A QuakeWars Hands On and an Dev Interview

Started by Sarge · 12 posts · 1,626 views

  1. #1
    Gamepro Hands on Quakewars preview

    http://www.gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox360/g...ws/107790.shtml

    Some highlights (I get the feel that this guy doesn't like BF very much):
    After playing ET: Quake Wars for an afternoon, I got a solid feel for the final game. The news is almost all good. You'll immediately notice that ET: Quake Wars is more thoughtful and tactical than the over-the-top Quake games, but still far more energetic than the typical Battlefield 2142 match. The Strogg's sci-fi weapons and vehicles clash nicely against the GDF's traditional firepower, especially since both sides have unique strategies and somewhat different weapons (outlined here). As a whole, the gameplay feels like a mix of Battlefield 2142 and Unreal Tournament 2004. The Battlefield influences come from the vehicle-focused open-air battles, though close-quarters combat has the fast-paced edge of UT 2004. Purists needn't worry about the game's sci-fi premise: the rail guns and hyperblasters add flavor but don't feel awkward or out of place. ET: Quake War still has one foot firmly planted in reality.


    Battlefield 2142's desolate mud holes look downright plain next to ET: Quake War's vast, sprawling warzones, which blend effortlessly between outdoor and indoor combat. The level design is easily one of the game's biggest strengths; it's hard not to be impressed when you're plowing vehicles through an enemy roadblock one second, then seamlessly plunging into a highly detailed sewer system the next. It's this seesaw between Battlefield-style scouting and Quake-style twitch gunplay that makes ET: Quake Wars such a delight.


    Rather than flit around aimlessly from checkpoint to checkpoint as in Battlefield, your current goal is kept in constant focus thanks to computer-initiated mission updates ("Stop the humans from hacking the sewer controls!") and brightly-colored waypoints. And because you get real mission objectives (bomb a generator, build a bridge), the gameplay feels more epic than Battlefield's boring checkpoints. You'll feel a swell of pride after you blow up a sewer grate and lead your team to a key enemy asset, a feeling that's all too rare in other online shooters.


    Developer Interview:

    http://planetquake.gamespy.com/View.php?vi...tail&id=825

    Some highlights:
    Enemy Territory: Quake Wars features persistent military rankings and achievements. These can be viewed in-game and on a website. The achievements encourage you to explore various aspects of the games many combat roles, weapons, items, tools, deployables and vehicles, and then refine and polish your skills. This results in promotions in military rankings, which will fairly accurately represent your team-play ability to others on the server.


    The minimum system specification won’t be finalized until performance optimizations are complete. However, we’re targeting a platform similar in specification to the Quake 4 system requirements.


    Our plan is to release the demo a couple of weeks before the game hits the shelves.
  2. #2
    Looks like it is going to basically be UT2004 in Assault mode. This may not be bad as I really like that style of play myself.

    I guess we will see. I do not agree with a lot of his BF2/2142 assessment but to each his own.

    I am unsure that having one side be aliens with alien weapons versus a normal human army is such a good idea for balance but without playing it we cannot be sure. It just sounds like it is going to give one side advantages.

    I think this is going to basically be a UT Assault and onslaught mix with different types of teams.

    I am looking forward to it but am still weary.
  3. #3
    Paladin wrote:
    I think this is going to basically be a UT Assault and onslaught mix with different types of teams.

    I am looking forward to it but am still weary.


    I found the review enlightning. Screenshots I've seen look like recycled 2142 in Q4 mode. I'd imagine the team reward aspect is the same as earning powerups in BF. When you played QII and 3 in multimode, you started out with whatever you could pick up, human or alien weaps.

    I think many if not most aspects will appeal to you. the weaps are single fire mode, not duel like 04's, the movements are measured like BF, so no wall or double jumping. Still it may be alot of fun and will probably have at least DM mode and conquests.

    I just hope its not morpg'ed as badly as 2142 was. I do not want to spend hours gathering points just to toss a grenade 😉
  4. #4
    Hope it's not too UT-like. I get the feeling it's gonna be bunny-hopping kids bouncing off 3 walls and head-shotting ppl. . .hope I'm wrong. I hope my PC can handle it at medium settings, as I'm not gonna be upgrading this year in all likelihood. I don't have many more upgrade options in AGP video, my RAM banks are full, and I just upgraded to a 3 gHz Intel late last year, which is about the best I can do in this motherboard. My next upgrade is going to be a full new computer purchase, but probably not until next year.

    Persistent rankings?!?!?! Holy shit, stat-whores again! Ppl will never get out of their Strogg ship, launching weapon strikes from out of infantry range into the spawns.

    Well, I'll cross my fingers and hope for the best. At least I know the company is one that addresses known issues fairly well and encourages community development. I wish it was Epic or Valve instead of ID, but at least it's not E.A.

    Here's a link to a New York Times article about PC games:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/technolo...amp;oref=slogin


    Thanks for the info, Sarge.
  5. #5
    Lexx, from what I have read, you don't earn upgrades based on your stats, but rather, you earn them over the course of a campaign of so many rounds. After that, it restarts so everyone is equal.

    This is why it's important for us to get a server going asap.

  6. #6
    Lexx's buddy list, general system requirements. There is also something in the article about autodownloads but it wasn't clear whether this is just related to patches or new content as well.

    What are the system requirements looking like? I would love to get upgrades just for this game, but looking at other detail-intensive games and their requirements, shelling $1200 in upgrades isn't appealing at the moment.

    The minimum system specification won’t be finalized until performance optimizations are complete. However, we’re targeting a platform similar in specification to the Quake 4 system requirements.

    Will there be any new approaches to fostering an online community in this title? (a good example would probably be Tribes 2 and its in-game community features)

    Yes. In addition to the newly launched community website, persistent stats, achievements and military rankings, ETQW features in-game instant messaging and a buddy finder. We’re also working closely with the fan-sites, tournaments, top clans, and shortly, mod-making community to ensure they have everything they need to continue flying the flag for ETQW after its release. We’re also supporting id Software in its plan to support the game with additional features and content.
  7. #7
    Sarge wrote:
    Lexx's buddy list, general system requirements. There is also something in the article about autodownloads but it wasn't clear whether this is just related to patches or new content as well.

    Its looking better every message. Come to think of it, an interface similar to steam would be fine. It mentions mods so I would assume its going to have decent redirect.

    I'll probably preorder it sometime this weekend. Its meeting most of my requirements off the bat 🙂

  8. #8
    My only hesitation to the game is the fine statement of twich-gaming.. I am not a twitch-gamer, regretfully I have never had either the connection or the machine, or some combination of both to be able to run it with anything competitive. But then again I am bucking for a fairly decent upgrade in a machine in the upcoming montsh, so perhaps I might be a bit better in the lag department.

    Everything I have seen puts the whole persistent stats thing something along the lines of the UT2004 stats tracker, just keeping score of your base stats, abilities/weapons will all be based on map performance similar to the squad upgrades in 2142 which are always nice. And the campaigns are just a series of map sections of a larger objective which are also all broken down into a series of objectives similar to '04 aussault mode, which I agree with Paladin much better IMO. I still harbor hopes that the twichiness is not as prevalent though that is why we have Lexx around, I will just be happy to hit any slowmovers peaking out their little windows.


    -and dear goodness please let the sniper/bolt action/scoped rifles be able to actually have alternate zooms and some decent power to them... and add some weight to the factor, ten years ago MFPS had each type of weapon you held affect the speed you moved whatever happened to that that and bullet drop.. realistic bullet drop not at the rate of a football spit from a paladins arse. -blink-
  10. #10
    GitD 3? :-)

  11. #11
    hehehehe.... close.

    What's cool is only a few of us had the first, second, third, forth, .... experience so it isn;t quite so redundant to the new blood.

    IPB Image
  12. #12
    Finally reading th entire article..

    Some things I am not liking already.....

    "the sniper rifle boasts over 10 rounds per clip, giving it a bit more heft than the rifles of Battlefield 2142."

    Yea more sniper fests...

    "Technician: revives and heals players; converts dead foes into spawn points"

    The Strogg seem to have unfair advantages here...
    Come on. If the other team does not have any way to have mobile spawn points as well then game over. that is a HUGE advantage...

    "Infiltrator: can assume the form of dead GDF members"

    Yea thats fair....


    Do not get me wrong. I am still REALLY looking forward to this game believe me. I just think that game developers really need to match up the abilities on both sides more.

    Without actually playing it we won't know for sure. The above could not be that bad. We will see.