Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - Development

Development

Days of Ruin was announced as Advance Wars DS 2 during the 2007 E3 Media and Business Summit. No other details for this installment were given other than the tentative name, but two months later in October a playable demo version was showcased at the Micromania Games Show in Paris, France, where the new darker style was first revealed. On October 12, 2007, the game's title was officially released as Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for the North American version, with a planned shipping date of January 21, 2008; the alternate name of Advance Wars: Dark Conflict for European and Australian versions was released in early December.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin features a style unlike previous entries in the series. When asked why it was changed, the developers stated that they wanted to surprise people. One of the people who localized Days of Ruin into English, Tim O'Leary, commented that the design change also came from reading comments from people that state to the effect: "We like the game, we love the game, but it's the same thing." In designing the new style, setting, and plot, the developers discovered that Japanese people have a different view on war than American people do, citing the previous titles' lighthearted take on war. As a result, they designed the game to be "grittier" and "more somber". Another influence on the new setting was that Advance Wars was more successful in North America than it was in Japan. The developers discussed the kinds of people that would exist in this world - people who seek out others to help them; people who attempt to further their own agendas by taking control of pieces of land; and those who attempt to hoard supplies and kill anyone who gets in their way. They added that they also wanted to make an Advance Wars title that even veterans of the series would find fresh. The setting was also a reason for the design change, being a "not-so-distant future science fiction" setting, which the developers felt didn't fit well with the style of previous titles. When asked whether they feared that gamers would be turned off by the changes, the developers responded by saying that they have to "fight against" this fear. The developers felt that without innovation, the series would turn players off, so they introduced new gameplay mechanics as well as the new setting.

In discussing the more lighthearted elements of the plot, such as Dr. Morris, a character who tells corny jokes, the developers commented that these elements accentuated the dark elements of the game rather than detracted from them, as well as showing the stability of the survivors' mental conditions. The decision to include more dialogue than previous entries in the series was to ensure that this new world and the new characters were understandable by the player, though the developers acknowledge that it could also distract from the strategic gameplay. The developers felt that the dialogue made the story more enjoyable for the players, as opposed to being a vehicle to move the gameplay forward. When asked if Days of Ruin was an attempt to bridge this series with fellow Intelligent Systems series Fire Emblem, developers commented that while the increase in volume may make it seem like this, it was not their intention. They explained that while Fire Emblem placed importance on individual units, Advance Wars was about improving as a Commanding Officer.

The developers intended to require the players to employ more tactical approaches to maps, in their introduction of such units as the Flare Gun, a vehicle that could reveal parts of the map hidden by fog of war, and the Commanding Officers, who have had their "CO Powers" reduced in importance from the previous titles. However, the developers added that one does not have to be a "master strategist" to play the game, commenting that the Flare Gun could be used by a casual gamer to quickly move across a map covered in fog of war, while a more advanced player may use it for more strategic means. This unit was added as a means to speed up stages with fog of war. Other new units include the Bike, which was a means of achieving a faster tempo to the game. When asked why the Duster, a modification of a crop duster, was added in favor of the stealth jet from Advance Wars: Dual Strike, the developers commented that the Duster was an inexpensive aerial unit that was not only easy-to-use, but could attack ground units as well. The unit was also added to be a throwback to an older era, as well as demonstrating how people in this world use anything they can as a means of survival. Other additions include the Rig and the Anti-Tank; the Rig is a modified version of an APC from the previous titles modified to be able to build temporary buildings, while the Anti-Tank is both a direct and long-range weapon specifically designed to do damage to tanks. Two modifications include the Battleship, which can now move and attack in one round, and the Aircraft Carrier, which can produce low-fuel aircraft called Seaplanes. Another new unit is the Gunship, which can attack and carry units as well. In discussing the online play of the game, the developers felt that it was necessary to limit online battles to only two people per battle, explaining that they felt it would be too boring for a player to have to sit and stare at a screen while three other people made their moves.

When asked why the mechanism of unlocking maps and characters - accomplished in previous titles by purchasing them with points or coins won through battle - was removed, the developers apologized, commenting that after long deliberation, they felt that such a mechanic was detrimental to the enjoyment of gamers who are too busy to take the time to unlock all of these things. As a result, they designed this game in a way that allowed players to play any non-story based map they wanted, introducing other mechanics to encourage players to keep playing. The developers commented that Days of Ruin had more strategy than previous entries in the series due to the changes and removals made to the game compared to the other titles. Another interviewer further asked of the developers of the removals of other features from previous entries in the series, including dual screen play, leveling up, Survival mode, Combat mode, and Hard mode. The dual-screen play was removed, with the developers commenting that while it could have been implemented, it did not need to be, and the full use of the dual screens for viewing intel on units and terrain allowed the gameplay to proceed more seamlessly. The ability to level up players' Commanding Officers was introduced in Days of Ruin's predecessor, Advance Wars: Dual Strike, the developers commenting that the gameplay centered around how well players used their Commanding Officer. This mechanic was replaced by the ability to level up individual units, commenting that this mechanic required players to work strategically with how they deploy their units. The Survival and Combat modes were removed due to not fitting with the redesign of the world, preferring to have a more focused game. Finally, Hard mode was removed due to the developers feeling that the Normal mode was designed in such a way that a widespread audience could enjoy it. They also commented that earning a high ranking in this mode by doing a good job was effectively the same as Hard mode.