Greetings H.A.W.X friends!

This is GKane, the new Community Developer for H.A.W.X. I am located right next to the people that are working on the game as we speak, here in our beautiful Ubisoft Romania studio. My job is to be the link between our lovely development team and you guys, our brilliant fans in the community…

One of the things I will do is get your most important questions answered directly by the developers. So, to get started, whenever you feel like you would like to know more about the game, feel free to add your question to this thread. I will also be watching other threads for burning issues that have to be clarified, however it would be best if we could keep all the information in one place(this thread) so everybody can have access to all the information easily.

Please note that the development team is working very hard these days to make sure the game meets your best expectations, so getting an answer to your question may take time. We will also only be able to answer the most important ones; however I’ll also be making sure you guys are generally kept up to date on the game.

Note (25.06.2008): Please don't use yellow color when you write down your questions. I will use yellow color in order to highlight questions that have already been answered, so that the thread is easy to read.


GK

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GKane,

UPDATE 18.06.2008

I have already selected some of the most pressing questions that have been around here for quite some time. Here are the answers, brought to you directly from the source. Enjoy!


• Is H.A.W.X a simulator or an arcade?

H.A.W.X is a good mix between simulation and arcade gameplay. We use a fully realistic physics engine that is tuned in a way that allows every player to be able to enjoy it. The focus is being put on the gameplay depth, not on the gameplay complexity. Even if, at a first glance, our game offers a very accessible piloting experience, we also managed to keep the experience very authentic, with a huge room for skills improvement over the time.

In other words, the philosophy behind the game could be summarized this way: H.A.W.X does not aim to simulate reality, but to build on it and provide an experience that feels accurate, while allowing everybody to perform complex, fun and rewarding maneuvers.
So everybody will have the same weapons - how you use them is another matter...


• What are the available view options for the game? I would really like to play from a cockpit perspective.

You will have a specific realistic cockpit view for each of the more than 50 aircrafts featured in the game.

The view options are dependant on what Assistance mode you are in.
When using “assistance ON”, you can access 3rd person camera with 360 degree controls, cockpit view, and 1st person camera.
When using “assistance OFF” you have access to the special dogfight camera.
We are currently working on the cockpit view, which explains why we cannot show it to you right now.

Other general cameras includes: Weapon camera, replay camera, and cinematic camera.


• Is there a limited amount of ammo?

Yes.


• Is the story behind H.A.W.X fictional or there will be real settings?

H.A.W.X takes place in the Tom Clancy universe; therefore you will pilot real planes, over real world locations.

All planes are strictly based on the real models in collaboration with each manufacturer and all missions’ environments have been created using the exact satellite data from the original locations, in order to make the experience as authentic as possible.

The story takes place in the near future, between 2014 & 2019, with a scenario based on risks that are already anticipated by national agencies, news sources and military experts.



UPDATE 25.06.2008

Guys, please don’t use yellow color when writing down your questions, let’s keep yellow to highlight questions that have been answered so the thread is easy to read (viiiper2006 please edit your posts). Don’t worry, all the questions are being read, regardless of the color you use. Here are some more answers!


• Will there be briefing room scenes before each mission of the game?

Yes, the player will be introduced in each mission with a briefing.


• Do planes have an unlimited amount of fuel or will there be tanker planes, platforms, airports?

Keeping in mind that H.A.W.X will provide very intense and high-paced battles, the fuel amount would have been an intensity killer; we did not want to have the player manage it. Fuel management makes sense when you have to manage the whole mission from take-off to landing with long distances to cover before even engaging the enemy. This is not the kind of distance we will provide in H.A.W.X.



Update 02.07.2008


• Will there be “fictional” planes or prototypes?

The game is “Tom Clancy”. Our game will have only genuine planes that include amongst them also real prototypes. Every plane inside the game is brought into the game right from the real world.


• How far away is H.A.W.X from games like “Lock On” or “IL2 Sturmovik”?


H.A.W.X is an authentic game providing a complete air combat experience for all types of gamers and delivers both deep and progressive gameplay; we combine the reality of plane physics with a constant attention to player’s control.

Therefore, compared to these very simulation oriented games, H.A.W.X brings accessibility and a very well paced learning curve. The idea is to have the players to feel like the elite pilot of tomorrow in 20 minutes and not after 20 hours of study. But we also insured that even the most skilled pilot will keep learning new tricks, even after lots of hours of dogfighting. H.A.W.X offers many more options in terms of maneuverability than the usual plane game.



UPDATE 09.07.2008


• Will each player have a pilot who he can identify with or will it just be nameless figures as in Ace Combat?

H.A.W.X has a strong storyline and you are a veteran pilot, former member of the elite H.A.W.X unit from the USAF. Your name is David Crenshaw.


• Which engine is used for the game? How strong is it?

The engine used in H.A.W.X is developed in house and it’s built for supporting a next-gen immersive experience from the beginning. It is based on multithreaded architecture. It is build especially to support our extensive use of special effects. The high number of effects combined with a high level of detail is too much for the CPU to handle most of the time in other middle wares, which is one of the main reasons that we decided to make our own engine.



UPDATE 16.07.2008

Here are some more answers to your questions. Also, be sure to check out this very interesting E3 video, where our lead game designer explains and shows you more about the game.


• Does the player have to buy new planes or will they be unlocked after missions?

The player will unlock new planes based on an Experience Point system, indifferently if he’s playing the Campaign (alone or co-op) or if he’s playing Adversarial mode. He will also be able to unlock some planes directly, based on a Challenge system.


• What will the damage model be like? Can the player decide for himself if he wants to play the game realistic or action / arcade oriented?

The damage model in H.A.W.X provides the player with useful feedback regarding the threat. However, we don’t fully simulate it, in order to focus more on a great dog-fight experience and less on micro-managing the damage (so it’s more kind of an indicator of the plane status than a full-fledged simulation).

The game will have levels of difficulty, corresponding also with different controls for normal, advanced and expert players.

The game will also let the player decide if he wants to play in Normal mode or in Expert control mode; in Expert mode he will have total control over the plane and less difficulty filter.


• When will the game be released?

As you have been able to see the H.A.W.X team has been hard at work to deliver you the best quality gameplay experience, as witnessed by the quality of their work so far.

The team is paying attention to every detail imaginable, and that said, we’re moving the launch of Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X to the first quarter of 2009 to take a little more time to continue to develop and finish the game in the same meticulous way that we have started so.



UPDATE 24.07.2008

Hello again for another update. Two things need to be cleared up:

1. All the questions that are answered here have been submitted by the community, either in this thread or other threads. There are so many community questions that there is really no need to “make up questions”. However, as I said at the beginning, providing an answer will take time and also we won’t be able to respond to all the questions.

2. We didn’t establish a release date for the demo yet, so we cannot answer this question right now, but as soon as something comes up you will be informed. I’d also like to repeat that all the questions are being read and taken into consideration in an equal manner, so if you write a question more than once it won’t make any difference.

And now, the answers:


• Will there be a free flight mode, where you can just fly around the map? If yes, will you also be able to fly only online or only solo?

Yes, you will be able to play any map without any enemy or objective, just for flying. This is in both solo and adversarial modes.


• Will the PS3 version of H.A.W.X support Sixaxis? What will the player be able to do by using it?

Yes, H.A.W.X will support this great feature. With Sixaxis you will be able to control all the movements of your plane, whether you’re in Assistance ON or OFF mode.



UPDATE 01.08.2008


• Will there be a hangar where your planes are displayed?

Yes, you will have access to a full 3D hangar with dynamic lights where all the planes are going to be displayed; you’ll be able to rotate the camera and change the zoom level.


• Will there be a ranking system?

Yes, the game will have a ranking system on XBOX 360, PS3 and PC.



UPDATE 11.08.2008

Hello all. Make sure to check out our new ComDev video H.A.W.X:Inside E3 . As for the answers, here they are:


• What types of weapons will you have?

In H.A.W.X you’ll have access to a large panel of weapons, including air-to-air, air-to-ground, multiple missiles, side-thrusting missile, unguided bomb, cluster bomb, radar guided missile; you will also have access to flares.


• Will there be the ability of looking around within the cockpit?

Yes, you will be able to look around you, while being in cockpit view. This will allow you to spot targets, track incoming missiles etc…



UPDATE 18.08.2008

Hi. The game is still being developed as we speak so we cannot answer questions we are not yet 100% sure about the answer. All the questions are being read so you may have the pleasant surprise of getting the answer to a question you have put a long time ago. The reason is that your question couldn’t be addressed right away, but the question was kept “on hold” until we were ready to give an answer to it.

Regarding your questions about the pre-order from Gamestop, the special offer refers to the “F-22 Raptor” prototype plane also known as “FB-22 StrikeRaptor”. The very well known, non-prototype “F- 22 Raptor” plane will be in the game available for everyone, regardless of the date/place where you will buy the game.


• How realistic will be the control of the planes?

Each aircraft will have a distinctive behavior based on its real capabilities and supported by the game’s physics engine. The player’s skill in controlling the aircraft and his/her ability to take its specific strengths into account will make a big difference.

However, we didn’t want to restrict the game to a certain audience, which is the case if you go full simulation oriented. That’s why, in order to ensure that a wider audience will enjoy the air combat experience, we decided to tune some physics parameters, while still respecting the authenticity of air combat. Again, this is about providing the same weapons to everyone from start.


• How long can single-player be expected to last?

With the Experience Point system, unlocking all planes & weapons and the different difficulty levels the campaign will have a very long duration.

For example, only on a single player campaign play in normal mode you can expect to play for 6-7 hours of constant action.

Then if you add the Cooperative campaign play feature, replay possibilities are huge; for example, some objectives at high levels of difficulty will almost require you to play with other players.



UPDATE 26.08.2008

Hello. I have to clear up another thing. Even though I may know the answer to some questions, I cannot answer them without being 100% positive about their answer, and only the development team knows that. In conclusion, I cannot answer any questions by myself.


• Will the player be able to control the aircraft speed or will there be fixed speeds (low, medium, high)?

The player will have full control over the aircraft speed, he will be able to fly in formations, execute incredible maneuvers etc; so there won’t be any fixed speeds.


• Will there be any helicopters in H.A.W.X?

You won’t be able to pilot one, but you will fight versus helicopters and you will also have allied ones.


• Will H.A.W.X PS3 have trophy support?

Yes, H.A.W.X PS3 will have trophy support. We will have more info on this feature in the incoming weeks.



UPDATE 02.09.2008


• Will there be an instant action mode or a simple mission generator for small skirmish like games?

No.


• Will the player be able to have custom planes or custom paintjobs?

The game will only use real planes so you won’t be able to create “custom planes”. For the same authenticity reason, you won’t be able to fully customize the planes paintjobs, but you will have the option to choose the skins of your planes from some realistic choices. We do not know yet the number of skins available for each plane.



UPDATE 09.09.2008


Will there be a missile camera? How will it work?

Yes, there will be a missile camera for the “fire and forget” types of missiles. While keeping pressed a certain button, you will be able to have a view from the missile’s perspective.


Will the player be able to end the mission at will when all of the objectives have been completed or will the mission end automatically?

The mission will end automatically after all the objectives have been completed. However, for unlimited flying you will have the “free flight” mode.



UPDATE 16.09.2008

For those of you that haven’t seen my update from the Games Convention thread, the H.A.W.X Games Convention video is ready and can be seen HERE


Is there a chance that the maximum number of players that can play a multiplayer game to be increased, or will it stay to maximum 8 for team deathmatch and 4 for co-op?

Due to the intense dogfighting action of both coop and team deathmatch, we discovered that 4 and 8 players respectively are the ideal maximum number of players to support these modes. Based on our findings, we don’t have any plans on increasing the number of players.


Can you give a few examples of supported flight sticks?

Here are a few examples of supported flight sticks for PC: Thrustmaster Afterburner II, Saitek X52, Logitech Extreme 3D PRO. H.A.W.X will also support PS3 and XBOX360 flight sticks.



UPDATE 23.09.2008

I have seen a rumor that we won’t develop a flight stick especially for H.A.W.X, though this was never announced. We are not ready yet to announce anything on this side, so stay tuned later for more details. The question about this is “on hold”. As for the last question, I’d rather not answer questions based only on my personal opinion.


Will there be dynamic weather conditions that influence the gameplay? Is there a dynamic day & night cycle that can influence the gameplay?

Day, night, as well as the weather conditions will not have an impact upon the gameplay. However, you will be able to enjoy some missions during both night and day, others only during the day or only during the night.


Will the game support multiple monitors?

Yes, the game will support triple head 2 go technology, so you can use three monitors to enhance your visual experience inside the game. This support is for the PC version only.



UPDATE 30.09.2008

About the accuracy of the cockpits, I will paste a comment I have made in another post:

All of our aircraft is passing through a rigurous process of validation from the plane manufacturers before being introduced into the game, so rest assured, the authenticity aspect is very well taken care of for all of our planes.


Will there be a public beta?

No, H.A.W.X will not have a public beta.


How will the BVR be handled in H.A.W.X?

For BVR you will be able to use radar guided missiles. However, since the main focus in H.A.W.X is being put on intense action, most of the fights will be decided through dogfighting.



UPDATE 07.10.2008

Just to let you know, I have noted down for a long time one of the most debated question that you guys have: "Will the player be able to take off and land?". However, we are still not ready to give an answer to this question. It is "on hold".


Will the “incoming missile warning” voice be able to be turned on/off?

The “incoming missile warning” won’t be able to be turned on/off. However, the sound is being reworked so it won’t be as disturbing as before.


Can the planes do 180 degree turns at top speed?

All the planes are able to do 180 degree turns at top speed. Depending on the plane, the time and the distance required for this type of turn will vary, from fast+small distance to slow+large distance. So with some planes you will actually be able to do the “180 degree turn” maneuver, whilst with others you will only be able to do a slow 180 degree turn. Doing this type of turn will make your plane lose a lot of speed so there is the risk of stalling the plane.



UPDATE 14.10.2008


Are there any other ways to fly in formation except for the normal method of just moving in the proper position? (Ex: a press of a button to get into formation automatically with other planes)

No, the only way to get into formation will be to manually coordinate your planes moves.


Will the player be able to fly any jet he wants on all the maps, or will there be some restrictions?

During the campaign, when you play a mission for the first time you will need to use a certain plane at some points in order to respect the storyline. However, you will be able to replay the mission later on with any plane that you want.



UPDATE 21.10.2008


Will there be destructible environments?

No, H.A.W.X will not have destructible environments. However, your actions will leave distinct marks on the environment.


What are the possible commands that the players can give to the wingmen?

You will be able to command your wingmen either to attack your current target or to defend your own plane.



UPDATE 28.10.2008


Will the players be able to use headsets in H.A.W.X?

Yes, the players will be able to use headsets for both communications with the other players in multiplayer and in-game voice command.


Will you be able to fly any of the super-fighters from EndWar as a bonus?

Yes, you will be able to fly one of the super-fighters from EndWar.



UPDATE 04.11.2008


Will there be a split screen mode?

We got to the conclusion that a split screen view would not be proper for our game, especially when we think about our “special dogfight” camera view. This could become very hard to use in case the screen is split into 2 or more parts. Therefore, in order to keep the same high quality standards in all modes, H.A.W.X will not have a split screen mode.


What cities are in H.A.W.X?

So far we have revealed Rio de Janeiro as one of the four major cities that will be featured in the game. Other locations that have been revealed are: Cape Canaveral, locations from The Middle East and The Appalachians.


Which super-fighter from EndWar will you be able to fly?

You will be able to fly the XA-20 Razorback.



UPDATE 11.11.2008

Regarding the release date, it is still “the first quarter of 2009”, meaning sometime between January and March. As soon as we get a fixed release date I will update you guys.


Will there be cross-platform multiplayer?

No.


Will there be realistic payloads?

During campaign, because of the intense action that our game wants to offer, the payloads will not be realistic. However, we do have in plan a multiplayer team deathmatch option that, when selected, will allow players to play the game using realistic payloads and realistic damage.



UPDATE 18.11.2008

The devs have been really busy this past week, so we have only one question answered for today. However, it’s an important one for the PC players:


What are the hardware requirements for the H.A.W.X PC version?

Minimum requirements:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz/ AMD Athlon xp 2000+ or higher
OS: Windows® XP (with sp 3) or Vista® (with sp 1)
RAM: 1 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista
Graphics Card: 128 mb directx –compliant, shader 2.0– enabled video card

Recommended requirements:
CPU: Intel core 2 duo 6320 / AMD Athlon x2 4000+ or higher
OS: Windows® XP (with sp 3) or Vista® (with sp 1)
RAM: 2 GB
Graphics Card:
256 mb directx® 10.0– compliant video card or directx 9.0 – compliant card with shader model 3.0 or higher



UPDATE 25.11.2008

As I have said before in numerous occasions, the devteam is extremely busy, especially now that the end of the project approaches, so they cannot answer so many questions unfortunately. However, as you were able to observe, more and more important questions are finally cleared and we can get an answer for you guys.


Will the player be able to fly UAV’s?

No, the player won’t be able to fly UAV’s. However, he will encounter both enemy and allied UAV’s.


Will the game support TrackIR?

It is now confirmed. H.A.W.X will support TrackIR.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GKane,

Since there is a limited amount of ammo, I think it would be safe to assume that there would be realistic fuel consumption. Is there going to be airbases to land at, along with aircraft carriers were available? Also, will there be aerial refueling?

GKane,
As a huge fan of the ACE Combat series I first wanted to say thank UBI Soft for coming through for the PS3 community and making a flight combat simulator. Since XBOX bought the rights to ACE Combat I was left with no real ariel combat games on the PS3. I am curious to know if there is an online option for this game and if so will it be team based. Will I be able to invite from my friends list and take on other opponenets and that type of stuff.

GKane,
What Kind Of Jets Are We Talking Bout Here, I Mean Is There Gonna Be A AV AB Harrior There Has To Be A Harrior In This Game. Im Also A Huge Ghost Recon Fan, Is This Game Gonna Be Interrtwined With Ghost Recon? If It IS Thats Awsome. . Also Is There A Walpaper For This Game? And I Was Woundering If There Is A Relese Date For This Game?

umm~~~~~~
a F-16 with 20 missiles means 'limited ammo',but a F-16 with 6 missiles also means 'limited ammo'.

maybe i am too harsh,but I still would like to know:can every plane has its "realistic" and "unique" weapon loadout??
(which also means,for instance,that a Su-35 or a Rafale can't be armed with AIM-9)

can F-22 and F-35 be perserved some of their stealth abilities??

will there be blackout/redsight when maunvering inside the cockpit??

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MPSSC,

Will we be provided with a straight forward, no extra assistance mode with cockpit view? For those of us who enjoy flight games in a more basic and realistic form?

Will there be a MP host option to create a room with those standards?


Will we have the ability to look around from within the cockpit? Up, down, left, left back, right, right back? Being locked in a forward view wouldn't help any.


Will there be an option of how to attack each battlefield: air to air, or air to ground emphasis?


Will we have some good attack/defend MP gametypes, or just dogfighting? Gametypes requiring teamwork are needed (1 player flies a bomber, others escort while other team defends targets)


Will we have a good lobby for MP? Open comms for the teams in-game? Can a player go on "observe" for a round if they need to without having to leave the game?



Our original community Q&A thread can be found here with many questions:
CLICK HERE


Thank you for taking the time to come by and discuss the game with us.

When will we be getting a list of all the aircraft in the game?

Will we be able to pilot Bombers such as a B-2 or TU-95?

How many MP maps will their be?

How many MP game types will their be?

Will their be a demo if so when will it be available?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Claudeboy_36,

One question I'd like to ask, will there be a system link or split screen co-op ability? I know one of the things I hated about AC6 was there was no system link for it, and I'd have liked flying with and against my friends without having to be connected to XBL *since in my case I can't be, being on an aircraft carrier and all*.

What kind of weather will we experience when we play the game?

Is the ERS and the Assistance on/off option neccesary in the game? And it seems that you guys want the game to be more than just a flight combat sim game.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ace8492nd,

GKane,

I only got 2 questions for you:

-Will there be a "free-flight" mode? Like a mode where you get to do anything you want, and fly anywhere without having enemies on your tail?
-If there is a "free-flight" mode, will you be able to fly around split-screen and/or with people online?

Thanks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Buhnanah,

First, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions.

General Game Questions
1)* Now, the most important question is when will we be able to demo this game? I know you probably cant give a specific date, but will it be in June, July, or August?

2)* I also read you plan to release the game around September is this correct?

Gameplay Questions

3) I read that this game will allow for point accumulation online.What kind of updates will we be able to make with the planes once we have points? Things that would appeal to me as a gamer would be minor adjustments such as wingspan to increase payload, decreased radar detection, increased ammo ect. Perhaps the ability to jettison fuel tanks to increase speed and maneuverability.Maybe have the options presented much like the COD4 class specifications that you can arrange before each game.

4) I know this was asked before, but What is "limited ammo" does this mean 20 missiles when an actual planes payload may only include 8?

5) With regard to limited ammo, how would this affect online game play? Will there be anyway to gain more ammo, or is limited ammo not applicable in online play? I'm mainly curious to know if there will simply be floating icons for increase ammunition or a more realistic way to reload.

6) Will there be a mode that includes only a cockpit view,even for advanced pilots? I think I speak for myself as well as most flight simulator fans when I say the cockpit view would be fantastic!I would also like to know if you can look from side to side within the cockpit...it makes all the difference.

7) Will speeding or G forces impact the pilot?
Multiplayer

8) In Multiplayer or any cooperative game mode, will the player be able to push a button to "lock" into formation, to keep from having to pilot too much? If not, this would be a neat feature.

9)* Additionally, Email me if there is anyway I could demo this game for you personally and give you a nice write up.

Thanks, Take it easy

I have only had two questions after watching the great video & reading the threads I have alot more.


Will there be a dedicated server on PC Windows OS ?

I ask because nothing is definite in this world, Ubi got some criticism in the past but in general the Ubi titles do come with dedicated server exe. Dedicated servers are easy to find & build communities, help control free radicals and in general add to the overall longevity.

2. Missile cam?

When a missile is locked on you, you get a pop up in the top left or right of the incoming missile, so you can judge how well you are doing to shake off the incoming ?

3.You already confirmed cockpit view, so a question of that.


View modes ? Remote, Nose, Cockpit, Rear cockpit (behind & above pilot helmet, tail cam..... please confirm any or all.



plz answer Devs ....

best regards

viiiper.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: viiiper2006,

will air refueling be a part of this game?

will we be able to target incoming missiles with the JHMCS?

What kind of Anti-Cheat software will be in effect?

Any chance that there will be scramjets or hyper sonic aircraft?

You say 50 Planes, but how many airframes are included?

Will there be a demo released ?
http://www.videogamer.com/news/04-06-2008-8459.html

YES, I answered my own question


If a demo is released, will it be before the main game ?


Night flying ?



Will the Harrier jump jet series be included ? and other VTOL & STOVL jets? AV-8B Harrier II, VJ 101, XF-109, F-35B, X-35 JSF


Will there be any FARP'S (Forward Arming Refuelling Points)?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: viiiper2006,