In a time where everyone and their grandma is making a mod, how do you make your own stand out? By spending time making a quality game. That's what Team Dystopia is doing with their Half-Life 2 mod Dystopia. GPM had a chance to talk with Lead PR and all-around nice guy Robert Couch about the game and why gamers should be excited about it.
Welcome. Tell us about Dystopia and what you hope to accomplish with it.
Team Dystopia's goal is to create an action packed FPS, which focuses on teamplay and tense combat situations. Dystopia draws on the vivid imagery of Cyberpunk for its gritty high tech theme and places the player into a world split in two; the mega rich Corporations and their Security Forces and the lowly poor Punk mercenaries. We're striving to create a fast and fun gameplay experience that any FPS and Cyberpunk fan will feel completely at home in, while pushing both genres in a unique direction.
Let's talk about your dual layer gameplay, interlinking the real world and cyberspace. Give us some examples of how this works and why gamers should be excited.
Dystopia's real world environments are spanned by computer networks. Players on both the Corporate and Punk sides fight through the physical world to gain access, via jack-in terminals, to Cyberspace. Cyberspace is a three dimensional representation of the world's network. Inside Cyberspace players will launch programs to hack into systems linked to the physical world, fight off enemy hackers or defend critical systems. Hackers can affect a huge variety of things in the real world, such as a building’s security systems, environmental controls, lifts, lights, billboards, security screens, etc.
There are a multitude of multiplayer mods out there (either in production or released). Oftentimes, they are the same game just in different outfits. What's being done to ensure Dystopia stands out?
I believe our focus on high action team play, unique dual world system and professional level of polish will ensure that Dystopia stands out from the crowd. We're striving to create a game that has depth and allows players to create their own niche, customising their role to fit their play style.
What types of environments can we expect to see?
Our maps will play up the juxtaposition between the ultra clean Corporate buildings and the gritty ghetto areas that the Punks inhabit. Our environments therefore span everything from junkyards and run down warehouses to high technology Corporate facilities and office head quarters.
How many maps are planned for the initial release?
Our plan is to firstly release a demo version of Dystopia which will include two or three levels. This demo release will give the players a good understanding of our gameplay vision and artistic direction.
You mentioned that the Dystopia team had the chance to visit Valve Software. What did you learn there that's being applied to your game?
During the week we spent working in Valve's office we learnt more than I could have ever expected. The definite high lights were seeing Valve's design processes first hand. Over the week we were able to run three playtest sessions that saw many Valve employees jump into Dystopia. This allowed us to watch how fresh players picked up the game. It clearly showed us what was too complex or needed to be explained to the player better.
Did Valve show you guys anything related to Half-Life 2 or Team Fortress 2?
I'm not at liberty to say. Sorry.
How has it been working with Valve and their toolset (editor, modeller, etc)?
In general the Source SDK has been excellent to work with. Obviously we've hit a few snags here and there but have always found solutions, either on our own or with help from Valve, in these cases Valve have fixed the issues in SDK patches. Of course one massive upside of the trip to Valve HQ is that they know who we are and take the time to reply to any of our questions via email.
How do vehicles enhance the Dystopia's gameplay?
Our plans for vehicles have been put on hold, at least for the initial demo release. Early testing showed that they detracted from the teamplay that we're focusing on. People would jump in a car and have so much fun driving around that they'd stop helping their team to complete objectives. With this in mind it's planned to re-introduce vehicles in the full release of Dystopia and feature them only in the opening phases of a level where the Punks are infiltrating a Corporate building.
Are there "things" (weapons, items, vehicles, etc.) that are useable in the "real world" but not in cyberspace? (And vice-versa)
Most certainly. The two environments are completely unique to each other. The real world environment features augmented humans with high tech implants shooting big guns at each other. Cyberspace has its own unique movement physics and a range of programs. These programs come in offensive and defensive flavours and can be thought of as Cyberspace's weapons and counters.
What feature are you most proud of?
The depth and specialisation which is available to the player via our load out system. It's very easy for a player to find a mixture of augmentation class, implants and weapons which suit their playing style. Whether you're a twitch gamer or prefer to play support or strategic roles Dystopia has you covered.
It's been stated that 12 weapons are planned. Tell us about a few of them. Are there items that can be used as well?
We're very proud of the selection of weapons we've implemented. With most of them we've taken a weapon that any FPS gamer will be able to instantly pick up and given it a unique touch. Many weapons can be used wonderfully in combination with certain implants; one example is the Minigun and the Sound Suppressor. This allows a player to negate the normal draw back of the big noisy powerful weapon and ambush unsuspecting players. Another great example is the Shotgun and Stealth implant, it's very satisfying to sneak right up close to an enemy and use the alternate fire to unload two rounds from the boomstick right into their flesh.
How does the character class/implant configuration come into play? Is it a complicated feature that slows down gameplay?
All load out options, including selecting your augmentation class (light, medium or heavy), implants and weapons are selected from a slick and simple menu. We have created default load outs that will ease new players into the game. Players can customise these default load outs and save them in a favourites list. Due to these features there's no let up in the frantic action.
What are some inspirations when creating/designing Dystopia? (William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Blade Runner, etc.)
Every single member of Team Dystopia is a Cyberpunk fan and we draw influences from across a wide range of mediums. From books such as Snowcrash and Neuromancer to the old Shadowrun pen and paper RPGs. Our goal is to mesh the gritty theme of Cyberpunk with fast paced action packed teamplay.
Are there any plans to take this "mod" further, maybe to a publisher?
At this stage our focus is on creating a demo version that will allow gamers to check out Dystopia. We'll support this demo version while taking in any feedback from the players and continue work on a full release of Dystopia. Obviously we won't be closing any doors that open to us during development.
What advice do you have for other mod makers who maybe be struggling with their project and might be considering giving up?
Stop looking at the mountain of work in front of you; focus on the very next task you need to complete. Finish that task then move onto the next. Do it one step at a time and soon you'll find yourself half way up the mountain.
When will Dystopia be ready for public consumption?
We're sticking to our release date of "when it's done". If forced to give a rough idea of how much work we've got done, various people on the team would give answers in the range of 60% to 75%. However, every developer out there knows that the last 10% is always a lot bigger than every other 10% chunk.
Obviously, there are many people watching Dystopia. What do you say to those who are interested in testing this game?
Be patient. We have a full line up testers who are all very active. These are gamers that Team Dystopia has known for years from many previous games. Mostly the testers are people we've played clan games with in the past and generally know very well. A lot of us have been around in the Australian gaming scene for a very long time, creating long last friendships. It's these people we tap on the shoulder and ask to test for us.
Are there any plans to include a single-player aspect?
At this stage, no. Our focus is purely on creating the very best multiplayer game that we can.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As eager as everyone is to play Dystopia, be aware that everyone in Team Dystopia is equally eager to get you guys jacking in and kicking ass.
