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Exclusive: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Q&A Feature
Chris Leyton
14/09/2004
TVG chats to Mathieu Ferland about the return of Sam Fisher...
With the Splinter Cell - Tom Clancy - brand name now etched into the psyche of gamers, knowing it will present a stealth game of innovation both on the gaming front as well as pushing technology, great expectations are already in place for this new title. With it appearing after only a brief respite from the last release, Pandora Tomorrow, the release date of November is nor far away for Chaos Theory. Derek dela Fuente, our resident spy and chief interrogator, interviewed Mathieu Ferland, Producer of Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory in Ubisoft Montreal, to find out more about the exciting ideas that are being created for the next breathtaking episode.
TVG: Is the team still surprised when looking back on the last release that there are still areas to improve on and what kind of effort and focus do you have in obtaining feedback and comments from the gaming public in respect to finding out if there were any areas that might not have hit the mark?
Looking at the first Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, or any other games for that matter, there is always room for improvement â“ even if they are great games! Many factors will influence the final game, whether it is because of time constraints or technology limitations. In our case, weâve been developing new technology that will allow us to improve on many areas of the game and revolutionize the series. Weâve also been listening to what the community had to say, general feedback from gamers, etc. It truly influenced the designers in their approach. A good example would be the addition of the Knife in the game. Weâve done great research and received a lot of feedback about players wanting a knife in the game. However, we canât just put one in the game for the sake of it. (A smile appeared on Mathieu face!) We needed to evaluate how it would affect the gameplay, what actions could Sam do with it, how close he could get to the enemy to use it, and so on. It basically opened up a lot of opportunities for improving the series.
TVG: What would you say is the most important focus for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and will new moves and more interactive ideas be high on the hit list? To add, do game ideas and ideologies go through a long process?
Chaos Theory is focussing a lot on proximity. I feel that the best feeling a player can get is when heâs in a position, very close to the danger, but in full control of the situation. In the first two Splinter Cell games, the split jump was a nice visual representation of this feeling. In Chaos Theory, players are rewarded if they can get closer and closer. Theyâll experiment close stealth actions, and get more accurate hints about the mission. They will have new moves available to them, such as the new neck snap move, where Sam is upside down, hanging with his feet and twisting the neck of an enemy below. Incredible!
Of course, each idea or move has to be thought through very carefully. It can sometimes be a laborious process because you need to know if it is feasible in terms of technology and animations and if it can be well implemented into the maps. But the final and most important element to ask us is âIs this idea/move Fun for the player?â âWill he enjoy doing this?â If weâre convinced of that, you can be sure it will rank high on our wish list.
TVG: We are informed that Sam has new abilities and skills to manipulate the environment around him. Can you give us some details on this please??
Yes, we definitely wanted Sam to interact more with his surroundings⦠but we also wanted that aspect to be linked with gameplay. Ultimately, this approach will allow the player to go through areas of the game using different methods. A good example of this is the ability for Sam to cut through soft materials in order to move stealthily in an area. Imagine Sam needing to retrieve information inside a tent guarded by two men. You can either confront them, which as you know can be a fatal mistake if youâre not extremely careful⦠or, by going to the side of the tent, you can cut through the material and get inside unnoticed. Each approach can be rewarding for players and brings more depth in terms of gameplay.
TVG: Tell us a little about the story and settings to the game. Will the setting of the year 2008 give lots more latitude?
We put a great deal of thought into our scenarios and situations. Our goal was to emphasize the playerâs experience and emotions through tension and empowerment. In the game, people get to interact with a mock-up of the real world and that helps them see that even these very big, very frightening, very impersonal events really often come down to very small actions. I wouldnât be able to talk about the scenario without spoiling things a bit, however, weâre pretty confident in saying that gamers will love the experience.
Setting the game in 2008 certainly gives us more latitude but ultimately, we have a responsibility to create the most believable world that we can. So we certainly don't censor ourselves, but we also need to be sure we aren't being callous or ignorant in any way.
TVG: You are using ârag doll physicsâ to present even more realism on screen. Can you explain to the readers what rag doll physics is all about?
To put it simply, the Rag Doll Physics engine for our game will imitate real-life physics. If an enemy dies, that enemy will react based on his environment, where he was shot, how he was standing, etc. So basically, you wonât see a random animation for deaths because the possibilities with the rag doll physics are endless. The challenge with rag doll in a game like Splinter cell is incredibly complex because Sam can grab a rag doll and hold it on his shoulders, from any position.
TVG: If there was one criticism of the Splinter Cell series thus far it would have to revolve around the fundamental trial-and-error dynamic that runs through the games; naturally making major changes would upset the balance of the game, however have you looked at this issue for Chaos Theory?
Chaos Theory has been addressing that issue. Actually, the structure of the game has changed in order to make the game more flexible. Casual gamers will enjoy the game, while hard core gamers will discover hidden paths, mix different game systems or get specific rewards. We tried to remove the trial and error type of gameplay that was too frustrating for many. Now, the game boundaries are wider and the game is forgiving some type of failure to a certain extent. There is always another way around, sometime more challenging, sometime more story driven... this new structure is quite a challenge in terms of development, but in the end, itâs a great thing because it solves most of the difficulty issues and provides a lot of reply value⦠and is more fun!
TVG: Pandora Tomorrow was developed by Ubisoft Shanghai Studios; what was the reason behind this and what can we expect now that Sam is back in the capable hands of the Montreal team?
The reasons are quite simple actually. While Ubisoft Shanghai was developing Pandora Tomorrow, the creative team in Montreal was busy preparing the third instalment of the series. The guys at Shanghai were able to start from a good base and created a worthy addition to the series while it gave us the time to improve on many aspects of the engine and create new standards for the series.
In terms of what to expect for Chaos Theory, to reach our ambitions, we needed to consider our technology as a whole: AI, animation system, online network, sound engine, development tools and, of course, 3D rendering. These are important elements and weâre investing a lot into them in order to produce THE game weâve got in mind.
TVG: You will be going for diversity but also keeping the qualities that made SC such a big brand? Please expand on some of the ways you can diversify.
Chaos Theory has many innovations to expand and diversify the series. We felt that gamers deserved more depth, more tension, more freedom and more fun! The game will continue to reward stealth which means we must invest a lot on graphics, level design, AI, dialogue and storyline. This is what makes the game so unique, because you feel that it is more interesting to hide and listen to enemies talking to each other than simply shooting at them. This attention to details will be apparent throughout the game and will bring a more diversified experience.
TVG: Can you give us a little teaser to some of the new weapons â“ even gadgets included?
Sam will still be carrying his reliable SC2000⦠but with a few cool additions! I canât go too much into specifics, but as shown at E3, the main weapon will allow for many attachments that will upgrade accuracy, power, etc. Each will have its own purpose. The players will also get to use new gadgets and updated ones from previous Splinter Cell games. As stated earlier, weâve been listening to what the community had to say and we made choices that will improve Samâs equipment, along with the gameplay experience.
TVG: Will there be any new modes of play and can you add anything pertaining to multiplay?
About multiplay, youâll find that SC online is a more in-depth, co-op experience, including co-op exclusive new moves/actions. This mode is a mission based campaign mode where 2 operatives are working on hot spots, while Sam Fisher is still acting all alone to save the day on critical situations (single player campaign). So, this is quite different from Pandora Tomorrowâs adversarial mode experience, but weâre very excited about this!
Thank you
With more guns and gadgets, diverse settings in New York and Peru, and a real focus on presenting new ideas and direction is Chaos Theory already sounding like it could top the previous games in the series â“ which in itself is pretty remarkable. Fact is there is a long list of features that includes weather effects that will have a direct influence on gameplay and with more advanced AI etc., you begin to wonder how the team managed to top each previous creation â“ needless to say gamers are the real winners.
TVG will have more on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory soon
