A couple of months ago, we posted up a hands-on preview Warpath, the upcoming sci-fi first person shooter from developer Digital Extremes and publisher Groove Games. We had a few more questions about the game so we decided to get some answers and Groove Games producer Zandro Chan supplied them to us.

FiringSquad: First, how did the idea for WarPath come about?

Zandro Chan: Well, our last AAA title, Pariah, had a great multiplayer feature and community that we wanted to expand upon. So we built a new story, a new universe and created gameplay mechanics that incorporated blistering speed and the ability to literally “vault” about the levels in an acrobatic fashion that is totally jaw dropping.  

FiringSquad: How hard was it to develop the three playable races in the game?

Zandro Chan: The main challenge to any game that features a variety of playable characters is balance.  In Warpath the trick was to balance out all of the race specific weapons so that no one group would dominate over any other.  

FiringSquad: How did the idea for structuring the single player game come about?

Zandro Chan: We had many ideas on how to make the fps better, with various new game play elements added into the traditional fps genre.  We settled on the "Combat Zone" map which allowed players to coordinate their war effort: seize positions, territory and technology from their opponent’s grasp, utilizing strategic turn-based maneuvers as well as the traditional FPS fast paced action.  We felt it was a good marriage of play styles.  

FiringSquad: What is the development team's favorite weapon to use and why?

Zandro Chan: Our guys have really tried to become equally deadly with all the weapons, but if there was a favorite it would have to be the Violator. It’s basically a badass shotgun that will literally knock an enemy player flying through the air, showing off some very cool (and very satisfying) rag dolling.  

FiringSquad: In playing the beta we noticed some problems with the AI opponents. Will this be improved when the final game ships?

Zandro Chan: We worked on all aspects of the game up until the game shipped.  The team worked hard on stomping out the bugs and polishing/balancing the game. We have addressed all the issues that we were aware of, so hopefully nothing will rear its ugly head after release.

FiringSquad: Will there be an updated demo released for the game?

Zandro Chan: Currently there is only one demo planned for Warpath.  

FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Warpath?

Zandro Chan: Warpath is a guilty pleasure; a no non-sense, straight up high adrenaline shooter with elements of strategy and customization, allowing players to incorporate an amazing range of play styles.  At its core this game is just like the FPS of old that made you fall in love with shooters, but once you get into it, you’ll see there is so much more here for players to tap into and enjoy.

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