GI.n: In the original Blitzkrieg there were 40 scenarios and you had the ability to choose what country you wanted to represent; in Burning Horizon there are 15 scenarios that are based on Field Marshall Edwin Rommel’s career. What will Rolling Thunder cover?

Mario Kroll: Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder will include an eighteen-mission campaign based on the actions of General George S. Patton in WWII. Specifically featured will be Operation Torch and related action across North Africa, Operation Husky, the offensive in and through France, the Battle of the Bulge and various less commonly known missions in Germany.

GI.n: Do the campaigns continue through the Fall of Berlin?

Mario Kroll: No, they will end with three special missions, including a raid on a secret weapons factory in Pilsen and Operation Hammelburg; a failed commando rescue effort of Patton’s son-in-law. He had been captured by the Germans earlier in the war and was being housed in a POW camp near Hammelburg, Germany.

GI.n: Will the option to take the war in directions that it did not traditionally go - for instance Patton not being permitted to take Berlin - and then follow through with his desire to invade Russia?

Mario Kroll: Since Rolling Thunder is largely focused on historical missions, we don’t have any plans to “alter the timeline.” We are including some missions, however, that are based on events that most other WWII titles haven’t explored.

Eric Standop: We wanted to produce an expansion that is a little bit different from the previous one, Burning Horizon . We’ve really catered this one to the American market since Patton is not as well known in Europe as, say, Rommel. Yet Patton was such a brilliant and eccentric individual, we simply couldn’t pass up making an expansion that follows in the footsteps of the amazing exploits of this American military leader.

GI.n: What changes were made in the game for the release of Rolling Thunder?

Mario Kroll: Largely it will be a matter of AI improvements, expanded units, and action in theaters not previously encountered. In other words, it’s a “true” expansion pack.

The AI has been improved so now if units start losing personnel to a sniper, the AI will send out scout parties to hunt for the sniper. We’ve also added ambush capabilities to infantry, making them more viable as offensive units than they previously were.

We were hoping to include full multi-player functionality but could not get the latest GameSpy code incorporated in time for the release. We’re looking at a post-release patch to possibly retrofit multiplayer capabilities, which would be a much anticipated addition to the original Blitzkrieg series. But, we’ll have to see if that will be possible given how relatively close the full sequel is to release.

GI.n: In Blitzkrieg, there were a lot of cut scenes between missions and scenarios; there was actual video footage from war documentaries etc. Yet, there were no cut scenes in Burning Horizon and I presume there will not be any in Rolling Thunder?

Mario Kroll: No, not in Rolling Thunder. But you’ll see plenty of cut scenes in Blitzkrieg II.

GI.n: Has the AI been improved?

Mario Kroll: Most of the changes we’ve made are to alter how the game responds to snipers and also how the AI adjusts itself to the tactics of the player. Medals and other character awards for well-executed missions are also included this time around.

In addition to the core Patton campaign, we’ve also included eight additional missions that range from theaters in New Guinea to Siberia.

We’re also adding a number of variant units such as winter textures for the key nations, and the “Jumbo” version of the Sherman, as well as a number of other units and unit subtypes or variants. We think this will further increase the enjoyment for existing fans of the series, or those that missed the earlier titles and are looking for a solid World War II real-time strategy game, particularly one focused on the exploits of General Patton.