Community Q&A #1 - Answers from Chris Taylor Hey Folks:
We’vegot answers to our first batch of Qs. And, Chris Taylor provided thehonors. Lots of NEW info revealed here. Take a look!
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Is the Monkey Lord still in game?
ChrisTaylor – The ML is not present for the first release, but anything ispossible with subsequent updates. If you have a unit you would like tosee in updates, or future games, send email to [email protected] We’d love to hear from you!
2)With experience points, Chris talked about being able to build researchbuildings to gain points, Can we still do this? Also is there only aset number of points we can gain in a game? Or will be able to at onepoint in longer games unlock the full tech tree?
CT – Yes, ourtech tree is a big innovation that we are super excited about, andthere is no limit on the number of points you can earn in a game. It isconceivable, and might even happen during a very long game, thatsomeone could unlock the entire tree!
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What are some of the new UI additions added to the game, IF any?
CT– First of all, I’ve coined the phrase “Strategic Mode”, as the modeyou are in when you zoom all the way out, to survey the game at thehighest level. When in this mode, we’ve added a special way to viewgroups of units that have been given a single command, whether it’sattack or move. This is a big UI enhancement, but there are little onesas well… for example, when you go to build a structure over a destroyedwreck, if it’s the same, the game will snap the structure to the properlocation, which is very helpful when you are under fire!
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Will an unit or map editor be released? A mod maker/editor? Or, a mod making tutorial for dummies?
CT – We aren’t releasing a map editor at this time, but anything is possible in the future.
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How many square miles/kilometers is the biggest map?
CT– We measure out maps in terms of travel time, but we also have ano-grid system as well. For example, on our 1Kx1K maps, it takes about 6minutes for an average unit to completely cross the map… we also have2K maps. A 1Kx1K map is 1000x1000 o-grids.
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Will it be possible to watch replays together with your friends online, like in Starcraft?
CT– We do support the generation of a full replay file, which you canload up and watch, but at present you will have to send your friend thereplay file to watch.
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Who is the best GPG SupCom II player currently? Who else is a notable adversary? What’s their strategy?
CT– Our President, Jake is probably the best, but Kevin in our ITdepartment is very good as well. I don’t watch their games to know muchabout their winning strategy, I’m too busy working on the game! Lol…
8)Judging from some recently released gameplay videos, the Interceptor AIhas been changed significantly. Interceptors in SC and SCFA were knownfor speeding past their slower-moving targets at the worst of times.What can you tell us about the Interceptors and Bombers in SC2 in areaslike Patrolling, Formations, and Air-to-Air Combat? Will Fuel still bea part of the game?
CT – We removed fuel, as we didn’t see it asadding the value we were looking for. And as a part of our design pass,we slowed a lot of the aircraft down so that they were much moreeffective. Tuning in this area will continue as we try and minimize thesorts of things that were a problem in SCFA.
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How does air and naval combat work. We have pictures up the Yazoo of land stuff. How is naval combat going to play out?
CT– Naval combat is very similar to the way it was in SC and FA. Youbuild Naval factories on the water and then produce a variety of ships,each that have different specialties. Ships are still very powerful,have a long range, and just like you would expect, make excellent gunplatforms.
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Who are the main voice actors/actresses? Will we hear John Patrick Lowrie (Total Annihilation and Demigod) do some voicing?
CT– You might recognize some of the actors, as we used the very popularNolan North for our main character Dominic Maddox. We also have KariWahlgren, Troy Baker and Jamieson Price among many other greattalents!!
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Hydrocarbons, are they still in the game?
CT - It’s interesting you should ask! They didn’t make the cut this time around.
12)I’d like to know more about the music in SupCom2. Will it be like theoriginal SupCom? (awesome). Will it be like FA? (less awesome). Will itbe like in Total Annihilation? (THE BEST)
CT – Howard Mostrom isour composer this time around. Howard has done some really incrediblework here at GPG, and has been critically acclaimed for his work onDemigod. He is very talented, and we hope you enjoy the music!
13)A while ago, it was thought to be confirmed that Engineer-Factoryassisting had been taken out of the SC2. However, recently releasedgameplay videos point to the contrary. What’s the verdict?
CT –We have been experimenting with this, but our feeling is that havingdozens and dozens of engineers clogging up a base assisting factorieswas starting to become ridiculous, so our idea is to limit factoryassist to a single engineer.
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Will there be a full live spectator and replay function?
CT– Yes, you can save and load replays. Observer mode is currentlyunavailable but is on our schedule to make a return in one of theupcoming updates.
- When units get upgraded via research, willtheir strategic icons change at all in appearance, so that I can telljust by looking at the icons the level of upgrade I am up against? Orwill the research level for enemy units be a mystery to me up until thepoint that my units start dying in droves to upgraded tanks?
CT– lol… that’s a great idea, and one I will discuss internally… butright now, the icons remain unchanged, as there would be a huge numberof combinations to try and render.
- Capturing. How does thatwork in SC2? If I’m UEF and I capture a Cybran engineer, do I haveaccess to their tech tree as well so I can research some of their unitsand upgrades, or does my tech tree affect the Cybran units I build withthe engineer (and then the Cybran units and experimentals areunavailable for me to build)?
CT – If you capture anotherfaction’s engineer and build a research station, you can indeed startaccessing the tech tree, but the tech-upgrades will only apply to theunits that are built for that faction. IE, you would need to build aLand factory and then produce a tank to see the tank related upgrade.All of those factions units, minus the ACU will be available to you!It’s a pretty awesome strategy if you can pull it off.
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Will there be a player ranking system like we have in SupCom 1?
CT– We are working to get our leaderboard system working on Steam, butwon’t have it done for launch. We hope to provide more details on thatsoon!
- Given gameplay footage that shows the existence ofmobile TMDs, which appear to be quite effective, will TMLs be homing inSupCom2 (able to track moving targets)?
CT – Yes, we reallywanted to provide a good countermeasure to TML’s as they are quitepowerful. However, we nerfed them a bit by making them “non homing”. Wethink it would be a great upgrade, albeit an expensive one, to makethem homing in an update.
- Will doing research take time? Inthe videos, research is instantly applied. I want to know if this willremain in the final game.
CT – The part that takes time is theaccumulating of the research points to begin with. We played with theidea of having research take even more time when applied. This turnedout to be no fun at all, as the player has already paid a “time price”.
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How is the map/mod support? Is it still possible to import our own maps and mods?
CT– Modding won’t be supported at launch, but this is a very strongpossibility for the future. Expert modders will still be able to makemods, as those systems are unchanged.
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How will multiplayer being implemented? Will there be a client different from Steam? Will the game use port-forwarding?
CT – It’s the same as it was the first time around, however, we use Steam to establish the connection and swap IP addresses.
22)When research that affects a particular unit (say, range upgrade for atank) is made, will the cost to implement the research be proportionalto the number of tanks currently in the field?
CT – No, the costis the same regardless of how many units experience the upgrade. It’sreally cool to have a hundred tanks already deployed when you upgradethem with AAA!