At the Gates (video game)

Last updated
At the Gates
At the Gates (video game).jpg
Developer(s) Conifer Games
Publisher(s) Conifer Games
Designer(s) Jon Shafer
Engine Microsoft XNA
Platform(s) Windows, OS X, Linux
ReleaseJanuary 23, 2019
Genre(s) Strategy
Mode(s) Single-player

At the Gates is a 4X strategy video game by Jon Shafer, the lead designer of Civilization V . Like Civilization V, the game is played on a hex map. Players control a barbarian tribe, and their aim is to accelerate the fall of the Western Roman Empire. [1] The map changes with the seasons, and resources are gradually depleted, forcing the players to migrate their tribe. [2]

Contents

After realizing he missed being able to work on a video game instead of managing its production, Shafer first announced At the Gates in 2013, after stepping away from former employer Stardock. The game was partially funded through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, raising $106,283 in March of that year. Originally scheduled for release in June 2014, the game was still unfinished even as Shafer began working for Paradox Interactive full-time in May 2017, with development continuing in Shafer's spare time. Conifer Games released At the Gates on January 23, 2019, after spending seven years in development.

Development

Before his work on At the Gates, Shafer was employed at Stardock. He first helped the company redesign Elemental: War of Magic , after its initial 2010 release received poor reviews. [3] After releasing the remake, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress , in 2012, Shafer received an opportunity to helm his own project. However, he realized during its development that managing the project wasn't nearly as enjoyable to him as making the game itself, stating, "it snowballs into this big chain of pain. You're trying to end up with something good, and it's hard". [3]

In 2013, Shafer announced that he had left Stardock to form his own company, Conifer Games. [4] He also reported that At the Gates would be Conifer Games' first title, which would be scheduled for release in June 2014. [4] After announcing the project on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, the game successfully raised $106,283 in funds towards its development in March 2013. [5] Joining Shafer to work on the project was artist Kay Fedewa and programmer Jonathan Christ. Like Shafer, Fedewa and Christ were unpaid, but Shafer was the only one working full-time on the project. [3]

Initially, At the Gates began as a "prototype of ideas" that Shafer wanted to try, such as cyclical map changes in the form of seasons. [6] He also wanted to use his new game as an opportunity to improve on the work he did for Civilization V , criticizing his previous attempt at AI design, as well as his decision to let map tiles be occupied by only one character unit at a time. [7] Work on the game had already begun a year before Shafer first announced the project. [8]

Alpha testing began in October 2013, with Shafer setting a revised target release date of 2015, [9] stating, "the goal with [At the Gates] is not just to make a strategy game that not only breaks new ground but also one that is polished at release". [10] Inspired by other games like Crusader Kings , Shafer began adding more features to At the Gates beyond its original scope, significantly extending development time. This led to him struggling with balancing work and his personal life, ultimately causing him to stop posting updates on Kickstarter. [6] Describing this period, Shafer noted:

I was in a situation where everything had fallen apart. I hadn’t worked on the game in a while. I wasn’t [answering] emails or paying bills or talking to people or anything. Everything just completely shut down. [11]

As the game became increasingly delayed, Shafer took on a position at Paradox Interactive in May 2017, opting to split time between developing At the Gates and working for Paradox. [12] [13] However, it was announced after six months that he would be leaving the studio over creative differences. [14]

After seven years of development, At the Gates was released on January 23, 2019. [15]

Reception

At the Gates received mixed reviews on Metacritic. [16] PC Gamer wrote, "Passive AI and a flawed economy ruin what could have been a refreshing 4X experiment." [17] IGN wrote, "At the Gates tries some ambitious new ideas that, in time, may leave a mark on the 4X genre. But today, it's far too broken to recommend." [18] Game Informer praised the combination of 4X gameplay with roguelike elements. [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>Civilization</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization is a 1991 turn-based strategy 4X video game developed and published by MicroProse. The game was originally developed for MS-DOS running on a PC, and it has undergone numerous revisions for various platforms. The player is tasked with leading an entire human civilization over the course of several millennia by controlling various areas such as urban development, exploration, government, trade, research, and military. The player can control individual units and advance the exploration, conquest and settlement of the game's world. The player can also make such decisions as setting forms of government, tax rates and research priorities. The player's civilization is in competition with other computer-controlled civilizations, with which the player can enter diplomatic relationships that can either end in alliances or lead to war.

<i>Galactic Civilizations</i> 2003 video game

Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003. The game is a remake of an OS/2 series of the same name. An expansion pack entitled Altarian Prophecy was released in 2004. A sequel, Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, was released February 21, 2006. On May 14, 2015, Stardock released Galactic Civilizations III. On April 26, 2022, Stardock released Galactic Civilizations IV.

<i>Master of Orion</i> 1993 video game

Master of Orion is a turn-based, 4X science fiction strategy game in which the player leads one of ten races to dominate the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy and conquest while developing technology, exploring and colonizing star systems.

<i>Master of Magic</i> 1994 video game

Master of Magic is a single-player, fantasy turn-based 4X strategy game in which the player plays as a wizard attempting to dominate two linked worlds. From a small settlement, the player manages resources, builds cities and armies, and researches spells, growing an empire and fighting the other wizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4X</span> Genre of strategy-based video and board games

4X is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, and includes both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. The gameplay generally involves building an empire. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of military and non-military routes to supremacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardock</span> Software and video game developer

Stardock Corporation is an American software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market between 1997 and 1998. The company is best known for computer programs that allow a user to modify or extend a graphical user interface as well as personal computer games, particularly strategy games such as the Galactic Civilizations series, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, and Ashes of the Singularity.

<i>Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords</i> 2006 video game

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is a 4X turn-based strategy by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 2003 game, Galactic Civilizations, and was released at retail and on Stardock's online subscription service, TotalGaming.net, on February 21, 2006. An expansion, Dark Avatar, was released in February 2007. A second expansion, Twilight of the Arnor, was released in April 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Wardell</span> American novelist

Bradley R. Wardell is an American businessman, programmer, author and AI engineer. He is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of Stardock, a software development and computer games company.

<i>Elemental: War of Magic</i> 2010 video game

Elemental: War of Magic is a fantasy 4X turn-based strategy game developed and published by Stardock, released in August 24, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Shafer</span> American video game designer (born 1985)

Jon Shafer is an American designer and programmer of video games. He was the lead designer of the strategy game Civilization V, developed by Firaxis.

<i>Galactic Civilizations III</i> 2015 video game

Galactic Civilizations III is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to 2006's Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. The full version of the game was released in May 2015. The game's first expansion, titled Mercenaries, was released in February 2016.

<i>StarDrive</i> 2013 video game

StarDrive is a 4X real-time strategy video game by Zero Sum Games, it was released for Microsoft Windows in April 2013. The game was funded through Kickstarter, raising $17,676 in its December 2011 crowdfunding campaign. The player's goal is to dominate the galaxy with one of the eight races through diplomacy and war while developing new technologies, exploring new star systems and colonizing new planets. The game received a mixed critical reception, generating a score of 61/100 on reviews aggregation website Metacritic. Its sequel, StarDrive 2 contrastingly adopts turn-based strategy gameplay and was released in April 2015.

<i>Civilization VI</i> 2016 video game

Sid Meier's Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. The mobile and Nintendo Switch port was published by Aspyr Media. The latest entry into the Civilization series, it was released on Windows and macOS in October 2016, with later ports for Linux in February 2017, iOS in December 2017, Nintendo Switch in November 2018, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2019, and Android in 2020.

<i>Old World</i> (video game) 2021 turn-based strategy video game by Mohawk Games

Old World is a historical turn-based strategy 4X video game developed by Mohawk Games for Microsoft Windows and macOS, released on July 1, 2021, and for Steam and GOG alongside Linux support on May 19, 2022.

Worlds of Magic is a single-player fantasy turn-based 4X strategy game developed by Wastelands Interactive and published for Microsoft Windows in 2015. In late 2015 it received a PS4 and Xbox One ports under the name Worlds of Magic: Planar Conquest; which has been sometimes described as an improved sequel. In 2016 Worlds of Magic: Planar Conquest was also released for PC, iOS and Android as Planar Conquest. In 2020 Planar Conquest was ported to Nintendo Switch.

Mohawk Games is an American video game developer based in Baltimore, Maryland, known for releasing the strategy video games Offworld Trading Company and Old World.

<i>Galactic Civilizations IV</i> 2022 video game

Galactic Civilizations IV is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It features standard 4X space gameplay such as colonizing a galaxy, engaging in space combat, and discovering new technology and alien species. As the fourth entry in the Galactic Civilizations series, the game adds an artificial intelligence assistant, a scoring system, and a larger galaxy organized into multiple sectors of tile-based maps. The game entered early access in 2021, promising to learn from other 4X games including Stellaris, Endless Space, and Distant Worlds.

<i>Millennia</i> (video game) 2024 strategy video game

Millennia is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by C Prompt Games and released by Paradox Interactive on March 27, 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Gallegos, Anthony (2013-02-06). "At the Gates: A New Game from the Designer of Civilization V". IGN. Retrieved 2015-06-02.
  2. ↑ "4Xtra: Jon Shafer Explains At The Gates". Rock Paper Shotgun. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Pitts, Russ (2013-02-06). "They Could be Heroes: Conifer Games At the Gates". Polygon. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  4. 1 2 "Jon Shafer's At the Gates: New strategy studio Conifer Games is starting small but has huge ambitions". VentureBeat. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  5. ↑ Shafer, Jon (2013-02-06). "Jon Shafer's At the Gates". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  6. 1 2 Watson, Eric (2019-01-29). "How making a new strategy game nearly destroyed Civ 5 designer Jon Shafer's life". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  7. ↑ Hafer, T. J. (2013-02-14). "Jon Shafer criticizes every decision he made on Civ 5, explains how At the Gates will differ". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  8. ↑ Edwards, Tim (2013-02-06). "At the Gates revealed: a Rome-era strategy game by Civ V designer Jon Shafer". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  9. ↑ Farokhmanesh, Megan (2013-12-02). "At the Gates release date pushed back to 2015". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  10. ↑ Peel, Jeremy (2015-12-02). "Jon Shafer's At the Gates has fallen through the Civ, landed in 2015". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  11. ↑ Wilson, Jason (2019-03-03). "Jon Shafer interview: At the Gates shows an emotional 6-year journey". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  12. ↑ Smith, Adam (2017-05-18). "At The Gates is a 4X game that learns from RimWorld and Spelunky". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
  13. ↑ Hall, Charlie (2017-05-12). "Civ 5 designer Jon Shafer joins Paradox, Kickstarter game remains unfinished". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  14. ↑ Chalk, Andy (2017-11-17). "Civilization 5 designer Jon Shafer has split with Paradox over 'creative differences'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  15. ↑ Hafer, T. J. (2018-12-11). "The new game from Civ 5's designer is all about conquering Rome". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  16. ↑ "Jon Shafer's At the Gates (PC)". Metacritic . Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  17. ↑ Brown, Fraser (2019-01-23). "At the Gates review". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  18. ↑ Hafer, Leana (2022-02-07). "At the Gates Review". IGN . Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  19. ↑ Gwaltney, Javy (2019-01-23). "At The Gates Review". Game Informer . Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.