Tribal Wars 2 Interview: Nino Protic, Senior Product Manager .

One of the most popular browser based MMOs in the world is getting a sequel. By now most people have at least seen the news that Tribal Wars is getting a cross platform sequel. If you haven’t, well…surprise! I got the opportunity to ask Nino Protic, a Senior Product Manager at InnoGames a few questions about the eagerly anticipated Tribal Wars 2.

Maressa: Hi there, please introduce yourself and tell us what your role is on Tribal Wars 2.

Protic: My name is Nino Protic, I work as a Senior Product Manager at InnoGames and I am responsible for Tribal Wars 2.

Nino Protic, Senior Product Manager at InnoGames

Maressa: With Tribal Wars 2 InnoGames has started the move to cross platform games. Is this something that will continue with other games? Will you go back and make older games cross platform?

Protic: We see a bright future for cross-platform gaming, so we have made it a big part of our strategy. All of our titles currently in production will be cross-platform, and we have already launched mobile apps for our previous games Tribal Wars and Grepolis. We are also about to launch mobile apps for Forge of Empires.

Maressa: What has inspired InnoGames to go mobile?

Protic: We see a big opportunity in mobile to reach a new audience, but also keep our current player base more involved. Our players were demanding apps of their favorite browser titles, and we think that this demand will only increase in the near future.

Maressa: Why was it decided to make an all new game instead of giving Tribal Wars an upgrade?

Protic: Tribal Wars has a strong and big community and it is still one of our most successful games. People who are still playing Tribal Wars up until this day do it because of its unique old-school charm and complexity. We don’t want to change that – we want to keep Tribal Wars what it is to those players who love to play it every day.

On the other hand, we wanted to create a Tribal Wars for the modern gamer – a more accessible and graphically advanced version. The foundation of the game is the same: you conquer, you rally with your allies and you fight your foes. That’s still what Tribal Wars 2 is about, but wrapped in a nicer, more user-friendly package, that is playable simultaneously on multiple devices.

Maressa: The big question on Tribal Wars fans minds right now is when will closed beta start? Is there any news on this?

Protic: We had a post put up on Facebook saying: “The official InnoGames oracle, who is known to be fairly correct in the past, and works for accounting, has had a vision! The oracle saw the Tribal Wars 2 beta launch in roughly a few months from now!” Sadly, I can’t say anything more than that. We want it to be good before we let it out to our players.

Maressa: How is the gameplay of Tribal Wars 2 different to the gameplay of Tribal Wars?

Protic: The core game loop is the same. Just now, we have integrated a completely new way to send and use scouts, plus we have two units that are completely new and serve different purposes to fulfil different tactics. We have added researches for most of our buildings, where you can get certain advantages as you upgrade the building with this research.

Maressa: Sacrifices were mentioned in the release video so the game would be playable on mobile devices. What kinds of things were sacrificed?

Protic: Some features might look and act different on smartphone and tablet, but they are still the same and act the same. Also, some features that are too complex for a mobile screen had to find their way somewhere else.

Maressa: Can you tell us about some of the new things that have been added from Tribal Wars to Tribal Wars 2?

Protic: We have not added many new features from Tribal Wars, but a couple of additions include some new buildings, new resources, and new ways to tactically spy.

Maressa: Will Tribal Wars continue after Tribal Wars 2 opens? If so will development continue on both games?

Protic: Yes, of course. Both of the games will live side by side; Tribal Wars for those players who appreciate it as it is, and Tribal Wars 2 for those who look for a bit more accessibility and a more modern touch.

Maressa: What one part of Tribal Wars 2 are you most excited for players to see?

Protic: To be honest, I think that would be the Perceptory – one of our new buildings, where you can choose between three orders. Each order does something special, and you can only choose one order per village. Two of the orders give you a new unit each, that both fulfil some specific need, and the other one gives you some extra scout and spy possibilities.

Maressa: Finally, are there any last words you’d like to give to the legion of eager fans?

Protic: Thanks for waiting and thanks for playing Tribal Wars for so long. We are eager to show you what we have, and to invite you to play Tribal Wars 2!

So there we have it! Tribal Wars 2 will be playable in the next few months. Not a whole lot is set to change from Tribal Wars to Tribal Wars 2. But it will have a shiny new package to attract new players to the series. And best of all Tribal Wars isn’t going anywhere. Many thanks to Nino Protic for taking the time to answer the burning questions on everyone’s mind.