Up until very recently, real time strategies were all cut from the same cloth: 2D worlds populated by ground units as seen through the eyes of an overhead camera. With the recent advent of faster processors and more powerful video cards, developers now have the ability to put their imaginations to the test and fiddle with more detailed units, dynamic camera control and whole new environments. Uprizing, Battlezone, Homeworld… these are just a few of the next generation of real-time strategies that have been brought to life by the 3D accelerator.

Adding to that list this summer will be Seattle based Thrushwave. Headed up by James Thrush, the group of four developers are currently working on a 3D space RTS entitled The Rift. While little is known about the game, Thrushwave did debrief us on a few aspects of the game, including the character system and the interface, arguably the two most noteworthy features of The Rift.

Real-time strategies don't usually rely on the use of characters. That is, the individual units, from soldiers to tanks, are all faceless clones of one another. Every Mammoth Tank in Red Alert behaves exactly like every other Mammoth Tank. Sure, there are the occasional "Commando" and "Tanya", but their purpose was more for novelty than utility. Not so with The Rift. "We'll have a number of player controlled characters, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and attitudes," comments James Thrush. "Some are more aggressive in combat, others are more conservative". Players will have to pair up units with the characters, or pilots, that best suit them. If executed properly, this aspect could introduce a whole new facet of gameplay into the RTS genre.