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Imperium: Sticks FAQ

What does the name “Imperium: Sticks” mean?

The game was originally titled “Sticks of the Empire”, named by coworkers who were less than impressed by the graphics at the time (or even now, to be honest), who thought the units looked like stick figures. I thought that that was a good approach to take, and stick figures are now the basis of the game.

Other titles were considered, and dropped as they seemed like fast avenues to a lawsuit by commercial game development houses.

On that subject, why are the graphics so lousy?

I really couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler, and I find that the time it takes to create and animate a unit, even to the level the units are at today, takes almost as much time as it takes to write the code that animates the unit. And loads it. And updates it on screen. As for highlighting and shading – I wouldn't know where to begin. However, I'll gratefully accept unit animations or artwork of any kind. Please, if you feel that you would like to contribute anything at all, send it to me at caerwyn AT users.sourceforge.net, and if I can and it's a good fit, I'll add them to the program as quickly as I can and add your name to an acknowledgments page as one of the people without whom this game would not have been possible.

I downloaded this game, expecting a good game, and it crashes/is unfinished. Why?

Well, it is a work in progress. I'm hoping that by mid-2009 it'll be more than playable, with all the engine bugs (such as the way the units navigate around obstacles looking as goofy as it does) eliminated, and more content added. However, that being said, I'm not a professional programmer, so it takes me a little longer than might others.

Although 2-3 months is my current schedule, there may be slowdowns as I investigate areas that are completely unfamiliar to me, such as implementing a 3D map, or track down a fairly deep-seated bug.

Where do I send feedback?

All right, this one isn't exactly Frequently Asked (how would folks ask it without an address to send it, after all?), but I do like to get feedback, positive or negative, as it all helps to improve the game. Drop me a line at caerwyn AT users.sourceforge.net and let me know what you think. I can't promise to use every idea, but I will always read them.