Rick Goodman stands as one of the most influential figures in real-time strategy gaming, having shaped two of the genre's most enduring franchises during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
As co-founder and lead designer at Ensemble Studios, Goodman spearheaded the development of Age of Empires (1997), a groundbreaking RTS that brought historical civilization-building to mainstream audiences. Working alongside Bruce Shelley, Tony Goodman, Brian Sullivan, and the Ensemble team, Rick crafted a game that masterfully balanced resource management, technological advancement, and military strategy across different historical epochs. The game's innovative approach to spanning multiple ages - from the Stone Age to the Iron Age - became a template that countless strategy games would follow.
Following the massive success of Age of Empires, Goodman left Ensemble Studios to establish Stainless Steel Studios, where he served as lead designer for Empire Earth (2001). This ambitious project expanded on his Age of Empires formula, taking players through an even more extensive timeline - from cavemen to robots - spanning 500,000 years of human history across 14 different epochs. The game featured unprecedented scope for its time, incorporating everything from club-wielding primitives to futuristic mechs and cyborgs.
Goodman's design philosophy emphasized accessible yet deep gameplay, where casual players could enjoy building civilizations while hardcore strategists could master complex military tactics and resource optimization. His games consistently featured strong single-player campaigns that taught players through engaging historical scenarios, combined with robust multiplayer modes that fostered competitive communities.
Both Age of Empires and Empire Earth became influential franchises, spawning multiple sequels and expansions. Goodman's contribution to the RTS genre cannot be overstated - he helped define how strategy games could make history both educational and entertaining, proving that players hungered for games that combined tactical depth with epic scope and historical authenticity.
Rick Goodman's legacy lives on in the DNA of modern strategy gaming, where his innovations in epoch-spanning gameplay and civilization progression continue to influence designers today.
