This is our first
interview with SFI, questions were supplied by staff members at the
time of the interview and were answered by Dan and Oliver from SFI.
If you would like to provide questions for future interviews send an
e-mail to Draenner.
ZGS:
How large
of an environment is your game engine capable of supporting?
Eg: How many space stations, star systems, and
planets.
Oliver:
A typical environment within the game would take place around a
single space station cluster. The clusters are usually made up of a
few units that may or may not contain interiors. The amount of units
that the engine can handle depends on the complexity and size of the
individual units, as well as the capabilities of the computer it is
running on. As for planets, since they are simply part
of the backdrop we have no limit to the number we can put in.
ZGS:
How does the team feel it compares to Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament
in the graphical sense?
Oliver:
Graphically, we feel our engine compares well against the Q3
and UT engines. They can do things that we can't do, but at the same
time, we can do things that they can't do.
ZGS:
Did you encounter any difficulties when adding the final touch to the
Low Gravity environments, that is, finding the perfect balance between
realism and playability.
Dan:
This is something we will work on right to the end. Currently
there is no gravity at all but most surfaces will have magnetic fields
so if the player chooses, he/she can land and run or step off a ledge
and thrust about. Our emphasis will be on playability first and then
making things as real as we can within that scope.
ZGS:
Which do you put more emphasis on, a seemingly flawless storyline, or
the "things that go boom"?
Dan:
Although Zero-G Marines will have shooter elements, it will also be
driven by a plausible story line and there will be options for the player
to use stealth instead of always using force. There will be more than
one way to achieve a goal.
ZGS:
Roughly, which percentage of the game do you attribute to
outdoors space combat versus indoor close quarter fighting? Can
we expect a tight balance between the two?
Dan:
There will be a good mix of both. I’d rather not give
a percentage at this time, as it’s a little to soon to determine.
We certainly are aiming for a tight balance, as this will give the player
a sense of freedom and of being in a large environment.
ZGS:
We’ve heard of the AI squadmates that the player can
give commands to. Will the AI however be autonomous for those
who do not wish to manually give them orders?
Oliver:
Yes. If the AI are not given any specific orders, they will
follow the player and assist in any combat situations (similar to a
game like Elite Force).
ZGS:
In addition to the usual multiplayer modes of play (CTF, DM),
what other different or unique modes of play are you planning on implementing?
Also what's the maximum amount of players expected to be per game in
the final version?
Dan: As well as CTF and DM, we do plan to implement Team play
as well as Co-operative. In Team Play, the players will be able to customize
their load-outs. We are currently debating the possibility of using
OutRiders and Shuttles in multi-player. Lan and Modem will be supported.
The number of levels and is still to be determined, but we are aiming
for 16 players. There will be Space Station Cluster vs Station Cluster
and possibly battle for control of a single Cluster, with each side
using a Dome or Module for home base.
ZGS:
What system will you be using to support the multiplayer side of ZGM?
Will you be using a third party system like GameSpy arcade? Or will
you be using a dedicated system like Blizzard’s Battle.Net?
Oliver:
This has not been decided yet.
ZGS:
Will the game ship with level editing tools and such?
Oliver:
This has not been decided yet.
ZGS:
How mod friendly are you planning to make ZGM? Will StrategyFirst
assist future mod developers?
Oliver:
This has not been decided yet.
