I am sure we are all tired of some of the newer forum members asking the same questions and over. This gets old very fast. I have decided to step up to the plate and write an FAQ for these boards
1)Q: What is the story line?
A:
quote: It is the story of a paratrooper who never wanted to be squad leader, but is thrust into a position leadership during the largest amphibious invasion in the history of the world. His name is Sgt. Matt Baker and he’s leader of 3d Squad, 3d Platoon, Fox Company, 502 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne.
2)Q: Does this game have a MP aspect?
A:
quote: Gearbox: We like to compare our MP game to single player co-op games. You and a friend are able to command squads around while trying to complete unique mission objectives. However, unlike most SP co-op games, our enemy forces are also being controlled by humans. It's a very unique and tactical type of gameplay that has received really positive reviews in the testing we've done. This type of competitive game naturally encourages the formation of teams that consistently play together. The better teams will be the ones that work together and use team tactics to win the mission.
3)Q: What platforms will BIA be released on?
A: PC, XBOX, PS2
4)Q: What are the minimum requirements for the PC version?
A:
quote: Supported OS: Windows® 2000/XP (only) Processor: 1 GHz Pentium® III or AMD Athlon (2.5 GHz Pentium IV or AMD recommended) RAM: 512 MB (1 GB recommended) Video Card: 32 MB DirectX® 9.0c compliant (see supported list*) Sound Card: 16 bit DirectX 9.0c-compliant sound card DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (included on disc) DVD-ROM: 4x DVD-ROM (8x or better recommended) Hard Drive Space: 5 GB Peripherals: Windows keyboard and mouse only Multiplayer: Broadband with 64 kbps upstream (128 kbps recommended)
*Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:
ATI Radeon 8500/9000/X series NVIDIA® GeForce™ 4/FX/6 series (GeForce 4 MX not supported) Laptop models of these cards not supported.
These chipsets are the only ones that will run this game. Additional chipsets may be supported after release. For an up-to-date list of supported chipsets, please visit the FAQ for this game on our support website at: http://support.ubi.com.
NOTICE: This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some DVD-RW, and virtual drives.
NVIDIA® nForce™ or other motherboards/soundcards containing the Dolby® Digital Interactive Content Encoder required for Dolby Digital audio.
5)Q: How many levels are there?
A:
quote: Gearbox: There will be around 18-20 chapters in the single-player game, each with multiple objectives and mission goals to be met. There will be about 8-10 multiplayer maps as well.
6)Q: How long will the SP last?
A:
quote: Gearbox: It will depend on the difficulty setting for the game and the skill of the player. We have implemented a checkpoint system so you don't have to repeat the same parts over and over, but there will be certain advantages to playing a chapter again and performing better (keeping more men alive, etc.) so there will be a lot of replay value on both SP and MP. It's a good-length game, and there are some really great story moments in the game, cool mission features, and a few surprises in store, that you'll definitely want to see more than once!
7)Q: Will an SDK (modding kit) be released?
A:
quote:Gearbox: Gearbox has always been supportive of the modding community. If there is a large demand for editing tools, we will likely release them. However, it is still to early to give a 100% commitment on a tools release
8)Q: Will the appearance of characters change over time?
A:
quote:Gearbox: The character models will progress over the length of the game - the longer they are in on the ground fighting, the dirtier and more unshaven they will look. After 8 days of straight fighting, they will look pretty rough - these guys didn't have access to washing machines and hot showers, and cleaning mud from your boots while you are fighting for your life is a pretty low priority
9)Q: When can we expect a release?
A: Already Released
10)Q: How sophisticated is the AI?
A:Randy Pitchford: The soldiers behave like trained soldiers. They have standard operating procedures and they trained battle drills that are designed to help soldiers respond to any situation. This is all engineered into the characters. You don’t need to tell them exactly what to do, where to look and what they should do when someone starts shooting at them. They know what to do. Your job as their leader is to use the squad to fire and move on the enemy.
It’s pretty neat when you see guys who know how to use cover and corners all over the place. If guys are caught out in a field or something, you’ll even see them straighten up behind a tree in order to try to get any cover available to protect them. Then they’ll lean around the tree and return fire on the threat.
These guys know how to climb over walls and fire over obstacles – they know how to use the terrain for combat advantage.
Another neat thing is just watching one of your teams on a firing line, trying to suppress an enemy. While one guy is laying on some fire, another is reloading. Then the first guy will say, “I’m empty!†and the second guy will lean around and start putting fire on the target while the first guy ducks down to reload.
It’s all very dynamic and very authentic – our simulated intelligence programmers started with the standard operating procedures, then added the human elements. The decisions and the mistakes that make people what they are.
11)Q: What is the squad control interface?
A:
quote:Randy Pitchford: Squad based combat in Brothers in Arms is amazingly easy to command, but very robust. At the point in the game where you’ve finally gathered your scattered squad, you’ll be equipped with two teams. One team is an assault team and is designed for closing on and killing the enemy. The other team is a fire team and is trained to suppress and pin the enemy so that the assault team can do its work. These two teams are dependant upon each other and their power is under your control.
Controlling them is simple. One button toggles between the teams. This is a lot like switching weapons, but you’re switching teams. Another button issues a command. It’s just one button to issue a command. You look at something and you press the command button and it’s all taken care of with the context sensitive system. If you’re looking at the ground, the command is, “Move to that position!†If you’re looking at an enemy, the command is “Attack!†You can hold the button down to see a little indicator that tells you exactly where you’ll be issuing your command.
It’s really fun and it’s really easy to do and, amazingly, it’s super authentic. Col. Antal has been leading combat soldiers for 30 years. He’s written books used by the military academy at West Point to train the US Army’s future officers. He taught the Gearbox team all about fire and move tactics and all about chain of command and the Gearbox team figured out that you don’t need a super complex man-by-man noun-verb system of command trees and complex options.
Squad combat should be about the idea of how you want to approach the combat problem. Not about how you’re going to fight through the interface to find the right command.
Simply pick the fire team and use the command button while looking at an enemy and you’ll issue the command. Baker will say something like, “Corrion, put some fire on that position!†And Corrion, the fire team leader, will say something like, “You heard Baker – Give it to ‘em.†And while he’s yelling to his men, you’ll see Corrion give the authentic hand signal for “Attack†directed at the enemy and his men will get the courage to lean out from behind the cover and start putting fire on the enemy. If you’ve got it right, they’ll be able to suppress that enemy and you can start to safely position yourself or your assault team for a good flanking kill
12)Q: Are there physics in BIA?
A:
quote: Randy Pitchford: In line with the goal of creating an authentic, realistic portrayal of war comes a desire to physically simulate the effects of the weapons of war. There are now a couple of titles available that can give us a sense of what happens to a lifeless human as it collapses in a complex world. This kind of physics simulation may be a bit disturbing to some, but it is present in Brothers in Arms. So far, though, it is only in Brothers in Arms that I’ve seen this kind of simulation on not just humans and inanimate objects, but on animals as well.
There is something both disgusting and amazing about seeing a cow being struck directly by the 16 inch shells of Naval gunfire. In the game once I have seen such an event. It’s gross. You see, cows are large creatures that are filled with an awful lot of blood and guts. But, seeing a mess of that stuff blast into the air every which way is one thing. Another thing is when the dust settles and you approach the mess – then you are seeing the lifeless front half of a cow who’s suddenly empty body cavity, spine and gnarled legs are all realistically simulating physics as the mass rolls into the depth of the newly formed crater and you’re thinking, “I don’t know whether to stand here in awe or whether I should go throw up.â€
13)Q: When will a demo be released?
A:
quote: Brothers in Arms will be released in early ’05. Right now we’re looking at February and I think it’s very likely, but an exact release date will be announced as soon as we have one.
I think there will be a demo released for Xbox, maybe a demo for PS2 and some kind of limited beta test for the PC version. A demo for the PC version may or may not be available until after the product is launched – we’re working on those plans now.
14)Q: What engine does BIA implement?
A: Unreal Engine
15)Q: Will there be hitorical weather effects?
A:
quote: Weather will be exactly like it was at the given time on the given day in 1944.
16)Q: Will there be civilians in BIA?
A:
quote: There is nearly no civilians - or non-player characters - in Brothers in Arms, because in the real war the civilians were hiding in cellars and barns far away from the fighting action.
17)Q:Was the E3 demo an actual level?
A:
quote: I think I've mentioned before that the "Ripe Pickings" mission was altered for E3 demo purposes. The E3 demo could only be ten or so minutes long so we compressed a few ideas to show what the game had to offer (the real mission is about forty five minutes or so long).
Also, you are right on target noticing that the compass was not calibrated to the surroundings.
So, you're right about your bearings - that shot is facing more towards the South.
You're also right about the house on the opposite side of the crossroads not existing in the area at the time. That house was added to the E3 demo version to allow us to go into the house for the quick climax (note that historically, there were also no Mk IV tanks to contend with, but it sure made a quick and exciting climax to the demo, didn't it?)
In the final mission, you'll actually start near the farmhouse (Cole's CP) - instead of getting your orders from just on the inside of the wall there. I won't reveal the details of the actual mission because that would be a spoiler (although it is based in historical fact, so if you know enough of what happened there, you may be able to make some good guesses).
There are other differences in the E3 version of this map if you want to dig them up. For example, in the final game there is no crashed glider nearby - the gliders landed mostly around Heisville (and none landed near this area). There is, however, at least one mission in the game that takes place in the glider landing area just as the second (evening of June 6) sortie of gliders is coming in.
Regarding your other notes - You're right about the first two houses being a tiny bit out of position. These houses were actually borrowed from another map as the house assets for this area weren't available at the time of the E3 demo being put together.
Also, you've correctly labeled Cole's farmhouse AND you've correctly labeled the general direction of they bayonet charge (although few of the troops started from Bridge 4 where your arrow starts - most charged right across the field).
Also in the old photo you references, if you look very closely between bridge #1 and St. Come-du-Mont, you can barely make out the house at Dead Man's Corner.
Pretty much every bit of the picture you've posted here is accurately portrayed in the game.
This includes Dead Man's Corner, the push into St. Come-du-Mont, the Causeway into Carentan known as "Purple Heart Lane", the farmhouse and outlaying areas where Cole's bayonet charge took place and the cross roads known as the "Ripe Pickings" area.
Most of the areas in the game are accurate to several yards, but not to the foot. Also, some hedgerows were added here or there and some were opened up here and there and some lengths were compressed a bit (Utah Beach Exit 4 comes to mind). There are various reasons why this made sense.
The fact that you're digging into this stuff with such vigor tells me that we're not the only ones who think this stuff is cool and that is a good thing.
I should point out that we know that most people don't want to study this stuff and therefore don't need to study this stuff in this much detail. But, everyone can trust that it's authentic - the most authentic and accurate available - and that's also good news for those that want authenticity.
As a rule, the game doesn't shove the history down your throat - it's just there because it's real. The game isn't a history lesson - it's about being a paratrooper squad leader for Eight Days in Normandy.
Whether you care about the history or not, you can play BiA and after you've had tons of fun you'll someday realize that you actually learned tons about what actually took place FROM A VIDEO GAME!
Imagine playing tons of BiA and then humbling a history professor with an understanding that he couldn't get from a book - experience that can only be gotten first hand (or via simulated).
The interactive medium has so much potential for this kind of mingling of entertainment and real significance...
quote: So what makes the tanks in Brothers in Arms so special? Well, just about every World War II first person shooter that I've ever played has had some sort of tank. But the tanks in these other games just didn't look or act like a tank should. Many of them were just crude boxes with "tank-like" textures on them to make them look somewhat like a tank. They didn't move like a real tank does. They didn't fire their weapons like a real tank does. Many of them didn't even have the weapons that they should have (for example, not including a bow machine gun on tanks that should have had them). The tanks in Brothers In Arms are armored in the same manner as they are in the real world.
In Brothers in Arms, Gearbox spent a lot of time up front researching the vehicles that we were going to have in the game. We gathered photographs and diagrams and detailed technical data about each of the tanks. We took the time to create realistic representations of these tanks in the game. The tanks in Brothers in Arms move as though they were heavy, loud, dangerous beasts (which they are).
When creating code for the tanks, we wanted them to look as realistic as possible. The tanks in Brothers In Arms have tracks that rotate when the tank moves. The wheels of the tank all move independently up and down as the tank travels over terrain or obstacles in its path. When the tank picks a target for the cannon on the turret, the turret will track this target in a realistic manner. For tanks that have a machine gun at the front (a bow machine gun), the machine gun can be firing at a completely different target while the turret is tracking its own target. Each tank has a commander that can "button up" inside the hatch when heavy combat begins. When the tank commander is buttoned up inside the tank, the tank is less likely to see enemies, especially if the enemies are approaching from the sides or the rear. The tanks in Brothers In Arms are armored in the same manner as they are in the real world. The front of each tank is more heavily armored than the rear. The tank AI code knows this and will rotate the front of the tank towards the enemy if the enemy has a weapon that can damage the tank.
When a tank in Brothers in Arms begins firing on an enemy, you know that it will destroy them with a very satisfying hail of bullets from the machine guns or from the explosion caused by the shell fired from the cannon. In Brothers in Arms, it makes you really glad when the tanks are on your side and it makes you really nervous when the tanks are on the enemy's side. As our historical advisor, Colonel John Antal, US Army retired says: "There is only one thing better than a tank: Two tanks!"
21)Q:Will there be blood and gore in BIA?
A:
quote: Two comments about blood and gore in BIA:
1 - Blood spurts help with feedback - it helps you know you scored a "hit"
2 - Sometimes certain kinds of damage (like grenades, or artillery or tank cannons) can tear a body up a bit - rip off limbs and things.
22)Q:Is BIA a port?
A:No, BIA is being made on all platforms simultaneously.
23)Q:Will there be advanced lighting in BIA?
A:
quote:shadows per platform...
The PC version has full/nice soft shadows in the shape of the object character the shadow (not blobs).
The Xbox version will have blobs.
Don't know what the PS2 version will have.
There are other differences between versions. The objective of the art direction and graphics was to recreate the actual battlefields with more realism and authenticity than you've ever seen before.
Having said that - we hope you focus on the game play...
BTW - Most of the trailer was cut together with Xbox footage.
24)Q: How many hours does BIA's singleplayer last?
A:
quote:The goal when we started was "not too long, not too short"
For most users, it's more than ten, less than twenty.
Users who check out the extras as they unlock them will all likely spend well more than 20 with the game.
Ultimately, it's very hard to predict what it will be for you because everyone plays differently. BiA is even harder than past games we've done because it is dynamic enough to support a lot of different play styles.
Don't expect a marathon, but also I don't think it will be a one session burn for too many people (only the most hard core will make it a one session burn, and they will need lots of sleep when they are done).
25)Q:Is there a prejump scene in BIA?
A:
quote: That screenshot is, in fact, from Greenham Common (the English airfield where the 502nd took off for the invasion).
The scene was constructed for a number of different uses. I won't say more than that because I don't want to spoil it or create any strange expectations. But, if you think the pre-jump situation is really interesting, make sure to watch the "extra" that you can unlock by beating chapter 19 in "authentic" difficulty in Brothers in Arms.
Also - right now you can do a google search for Eisenhower and Greenham Common - you'll find lots of references to the Supreme Allied Commander's final visit to the soldiers before the invasion. For that visit, he choose to go see the 502nd PIR - that's Baker's unit. There's a very famous photograph of Eisenhower meeting with the paratroopers before the jump - many of the identified men in the photo are from F Company, 502. (You can only view this scene by completing ‘No Better Spot to Die’ on Authentic)
26)Q:Will there be ballistics and damage physics in BIA?
A:
quote: Almost every headshot is lethal. But there are always those rare circumstances...
The term "hitscan" refers to a ray being traced - it's a straight line that goes infinitely until it hits something.
We use the term "ballistics" to refer to using a physics model for gravity.
At the close combat ranges in BiA, ballistics for most of the bullet weapons turns out to be irrelevant.
Ballistics becomes more relevant for things like bazookas and panzerfausts because the rockets travelled more slowly than bullets and were larger (so the effects of air resistance and friction tended to help you see the curve from gravity in practice).
So, you will have to aim a little high at medium ranges with a weapon like a panzerfaust.
Since we don't actually draw a crosshair for bullet weapons, your best bet at the ranges in BiA is to look down the sights, line them up with your target and pull the trigger. (just like you would do if you were aiming a weapon in real life).
After you shoot a few hundred rounds with any given weapon, you start to get a feel for it - you'll learn how to adjust your aiming, your range or your timing to be more accurate.
27)Q:PCG: Question: Why did you decide to go with a WWII fps game? Did you concider doing alternate genres? Like a WWII RPG, or Strategy game?
A:
quote: Since Brian Martel and I were working together at 3dRealms on the Duke Nukem 3d stuff, we talked about making a game where you were a squad leader with a group of real soldiers. We started talking seriously about a war game just after we shipped Opposing Force.
We did tons of research which led us to this story. Brian went to the National Archives in Washington DC and discovered the Army's After Action reports written in 1944 by Col. S.L.A. Marshall. In the documents, we discovered a unit of paratroopers in the 502 PIR who through misfortune and tremendous spirit happened to be involved in all of the major objectives of the 101st Airborne on D-Day.
The real story was about a zillion times more interesting and amazing than any fictional story we'd ever played in a video game. We felt we had to tell the story. Brothers in Arms is based on the true story of the unit.
28)Q:If you kill someone in multiplayer, how long will the dead body stay on your screen?
A:
quote: The game will actually wait until you are not looking at the body, then remove it quietly like a thief in the night. Usually you won't see it happen at all.
29)Q:"To what extent will BiA be moddable (maps/skins/characters/weapons) and will Gearbox release free tools to help the modding community?" -QNick
A:
quote:Gearbox loves the concept of modification and always seems to find a way to support such things even when it's hard. Fortunately, with BiA it's going to be less hard. We haven't made any firm plans, but we've been very careful to not make decisions that preclude our ability to support a modification community. I think we'll talk more about modification support around the time the game ships.
<[GBX_dev]Zaskoda> Gearbox is excited about the mature and positive BIA community already developing both here in the US and abroad. We're dedicated to helping grow and nurture this community.
30)Q:is there some sort of training before d-day like cod in the game?
A:
quote: Not in the traditional sense. We felt that the "pick up the gun on the table and shoot the target 10 times" style of training was a bit cumbersome. One of our number one priorities was immersing the player in the experience, so we train the player as he goes while never leaving the story or setting.
31)Q:What game types will be supported ?
A:
quote:BIA Multiplayer doesn't have "game types". It has missions. Each mission has its own rules and objectives separate from the other missions in the game. We do not have something as simple as "capture the flag." on 4 maps.
32)Q:What sets Brothers in Arms apart from games like MOHAA: Pacific Assault, Call of Duty and all the other WWII themed first person
A:
quote: I’ll talk about story for a moment. What excited me so much about working on BiA from the get go was the opportunity to populate a game with characters that the player can enjoy being around and get to know over the course of the game. We spent a great deal of time and effort to populate the game with people that you can believe in and be attached to. It's one of the biggest challenges in our industry to make virtual people that someone can believe in. I not only think we've met this challenge but set a new bar for how people see and play war games.
Brothers in Arms, Road to Hill 30, is the most authentic WWII First Person Action Game ever. Why? Not only have we done the research to provide the player with the best authentic weapons, historically accurate battlefields…and set you against a very tough enemy – but we place you in the boots of a paratrooper Squad Leader, Sergeant Matt Baker on D-Day. D-Day was the most climatic battle in WWII. We’re recreated this for you to the last detail.You must lead your squad and fight with authentic tactics to win. Real WWII combat tactics. It is more than a game … it is an experience. This game is based on the authentic true story of the paratroopers of the famous 502d Parachute infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. Most importantly, to win in this authentic WWII game, you must know squad tactics. You cannot “Rambo†your way through this game. The game is so realistic that it has been endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
BiA is truly about real squad combat. Authentic fire and move tactics. Some of the veterans we talked to are actually pretty horrified by how the subject matter has been treated in other games. We had to show them what we had to help them understand that not everyone is out for exploitation. Colonel Antal joining our team has been a huge part of that. One veteran we talked to, a decorated member of the same unit Baker was in (Fox Company, 502PIR) said, "It is like going back into time." He was sincere...
and this veteran served at D-Day on June 6, 1944.
When I play that bomber mission in CoD, I think, "Cool plane - fun sequence." Then I think, "Did these actually do any homework?" There were no B-17's in WW2 with British markings or a British crew... They tricked you so they could say they took you through different allied experiences. When we sell these games to you and we promise you that we're giving you an authentic experience, we better actually deliver. If you've ever seen a movie that's about something you know about - like, say, Hackers... You know how dumb it is. We wanted to make a game where real soldiers who were actually there would see it and say, "Yeah - That's pretty much what it was." Veterans have given us the direction and then after years of work the confirmation that we didn't mistreat them. The real super hard trick was doing this right, but also making it fun. But it turns out that authentic tactics and squad combat is a lot of fun in a strange way - especially when no one has to get hurt. The Colonel keeps telling me that the army is going to use the game as a training tool. Okay - I've rambled on a bit... You can tell I'm sensitive about this.
<[GBX_dev]Matthew_Armstrong> When you play Brothers in Arms multiplayer, the player plays as a squad leader commanding a squad of AI soldiers. Every rule of tactics and combat that applied to the real war and single player also applies to Multiplayer. Real tactics work. You will be ordering your squad in combat against other live squad leaders in real time. We wanted to make Brothers in Arms multiplayer the closest you can come to being a squad leader in World War 2 you can get without actually putting a Thompson in your hands. Think fast. Lead well. Or fail.
Every modern infantry squad is divided into teams of different capabilities that derive from the weapons carried by each team. In Brothers in Arms, you execute rudimentary tactics using an Assault Team and a Fire Team. The Assault Team consists of three soldiers armed with rapid firing M1 carbines and M1 Thompson submachine guns. The Fire Team consists of three soldiers armed with M1 Garand rifles and a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).These basic tactics can be distilled down from Sun Tzu’s advice to what the U.S. Army called the “Four F’sâ€: Find, Fix, Flank and Finish the enemy.
33)Q:Will physics be used in game? And if so to what extent?
A:
quote: Brothers in Arms will have a full physics model for all of the characters and items that you interact with, including rag-dolls and weapons.
34)Q:I just wanted to ask if there's any chance of a Macintosh version of this game in the future. Will there ever be a Linux version of this game? 64bit support?
A:
quote:There is very likely to be a Mac version. I don't have much hope for a commercial Linux version, although I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Linux binaries. 64 bit support is irrelevant for BiA 1, but will be relevant for the next thing...
35)Q:Why did you feel you had to treat the players screen like a camera, ie, water drops on the screen etc......?
Q:
quote: Brothers in Arms desires to put you there. When a buddy gets hit really badly, there's a huge amount of impact that happens when his blood splashes onto your screen. Your screen is like your face in the world. When artillery blows up mud and it splatters onto your face, it just feels right. When there's a light drizzle and you look up at the sky, it just feels right when more drops are hitting you in the face than if you're looking at the ground. These details really put you in there and help you lose yourself.
There are many obstacles when deciding how to best immerse a player in your universe. In the real world, debris and things fly all over and get in your eyes. Since we can't actually throw dirt, water, blood, or grass on a player (although I'd like to) in real life, we do our best to make the player feel like that's actually happening. I promise the first time someone gets shot in front of you and blood splashes against the screen you'll understand why we made the decision. It makes the impact immediate and personal.
It's all part of our promise. Soldiers live in the mud and rain. To give you as realistic a D-Day, WWII combat experience as possible.
<[GBX_dev]Reichert> We don't make you go hungry though.
Yeah - there's no "eat apple" button.
No sleeping or cleaning weapons either.
36)Q:"will the Multiplayer maps be arena type maps like in CoD, or will the maps be based on real life locations like they are in BIA's single player?"
A:
quote:Real life battlefields. Every battlefield in single player is a real place in Normandy.
<[GBX_dev]Matthew_Armstrong> The multiplayer missions are inspired by actual missions, locations, and events in the days after D-Day, but we are not recreating the war in multiplayer to the same degree as the single player game. Single player and Multiplayer are different animals. The multiplayer missions are balanced for both sides. We want both teams to feel they have a fair chance at completing their objectives. In real war, there is no such thing as fair.
You can play the single player game several times then get a job as a tour guide in Normandy because you'll know the real locations so well (you'll have been there virtually). Multiplayer deviated from the exact roads, hills and buildings to make the human vs. human challenges more interesting and competitive.
37)Q:how 'scripted' are the enemies and allies? What will the replay ability be like?
A:
quote: There are exactly zero scripted sequences in the Brothers in Arms combat encounters. There is some scripting of story elements as book ends for the chapters (kind of like how Half-Life 2 does it), but we don't think scripted combat is very fun. Instead, the Colonel has helped us program the AI with the standard operating procedures of real soldiers. They know how to cover each other. They know how to find cover. They know how to pick targets. There's also a new system we invented that we call "Situational AI." This allows our designers to give the enemies commands in the same way that the player can give allies commands. The designers can go in and plan real tactical solutions PER CONTEXT. The problem most games have is that they have one AI program that is supposed to work in a zillion different context. It just comes down to "point at player. Shoot at player three times. Crouch. Hide. Shoot at player. Repeat." That's no good.
The AI is really amazing. The Americans and Germans act like real soldiers. I think you will find the combat really fascinating. The AI has really made the game super realistic.
One of my favorite things about playing our game is how well your squad mates interact with the environment and each other. In real life, men don't react to a grenade the same way; reload the same way and such. When soldiers go down, your men will notice and call out their name. They'll show compassion (if it’s in their nature) and in cases where things get really out of control they'll start to get nervous and scared. It's something I've never seen in a game before. From moment one when you drop into the game you'll be able to tell these men apart in the way they act, talk, fight, and think. It's amazing to watch.
The German side mirrors this. They get scared when their men go down and you can hear them talking about it. And I promise there's no banzai charges
38)Q:Are you as vulnerable as the A.I.?
A:
quote:Vulnerability is complicated. In some ways, you're more vulnerable. The AI acts like trained soldiers. The real trained soldiers practiced for two years before jumping into Normandy. Our average player won't have trained for two years
So, players tend to experiment - they don't always use cover - they don't always suppress first. The trick is fire and move. Fire on the enemy, then maneuver. Yeah - When you play multiplayer, you're going to really see some interesting things. All else being equal, if you have two players that have similar skill in aiming and reaction times, but one player doesn't think about fire and move tactics, he's going to get owned.
39)Q:How does BiA handle the issue of injured soldiers? In many FPS War-themed games, the only simulated casualties are light wounds and death. Will more serious wounds, i.e. those that need to be taken off the field, simulated?
A:
quote: This was a problem that's not easily solved in a game. As a developer you want a player to attached to characters and cause certain things to happen. You can't just simply allow the player to get all his men killed in one mission and replace them with other as interesting soldiers. I however can promise you that men in your squad will die, for good. If you however make a questionable decision on the battlefield they will be "wounded" until the next mission.
The game isn't going to punish you for experimenting. You can't do anything in mission one that is going to ruin your experience in mission five.
40)Q:can you use voice commands to command your squad or do you have to use keyboard commands?
A:
quote: The command system is much simpler than that. Real command and control has never been about telling a guy to take an offensive posture or a defensive posture - I honestly don't know where these game developers get this stuff from (they probably haven't spent three years with a US Army Colonel). In BiA, you just give a single, context sensitive command. If you're looking at the ground, the command is "Move there" If you're looking at an enemy, the command is, "Put some fire on that target!" It's a one button, context sensitive command system.
A real squad leader gives commands to his team leaders. No one can command 12 individuals in combat. Combat is all about teams.
41)Q:what kind of music are you making for Brothers in Arms?
A:
quote: The music and audio in general is simply stunning. I wish I had something to do with it We said, "Hey - let's go ahead and spend way more money than we should on music. You know how we're always *****ing about games not investing in audio - let's invest in audio." So, that money, apparently, buys you a score that rivals most movies. It was recorded in 8 channels in Prague with an 83 piece orchestra. The melody the composer came up with is really catchy - I find myself humming it in the car on the way to the office. My only fear is that we're not going to be using the music enough! We made the decision to not drown out the authentic combat with music, so it's used in the menus and in the story moments of the game (the scenes that bookend the chapters).
<[GBX_dev]Zaskoda> performed by the philharmonic Orchestra which is a combination of musicians from both the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Prague Symphony Orchestra Recorded in Dvorak Hall, Rudolfinum, 23 - 25 June 2004. Recorded in 24bit 192kHz. We have both Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes.
We thought it would be cool if the music was recorded in the month of the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
41)Q:What part of the game have you enjoyed making the most? and what was the most difficult part of making the game so far?
A:
quote: I love how the game is like a time machine. Brothers in Arms provides the player with the ability to step into the muddy boots of a squad leader on D-Day and catch a small glimpse of what it must have been like to actually be there.
The difficult part is after the fact - If I had known, for example, how much time and money we would spend researching for this game I'm not sure I would've made that decision. Now that we're nearly done, I'm glad we did. One of the veterans once pointed out that we spent more time developing this game than the 101st Airborne spent training for the actual invasion.
I think the most rewarding thing for any game developer is seeing their world come alive and take on its own form. Seeing Normandy and the men in your squad come alive was something no one in any medium has done yet. Recreating something so well that you'll actually know the area if you ever go.
I'm pleased that we actually got a chance to innovate a little bit in terms of action game design (with the squad combat system). I don't think the innovations could be called that - they just evolved out of actually doing some research about what real combat is all about. I was totally in the dark before that.
I think we are extending the envelope and taking games farther into a very immersive realm of interactive entertainment. It's very exciting to watch the game develop. When I worked on the Counter-Strike stuff, for example, I had never actually fired a real weapon in my life. I've fired lots of guns now. And a tank I can say with authority that the M1 in BiA is about as close as you can get to firing a real M1 - certainly more authentic than any game out there.
42)Q:Why does BIA allow a player to carry 2 weapons?
A:
quote: Let me explain the decision...
The game is about fire and move tactics. A typical player, we find, tends to like to either be the squad leader (he hangs back and orders his men to do the hard work) OR there's the player that wants to use his guys to suppress the enemy while going in for the kill himself.
But, most players tend to enjoy alternating roles - mixing it up. Sometimes hanging back and suppressing while commanding the guys to assault, other times doing the assault.
So, if you only could carry one weapon what tends to happen is that a player who wants to switch roles in the middle of a mission will have to back track and scour the battle field looking for a different weapon to pick up. That's really boring and lame.
By giving you two weapons, you can make decisions about your load out. You can have an assault weapon and a suppression weapon, and switch between them rapidly when you want to switch roles. OR, you can have a suppression weapon and a sniping weapon - I tend to like to play the game like a supression->snipe game when I play on the PC. OR, you can carry, say, a BAR and a Thompson. Use the BAR on the move to suppress while you're closing, then switch to the Thompson for the close assault.
There are a whole bunch of combinations that just enhance the tactical options that the game provides.
Besides, we know, historically, that there were many soldiers who carried more than one weapon. We've got a picture of one paratrooper who's carrying TWO MG-42's AND THREE MP-40s!! Found that one in the National Archives
43)Q:Is there an Authentic mode?
A:
quote:Play Authentic mode if you want punishment - That's why we put it in there...
44)Q:What types of enemies will the player face, will bystanders be pulled into the events and does the French setting offer any real unique qualities pertaining to gameplay?
A:
quote: In the area are Ost battalions (conscripts) and regular German infantry. Unfortunately, the German 6th Parachute Infantry (fallshirmjager) are around the area too. The paratroopers are like the elite, special forces units of the era and they’re a tough enemy for Baker and his men. As the team approaches the town of Carentan, they also have to deal with the 17th Waffen SS Panzer grenadiers – these guys are very tough. And there are support units including aircraft, crew served weapons (like the Pak 36 Anti-tank gun and various anti-aircraft weapons) and even support vehicles like carts, trucks and half-tracks. And, of course, there are N*** tanks. Stug’s and Mk IV’s are the most common…
45)Q:Every WW2 game, like COD, treat germans as bad soldiers, bad persons but I hope in BIA the story wont treat them like this because they were ordinary soldiers fighting for political issues
A:
quote:The Germans in BIA will show emotions in BIA when their buddies go down. They might call out their name, or react accordingly. While the Americans in your squad may refer to the Germans in derogative terms, the game won't portray the Germans as a cold, heartless, killing machines.
46)Q:What level of destructable environment will there be from battle damage? What level of cover degradation will there be from battle damage?
A:Physics will be applyed to animals, humans, and inanimate objects. All I know is that tanks will be able to knock down hedgerows and some other obstacles.
47)Q:Is there a sequel planned?
A:There are plans for a possible sequel. The devs and some previews have mentioned this. Afterall, Gearbox does have a 10 year contract with UbiSoft.
48)Q:So, what if a soldier spots a enemy when your SAV is on? Will it sudenly apear, like a ghost or will the SAV concentrate him on movements from soldiers which were already seen by your men?
A:You see every enemy that anyone on your team can see.
49)Q:Can you see your legs from the first person perspective in BIA?
A:
quote: So, the short answer to the question "Can you see your own feet in the game?" is "sometimes".
50Q: I have already completed the game on Difficult, but why is Authentic still locked?
A: Try playing through ‘Rendevous with Destiny’ and ‘Victory in Carentan’ again. This is a problem several forum members have had.
51)Q: Why isn't my computer running BIA properly?
A: My sure to stop by the Community Help Forums. That's what it is there for. Also, make sure to update your drivers and download the latest patch.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: WE_STAND_ALONE,
"Dancing is a contact sport, football is a collision sport."- "Iron Mike" Ditka
quote: I think I understand why people want team DM or whatever in this game, though, too.
I mean, you can look at some screenshots and watch a video and realize that the graphics and immersion is just several notches above what you might already be playing.
So, if you're currently playing, say, CoD multiplayer and you like it, then you see the BiA stuff, it's totally natural to want to have the BiA stuff just replace the same game play you're already enjoying.
I can understand that.
But, we made a commitment to innovate. We made a commitment to spend our resources providing a sense of real squad combat using authentic fire and move tactics. We made a commitment not just to reward the player with the fastest reaction times or twitch skills, but to reward the player who can think and outwit an opponent as well.
I don't know how it's going to turn out. Perhaps the number of people who play BiA online won't match the number of people who are playing Halo 2 on-line right now. But, I bet the people who play BiA will be really, super hard-core and loyal. BiA is the only game like it - you can't get this experience with any other game available.
You can get deathmatch or team deathmatch in lots of places and I'm sure that other games will just keep churning out the same, old game play modes you've played over and over again.
If you want that, great.
Hopefully, if you're like us, you're hoping for something new.
quote: Our most basic thinking is this:
There are a lot of games I can play to play the standard, same-old rehash deathmatch or team deathmatch game.
We could spend our time doing an old-school deathmatch game that is at best just a bit better and at worst about the same as stuff that's already out there.
OR, we could use our resources to actually innovate and invent. We could offer people something entirely new that they've never experienced before.
We hear gamers talk all the time about how they wish developers would innovate more, etc. But, when we do, the same gamers tend to come out and say, "What - No deathmatch?"
This is a tricky cycle.
It's really hard and risky for us to talk about the multiplayer game because it is new. You can't compare it to anything out there. You can't measure how good it is by counting things like # of players or game modes. It's just different enough where trying to compare things on those levels just doesn't work.
It's like when the first sports car was made and people said, "How many people can fit in the car?" Back then, the cars were designed so that 10 people could ride in them! Here comes someone with a car designed for speed that only had room for a driver and a passenger and they had to try to explain to everyone that putting less people in the car is the WHOLE REASON why the car can drive better.
This is kind of how we feel.
We know that some people don't like sports cars. They're going to buy trucks or SUV's or sedans. But, for people who like sports cars, well - we're inventing the sports car, you know. This is going to, like, their first one ever.
We think it's going to be great.
But, until we release it we have to deal with people saying "I want 16 players like game X has?"
To them, I say - go buy your truck or your SUV - go play game X. We're offering something new and exciting. We're innovating.
Q: Is the splitscreen MP?
A:
quote:Split screen and system link multiplayer are featured!
Minimum of two humans required, though - hence the name "multiplayer"
Q: Will the Ps2 feature online MP?
A:
quote: PS2 on-line -> That's the plan...
Q: Will the be bunny-hopping?
A:
quote: Jumping is possible in real life and it's in the game.
The player can use it to climb over low walls and things.
Bunny hopping shouldn't happen much because jumping in multiplayer is more likely to get you killed than not.
Here's what happens when you try to bunny hop in BiA:
- When you jump, your momentum is totally killed. It feels like the hit glue in CS. - If you try to jump twice in a row, your second jump will basically be in place (no momentum left) and you'll jump about 1/3 as high (no stamina). - If you try to jump three times in a row, you'll basically be glued in place (totally tired and have "nothing left").
This basically simulates what it's like trying to jump rapidly while wearing paratrooper gear and carrying a weapon, ammo and grenades. Even a very fit person cannot jump very high very rapidly.
But, these paratroopers could do a single running jump - that's plausible. They were in super good shape.
If you wait a long time between jumps and aren't doing a lot of exhausting things, your fatigue will go down.
Fatigue is influenced by running, jumping, shooting, moving, going from crouched to standing, etc.
In the German Game Convention build, a bunny hop limiter was in, but the fatigue system wasn't complete and it wasn't tied into the jumping stamina yet.
BTW - There still seems to be debate about this whole thing internally and we're about to start a new level of hardcore testing with real end users. Before the project is complete, we may make new/different decisions.
In other words - everything I said is subject to change
Q:How do the servers works?
A:
quote: Xbox Live games are typically hosted by Microsoft (except for some EA games which EA hosts themselves).
PC games are typically hosted by end users who either run servers on cable modems, DSL lines, T1 lines or rent servers from hosting companies that provide bandwidth.
Gamespy provides an application that helps you find servers, but the servers you connect to typically aren't hosted by gamespy. If the server is slow and has high latency (lots of lag), you are probably connected to someone at home running a 128kbps ADSL circuit. Don't rely on the ping time when connecting to servers. Ping packets are very small and are not a good indicator of overall network bandwidth (throughput).
Q:Will the be single player co-op?
A:
quote: That depends on several things. First you have the story. Some games are geared more toward the idea of a single unique individual who goes against a hoard of enemies (ala Rambo). Having 2 or more of these "unique" individuals kinda breaks the storyline. Many game developers are ALL ABOUT the story. To them, that's THE most important thing in the game.
Then you have technical limitations of the AI. Are they designed to handle attacks from multiple directions at once? Which player do they target (the closest one? the one with the most dangerous weapon?, the one with the least amount of health?, etc.)
Then you have issues like triggers, buttons and scripted sequences (all games have some scripted stuff to help tell the story). With a single player, you can guarantee where a player is when a trigger touched or a button is pressed. With 2 or more players, you only know where one of them is (at the trigger location), but you can't force the other player(s) to be at any particular point. If you have something in the level that REQUIRES that players be at that point, it will break the game. For example, if you have elevators in the game that only go up from one area to another area, and one person enters the elevator and presses the button, but the other player stays behind, that breaks the game. What do you do with the second player?
And, as I mentioned above, you have to make sure your networking layer will handle replication and synchronization between the 2 (or more) player's machines. You have to keep things in synch between the machines so that players aren't trying to shoot at something that isn't really there. If you are on a console, you can "cheat" by having both players physically on the same hardware (that way you don't have to send any data anywhere over the network), but for consoles, you have to give each player a view into the world. This means you have to render the world multiple times which can cause a large drop in framerate.
Also, if it is going to take an additional 6 months or 9 months or a year to work out all of these co-op problems, many games wouldn't be completed in a timely manner (which is a BIG issue to game producers and distributors that want the game out as soon as possible). This is why many games get released with single player support and later add co-op as a patch or update (which may come out a year after the game was released).
So, it's not just that game developers don't want co-op or don't like co-op, it's the fact that there's a lot more involved in getting co-op working than most people realize.
Q: How many MP players can there be per server?
A:
quote:If you are asking, "You can play 1 human verses 1 other human (each controlling a squad of AI guys)?", then the answer is yes.
The multiplayer modes that have been announced so far is "1 vs. 1", "1 vs. 2" and "2 vs. 2".
Q: Is there a situational awareness map in MP?
A:
quote: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS VIEW IN MULTIPLAYER
This was a grand and fun problem to deal with. It's a cool feature, but it's quite Single Player specific. The problems:
1. It takes a couple of seconds to pull out. It takes a couple of seconds to go back. This is a pretty big chunk of time in MP. 2. It pauses the game. 3. It lets you see all the enemies that you and your fire team can currently see or are currently aware of. How would that affect MP? 4. It pulls the player out of his body. The technical differences between a single player and MP situation are significant, as are the gameplay hurdles.
So the obvious easy solution is: Cut it from MP.
Of course, the obvious easy thing to do was the same WW2 Death match game you can play in a half dozen other games, and we didn't do that either.
We played without SAV for a while. All went well. But the fact is, you are playing a tactical battle, and the information you need wasn't always easy to come by. Besides, we were all getting real curious - Can we make this work? Would it be cool?
So we put it back in to try it. Here is how we addressed the problems:
1. It takes time: We've sped it up considerably for MP. Now you zoom out in half a second. It doesn't look as majestic, but you don't get your *** shot off every time you try to go into SAV. 2. It pauses the game: We don't pause the game in MP. This changes many things. I'll get into it in a second. 3. It lets you see known enemies: Guess what? It lets you plan based upon known information. Pretty cool. Until you, your teammate or your fire team spots an enemy, they don’t show up in SAV. 4. Technical problems: Not going to get into it. Many bugs and design issues.
So after putting it back in, we played and found that the player who made good use of SAV could make better tactical decisions faster. But the change from pausing the game and the live opponent made for some exciting new gameplay. Seeing the enemy move in real time, watching the battles from overhead, timing an attack or strategy by watching your teammates actions...
That was the clencher. You could work better with your teammate. It made working together easier and cooler. The fact that in SAV you can see the enemies that your teammate sees actually makes the game better. You can make choices based upon what you know as well as what he knows. It opens up many options. It also has the benefit that it makes the maps easier to learn and navigate.
But it’s not a super power. You are vulnerable while using it, so the best players will find cover, use it to quickly assess the situation, and get back into the game pronto. It’s a simple but effective tradeoff. There are people here who never use it at all. There are those who swear by it.
The best players at Gearbox will get into a groove where they use SAV to work with a teammate, and without even talking they will support each other. Flanking and countering the enemy, supporting your teammates weak side, and covering him when he moves to plant his explosives.
So, yes Virginia, there is Situational Awareness View in Multiplayer. But it is a different animal. You see the action as it happens. You don’t have time to study and make careful plans. You need to react fast. You can’t just go to Situational Awareness View in the middle of a firefight. You need to find cover and be safe. You can still see the objectives and known enemies, but now those eneimes are moving on you while you watch.
It took some work to keep SAV in the MP game, but we are all very happy that we chose to keep it in. When you go to SAV and watch your fire team assault the enemy position in real time, it’s a whole different experience
Q: Why are there bots in MP?
A:
quote:When it comes to AI in multiplayer, you should consider the difference between bots and units.
If you are running standard CTF or deathmatch with AI bots, you have a multiplayer game where you are playing against computers who are far less interesting than humans. AI bots are never quite as good as the real thing. Making a bot appear to think creatively is extremely difficult.
The difference in an AI unit is that the AI is NOT trying to impersonate creative thinking. The AI unit is taking direct orders from a player who DOES think creatively. Any time you play Warcraft or Age of Mythology against a human player, you are playing against a human who is ordering AI Units around.
Think about this for a minute. AI bots are expected to decide their own actions - including goals and complex decisions. Basic actions (who to shoot, how to move, when to duck) are clear and can be defined. It's the goals and complex decisions (do I attack or not? Do I flank? Which way should I flank? When should I make my move?) that are truely difficult to define and make interesting or believable in a bot. When a human controls Units in Warcraft, a human is making those decisions. Control of an AI Unit in multiplayer is great fun. Playing against AI bots in multiplayer is less so.
The problem is perspective. There are few if any first person games where you can control AI units in multiplayer. To understand that kind of gameplay, you either must play it, see it played, or play an RTS and try to imagine making those sort of choices in a FPS environment with a strong group of AI units backing you.
Play an RTS game in single player against a computer opponent. It's great fun, but the computer will eventually fall into predictable patterns. You are playing against an AI bot who is commanding AI units to battle the AI units that you control.
Next, play the same RTS game against a human opponent. Suddenly, the game becomes unpredictable. You are playing against a human player, but there are still AI units in the game, making decisions about who to attack, how to move to a destination, and even when to use special attacks or heal friendly units. The AI may be able to do complex or interesting tasks, but even when your AI units are battling the other players AI units, it is always YOU verses HIM because the game is not simply about who can twich fire the fastest. It's about LEADERSHIP. And if the game is done right, you know it and feel it with each one of the enemy units killed by the forces under your command. And he will feel the sting of defeat as his men fall around him. Your men fight for you. And you will LEAD them to victory.
This is all just talk, of course. Real Time Strategy games, bots vs. units, and other general game design concepts. We aren't talking about multiplayer yet
Q: What gametype(s) is in BIA?
A:
quote: Featuring an objective-based game mode, up to four players, each in charge of three AI players, will be able to play online on Xbox. Any variation of Internet, LAN, System Link, Live, and Split-Screen will be possible, so two players can be split-screen on one Xbox and play against two other players on separate machines over Xbox Live. Gearbox is looking into allowing more than four-players online with the PC version, but it's still not final at this point. The multiplayer functionality of the PS2 version is also undecided. There are only two sides in any of the multiplayer conflicts, N*z*s and Americans, and players will need to choose one or the other with objectives essentially being "one side wants to do this and the other side wants to stop them" with a time-limit lending added pressure to the battle. There are 12 planned multiplayer missions, each one based on a real-life happening in World War II with other paratroopers outside the 502, including the 506 attacking Utah Beach. And yes, there will be tanks in some of the multiplayer missions.
As for downloadable content, there are three extra single-player missions that will likely be released on Xbox Live and for download on PCs, though the Xbox Live downloads may end up being premium (AKA pay) content.
Q: Why is there no prone or peak in BIA?
A:
quote: No leaning in BiA. BiA is not about sniping, it's about fire and move. The game won't kill you instantly if you peek around the corner to see what is there. Also, you can use Situational Awareness View to peek around the evironment - no other FPS games offer this feature and it is VERY cool.
No, BIA is about Fire and Maneuver Tactics. These two actions are irrelevant to these set of tactics(not a quote)
Q: Does the lack of prone effect gameplay?
A:
quote:Speaking as someone developing the game, who spends hours and hours a day playing the game, I can honestly say I do not miss prone in the least bit, nor do I feel it would add anything to the experience. I can't recall a single time where I've thought to myself "blasted game, only if I only would have had prone!"
And as Randy has mentioned, we have to be careful using the word "realistic", as we are aiming toward "authenticity". The two can be easily confused but at the same time mean two completely different things.
In case you may have noticed, this is almost identical to the stickied FAQ. I made it easier to read at the request of a moderator.
**Acknowledgements**
Thanks to...
-the Gearbox devs for the use of their quotes and for developing BIA. -jworthing for contributing two Q&A's that I used in this FAQ. -Ubisoft for the use of their forum space -ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY READS THIS FAQ BEFORE POSTING A QUESTION!
"Dancing is a contact sport, football is a collision sport."- "Iron Mike" Ditka
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