Q. If you could sum up the Gameplay in one sentence what would it be?
A fast-paced, futuristic, multi-vehicle racer that combines intense combat with an innovative - and presently undisclosed - killer feature.
Q. The game is utilizing a range of vehicles from planes to cars to hovercrafts, with both land and an air vehicle how does this effect gameplay?
Considerable time has been spent balancing the four vehicle types, so it's no easy choice; evaluating an environment and choosing the right vehicle is critical to success in 1XR:
The Jet is the fastest vehicle but has poor handling and armor.
The GTR is a beast on any roadway with the highest acceleration and handling balanced by mediocre armor.
The 4x4 has incredible handling (four-wheel steering) and armor but is limited by its average acceleration and low top speed.
The Hovercraft is the slowest vehicle but has superb handling (this vehicle was made for drifting!) and armor.
Q. How many vehicles are you planning to have in the game?
There will be four vehicle types (Jet, GTR, 4x4 and Hovercraft); however, the exact number of vehicles cannot be disclosed.
Q. What are some of the weapons we will see, and what sets them apart?
There are two types of weapons: ballistic and guided. Ballistic weapons require a fair degree of aim and deal a stream of damage. Examples are gatling guns, rail guns and various types of lasers (a la Dr. Evil). Guided weapons are fire-and-forget and have considerable firepower though they can be destroyed by a well-timed countermeasure. An example of a guided weapon is the EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) which inflicts no damage to a vehicle's health but, instead, disables the victims vehicle for a few seconds.
Q. Generally how large are the tracks, how will the environments effect the race?
Since there are multiple paths in every course and the structure of races are very open-ended, it is difficult to give an accurate track length. Saying that, the size of our smallest course is 21.5 square kilometers---for that course, it can take anywhere from 55 seconds to 1.5 minutes to complete a lap depending on how well you take advantage of the environment.
Q. What are some possible game modes we will see on live, is it just straight racing?
While 1XR will have a dedicated single player component, the Game is at its best when playing online and offline with others. Online is a critical component of any multiplayer-centric game, so that is a big part of our game plan. Unfortunately, specifics cannot be disclosed!
Q. What are you doing to make the career mode open ended?
There is a story driving the career mode but when designing it, we felt it was important to give users flexibility. With this in mind, we have designed 1XR's career in a way that does not constrain players to a certain path - users will be able to enjoy 1XR's 5 unique worlds in any order they choose.
Q. What are you doing to take advantage of the Xbox 360 hardware?
The power of the Xbox360 hardware is in its multiple core architecture. To properly take advantage of the hardware we needed to adopt a multithreaded approach from the inception. Since we were starting from scratch on this game we had the advantage of taking this style of architecture into account. This allowed us to avoid many of the development issues that arise from porting a single-threaded game over to the Xbox360.
With hardware of old, games usually needed to concede CPU time to the graphics engine in order to provide the visual experience expected. However on the Xbox360, the multiple cores allow us to give CPU time traditionally squandered for better graphics to other systems, such as physics and AI. We do not lose any graphical quality this way either due to the independent GPU and graphics pipeline. You can expect this game to provide an environment that is more than just visually pleasing.
The Xbox360 does have a few hardware limitations that might hurt in the long run, but with careful use of resources they can be managed. We have built into the design a level of abstraction that allows us to manage those limitations separate from the core game logic. Along with the support of the Gamebryo and Meqon staff, we have all the tools we need to circumvent these limitations.
Q. What has impressed you most about the Xbox 360 Hardware?
Obviously, the GPU pipeline and the shader support are the most impressive features of the Xbox360 hardware. However, from an architectural point of view, developing a game console with multiple cores was a bold move by Microsoft. Multiple threaded systems are known to be complex to develop for, but the support built into the hardware to facilitate development has been quite impressive.
Q. The Meqon engine allows for some very advanced physics, how are you utilizing this?
The Meqon engine has been quite impressive. Their support for racing game physics has allowed us to incorporate realistic vehicle behaviour into our game. With that concern handled we are free to add complex physical interactions that will provide an entertaining show for the player.
Q. With all the talk of the optional Hard Drive, will you be using it for any features other then saving?
The optional hard drive has not impacted our design in any major way. We do intend on using the drive if it is there, but only for optional content.
Q. What are some games that influenced this title?
Rock & Roll Racing, Mario Kart & Need For Speed
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