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Exclusive: Black Hawk Down Q&A Feature
Derek dela Fuente
20/09/2004
TVG talks to Phil Merricks about the upcoming Xbox release...
With the PC version of this game already released to media acclaim, it was also a chart topper in the USA at the beginning of the year, Derek dela Fuente spoke with Phil Merricks, Producer of the game from Climax, about what XBOX fans can get excited about! Black Hawk Down brings home the intensity of modern warfare and caters extensively for XBOX owners.
The game has already been a success on the PC. What do you believe are the qualities that BHD has in abundance that will excite XBOX Gamers?
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down aims to present a unique blend of realism and arcade action, to provide the player with an accurate representation of the Somali conflict while also offering a compelling gaming experience.
Climax has an impressive record in creating cutting edge console titles. Why do you believe Novalogic chose you and, because this is more a conversion, what kind of latitude does the team have to add supplemental new ideas?
Lots of ideas and new features including co-op, new multiplayer maps and modes, and VR technology make the game different. NL has been keen to incorporate features that adapt the game to the console.
Can you set the scene for the player and tell us who you assume, who you control and what is the starting point for the player?
Delta Force â“ Black Hawk Down is set in Somalia in 1993, and is based upon and around the Operation Restore Hope and Task Force Ranger campaigns immortalised in the book and movie of the same name. The game follows members of the elite Delta Force, US Army Rangers and 10th Mountain Division as they participate in a number of daring raids against the oppressive Somali warlords in and around Mogadishu.
You begin your mission in the small Somali village of Marka. A UN convoy of medical/food supplies has broken down and requires your immediate assistance. Your squad is being sent to escort it and ensure that it reaches its destination. This mission covers a wide range of gameplay to familiarise the player with the different situations they may encounter in the game, so that you start off on an APC operating a mounted weapon, before moving on to some sniping and reconnaissance, before boarding an awaiting Blackhawk to provide some aerial support for a medical convoy.
BHD offers 16 intense single player missions. How varied are the missions and would you give us a brief synopsis of one, which really captures the true flavour of the game?
Irene is perhaps the most infamous of the Somali operations, as well as one of the more spectacular missions of the game. Irene encapsulates many of the key elements of Blackhawk down, aerial assaults; close combat engagements and large-scale confrontations all within the shattered remains of Mogadishu city. The premise of this mission is an aerial assault by the delta unit against the target building in order to capture some of Aiddidâs key officers, a great deal of skill and care is required to secure the building while insuring the survival of prisoners.
What kind of detailed research has gone into the Somalia setting and what do you believe makes it unique in terms of gameplay pertinent to the location?
NovaLogic spent months researching the history of the conflict in Somalia for Delta Force â“ Black Hawk Down, and worked extensively with three former Special Force Operatives, including two that served in Somalia in 1993. The Subject Matter Experts gave advice on both the look and feel of Somalia, along with room clearing techniques, weapons etiquette and other basic procedures involved. SMEâs were also involved in the Motion Capture shoot, allowing for an accurate portrayal of character movement and reactions in that environment. Draw distances can be as far as 1km +.
What interesting Multiplayer options are on offer and can you tell us about the exclusive XBOX Co-op missionsâ feature?
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down on Xbox will be Xbox Live compatible with the option to play with up to 16 player games. An immersive split screen Co-Op mode will be available with the ability to instruct your teammates via a voice recognition system, creating a realistic military situation.
Also, there is voice communication through Xbox Live that enhances team-play and new multiplayer maps/modes for the Xbox, along with a tutorial mode for newcomers.
The gamesâ AI is very important. Has the XBOXâs AI or physics been worked on and how does the AI works in terms of the enemy and your teammates?
The AI has been enhanced from the PC version. Substantial improvements to path finding and AI reaction times, more importantly AI has been tweaked to provide a more rewarding console experience, with enemy difficulty being balanced where necessary.
What is the significance of the name, seeing there is a film and book of the same name?
The game is not a license of the film or the book; but it is based around the same historical event.
How realistic is the game in terms of deformation of the environment and injury and would you say it is more stealth that shooter?
While terrain and structures are fully deformable, numerous elements of the environment can interact with/destroy everything from Mogadishu huts to civilian vehicles to enemy roadblocks. While the game isnât primarily a stealth game there are stealth elements in certain mission objectives, where you may find it pays to adopt a subtle approach rather than run in with guns blazing, and you can command your team mates to reflect your tactical decision, but ordering them to hold fire or fire at will. Your tactics will have a direct impact on the course of your mission. Also players should be aware that if you kill a civilian, you will fail the mission. Dependent on the level of difficulty you select for your play-through, you will tolerate a certain amount of injury, but essentially it pays to play smart! While the majority of missions will require a less than stealthy approach, others will involve covert night operations using night vision goggles to gain an all too important edge over superior enemy numbers.
Thank you
