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| COR Project Q&A | 2005-02-24 | NOTE: This article has had its grammar corrected. | You mention in the presentation movie that you looked to a whole load of genres for inspiration. Can you go into more detail on the games you looked at and just how they influenced elements of your mod? COR's underlying idea is a blending of genres in and of itself: each first-person shooter character can transform into a vehicle at any time. So naturally, we were heavily influenced by fast-paced first-person shooters such as Tribes, Quake, and Unreal. Still, we also combine elements from various genres, including mech sims, racing games, fighting games, and many others. For example, we have a combo system planned that is reminiscent of the one in the Killer Instinct series. Also, expect several parallels with the Mechwarrior series, such as the heat and dual weapon selection systems. In addition, our loadout system is very similar to the Tribes series. We are implementing a story-oriented mode for multiplayer called Linear Multiplayer Progression. LMP adds a feature that is generally uncommon to FPS mods and is rarely seen outside of a story-driven single-player game. It will allow players to advance through the story as they play online with their friends. The outcome of each finished map will determine which map is played next and also affects the evolution of the ongoing saga of the COR (Counter Organic Revolution) and GHC (Great Human Council) factions. Can you describe some of the classes of CMRs (can you clarify what this stands for, by the way ) on offer and their vehicle alter egos – perhaps giving us some details about one or two of your favourites? Starting with the easier question, CMR stands for Cybernetic Morphing Robot, the transforming suits piloted by players. All the CMRs are unique and allow for very different strategies and tactics in-game. A couple of our favourites are Scorch (the GHC Heavy class) and Pulse (the COR aircraft class). Scorch, the leader of GHC, is a war machine. He is a futuristic tank that hovers effortlessly above the terrain. In vehicle form, he possesses the unique ability to fire a large plasma cannon: explosive firepower, a theme among GHC CMRs. The cannon can inflict considerable damage on enemies, but it does not serve any secondary utility. While large and destructive, Scorch is fairly slow and can be pushed around by the special abilities of Harpoon and Pulse. Pulse, a member of the COR faction, has a vehicle form that's a futuristic cross between a lifting helicopter and a harrier jet. In heli-jet form, Pulse can utilize a tractor beam to lift and carry objects around. Pulse's special ability is not only a weapon but also allows for a wide variety of actions, like ferrying teammates to high perches, tossing map statics (boulders and debris) at enemies, or dropping CMRs into environmental hazards, such as cliffs or pools of lava. Using Pulse's tractor magnet as an example, COR's special abilities allow for much more team-based versatility than the GHC weapons. Presumably, each class has a defined role on the Battlefield – can you describe some of these roles and how the different class templates fit into them? Each of the factions will have four unique classes of CMR: light, heavy, mammoth, and aircraft. Generally, the smaller classes are quick and nimble, while the larger CMRs are slower and have room to store more weapons in their humanoid forms. However, while Pulse and Hellfire are airborne classes, they are starkly different and allow for completely separate play-styles – this extends to all mirrored weight classes. No two CMRs are alike, guaranteed. Additionally, smaller CMRs possess reconnaissance and scouting-oriented unique abilities, while mammoth characters have devastating, long-ranged uniques. Aircraft are highly mobile and speedy vehicles but have weak shielding and carry a very small number of weapons in humanoid form. One goal of creating a class system is to encourage a diverse gameplay experience that is heavily team-based. A single CMR cannot win this battle, and each class of CMR is vulnerable to the strengths of another class. I'm particularly interested in Pulse's role on the Battlefield – how do you see his lifting ability being used in a typical match? Pulse was designed to be a highly flexible and dynamic character who would grant players the ability to find their solutions to problems. We expect players to perform several actions with Pulse, including: • Fly-friendly CMRs/e-shells to map areas they couldn't normally reach. • Move environment pieces to create barriers and obstruct pathways. • Toss objects into enemies • Drag enemies into an ambush. • Drop enemies off of cliffs or into hazards. • Collect important gameplay objects. • Multiple Pulses teaming to carry a single, large payload more quickly. What kind of weaponry will the player be able to get their paws on? What are your favourite weapons being developed right now? Most weaponry was inspired by the large laser fights often seen in anime or Sci-Fi. Our weapons are generally unique for this genre but still maintain the balance found in a more traditional FPS. When in humanoid form, players can use their dual forearm-mounted weapons; all of these weapons are energy-based, so expect to see many lasers, ionic pulses and plasma-based weapons. In addition, each arm of a CMR can be loaded with several swappable weapons – you will be able to fire your scattergun while "recharging" your ion-splice laser, for example. Two of our favourite weapons are the Anti-Matter Pulse (AMP) and Viscous Plasma Dispersal (VPD). The AMP is our version of a rocket launcher; a blast of anti-matter squirms through the air, searching for a dense mass to consume. The AMP moves around sporadically in the direction it's been fired – it has a highly unpredictable path; however, it has a strong attraction to any CMR that gets too close and will hone in on the target. When the AMP detonates, it implodes and does a fair amount of damage. The VPD sprays volatile plasma, which is ignited when hit with gunfire. Players can use the VPD to spray down an area, ignite when enemies enter, and then detonate it when enemies cross the baited ground. The plasma will be difficult to perceive once it has "soaked" into the ground, making this a very deceptive weapon. When the plasma ignites, it will roar into flames, burning anything near it. Talk us through the gameworld you're creating with your maps. What kind of terrain will we be fighting on? How will the terrain influence the strategy and tactics employed by teams/players? The planet Tantalus IX, where the game takes place, is unstable and barren, almost no life can survive on it, but it is rich in resources. Red-rock canyons, large caverns, seas of methane and active volcanoes are just a few settings where we expect to see battles happen. Since COR is focused on vehicle combat, our maps are large terrain-based areas. Tantalus boasts various locations and objectives for player battles – particularly mine-related locations. Maps will be designed to consider all of our unique CMRs' abilities, creating a balanced and varied experience. Each map will have a different story element, and gameplay objectives will vary from map to map to emphasize this. The Heat management system sounds particularly interesting. Can you talk us through this and how players must adapt their strategies accordingly? One of the exciting, standout dynamics that COR's gameplay brings with it is a heating system. This ties elements of ammunition and shielding together, meaning, for example, COR has no reloading. Each CMR is equipped with a fusion reactor, a virtually infinite energy source. Many functions of the CMR draw from its reactor, but whenever this occurs, heat is created. A major consideration for players is managing how much heat gets added to the system; a lower heat level must be maintained to ensure that the reactor doesn't go BONKERS™. Currently, the heating system is affected by shields, environmental objects, special abilities, and firing weapons. When a player fires their weapons or is hit by enemy firepower, they will gain heat. The shields are waiting to deflect incoming damage, but they will automatically shut off when your heat reaches a certain level to prevent the reactor from overheating. When this happens, enemies will be able to damage you directly, and you'll take permanent hull damage, as opposed to gaining heat from enemy fire. Also, map environments can affect heat. For example, geothermic objects like geysers and volcanoes will drastically increase your heat, but heat may dissipate faster in colder areas. At the Loadout pads, are you able to change your class as well as your weapon loadout? Typically how many of these pads will be scattered about COR maps? The loadout pad allows players to change their entire player profile. This includes the CMR class and what weaponry is currently stored in the CMR. Expect pads in bases, near player spawns, and other keymaps areas. The loadout pads will vary greatly depending on the gameplay style and the map size, but a typical map will have 2-5. In the presentation, you show the ejection mode. Can you describe what the player will be able to do whilst outside of their CMR and Vehicle? Ejecting has many other uses in COR besides an escape mechanism from fatal CMR explosions. After ejecting, the player will be in an "Emergency Shell," which is 1/3rd the size of a normal CMR. E-shells can still carry out many gameplay objectives but are handicapped due to their decreased speed, shielding, and firepower. However, their smaller stature allows the ejected player to reach areas that may have formerly been inaccessible. Additionally, the e-shell can "spider" or climb walls, allowing them further mobility. Other significant abilities include hijacking enemy CMRs and hitching rides on teammates' backs. Can you tell us more about the Linear Multiplayer Progression game mode? Do you envision how a typical round of this mode will pan out? Linear Multiplayer Progression (LMP) pairs an evolving storyline with multiplayer action. A round of LMP begins on an invasion-style map, where the battle on Tantalus IX is just beginning. The outcome of a map determines which map is played next and how the story develops. This will continue until one faction wins the whole set, and the story concludes. We expect the types of objectives to vary from map to map to give the players a more interesting experience. An LMP set will consist of 3-7 maps, and some may or may not be played, depending on who wins each map. For example, play starts on an invasion map with the GHC landing on Tantalus IX. The GHC win, so they are on the offensive as they attack a COR stronghold – an underground generator and energy-generation plant on the next map. If the COR win this round, the next map will be a more neutral battlefield to determine who will be the next attacker. If the COR continues to win, their culminating battle will be the launching of an attack on the GHC's remote base. Winning this map means the COR will be crowned the victor of the LMP set, and the GHC will be defeated…until next time. | M Sutherns | >|
| The Cerebrus Protocol Q&A | 2005-02-24 | NOTE: This article has had its grammar corrected. | The Cerebrus Protocol Q&A 1. Can you tell us a little about Bruce Murphy's backstory? Samon: Bruce is a nobody; he was drafted into the Trigen project back when Krieger was working for the world health organisation to demonstrate the project. It wasn't until Krieger defected and fled to Micronesia that he was put under the Cerebrus Protocol program to undergo extensive training and to be subjected to another form of Trigen mutagen. He doesn't know what's happening around him and gradually pieces it together with the help of a few other characters along the way. Through the game, Bruce finds himself in a much more sticky situation than just the trigen project, something far deeper. 2. How does Bruce's story fit in with Jack Carver's exploits – will the two ever meet? Samon: Bruce's adventure begins around the time of 'The bunker' chapter in far cry, and what Jack does, affects a lot of Bruce's journey. The player won't meet Jack because we're trying to keep the story consistent, but he will spot him occasionally, and there are brief mentions of him. 3. Can you tell us more about the environments we'll get to explore? Samon: Without giving away too much, the locations Bruce will visit are more diverse than that of what Jack Carver visits. We want to keep the game fresh with interesting and varied locales. Among such, you will visit an underwater lab and a sea fort. 4. You mention that Bruce will be able to transform himself into a Trigen – can you describe how this will work in-game? Widget: We are currently working on the best way to handle transformation to trigen form; one thing is for certain, it won't be a thing you can do whenever and as often as you want. You will have to "power up" to a stage that you can transform; when you do so, it will only be for a limited time. String: Once the mutation into your Trigen form has occurred, you will gain new abilities. These will include being able to swim for longer, jump higher and further without taking much damage and have truly deadly melee attacks. In this form, you will have a few more options than you would as a human Bruce. 5. Will you be limited to the number of times you can morph? Widget: As mentioned in the previous answer, we are not 100% in this one. There will be some sections within the game that you will not be able to transform, as limiting the number of times you can do so is uncertain. 6. Can you talk us through some of the new weapons you're adding and in what circumstances they'll be effective? String: In the game's early stages, you will have access to an axe. This is one of the first things you find to defend yourself against the unknown and is probably not the best choice against a merc hunting party or a Trigen, but it's all you will have until you find more. 7. What about vehicles – which new ones are being added, and how will they be used in your mod? TX: A couple of examples of vehicles that are to be included in Cerebrus Protocol could be the Quad Bike and the Jet Ski. In choosing what vehicles to include in our mod, we have considered two main things: the usefulness it would have for the mercenaries stationed on the islands - i.e. why the particular vehicle is there, and the fun factor of the vehicle for the player. 8. Will there be anymore more aerial modes of transport? Widget: The option of adding other aerial vehicles and the like has been discussed, but we don't plan to add anything here. We will, however, consider suggestions if there are enough requests. We want to make this mod as good as it can be by exploiting every bit of the power from the CryEngine. 9. You hint at including Trigen dogs and other Trigen experiments – can you describe some of the new enemies you have in mind and describe just how deadly they'll be? TX: An enemy that will most defiantly be included will be the trigen shark. As for its deadliness, suffice it to say that after seeing one of these, you might not be so keen to get back in the water. TheOriginalMonkey: Enemies that will defiantly be included will be the trigen sharks and piranhas. There are a lot of new trigen enemies and variations of old enemies that we are looking to implement into the mod. For instance, we have been looking to mix the old trigen DNA with other species' DNA- so you may encounter a 'Fatboy' that has been merged with a wolf or a chameleon. The player will have the opportunity to transform into a new breed of trigen; if you like an 'all-terrain vehicle of destruction'- the player will be able to utilise their trigen powers to conquer all terrain scenarios, land, sea, etc. But we don't want the player to have a massive advantage- we want this mod to be a real challenge for the player; thus, we are looking to create enemies that can adapt to their surroundings and constantly surprise you. 10. Do you have any big boss encounters in mind? String: This is something we asked the FarCry community and received a mixed response. The story contains several 'boss' characters, but we have yet to write the specifics of any encounter you may have with them. However, we feel; generally, it's kind of an unwritten law you must have some payoff at the end, so we are certainly gearing towards a fight of some kind. We may also include slightly tougher enemy group leaders in general combat. 11. You're creating sharks, so you're looking to include some underwater encounters – can you tell us more about how you're looking to build these into your mod? Widget: The sharks are mostly a deterrent to keep you within the map's boundaries, but there are some planned sections where it will be a definite requirement that you swim through shark-infested waters to progress. There will also be other waterborne creatures to deal with, but I will not spill the beans now. 12. Do you have ambitions to make your mod as big as the original game in terms of game time? Widget: We hope so; for a mod, we consider there to be many levels and a lot of new content. We are confident we will provide a long-lasting, varied and enjoyable experience. | Cookie Monster - That's what is said in the Word Doc. | >|
| Man from Unity Q&A | 2005-02-04 | NOTE: This article has had its grammar corrected. | Can you tell us a little more about the background of the two protagonists we'll get to play in the mod? Of all the vivid characters in the N.O.L.F. series, Isako was the most intriguing. She is the kunoichi leader of the Katakuri clan, the gang of ninjas sent to eliminate secret agent Cate Archer in NOLF2. Isako is an expert assassin who has failed twice to fulfil a contract; that first failure is what trapped her into joining HARM – an evil organisation bent on world domination – and the second cost Isako her job… and very nearly her life. Now that she's had enough of the killing game and wants to quit the field, Isako faces the question that every henchman dreads: is there life after HARM? By contrast, the man from UNITY is an enigmatic figure – a man with no past and not much hope of a future. Fished from an Amsterdam canal with a bullet in his head, his identity is as much a mystery to him as it is to everyone else (although fans of the original N.O.L.F. game might find him familiar). With nothing but an American accent to go by, he's hitched his way back to the States, hoping that something might come to him. And indeed, something does – a petite but deadly contract killer from Japan. Amnesia can't last forever – and if there was ever a girl to jog a man's memory, it's Isako. Can you tell us more about Isako's mission and how the Man from Unity gets involved? After a year of underpaid freelance work, Isako can finally see a way out of the assassination business. She's met the man of her dreams and is ready to settle down, although love can kill you faster than hate in the furtive world of ninjas. Still, Isako will give it a shot (and a stab or two if necessary). One problem is that her boyfriend, Yoshi, is not too impressed by Isako's past. So, to satisfy his honour (and wreak a little vengeance in the process), Isako must perform one last hit – on the notorious Director of HARM himself. But this will be a hard score to settle. Isako's target is accustomed to evading his enemies and has gone to the ground, disappearing without a trace. Isako has just about reached the end of her rope when a tenuous lead surfaces in California: ninja agents there are surprised to find a man they recognise living among the hippies of Fresno. The man has no name, past or dress sense, but he might be the key to finding the Director. Determined to get results, Isako frog-marches the mystery man down memory lane and finds that it leads straight to UNITY. How will the mod work with the two characters? For example, you play Isako in the main, but how do you get to switch characters, and at what points do you get the option? The playable character switch is a plot device along the lines of 'Max Payne 2' and 'Angel of Darkness' – at certain points in the game, the story requires you to step into the UNITY agent's shoes while Isako is busy attending to peripheral action. This switch-off lends a feeling of real cooperation to the relationship between the two protagonists and enables the player to experience a greater diversity of player-character attributes than they would if limited to one character throughout the game. For instance, Isako is more agile than her UNITY counterpart, whereas he is physically tougher and can tolerate higher levels of damage. They will also use a different range of weapons – Isako's arsenal is more traditional and better suited to her old-world ninja background. In contrast, the UNITY agent plays around with crazy spy gadgets. Are you adding new weapons and gadgets to the existing list of N.O.L.F. goodies? If so, can you describe some of your favourites? Weapons design is perhaps the trickiest part of modding for N.O.L.F.; the Monolith team are hard to follow with all their great Bond-spoof knickknacks. Weapons must conform to the series' sixties' kitsch and be humorous, original, and fairly convincing. So with those criteria in mind, T.M.F.U.'s gadgetry is set to include an electrifying yoyo with adjustable charge ("…set yoyos to stun!"), hula-hoop gas mines and the Freezbie: a frisbee armed with compressed liquid nitrogen that lets you ice your opponents. There will also be a few more conventional weapons, ranging from the ubiquitous poison capsule to every dog owner's favourite, the rolled-up newspaper (used in the California levels, where the player will have to dodge placard-swinging hippies without killing them – after all, they're civilians and the ninja Warrior Code prohibits the slaying of innocent bystanders). Talk us through some of the environments you're creating in your maps and how the story will link your locations. The opening scenes take place in the hills of central Japan. These three levels introduce us to Isako's predicament and feature a feudal castle to infiltrate and hordes of hostile ninjas. The first clue to the location of Isako's target leads her to a commune in California, where she must snatch the amnesiac UNITY agent away from those angry hippies). From then onward, the missions are driven by a combination of clues pertaining to the whereabouts of the Director and a sub-plot involving H.A.R.M.'s latest diabolical scheme: Project Blacksheep. Ensuing levels include the canals and windmills of Amsterdam, the horrors of close-harmony singing in north Wales and an underground ice palace in the wilderness of Alaska. Tell us a little about some of the other characters we'll get to meet. The great thing about creating a series spin-off is that I've been able to include key N.O.L.F. characters such as Dmitrij Volkov (he has appeared in every N.O.L.F. game to date, so in keeping with tradition, he had to feature in the mod too), while also introducing a whole new cast of characters. For example, have you ever wondered who designed all those hollow volcanoes and underwater hideouts for Blofeld, Dr Evil and all the other sixties megalomaniacs? It was Frank Lloyd Wrong, a twisted old genius known as the 'Architect of Evil', whose Alaskan H.Q. is jam-packed with traps and gadgets at the cutting edge of evil technology. Esophagus Jones is the Director's gigantic but emotionally insecure new lieutenant. The gung-ho femme fatale Bunny Macbeth leads an airborne troupe of blonde amazons, all of whom work for the middle-aged man-eater Baroness von Striptoften, former WWII flying ace and Volkov's new business partner. Then there's Yoshi, the ninja, Isako's unpredictable and slightly deranged love interest, who keeps popping up throughout the game. But my favourite character is the man from UNITY himself, who starts an enigma but is full of surprises (he makes the ultimate comeback). The cinematic escape by Blimp sounds fantastic. Can you tell us more about what you have planned here? Having infiltrated the frosty lair of F. Lloyd Wrong, things come unravelled for our heroes when a staff member recognises the UNITY agent. Isako and her partner have to scramble to escape an army of henchmen working for Wrong and two of his visiting clients, Dr Nil and the villainous Goldpinki. After a hectic snowmobile race across the ice, the player must hijack Goldpinki's Blimp. Once in the air, they must fight off the Baroness and her formidable Florist Flyers. Finally, they launch a biplane assault on the Blimp, meaning the player has to run around frantically patching bullet holes in the upper balloon while supporting the UNITY agent in an intense aerial shootout. If they can stay afloat and survive the pounding bullets, the player will sail to the concluding levels, set in the lava-bound retirement complex Evil Acres, for the final volcanic showdown. | Lara Call | >