The folks at at Relic and THQ have cranked out another Designer Diary for the fans. It’s posted over at Gamespot with a most excellent video explaining “Enviromental Strategy”.
This was our vision: When we planned the environmental strategy aspect of Company of Heroes, we knew from the start that the buildings in the game had to meet the core goals of the system. Buildings needed to be destructible in a way that looked believable, and in a way that genuinely affected the gameplay. Rather than spoon-feeding players preset tactics to use with buildings, [environmental strategy] would challenge them to devise their own strategies from basic principles. This emergent gameplay would keep the game fresh and fun, and reward “thinking outside the box,” so to speak.
There is no wall we cannot blow, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. We will shape the battlefield to our needs and desires, and we WILL have victory!
Thanks to aerziel for the heads up on the forums.