Chris Stewart of Barking Dog Studios talks with us about their upcoming 3D strategy game, Homeworld: Cataclysm. Homeworld: Cataclysm is the sequel to last year's strategy game of the year Homeworld.

Speedy 3D: So, now that we all know that HW: Cataclysm will be a stand-alone product, can you tell me a little bit about what will make this game different from an expansion pack?

Chris Stewart: Well, it's larger than the original, with 17 single player missions, and those missions are pretty meaty. We made significant changes to the interface and the game revolves around two new fleets and a whole new storyline. So this isn't just a collection of new missions. The gameplay in Cataclysm is different in many ways compared to Homeworld.

Speedy 3D: Have you guys been doing any tweaking to the original Homeworld engine?

Chris Stewart: Yup. We've added things like large shockwave explosions, holographic projection effects, polygonal accurate collisions, energy shielding effects, new repairing effects, new salvaging effects, external ship construction, lens flares, and dynamic Gouraud shading. The dynamic shading is pretty cool as weapon hits will change the color of hulls where they hit, like leaving carbon scoring behind.

Speedy 3D: How many new ships have you guys added (anything cool with massive destruction capabilities)? Which one is your favorite?

Chris Stewart: There are 17 brand new ships on the Somtaaw side, and the Beast fleet is made up of a mix of 22 ships from various fleets, such as the Somtaaw, the Taiidan, the Kushan, and the Turanic raiders. I love all of the new ships and some of the modifications the Beast has made to ships from Homeworld are very cool. The Acolyte is a particular favorite. The infiltration ships, the Mimic and the Leech are always a lot of fun. And of course you can't beat the massive destructive capabilities of the Dreadnought and its underlings, the Multi Beam Frigate and the Destroyer. The siege cannon on the Somtaaw Command Ship can wreak havoc on enemy fleets with its massive shockwave.

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