The development of a licensed game like Starship Troopers: Terran Command automatically means pressure for the development studio responsible. This is of course due in part to the expectations of the fans.
At the same time, you are aware that you cannot always make everyone happy with your decisions.
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The fans have expectations
“Developing a licensed game automatically creates a certain amount of pressure,” explains Lukas Nijsten, Lead Creative Developer at The Artistocrats, in an interview with Eurogamer.de.
“This is especially true considering the passionate fans of Starship Troopers. While it wasn't a mainstream hit, it is close to the hearts of many sci-fi enthusiasts. We welcomed this challenge with open arms and strove to stay true to the source material while delivering an engaging gaming experience.”
Starship Troopers: Terran Command – Urban Onslaught Screenshots
“As soon as we announced it publicly, we realized that there were a lot of fans who saw a lot of potential in this project,” he explains. “Although some expressed disappointment with the quality of the initial screenshots and videos, and some would have preferred to see a shooter rather than a strategy game, the feedback was overall very positive.”
“We decided to tell a new story with new characters within the Starship Troopers universe, set on a new planet. This approach gave us more freedom in designing the campaign without being constrained by the limited number of events from the films.”
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He already mentioned it: some would have preferred a shooter. But what ultimately led the team to make a strategy game?
“I've always loved strategy games and have worked on several in my career,” explains Nijsten. “The war against the arachnids in Starship Troopers is not really about the performance of individual soldiers, but about the war as a whole. To quote Carl Jenkins: 'This is about the survival of our species. And these bugs just have a lot more soldiers.'”
“A tactical, squad-based strategy game is perfectly suited to capturing the battle sequences from the film. This approach allows players to engage with the larger tactical elements of the conflict and accept that losses – literally – are part of the game.”
Urban Onslaught is scheduled to be released for Starship Troopers: Terran Command in June 2024.