World in Conflict Update Interviw (con't)

FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the mysterious third faction in the game besides the US and USSR?

Martin Walfisz: Well, the third faction is NATO, which makes sense in terms of probable events. When the Soviet army invades Europe, NATO tries to hold them off and defend its member countries. The faction is quite similar to the way the other two factions are built, but it will of course have its own flavor when it comes to the specific hardware and tactical aids that it uses.

FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the development team's favorite types of units to use in World in Conflict?

Martin Walfisz:

Martin Walfisz: That’s a tough one. A lot of the artists are of course fond of their own creations, but in terms of the general opinion, it would probably be something like the heavy tanks – the Abrams tank especially – and the different artillery units, which really pack some heavy guns. And the choppers are great too. Seeing that our engine supports the almost complete destruction of the maps, any unit with lots of firepower is always a delight to see. But I think it’s safe to say that aside of all the units, the nuke gets the most attention. It’s just so huge and powerful, a real treat to the eye – regardless of how many times you’ve seen it before.

FiringSquad: What can we expect in terms of multiplayer features and support?
We’re focusing a lot on delivering a unique multiplayer experience with vast online support. The key concept to our multiplayer is drop-in gameplay. Players can jump into any game at any time, and still be able to enjoy the game and contribute to the team, due to our reinforcement point system. Since there’s no base building, the game is more similar to multiplayer FPS games, where players continuously respawn as they die.

Our aim is also to appeal to both the casual players as well as the more hardcore, clan-oriented players. Our own proprietary online service, Massgate, is built with this in mind and I’m positive that it will both surprise and please most players who go online with WIC.

FiringSquad: What other features do you consider to be important in World in Conflict?

Martin Walfisz: What’s really been important to us when it comes to multiplayer is the set of communication tools. Since team play is essential to success, we need to give the players easily accessible tools to express themselves to their team members. What we’ve ended up with is things like VOIP, radio commands and chat functions, which even work during loading times. Whenever a serious game of WIC takes place at the office, these tools really come in handy, and it makes the experience even more enjoyable