Draft:Stick War (series)

Stick War
Genre(s)	Real-Time Strategy
Developer(s)	Jason Whitham Brock White Dex Patton Alan Graham Max Games Studio
Publisher(s)	Jason Whitham Max Games Studio
Creator(s)	Jason Whitham
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows iOS Android
First release	Stick War
Latest release	Stick War Saga

Stick War is a video game series created by indie game developer Jason Whitham (Crazy Jay). The series was established during the release of its first title, Stick War, which was released on StickPage in 2009.

History and development

Stick War I has been in development for over four years. The game's creation began when Jason, whose programming skills were initially insufficient, decided to create a sequel to Champion Archer, a previous game they had developed. The vision was to expand upon the ideas of Champion Archer, making the game more ambitious and feature-rich.

To bring the project to life, Jason reached out to twoDimensionalArray (2DArray), a skilled programmer, to collaborate on the game's development. However, due to increasing commitments with other projects, 2DArray had to step away, leaving the game in limbo for a period of approximately one year. During this hiatus, the creator approached Brock, a good online friend, to take over the programming responsibilities. Brock, who had long desired to create a similar game, had limited art skills but shared Jason passion for RTS games, making the collaboration an ideal fit.

The development process began from scratch with Brock taking on the task of building the game engine. Despite their enthusiasm, Brock's university schedule resulted in slow progress, with some months passing without any development work. As the years went by, both Jason and Brock found that they were improving their respective skills—Brock in programming and the creator in art and animation. This led to a cycle of redoing elements of the game to better align with their evolving abilities.

Realizing they needed to complete the project, Jason decided to take a bold step. Living in Canada and Brock in Australia, the creator invited Brock to Canada during a university break, with plans to finish the game. In December 2008, Brock flew to Canada and stayed for two and a half months, working in the creator's office. While the duo initially hoped to finish the game in a week and then focus on creating an even bigger and better project, the development continued to be extended as new ideas kept emerging. Despite the challenges, the pair also enjoyed downtime, playing Street Fighter and table tennis.

By May 2009, after years of hard work and dedication, the game was nearing completion, with the final touches being added. Both Jason and Brock expressed immense satisfaction with the result and the rewarding experience of bringing the game to life. The process not only resulted in a successful game but also in a lasting friendship between the two developers. Looking ahead, they expressed optimism about future collaborations and the possibility of releasing more great games.

Gameplay

In Stick War I, players control an army of stick figures in a real-time strategy format. The goal is to destroy the enemy’s statue while protecting your own. Players gather gold from mines to create units such as miners, archers, and swordsmen. Each unit has specific abilities, and players must strategically deploy and manage their forces to overcome the enemy. The game features progressively harder levels, with the player advancing through different enemy territories.

Stick War II builds on the mechanics of Stick War I by introducing multiple factions with unique abilities, such as Order and Chaos. Players continue to gather resources and train units, but now with additional options like magic spells, hero units, and special attacks. Players defend their statues, battle rival factions, and strategically manage their forces in a more complex world with both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Stick War III enhances the strategy elements with advanced AI, new units, and the ability to control hero units with powerful abilities. Players engage in real-time strategy, controlling armies and hero characters to defeat enemies. The game includes both single-player campaign modes with a deeper storyline and multiplayer modes with ranked matches. The improved combat mechanics and tactical options, like unit formations, add depth to the gameplay.

Stick War Legacy offers a polished experience with improved graphics, animations, and unit designs. Players mine resources, train units, and destroy enemy statues, just like in previous games. The game introduces new units, spells, and a survival mode with endless waves of enemies. Players can also unlock new content by completing challenges and upgrading their units. The focus is on strategic combat with customizable units and a rewarding progression system.