Supremacy 1914

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to interview you about Supremacy 1914. First of all, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi. My name is Felix Faber and I am the managing director of Bytro Labs. Our company creates and operates browser games since 2009. We are located in the heart of Hamburg, the gaming capital of Germany. Our games have more than 1.6 million players combined and are available all over the world in many different languages. Our flagship is the real-time strategy game “Supremacy 1914”.

How would you describe Supremacy 1914 to someone who has never heard of it before, for instance, to people who are only just getting into MMOs and haven’t yet tried out Supremacy 1914.
S1914 differs a lot from existing MMOs: It’s a lot like the famous board game Risk. Players play short rounds of four to eight weeks which focusses the game on strategy and diplomacy instead of building for months like in every other strategy game. In those rounds, you become the leader of a European, North American, Asian, or African nation and you move your units in real-time on a historical map in order to conquer the world. We also have a sophisticated resource system and players need to interact with each other to reach their goals.

Who are the belligerents? How many factions can the players choose from?
Players can choose from up to 30 different countries. Every map has a different geographical focus, so there are countries from all over the world playable. There are also some smaller countries which are played by an intelligent AI. It is also possible to play the game in teams and we even have an alliance system supporting this feature.

How does the gameplay work, what are the parameters to take into consideration for a player to lead his troops to victory?
Besides figuring out the perfect military strategy for each country, the player has to keep an eye on his/her resources. Without them, expanding can become very difficult. The player also needs to communicate with the other players and find allies in the game. Otherwise, he might end up alone against a superior alliance of players.

What are the development plans for the game, what new features can players expect in the future and what aspects of the game have you been working on to improve the most?
There will definitely be more new maps in the future. We are already working on a South America map. We have also planned new units. Of course, the balancing of the game as well as the performance are always on our radar. Right now we are working on an improved client that doesn’t require to install Java anymore. This should be released by the end of 2012.

In what areas do you feel that Supremacy 1914 has an advantage over similar WW1 strategy games in the genre?
There are no games like “Supremacy 1914” out there. It has a completely different concept than common MMOGs. For example there is no risk of being farmed by other players. The short rounds allow for quick strategic gameplay. At the same time we have a very deep gameplay with a sophisticated trading and diplomacy system. We are also proud of our AI, which can easily take on human players without being overly powerful.

Some words about the game community; who are the players, hardcore fans of World War simulations or does the game also fits for casual strategy gamers?
Our community is very active and engaged. We have hardcore strategy players, history buffs, and also a lot of casual strategy gamers. Our game is easily accessible and has proven to be a good fit for all different kinds of players.

Supremacy 1914 is available in several languages, but are you planning to implement new language packs?
With our current languages, we already span a big part of the world. As of now, we are offering to play the game in 11 different languages. But of course we are continuing to work on new language packs with the help of our community. For example, we are planning on releasing a Turkish version very soon.

Supremacy 1914 is a Free to Play MMO but could you give us some details on the monetization system? What advantage do you have in the game if you spend some money?
First of all, you can play “Supremacy 1914” completely free and still be competitive. In addition, you can buy our premium currency “Goldmark” which allows you to hire spies, calm down your population in case of a riot, increase production, and join “Goldrounds” with special features. You can also purchase a premium account which we call “High Command Membership”. With it you are allowed to join “Goldrounds” for free. Plus, you get some convenience features which allow you to plan ahead more efficiently with less administration.

Would you like to add something?
We are really happy with the game right now and we have a large community with many active players. Still, we are happy about every new player who joins the game. So if you like strategy games, historical games, MMOs, but you are missing the challenge & the interaction with other players, give Supremacy 1914 a try. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!