to hide from artillery behind mountains or larger hills, and the latter we’ll also use to increase the range of our own units fighting at a distance.
Grigorovich announced that Cossacks 3 will fully support various fan-made modifications and extensions. From the outset, the title will be accompanied by the same editor that the creators themselves were using during the development. It’s said to include options that will allow to rebuild the game virtually from scratch:
We will give modders lots of simple mechanisms to tweak the game, add new content, redesign interface, AI, change balance and gameplay or even make a completely new game with goblins and orcs.
Cossacks 3 is slated for a release later this year, but no exact date has been announced so far. The production will run on PCs with Windows, Linux or Mac OS.
On a side note, we can't help but wonder whether GSC Game World being back in the game could also mean the return to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe. Grigorovich seems to remain skeptical about this idea. In an interview with Polygon he stressed that the team working on Cossacks 3 is mostly composed of the same people who were involved in the previous installments. But when it comes to the team that made S.T.A.L.K.E.R., many of the most experienced members are already employed in other studios or set up their own companies.
