Q&A with The Settlers Online: Castle Empire
The free-to-play model can be a tricky beast, so we sat down with the creators of The Settlers Online: Castle Empire to see how they are handling it. Once you are done reading the Q&A make sure you check out the awesome free gift we are giving away at the bottom of this page.
Could you tell us why The Settlers Online is worth checking out?
First of all The Settlers Online is a F2P browser game using Flash. Therefore it is super easy to sign-up and play the game directly in your browser and see for yourself if you enjoy the game. Also, The Settlers Online combines the beloved gameplay elements of the franchise and brings it online into a world with thousands of players at the same time. If you are a The Settlers veteran you will easily notice that this is no casual, watered down experience. It is a complex city-building simulation where you need to take care of the production chains, you need to battle enemies and you need to master the structure of a mediaeval town. If you are a more casual player dont worry! Thanks to the tutorial you will get easily used to all mechanics in the game. Unlike other browser games featuring a battle system in The Settlers Online you cannot lose your home island which will always be protected.
How does your F2P model work?
In The Settlers Online you can achieve everything in the game without the need of spending money. This is one of the main pillars whenever we are developing a F2P game. The two main parts in TSO where you can spend money on are time-saving options and decorative items. For example: From time to time your mines will run out of resources. In order to refill them you would need to search again for deposits and build a new mine. This requires time and other resources to build the new mine. Instead of this you can also buy a refill for real money. You need to use the refill before the mine is empty.
With so many F2P browser games out there, how do you try to grab peoples attention?
We believe that The Settlers Online is one of the most advanced browser games on the market in any perspective: The graphics are extremely detailed and charming, the gameplay mechanics are easy to learn but hard to master and of course the brand value is important. We stick to the Settlers formula!
What audience are you targeting with The Settlers Online?
From the experience weve already gathered we know that The Settlers Online is played by a quiet mixed audience. We have core strategy players who have played a The Settlers game before. We have typical casual players who look for a more deep gaming experience that feels new and does not require penetrating your friends on social networks. Nonetheless, players who want to are able to buff friends, chat with them or team up in guilds.
