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A tall order indeed, even for this pair.ī&W2's fabric, its very essence is based upon cause and effect, with every action creating a reaction. Their goal is to bring you a game with almost infinite choice and personalised gameplay, yet one with instant accessibility too. Mistakes were made with Black & White - the epitome of a flawed masterpiece - and Peter and Jonty, in their determination to right these flaws, are listening ceaselessly to the views and opinions of the B&W community. Still far from finished, B&W2's distinct parts are already melding into a potentially breathtaking whole of revolutionary physics, graphics and freeform gameplay. If all of its ambitious visions are realised, Black & White 2 could well change the face of strategy gaming forever. During our stay, we visit every nuance, subtlety and groundbreaking idea within the studio's epic vision, in the process revealing a game of huge potential. Matthew's desk is our last port of call in an exclusive tour of studio and game, a journey led by gaming legend Peter Molyneux and studio head Jonty Barnes. The collective aim is to produce one of the most ambitious titles in history, god-game-come-RTS, Black & White 2. His dedication to perfection and accuracy is an embodiment of the ethos at the studio, a 43-strong team working 12-hour days (16-hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays) - each an essential cog in this creative machine of game development. He's been reading the text for months, painstakingly dissecting each page, every diagram of war and subtle battlefield formation, before attempting to translate them into game code. Matthew Wiggins, chief army programmer at Black & White Studios has his head buried in a book called The Art Of Warfare On Land, brow furrowed in a state of absolute concentration.
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