February 2, 2007

Exclusive Field Ops Developer Diary #3 

“The Field Ops multiplayer experience revolves around three different and exciting game modes.” 

Great games are not developed; they are handcrafted by the people most dedicated to the medium. Like a chef cranking fresh spaghetti noodles, or a painter delicately applying every stroke, the Field Ops team gradually moves the game toward greatness. 

Designed to be a groundbreaking FPS and RTS rolled into one, Field Ops could be the game shooter and strategy fans have spent their lives dreaming about. It dares to defy the laws of gaming, allowing you to change between the two gameplay perspective – FPS and RTS – at any time. 

Another GameZone-exclusive look at the progress of Field Ops 

In our first diary, Mourad Majeri (Producer) discussed the game’s mechanics. He talked about the merging of genres, and gave us a clear indication as to where the game was headed. 

Our second diary brought forth new details regarding Field Ops’s intricate technology, graphic, and music features. Zoltan Kovary (Lead Designer) spoke about how the project began, revealing that the original plan did not contain a full-fledged FPS. 

In our third diary, Ferenc Szabo "Snowman” (Lead Programmer), talks about the game’s multiplayer components. 

Diary #3 – Multiplayer
By Ferenc Szabo "Snowman,” Lead Programmer, Freeze Interactive 

Multiplayer and especially online gaming today is an essential part of today’s gaming experience. The Field Ops multiplayer experience revolves around three different and exciting game modes. That's at the surface – behind the modes lays very complex and sophisticated code. 

Our biggest goal for the multiplayer was to design a new multiplayer mode that would utilize the real-time strategy, first-person shooter and third person shooter views that appear in Field Ops. This demanded an entirely new approach from our coders. The underlying system in our multiplayer games is unique, as the modes are capable of delivering the intensiveness of FPS gameplay whilst retaining the stability of a multiplayer RTS. To do this multiple commands have to be synchronized simultaneously on players machines for the intense gameplay to flow. 

At times – especially in case of the physics system manipulating many objects at the same time - it's simply out of question to have the information sent to each machine and await their response – as this simply takes too much time. In those cases in Field Ops we used asynchronous entities instead. This has demanded a lot of hard work to keep them in perfect sync on all machines, and iron out all the possible loopholes - but the result speaks for itself. 

For the first time, a lone hero with a trusty M4 assault rifle and superior skills to a unit of AI controlled soldiers can make an attempt to wreak havoc on several units of an RTS player - while the RTS player can retaliate using clever tactics such as throwing grenades, laying mines or holding the FPS player at bay using suppressive fire at the same time in an attempt to defeat him. 

Also, not only are infantry units and a wide assortment of weapons and equipment now at the players' disposal – but players will also have available heroes, armed to the teeth gunships and heavy armor available to them for the larger multiplayer clashes. 

I’d like to now spend sometime talking about the different gameplay modes: 

V.I.P. 

In the V.I.P. game mode the S.O.G. team has to escort a high ranking V.I.P. to safety. The main goal is to have the V.I.P. board the incoming helicopter and leave the map alive. 

To make it just that little bit harder, the Terrorist side will attempt to prevent this V.I.P. from leaving the map at all costs - either by killing him, blocking the way to the extraction zone, or downing the incoming helicopter. 

But both S.O.G. and Terror units must be careful - in this game mode there are no reinforcements available. Losing even one more troop than the enemy can mean the difference between success and defeat - but having the V.I.P killed or rescued can also be the key to success. 

Bomb Run 

The long-time favorite of online games. In Bomb Run, the terrorist team's goal is to pick up a bomb, deliver it to one of the two bomb planting areas on each map, and then detonate it. 

The goals of the S.O.G. side are to stop the bomb carrier, cancel the arming process or defuse the planted bomb. If the Terrorist side manages to blow up the bomb, all is lost - the Terrors will be victorious. Also, both sides may win by eliminating the opposing forces. 

Just like in V.I.P., there are no reinforcements available, so move and act carefully or have a few medics by your side. 

Conquer 

Also a popular multiplayer game, Conquer can be found in Field Ops as well. In this game mode the two sides fight for the control of numerous Conquer Points. To conquer one point, units of a given side must remain close to the point until it is taken. 

In regular intervals, scores are rewarded for the controlled Conquer Points. Every Conquer Point in possession is worth 10 score points to the given side. Killing an enemy unit also means one additional score point. The goal for each team is to get a better score than their opponent. 

Unlike the V.I.P. and Bomb Run mode, there are reinforcements available in Conquer, which results in a fundamentally different gameplay experience. The terror side may boldly resort to desperate measures of suicide attacks, making S.O.G. troops advance even more carefully. 

Summary 

As you see, there is plenty to discover in the multiplayer modes of Field Ops. Incorporation of GameSpy's technology ensures that you will have as much fun playing skirmishes with strangers [as] when you use Field Ops to keep in touch with your buddies. Hope you will like it – because we certainly do!

Share | Digg This | Glink It

---