It’s already become one of the most controversial games of 2006 and it hasn’t been released yet. Nope it’s not Bully but Left Behind: Eternal Forces, the upcoming PC RTS game based on the series of Christian themed novels. Can a Christian themed game break into the mainstream for the first time? FiringSquad decided to get more info on the game from Greg Bauman, the associated producer at developer Left Behind Games.

FiringSquad: First, how did Left Behind Games come to be formed?

Greg Bauman: Left Behind Games was founded October 23, 2001 for the purpose of developing a high quality video game that would appeal to a mainstream gaming audience while simultaneously stimulating intellectual conversations about matters of eternal importance. The video game is based upon the success of the “Left Behind” book series. We thought the storylines were easily adaptable to the video game market and would be appealing to Christian and non-Christian gamers alike.

FiringSquad: How did the idea to create an RTS game based on Left Behind come about?

Greg Bauman: PC gamers are huge fans of the real-time strategy genre. It’s the largest genre in this market, and we wanted our game to have as wide an appeal as possible. The RTS genre also worked very well with the storylines in the book series.

FiringSquad: Some people might wonder how a Christian-themed game could involve combat and violence. How hard was it to develop a game that has the themes of the books yet also be an entertaining game?

Greg Bauman: The video game takes place right after the Rapture has occurred, and the crux of the game is the final battle between good and evil. The conflict is what makes this a fun game to play -- which side do you choose, and how do you go about recruiting the most people in the game to help you fight for your cause.

We’ve created a great game with an immersive storyline and addicting gameplay; gratuitous violence is unnecessary. We think that given the choice, any gamer would pick the game that was more fun to play, not necessarily the one that contains excessive violence.

FiringSquad: How does the storyline of the game follow the plot of the Left Behind books?

Greg Bauman: The game takes place right after the Rapture, following roughly within the first several books in the series. Although the games do not recreate specific scenes from the novels, the game does give a player a sense of what the time period portrayed in the novels was like.

The characters from the novels do appear as playable characters in the game – Rayford, Chloe, Buck and Bruce are all hero characters for the good player. They help the gamer achieve their objectives to win the game. Notable villain characters also appear in similar fashion.

FiringSquad: What are the playable sides in the game like?

Greg Bauman: In LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces solo, the player commands the Tribulation Forces (those resisting the antichrist.) In multiplayer, you can either play on the side of the Tribulation Forces or the Global Community Peacekeepers (the bad guys). Both sides are capable of spiritual & physical warfare, and have strong motivations on how to play from the good or evil side.

FiringSquad: What are some of the dev team's favorite units in the game?

Greg Bauman: Everyone has their own favorite. We have a ton of different units – and the game play styles & strategies are really diverse. I particularly like the recruiters and spiritual leaders. They are the core of the spiritual warfare aspect of the game. They’re particularly vulnerable to physical warfare, but they are the backbone of scoring big in single & multiplayer for the good guys.

FiringSquad: What gameplay elements will make LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces different from other RTS game?

Greg Bauman: #1 The goal of the game - Your goal isn’t to wipe out the other guy, as in most RTS games. Your mission is to save as many people as possible from the clutches of the antichrist, who is deceiving the world.

#2 Spiritual warfare - The player is presented with two battles raging on a single battlefield – physical & spiritual. The bad guys have no problem fighting a physical campaign or a spiritual one. But the good guys are actively motivated to engage spiritually. A given unit might be convinced to join one side, leave it, join the other, defect and go back and forth numerous times. The game is a spiritual tug-of-war on the streets of Manhattan.

#3 Consequence of action - The good player is penalized for inflicting casualties – his score suffers. Worse, his own units will quickly abandon him if their spiritual needs are not met. Imagine – soldiers who don’t want to kill, and suffer spiritual wounds by causing casualties. The evil side has no such restriction. The evil player will be confronted with demons who they are totally unprepared to fight spiritually. Literally, the evil guys can inadvertently create chaos and end up doing a lot of harm to their own forces.

#4 Emphasis on people - People are the primary resource in the game. They don’t zap into existence out of a Barracks, like in other RTS games. Your units must be found, recruited, and trained. Every person walking around the game has a name and a background – they’re unique individuals. When you lose them – particularly the ones you have spent time & effort training – it hurts. I’m an old school X-Com fan, and I enjoy this aspect a lot.

FiringSquad: Will the game feature any multiplayer elements?

Greg Bauman: Absolutely! In multiplayer, friends can choose to play on the same side or compete against each other. Up to 8 players are supported. It will always be a good vs evil setup – no good vs good, for instance. We also have some surprises in store with how multiplayer matching works – with announcements in the near future.

FiringSquad: What are the game's main graphical features?

Greg Bauman: The game is set in a post-apocalyptic New York City. The map is an extremely close representation of the city today. We sent photographers to New York for six weeks, allowing us to recreate NYC in excellent detail – down to fire escapes and as many rooftops as we could get. Hundreds and hundreds of city blocks are represented. We think gamers will appreciate this high level of detail.

FiringSquad: Will there be a non-beta demo of the game released?

Greg Bauman: We released a beta demo on August 31, and a full blown demo is forthcoming. Additionally, there will be cross functionality between the demo & the full game. We’ll be making an announcement on this soon.

FiringSquad: After the game is released will there be any mod tools or mission editors released?

Greg Bauman: Yes, although the timing is still under discussion.

FiringSquad: What is the current status of the game's progress and when will it be released?

Greg Bauman: Right now we’re aiming for a late October/early November release date.

FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces?

Greg Bauman: Eternal Forces is a great alternative to the gratuitous content that is so commonplace in the market these days. We chose to make a game that we believe in, a game that we feel truly passionate about. We can only hope this passion is reflected in the gameplay and at the end of the day a game that pleases our fans.

Blog + Share: Digg • Del.icio.us • Reddit • SU • furl • More: