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Command & Conquer Renegade Feature
Chris Leyton
00/12/0000
Q&A with Dan Cermak, Executive Producer of Command & Conquer on PC.
So, why an action game in the Command & Conquer universe, home to your strategy games?
When we were building the first Command & Conquer, we said to ourselves, āWouldnāt it be great to be down there in the action, experiencing the battle firsthand?ā The action was fast and furious, the back-story fascinating, and the setting, full of exotic locales and technology, perfect for an action game.
The more we thought about it, the more the Commando character came to mind. In C&C, heās about six pixels tall, but he made a huge impression with his sarcastic comments delivered just before blowing up a building. The more we thought about the Commando, the more the idea for the action game came into focus.
Through him, weāre able to bring players down to ground zero in the war between GDI and Nod. They are able to live it first hand as they plant an ion cannon beacon on the Temple of Nod front steps or drive a Mammoth Tank into an enemy base.
Whatās the Commandoās story?
Without revealing too much, I can say that the Commando, codename Havoc, is GDIās secret weapon, the guy they call when things look the most desperate. Heās unpredictable, a rouge element, and GDI is never happy about having to use him ā“ but he gets the job done.
Heās sent into enemy territory on a dangerous mission, for which the odds of survival are almost nil. Heāll have to use every weapon in his arsenal, several vehicles, and his wits to get out of there alive.
How does Renegade change the Command & Conquer universe?
It doesnāt really. The heart of the C&C line will always be the real-time strategy games. There will be a few more of those in the series.
Renegade is in addition to the strategy games. It gives fans of the series a new way to experience the C&C world, and it gives action gamers an experience unlike anything else theyāve encountered.
What are you adding to make sure Renegade looks and feels like C&C?
Itās always the little things. As you go through the missions youāll see vintage C&C elements ā“ Orcas flying overhead, SAM Sites shooting at passing Ground Support Aircraft, Gunboats bombarding from offshore positions. But itās really the weapons, vehicles and buildings at Havocās disposal that will give you the feeling that youāre truly in the C&C universe. Youāll be able to enter the Hand of Nod, blow up a Tiberium Harvester, waste Nod officers, use Ion Cannons to strike buildings, and much more.
What's new in Renegade since E3 2000?
What was shown last year was a demo level created specifically for E3. Since then, we've been working on building the actual game levels. In addition, the AI in the E3 demo was only a representation of what we had planned -- we've now taken it way beyond that point. We've also done a lot to add C&C atmosphere to the game. For example, now you can see how Tiberium is processed inside the Tiberium Refinery. We've made significant improvements to our animation system, refined the real-world physics, improved the vehicle control and handling, and finalized our weapons and vehicles list. We've also finished up our character structure, where players will pick their character class from one of the Enlisted, Officer, Special Forces or Boss ranks for use in multiplayer competition.
A full sky and weather system has been added, complete with lightning, rain, and snow effects. We've added loads of conversation between the characters to provide greater interactivity between the player and other characters in the game. Cooperative mode is up and running, and we're fine-tuning that as well. Our base technology, which links enemy base buildings together by function, is now working. So, destroying the Power Plant actually affects the rest of the buildings on the base. All this only reflects a portion of what we've been working on -- we've been busy!
What makes Renegade different from all the other first-person-shooters out there?
Many things set Renegade apart from the other FPS games out there, and the ones scheduled to come out in the near future. Primarily, itās the deep, rich Command & Conquer universe and the unique tactical situations that this universe allows. Itās also a sense that you're part of a meaningful epic war going on and a never-before-seen multiplay mode that will take the online world by storm.
Characters:
Tell us a little about the bad guys.
Players will have plenty of Nod forces to contend with when playing Renegade. Our primary goal was to make the player feel as though he is smack in the middle of a C&C war and that he alone is the catalyst that will determine the outcome. Along the way, he will have plenty of obstacles to overcome to achieve his objectives and accomplish his goals. Nod soldiers and weapons are everywhere, and it is up to Havoc to either confront them directly or use the covert approach to get around them. Specifically, we have added Nod officers and a new class to the Nod forces known as the Black Hand. These Special Forces units are the elite killers of Nod, and are represented by various units.
Can we expect to see Kane at all in the game?
Kane is a key element in the C&C universe and his presence will be felt throughout Renegade. Havoc will have a running commentary with him throughout the game.
Solo Play and Multiplay:
What types of missions will Renegade players be able to look forward to?
You play out the single-player campaign as GDI. In one mission youāll have to enter a Nod base and download important information from the Nod communications mainframe. Thereās a mission where you must sneak aboard a Nod cargo ship and rescue some hostages. Not to mention a flashback to the Commando mission of C&C in which youāll head out on foot with an order to destroy Nod SAM Sites to provide safety for GDI air-support.
What about multiplay?
Weāre going to have some awesome C&C style variations on the popular multiplayer games. For instance, instead of capture the flag, weāll have capture Dr. Mobius. Dr. Mobius was an eccentric scientist from the first Command & Conquer, the man who first declared Tiberium to be a dangerous substance. In Capture Dr. Mobius, heās basically a moving flag that youāll have to escort into your base. Weāll also have the traditional death match, king of the hill, and cooperative play through the single-player campaign.
The most exciting multiplayer mode we have in store is C&C mode. In it, two teams of players ā“ GDI vs. Nod ā“ attempt to destroy the other's base. Each base functions in a fashion similar to a typical C&C base: Harvesters gather Tiberium and take it to the refinery for processing, power plants supply power to other base structures, etc. As part of the game, you can 'purchase' different character classes (Engineer, Rocket Soldier, etc.) and vehicles (Tanks, Buggies, etc.) with credits earned from kills or from Tiberium processed from your refinery. To win, you must destroy all of your enemy's base buildings, or place the 'end game' beacon (Ion Cannon or Nuke) in the enemy base.
Can the player play Nod in multiplayer mode?
You can play Nod only in C&C mode.
Weapons:
What weapons will be in Havoc's armory? Will they just be lying around for Havoc to collect or does he acquire weapons from GDI soldiers?
Havoc will begin each mission with a limited number of weapons and as he progresses through he will acquire more ā“ either off Nod soldiers or from supplies scattered around the environment. Many of the familiar weapons from C&C are returning ā“ Sniper Rifle, Flamethrower, Shotgun, Chain Gun, etc. We also are going to push the envelope a bit. Expect to see a Personal Ion Cannon, a Tiberium Flechette Rifle and quite a few other special weapons. Havoc will also be able to drive (and fire from) familiar C&C vehicles: the Light Tank, the Mammoth Tank, the Humm-Vee, and several others.
How are you going to compensate for the ātrembling handsā syndrome when handling weapons (i.e. ā“ every slight mouse movement is reflected on the screen)? This is most commonly a problem in sniper scopes.
We are trying to make all the weapons, including the Sniper Rifle, simple to use and not susceptible to trembling hands. All of the weapons at Havocās disposal serve a specific function and itās up to the player to decide how best to accomplish his objectives. Chain Guns can tear through close-range infantry while Sniper Rifles are great for accurate, long-range firing. In addition, the Sniper Rifle will have a special function: a long-range microphone that will allow Havoc to listen in to Nod conversations.
What about the C&C vehicles? Will the player be able to control them?
Absolutely. All of the familiar C&C vehicles are making a return in Renegade and Havoc will be able to control most of the ground vehicles, such as Medium Tanks, Nod Buggies, Stealth Tanks, etc.
Will the dreaded Tiberium affect Havoc or the GDI soldiers?
Tiberium is as dangerous to GDI and Nod forces as it has been in the previous C&C games. Infantry will take damage if they walk near or through it. Only Chemical Warriors are immune to Tiberium radiation. Also, Tiberium continues to be necessary for base operation. As Havoc progresses through the missions, he will often see fully functioning Nod operations, including Tiberium Harvesters.
Engine:
Tell us about the engine used in Renegade.
The Renegade engine is Westwood-created with real world physics. Vehicles have multiple points of contact and are completely force driven (torque, inertia, mass, etc.) with each vehicle having its own driving characteristics derived from its tread type, wheel count, and engine size.
The rendering system is very cool as well. It allows us to create huge indoor and outdoor environments that coexist within the same level, meaning as the player enters a building, he doesnāt have to wait for that level to load. We currently support light maps, projected shadows, and multiple point ambient lights. The animation system uses skeletal deformation, which allows a huge range of natural motions. We also have a multitude of other systems including environmental effects (rain, snow, etc), and talking heads with eyebrows and lips that are synced.
What can you tell us about the camera controls, in relation to the first and third person perspectives?
Havoc defaults to first person (third while in vehicles), but the player can toggle back and forth between the first and third-person perspectives with a simple keystroke. Certainly there will be specific areas where you want to use first person: targeting feels more accurate in first person so it is best in a fire fight or in close combat. Third offers some advantages when you want to look around corners or from behind a hiding place. Weāve worked very hard to make both perspectives very easy to use and control, so that it really is a personal preference as to which mode the player uses.
What sort of graphics and lighting effects can we expect? Will the game contain fog, rain and realistic daytime and nighttime effects?
Absolutely. Our engine has an entire weather and environmental system. Players will see day and night, rain, snow, even lightning and volcanic ash raining down on them. The entire world is lit with a radiosity solve and multiple dynamic lights can affect the characters at any time. We also have static and dynamic shadows.
How realistic is the Enemy AI? Will they react to sounds or movement by Havoc?
We have designed the AI with innate behavior that will allow it to react to its environment (seeing the enemy as well as hearing sounds of bullets, movement, yells of other AI, shelling, etc.) This means that when Havoc sneaks, walks, or even crouches, he makes less noise and becomes harder to find. We have different levels of AI: grunt, officer, Special Forces, boss, etc., each with a different level of hearing, sound generation (to bring the other AI) and range of reaction. The AI is able to use the surrounding environment for cover and will switch position based on how the battle is progressing. We also have additional modes that we can set the AI into, such as defensive, aggressive attack, sniper mode, etc.
Gameplay:
Will the missions be focused on reconnaissance and stealth, or more āshoot 'em up basedā activity?
One of the great things about Renegade is that the player can decide for himself how best to complete the missions ā“ go in guns a-blazinā or use the covert approach. Both have benefits and drawbacks, and each scenario will be different. The tactics also depend on any secondary objectives the player wishes to accomplish. For example, one secondary objective might call for Havoc to take out SAM Sites so GDI can bring in reinforcements. Havoc will get help that way, but the explosion will also alert the Nod base to his presence. Stealth can be quite important at times - in fact, Havocās sniper scope is equipped with a special microphone that allows for him to overhear conversations being held a long distance away.
Will Havoc make comments on the battlefield? Can he talk to his superiors on the battlefield?
True to C&C form, Havoc will make comments on the battlefield, and it will also be possible to speak to other characters on the battlefield via an action key. There will be communication devices that can be accessed via an action key as well. Who knows? Havoc could even be talking to Kane himself.
Will there be any of the live-action cut scenes that Westwood is famous for, or will it all be CG?
The game will feature both pre-rendered (using in-game assets) and in-game animations. We wanted to focus on the Havoc character and the ongoing story line so we opted for cinematics that would maintain the continuity with the in-game action.
What are the minimum system specs?
We wonāt know that until closer to launch.
Launch:
What is the projected release date for Renegade?
We donāt have a specific date yet, but it will be on store shelves Fall 2001.
If Renegade is a success, could there be an expansion pack or a follow up game that puts you as a Nod Black Hand Elite, scouting through GDI bases?
We evaluate all of our titles for the possibility of an expansion pack or follow up game and we will do so once Renegade is complete. Right now weāre just trying to finish Renegade and make it a great game before we go down that path.
Will gamers be able to customize their own maps and skins? Will Westwood offer a level editor?
Ah yes, we can't forget support for our fans. We are in the process of trying to find time to incorporate an editor to modify and build skins. We wonāt know for sure until later in the year when the code is in a more stable state.
Whatās the one thing youād most like Renegade to accomplish as a game?
I want Renegade to appeal to C&C newcomers and fans of action games in general, as well as satisfy the strict demands of the current C&C fan base. I think weāre really going to surprise a lot of people with a game that is not only easy to play, but rewarding and fun at the same time.
