E3 2002: America II preshow report

Data Becker will be demonstrating an early preview version of America II, its upcoming 3D real-time strategy game, at the 2002 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The game will feature new nations, new missions, and the same dynamic user interface used in the company's other upcoming strategy game, Highland Warriors. In addition, the game will include unique economic and combat systems for each playable nation. The will be built on a new 3D game engine that will keep you in the center of the action. It will use advanced artificial intelligence to bring realistic action to the game's characters and environments.

America II is the follow-up to America, the real-time strategy game released by Data Becker in early 2001. The original game was set in post-Civil War America, and it let you lead one of four different character groups: the settlers, the Native Americans, the Mexicans, or the desperados. Through the course of the game's 90 historically accurate post-Civil War years, you had to make a wide variety of decisions involving strategic battle, troop management, horse breeding, trade, building construction, and even theft.

The game's release is still a long way off, so it's likely the build demonstrated at the show will be fairly rough. Nevertheless, it should show off the new game engine and a number of the new game's improvements, including at least some of the new missions and playable nations. We'll post more information about the game as it becomes available.