Tom Clancy's HAWX Q&A Feature

Gun-toting special ops, gun-toting US military squads, and a gun-toting (albeit silenced) splinter cell - the triple bill of Ubisoft's Tom Clancy brands certainly share some things in common. But beginning with the release of EndWar later this Autumn (gun-toting armies), and the 2009 launch of HAWX, the publisher is looking to diversify its offerings...with gun-toting fighter jets!

Taking to the skies in a range of real-world military fighters, HAWX is set in the near future between the events of GRAW 2 and EndWar. TVG met up with Lead Game Designer, Thomas Simon, during the recent Game Convention in Leipzig to discuss the latest title from Ubisoft Bucharest...

TVG: HAWX takes place between the events of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 and EndWar...

Yeah, the game starts in 2014 with the first mission being a replay of an event in GRAW2. When the Ghosts call in the Black Jaguar pilot, that's you - David Crinshaw - you're that guy. You'll replay that mission from the air this time as a flashback in the first mission of the game [HAWX].

Then you'll leave the US Air Force to join the Private Military Company, and this campaign lasts for a few years before the attack on US soil. Then you'll have to fight all around there. This sequence is sometime before EndWar, but it's a flavour of that storyline.

TVG: How much of the link between the three titles was there at the start?

The idea of making Clancy Air Combat is the starting point. Our creative director was in France with the idea. He worked on it himself and convinced other people, but we didn't just want to do an air combat game and just add the Clancy name. HAWX and Clancy merged with air combat was the starting point, but after that the storyline evolved because we are not talking separately. I know the guys in [Ubisoft] Shanghai (EndWar's developers), we communicate a lot. They are very passionate; when we ask them what they think of something, they immediately say 'Yeah, we can do that!'

It's working well, that's why it's great to work at a company where there's so many talented people part of the same group - you can really communicate with them. It comes naturally, we all grew up in our careers watching the Clancy universe developing, and we wanted to play with it.

TVG: Where next for Ubisoft Bucharest?

Well hopefully we'll keep on developing HAWX. The objective is to turn HAWX into a brand and keep developing it. We've done half of what we wanted to do, we have many more ideas to push further and explore new elements. There's definitely room for sequels.

TVG: Does the establishment of HAWX mean an end to Blazing Angels?

That I don't know about that. HAWX is definitely a big boost for the studio to develop more and grow. It's really the first time that the studio has developed such an ambitious game in collaboration with other studios; it's really a milestone for the studio.

TVG: GRAW and Vegas had sequels released just a year after the launch of the original titles; can we expect HAWX 2 the year after HAWX arrives?

We are not working on HAWX 2 yet. Honestly, our priority is to the quality of HAWX as much as we can to set up a new benchmark in the genre. HAWX 2 - we'll see. Work hasn't started yet.

TVG: So Ubisoft is taking a different strategy?

I can't tell you what the strategy is.

TVG: There's no surprise that HAWX draws comparisons with Ace Combat 6. Where do you think it stands out from what is a very established franchise from Namco Bandai?

Well first of all, I've really liked Ace Combat over the years. It's really a reference, we respect them a lot. [But] at some point, you're going to want something new. You have totally new features in the game, a real world, [and] a storyline set in the Clancy universe. You also have the ERS system, and you have the Off mode. Once you play 'Off', it's hard to imagine you could play without it after a while. For the first time, you really have this feeling that you really understand what is going on; you are piloting; you are doing these incredible flips. For me, that would be the key [difference].

TVG: About toggling the assistance on and off, that helps HAWX balance between being accessible and hardcore?

It's a bit more than that. The computer helps you fix mistakes, it prevents you from dropping your speed too low, but the engine is still physical. It's the way we tune the perimeters of physics that we make it accessible or not. Even the Off mode is accessible actually, even if it's supposed to be a complex manoeuvre. It's just that the accessibility we give doesn't have much of a margin for progression. In 'Off', the margin of progression, the margin is huge; you can really micro-manage your turns. We have the possibility in the settings to go to 'Full Expert' mode for people who want maximum precision. But you can play without it if you want and play in the standard setting, which is what makes the game very accessible.

But both 'On' and 'Off' and accessible actually. 'Off' isn't harder, it's just designed for another purpose; it's a view to explore what you should do in 'On' and what you should be doing in 'Off'.

TVG: Clancy's last novel was published three years ago; how much involvement does he now have in the brand - does he have any input with the storylines anymore?

All of the storylines we developed for HAWX has been checked in one way or another on Tom Clancy's side to be sure it respected the standards of the genre. We are also in charge with protecting the Tom Clancy brand...

TVG: Well, Ubisoft is the holder of the brand now...

Yeah, and we developed it together. We are pushing it and all agree on where we should go. That's why we talk with the guys from EndWar and GRAW. I happen to have worked in both Shanghai and Paris, so I know the guys in charge of both very well.

TVG: With the Clancy universe now unified with HAWX linking GRAW and EndWar, and Ubisoft's plans to expand into other media - can we expect spin-offs from the various brands?

I don't know, I don't have that information yet - I hope so.

TVG: Does the PC edition of HAWX include joystick functionality, or is that a little too 'flight sim'?

You can test it [for yourself], we have the Thrustmaster joystick available to play test on the PC.

TVG: And is there SIXAXIS functionality for the PS3 edition?

There will be, yeah.

TVG: How has that worked out for you - there continues to be criticism of the SIXAXIS' motion control not being responsive enough for twitch gaming; is that an issue for you?

We will be careful with that. All I can tell you in term of control is that we're still in the tuning process. We have focused on the analogue sticks for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But since the game isn't out until early 2009, we are still fine-tuning or improving some elements.

But we haven't even shown the voice-command yet; we'll show it when it's time - but it's an extra layer that people will enjoy I think.

TVG: I'm assuming that voice command is something that allows players to order the other guys in the squadron?

You can use it in two different ways. Of course, it's used to communicate with your team-mates or in co-operative, but it's also used to communicate with your onboard computer. [You] can ask to switch weapons, switch targets - except for piloting, you'll be able to do everything else with just your voice.

TVG: And a lot of that is shared technology with EndWar?

Actually, yeah. They've pushed the technology very far because it's a very exhaustive system to have. We don't need that much, but yeah.

TVG: Since HAWX has been pushed back to early 2009, is it safe to assume that the game will include Trophy support?

Yeah, Trophies are standard for us.

TVG: Ace Combat 6 was derided for its Downloadable Content, which was a selection of skins for planes packaged with the game; what sort of plans do you have for HAWX?

Definitely real planes - new planes that you'll only be able to have by downloading them. DLC will give you some concrete stuff that you can show off with.

TVG: Racing games have an apparent issue that manufacturers object to drastic damage modelling; how is the issue rectified with the likes of Lockheed Martin?

It's quite similar. We find an in between way of damaging planes with smoke and textures, but no actually damage - except for when you destroy the plane. They are very touchy on the subject, it's not an industry that's collaborated with the gaming industry as much as car manufacturers, but we've managed to create a level of trust and hopefully this will evolve.

But the rules we have on using a certain plane in the game goes much further than that. It's about which plane you can engage in which theatre [of war], which wing of the US Air Force it can belong to - they are very careful about authenticity like that. The trick we found was to use Private Military Companies [in the game], because since they're purchased, they are not military, and so you can do different stuff. But you still have to be very careful about civilian casualties, etc. You can't just do it without thinking; you have to think before you'll implement a plane and have issues from the manufacturer.

TVG: I'm assuming then that the planes you pick affect how the missions are approached?

Yeah, we started with all the real physical data from the planes, but adjusted them first for accessibility, and to also make sure that we have personality. I don't want there to be only one plane used by players. Some planes are better than others, depending on the way you like to play, or the objective of the mission, or if you want some special capability, then you'll choose one plane over another. That's really important. So if you choose a Mig-25, or an F-22, you'll definitely find a very different flying experience.

TVG: Thanks Thomas, best of luck with the rest of development.

TVG would like to thank Thomas Simon at Ubisoft Bucharest, and Ubisoft's Stefano Petrullo, for taking the time to answer our questions. HAWX is due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in early 2009.