SiN Episodes - Interview - Gameplay Details
We tried to ask questions about SinEpisodes that hadn’t been mentioned before, so you’ll find the theme ranges from game bosses to mutagen enhancements. This Interview goes more into detail on some of the finer gameplay elements, such as the mutagen and boss fights. This Interview by sinepisodes.net was published 2006-03-02 on sinepisodes.net.
Interview
Hey guys, thank you for agreeing to the interview. It must be an incredibly busy time for you all right now, being so close to release and all, so your time is greatly appreciated. Firstly though, can you introduce yourself along with a description of your typical day at Ritual?
Steve "Badman" Hessel:
I’m Ritual’s Community Relations Manager and as such function as the Tribe’s interface with our fanbase, as well as press. I’m a huge fan of the first SiN, so being able to work on SiN Episodes is a very special experience.
In the original SiN there were many encounters with unnaturally tough enemies or bosses. One such enemy was also revealed in the CES SiN Episodes video; a large mutant who could smash down walls with incredible strength. Do you intend to include these bosses throughout Episodes, and if so, how will they challenge the player?
Badman:
Bosses have traditionally been part of most first person shooters, and at Ritual we’re a big fan of them. They’re a great way to mix up the gameplay and to present a special challenge to the player. The mutant shown in the CES footage is one of our boss characters in the first episode, but that’s pretty much all I can reveal about that :)
So far, there have been three weapons revealed for Emergence- the Magnum, Rifle and Scattergun- not too different from your average FPS arsenal. Throughout SiN Episodes, can we expect to find some truly imaginative weapons, like the ultimate weapon in SiN that had to be built from a number of separate parts?
Badman:
Each of our weapons has a secondary firing mode, which is very different from the primary mode and truly adds to your tactical options. For example, the Magnum can fire a projectile that is strong enough to penetrate most materials and take out enemies hiding behind crates and even walls. Additionally, it carries a small antigen payload, so you can really bring on the pain while fighting mutants. One of our goals to make each weapon useful and unique, even after several episodes have been released, so a lot of tweaking and balancing goes into this. We’re going to be adding more weapons in future episodes, including a few experimental firearms developed by SinTEK…
Emergence will propel the player through a wide variety of landscapes, from the gritty Freeport docks to expensive corporate buildings. But judging from the early concept art of Freeport City, you have even more locations mapped out. Where else can we expect to visit during Episodes?
Badman:
Early during production, we mapped out all of Freeport City, placing landmarks and zoning key areas. We then took that map and built a model of the city for in-game use, so that you can actually see where you are in the city by just looking at the surrounding buildings. The first SiN didn’t really explore Freeport, so if you played that and then load up Emergence, you have this sort of revelation of “So THAT’s what it really looks like."
Freeport is such a vast place that it’s impossible to explore all of it over the course of a single episode. But you will be able to spot a few cool looking places in the distance that we’re saving those for upcoming episodes. With a city this big, there’s really no shortage of interesting locales for us to use in Episodes.
The CES video of Emergence certainly showed that you’re putting the Source engine to good use, with explosives realistically blasting enemies all over the place. How else will physics play a part in the game?
Badman:
The physics engine really helps us put a lot of interactive items in the level that behave realistically when the player and non-player characters come in contact with them. This was kind of a problem in the first SiN, where all of this stuff had to be scripted. We’ve also got a few puzzles and special scripted events that are purely physics driven, and, of course, ragdoll physics for dead enemies (which is something that never seems to get old).
Obviously, the episodic nature of SiN Episodes is one of its most prominent features. With the internet revealing exciting new ways to distribute games, such as the Xbox Live marketplace and Valve’s brilliant Steam network, are you hoping that other game developers will follow your example, or do you want SiN Episodes to be relatively unique?
Badman:
I think we’re going to see a lot more high-quality episodic content in future. We’re very excited that SiN Episodes is leading the pack, and already other studios are following suit. Valve is going episodic with Half-Life 2 content and I know of several other companies that are actively looking at this route. Another interesting approach is what is EA is doing with Battlefield 2. You buy the base game in a store and can then download smaller content packs online via EA Downloader. So in this case, the traditional retail channel works hand in hand with episodic online distribution to extend the life span of the product. Episodic content offers a lot of interesting possibilities, and we’re only just beginning to explore them.
It seems the most dangerous enemies in SiN Episodes are the ferocious mutants, who have been distorted beyond recognition by the deadly mutagen. Blade’s already capable of slaughtering entire armies with his hard-ass attitude and trusty Magnum, but I can’t help wondering what he’d be capable of with a few drops of this stuff. Will we ever get our hands on this mutagen?
Badman:
In SiN, there was a pretty memorable moment regarding Blade and mutagens, which I won’t spoil here for the people who will be playing the game for the first time when it hits Steam in a couple weeks. That moment has had a pretty lasting impact on Blade and we’re going to explore its consequences throughout SiN Episodes.
One of these consequences is something we call Poison Time. Whenever Blade comes in contact with a mutagen cloud, time gradually slows down the longer he stays in the cloud. This is particular useful during tough fire fights that may involve several enemies. Blade does have a limit though as to how long he can stay in contact with the mutagen before taking damage, so that’s something you have to take into account when planning your strategy.
Emergence has one particularly impressive scene which involves the player firing from a moving car, driven by Jessica. Will these driving sections return in later episodes, and if so, is it possible we’ll be in any different vehicles? I’d quite like to see the return of the HardCorps helicopter and its large mounted minigun...
Badman:
Vehicles were obviously a big part of the first SiN, and the helicopter in particular was such an iconic moment in the game. We’re definitely looking at putting more vehicles in future episodes, featuring both new and familiar modes of transport...
SiN was famous for its incredibly interactive levels – environments were largely destructible, computers could be accessed instantly and there were a number of optional objectives that could change the outcome of a level. In what ways will Emergence display such interactivity?
Badman:
Interactivity is another feature that people associate with SiN, so we’ve been working hard on making the levels as interactive as possible. Be it a working towel dispenser or a fully functional vending machine – it’s all there. We even have phones with working number pads scattered throughout the game that you can use to call numbers you find in the levels. As far as so-called Action-Based Outcomes go, we’re basically looking at two different types to implement over the course of SiN Episodes. Global ABOs are driven by the community as a whole and span multiple episodes. For example, if the majority of players decides to blow up a building in one episode, it won’t be there in the following episodes. Local ABOs on the other hand are smaller decision points that are affected directly by the player. One example is that you can decide to help out a certain character, who might then reward you later on. You can also experience the various outcomes of Local ABOs by simply replaying the game.
It has recently been announced that you’ll be releasing a Steam version of SiN. Will there be any additional features added to the game, and when will it be released?
Badman:
The most significant change we’ve made to the Steam version of the original SiN is the use of the Steam server browser. The game will be fully integrated with that, so you get to one-click join servers and all that good stuff. No more fiddling with the in-game server browser. The game also has a new sound driver, which should alleviate issues that some Soundblaster owners were having, and a couple minor content changes due to copyright issues. SiN will hit Steam as soon as the SiN Episodes pre-order phase begins. Pre-ordering SiN Episodes: Emergence will get you a copy of the first SiN that can be downloaded and played immediately, so you can get up to speed on all things SiNful just in time for SiN Episodes.
Ok, thank you for answering all of the questions; it’s been a pleasure as usual. Are there any final words of wisdom for the community before ending the interview?
Badman:
Thanks for talking with us. It’s been remarkable to watch Emergence go from nothing but concepts to fully playable over the course of a few short months, and the team has been doing a fantastic job putting it all together. The game is getting very close to the finish line and we can’t wait for you guys to play the hell out of it.
