World in Conflict Interview - Part 1

The Cold War is generally regarded as having begun soon after the end of World War II. However, its roots can be traced to the latter part of the first global conflict. In October of 1917, the Bolsheviks seized control of Russia, and led by Vladimir Lenin, appeared ready to withdraw from the hostilities. This would have meant the collapse of the Eastern Front, so the United States, Britain, France and Japan intervened. Late 1922 saw the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but the US refused to recognize it for over a decade. The political and ideological gap grew increasingly wider during the regime of Joseph Stalin, who ruled from 1929 to 1953. The tensions continued under Nikita Khrushchev, whose actions included erecting the famed Berlin Wall in 1961 in order to prevent East Germans from defecting.

Shipping next week in North America, World in Conflict is the latest strategy title from celebrated developer Massive Entertainment. The Berlin Wall hasn't fallen, but the Soviet bloc is in decline. Fearing collapse, its leaders adopt an aggressive strategy, advancing into Europe. When the forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization respond, they launch the second element of their strategy, an invasion of the American homeland. The ensuing gameplay eschews the traditional base building and resource gathering to focus on combat and tactical decisions involving the most powerful weapons of the time, including nuclear armaments, on destructible battlefields. Written by best-selling author Larry Bond, the story rates to be another interesting feature. In advance of the highly anticipated title's impending release, we were fortunate to receive the chance to improve our knowledge of it by questioning team spokesman David Polfeldt.

Includes three exclusive 1820x1024 screenshots

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Jonric: To start by introducing World in Conflict, what kind of game and will it be, and what range of play experience will it offer and emphasize? And when will it ship?

David Polfeldt: World in Conflict is a tactical strategy game that offers a story-driven single-player campaign as well as a very team-focused multiplayer mode. We're putting a lot of emphasis on making the players feel like a part of something bigger, having them control a core group of units that battle next to other ones, either controlled by the AI or other players. We consciously moved away from a very high-level political perspective.

we have worked really hard to improve our skills as a developer in the area of accessibility. And don't mix up "accessibility" with "nerfed"! It's a question of polish, experience and intelligence... nothing else.

I'm sure some people will call World In Conlict a genre-defining game, and to a large extent, I agree. We feel that the strategy genre needs to be vitalized, and that it is also time to finally let go of the isometric camera. More important however, is how we are focusing on action, team play and online competitive gaming. I'm sure everyone is aware of how important this is in games nowadays.

The game is slated for release on September 18 in North America and September 21 in Europe and the rest of the world.

Jonric: From the player's point of view, what that will distinguish your game from others that might initially seem similar?

David Polfeldt: What players will probably react to first is how fast-paced the game is. Since we don't use base building or resource gathering, a player can order in units in a matter of seconds, and run into the fight at once. The pace is more similar to what you might find in team-based shooters than in most RTS games. We've gone away from the large-scale commandeering, and focus more on managing a handful of units. The real challenge lies in using these units tactically and coordinating yourself with your teammates. Jonric: Do you feel there's a core target market in terms of the kinds of gamers for whom the title will have the greatest appeal?

David Polfeldt: I think tactical gamers and team players will enjoy World in Conflict the most. While the look and feel of the game is very bombastic, with a lot of action and effects, the actual gameplay depends a lot on the players' ability to work tactically, both alone and with others. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback on different events from clans who participated in some of our tournaments. The game really shines when you have this group of maybe four or five players who play well together and really help each other out.

Jonric: Is there any form of direct or "spiritual" connection between World in Conflict and the Ground Control property?

David Polfeldt: If there's a connection, it would probably be spiritual. Just like back in the Ground Control days, we've worked a lot on making World in Conflict a combat-focused game with a lot of tactical depth, and we are sticking with some of the genre assumptions we had from the start, such as the free camera. Plus, of course, we have team members from the Ground Control titles who have also worked on World in Conflict.

Jonric: What considerations led you to the decision to develop this game instead of extending your successful series?

David Polfeldt: While we loved working on the Ground Control games, we grew a bit tired of the science fiction setting. We came up with a number of concepts for potential projects, but we were so hooked on the idea of making a strategy game that used modern war machinery that we felt we had no choice. The 1980s Cold War setting felt unexplored and fascinating.

It's also a question of understanding gamers. We felt that Ground Control was slightly too hardcore, and maybe hard to access for casual gamers, and during the entire development of World In Conflict we have worked really hard to improve our skills as a developer in the area of accessibility. And don't mix up "accessibility" with "nerfed"! It's a question of polish, experience and intelligence... nothing else.