Voodoo Extreme -- Heroes play a vital role in Empire Earth, how did you choose those particular people, and what special powers do they have?

Heroes have been an important part of the design right from the start of the project. It did take some time to decide on who the Heroes would be. The future Heroes are fictional, of course, but they all have a story around them. We wanted the Heroes of the past to be familiar and important figures from history.

There are two kinds of Heroes in Empire Earth: Warrior Heroes and Strategist Heroes. Both kinds support your troops in battle, but Warriors get into the fray and provide morale for the troops around them. Strategists, on the other hand, do their best behind the lines, increasing the vitality and stamina of their troops. Strategist Heroes can also bellow a Battle Cry, which demoralizes enemies.

Also, like most other units, Heroes can be upgraded. When you go up an Epoch you can upgrade your Heroes into new Heroes who are more appropriate and better equipped for the new time period. For example, when you go from the Dark Age to the Middle Ages, the Hero Charlemagne can be replaced with William the Conqueror.