Carmageddon Developpers AMA on reddit
Carmageddon: Reincarnation natter with nobby, Sim & Trifle... AMA (self.IAmA)
submitted 23 heures ago* by nobby_SG
Hi, I'm Neil (nobby) Barnden, co-founder of Stainless Games and Exec Director on Carmageddon: Reincarnation. I've been working on the project with a small team at Stainless, since we bought back the IP rights to the Carmageddon brand near the end of 2010. We're currently running a Kickstarter campaign to help fund Carma:R to its first release in Feb. 2013. I'm here tonight (and I mean tonight, it's late... for me) with fellow team members, Producer Dave (Trifle) Hosier, and Sim (Simista) McDermott. We'll be here for the next two hours to tag team your questions. So... AMA!
EDIT: Well guys, it's been a lovely evening in your company - we've all been laffing here at the great comments, feedback and suggestions. We've answered as many questions as we could - apologies to anyone that we didn't have the time to get around to. But the time has come for Sim and Dave to wheel me back to the Home, before lockdown... Thanks to everyone who contributed, take care and goodnight!
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[–]BathTubNZ 15 points 23 heures de ça
I love the soundtrack for Carmageddon, it's just so perfect. I would listen to it outside of the game as well. It was actually years before I even knew it was an instrumental version of Demanufacture by Fear Factory.
Is there any story behind getting this music for Carmageddon? And any possibility of having it (at least as an option) for Carmageddon Reincarnation?
[–]nobby_SG
I love that soundtrack too. I've only briefly listened to a couple of the studio recordings of the tracks, and I much prefer "our" versions. We may be able to use the tracks again - we're actively looking into it.
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First, huge thanks to you guys! You have provided me with tons of gory fun over the years, and C2 remains one of my favorite racing games of all time.
Are you considering a mission structure more like C1 or C2? I preferred C1's way of doing things myself, as those weird timed missions in C2 to proceed to the next set of races was one of the only complaints I had about the game. I wanted an option to just say "Screw the mission" and go and run over whoever was telling me to smash up rooftop satellite dishes.
Also wanted to ask: the way I understand it, the original Carmageddon went through a couple movie licenses that fell through? Mad Max first then Death Race 2020, from what I read. Is this true or just a rumor? Thanks!
[–]nobby_SG 16 points 22 heures de ça
Definitely closer to C1 than C2. The C2 missions - as you rightly point out - were a mistake. They came about very late in the development of C2, at a time when we'd spent the previous nearly 3 years making C1, Splatty, then C2, and for us the missions were a breeze! Unfortunately for most other peope they were a) too bloody difficult, and subsequently b) a barrier to progress.
We want to return to the unfettered "finish it whatever the way you want" philosophy of C1.
Due to creeping senility, I've forgotten completely if SCi looked into getting the Mad Max license. I only remember Death Race 2020...
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[–]Toikka 14 points 23 heures de ça
Please include a Classic Soundset. The pedestrian scream and the narrator "CHECKPOINT!" are just so iconic I couldn't really feel it being Carmageddon without 'em.
[–]nobby_SG 30 points 22 heures de ça
Oh yes, I want to do this. But then I would, as I am 90% of the non-female sound effects in the original game... Including Max, the Countdown Guy, narrator, ped screams, etc.
I'm the Dennis Waterman of the game sound effects world.
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[–]Coffee_Pyramid 16 points 22 heures de ça
I'm the seventh backer who wants to be a pedestrian in the game. So my questions will be about the pedestrians.
1. What files do we have to send so your art department can skin them to your models? Can I also be the pedestrian that does all those flips from Carmageddon 2?
2. What is the idea on having users play as pedestrians? Will that be in a multiplayer mode or individual and can we choose the pedestrian? In other words, can I be myself running in the Carmageddon world?
3. Is it possible to have a "Pedestrian Riot" powerup? I'd like to see pedestrians fight back at the vehicles for more added chaos.
I'm sooo psyched for this game. Thanks for doing an IAMA!
[–]nobby_SG 14 points 21 heures de ça
Hey Coffee_Pyramid, congrats on your impending legendary status!
1. Ideally, please send us your skin. Failing that, photos of your face (ideally, one good photo of your face as evenly lit as possible, and reference photos from different angles) will be fine. And some full length photos will also help. Esppecially if you always wear the same clothes, like Charlie Brown or Homer. I'm skipping deftly over part two of your first question, because I can't remember any flipping ped in C2. But send us a screenshot, and we'll make it so.
2. We will make it possible to be yourself in the Be A Ped games. Of course.
3. Like it. Of course, peds are soft and squishy, and cars are hard and unyielding. So it could (probably would) end messily.
Thanks for your pledge!
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[–]Dan50 32 points 23 heures de ça
Will we see the original Carmageddon games on
GOG.com or Steam?
[–]nobby_SG 34 points 22 heures de ça
Stay tuned for further announcements...
(Um, don't literally stay tuned here, all night.)
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[–]icStatic 24 points 22 heures de ça
Please focus on making the game as fluid and responsive as possible - i.e. 60fps and low latency over higher quality graphics.
[–]tomovo 10 points 22 heures de ça
Exactly. GTA Vice City-level graphics would be more than enough, it's the handling and responsiveness that matters.
[–]nobby_SG 19 points 21 heures de ça
Noted guys.
[–]Colorfag 21 points 21 heures de ça
But if you can squeeze in HQ graphics, we wont be upset about it, either.
[–]Toikka 11 points 23 heures de ça
You better have the first level make a comeback. That football stadium..oh my god that was the most amazing thing ever. Drifting into the football players...bahahaha.
[–]DaveH_SG 7 points 22 heures de ça
When I play the original now, I still go there and do that. Every time. It never gets old!
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[–]Mad_Maxine 19 points 23 heures de ça
I know theres going to be a ton of questions about the cars and powerups, so once again have have to be ther ped-oh, I was just wondering and hoping that people would vairy acording to my area, rather than being gernic male, generic female.., Fat guys, old grannys, girls with huge boobs, and the classic white Hazmat Wheelchairs bikes or other objects? such as old people with oxygen tanks,(boom) Can you confirm or deny any of this?
[–]nobby_SG 23 points 22 heures de ça
That oxygen tank idea is GOING IN! Thanks Maxine! And yes, we'll have a very wide range of appropriate peds, for all occasions and situations.
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[–]Psyrgery 19 points 22 heures de ça
The Stadium and football players need to come back! It was a blast to run over them all at 160+mph!
[–]nobby_SG 20 points 22 heures de ça
Oh yes. Oh yes indeed.
And of course you all know the Ped Electro Ray PUp in the left far corner of the football pitch..?
[–]Mintydog 6 points 22 heures de ça
haha yes, it was a god send.
[–]Mintydog 10 points 22 heures de ça
haha sick, great idea. What about someone walking around with a drip who just came out of hospital? Or a colostomy bag? imagine that thing bursting when you hit them at 50MPH!
[–]nobby_SG 15 points 22 heures de ça
Ideas like the colostomy bag, that make us all ourselves here (wait, it that the right phrase to use?), will almost certainly get used.
.gif)
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[–]yampeku 8 points 23 heures de ça
Does Steam release mean that there will be also achievements? If there are, can you give us an example?
[–]DaveH_SG 7 points 22 heures de ça
Indeed there will! The list is by no means final, but we can tease you with "Multiball" and "Got Wood". Perhaps you can guess what they are...
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[–]registered-user 10 points 22 heures de ça
How do you think your reboot will stack up against the more recent similar games that have hit the market since your first version in the 90's (twisted metal, blood drive etc), a lot has changed, how will you make it better and more likely to stand out from the crowd and appeal to a new generation?
[–]nobby_SG 11 points 21 heures de ça
Well, "better" is in the eye of the beholder. There will be fans of Twisted Metal who don't care much for our brand, and vice-versa. (Obviously more of the latter, but hey...)
We think our game stands out from the crowd because of the qualities that made it great fun the first time round. Comedy violence, do what you like gameplay, and a general touch of surrealism to the proceedings. We want to retain and celebrate all these elements, and we're confident that a new generation will enjoy them the same way we still do.
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[–]registered-user 10 points 23 heures de ça
I assume multiplayer will be a much bigger part of the game than before, with having the Steam platform as a base, have you planned out any system for using user-created/add-on mods on the MP games yet?
[–]Simista 3 points 22 heures de ça
Yes! The ability to MOD the original Carmageddon games was such an appealing feature, having the ability to share your creations with your friends is something we are certainly keen on keeping.
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[–]deadbunny 4 points 22 heures de ça
Feature? I'm pretty sure the community had to hack together tools to mod the game without any help from Stainless
Granted we did eventually get our hands on PT2 (in all it buggy glory) from Stainless but I wouldn't say modding was ever a 'feature' of the previous games.
[–]Simista 4 points 22 heures de ça
ok picky it will be even more of a feature!
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[–]razor792 4 points 22 heures de ça
That told you. Didn't it, Sim.
[–]Simista 3 points 22 heures de ça
it certainly did! lol
[–]Direnaar 0 point 7 heures de ça
To be fair, most of their data was in .txt files
[–]KSI73 3 points 21 heures de ça
I believe they mentioned something about releasing modding tools and using Steam Workshop for distribution of user content.
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[–]adirat 8 points 22 heures de ça
Have you put any thought in designing the menus yet? Bring back the hand!!
[–]Simista 7 points 22 heures de ça
WE LOVE THE HAND!
if we get 3,000,000 the hand is definitely going in… but we might just stick it back in anyway…if we can find it.
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[–]Psyrgery 11 points 22 heures de ça
What about it giving the middle finger to the player if he tries to choose an option he cannot choose? (e.g. trying to purchase an upgrade/car but hasn't got enough money)
[–]Simista 7 points 22 heures de ça
LOL that would be funny.. a very expressive hand sounds like a great idea
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[–]Healthdrink 9 points 22 heures de ça
Original Carmageddon had the window after the race where you could observe the damage you did to the other racers. Will it be back in Reincarnation? I remember playing with the supercop - as my brother and I used to call him - and lay waste upon the fellow drivers just to see how horribly deformed their cars would get.
[–]Simista 5 points 22 heures de ça
Hey there Healthdrink! ...Yes we want this to be in the new game!
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[–]Fehndrix 8 points 23 heures de ça
What are your thoughts on crowd-funding being part of the future of gaming?
[–]DaveH_SG 12 points 22 heures de ça
We think it's a really positive thing - there have been some great projects on Kickstarter already, big and small. If it helps get games made that would otherwise have been lost, that's great.
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[–]Kerrash_ 7 points 22 heures de ça
Are we going to have splatter decals on the cars bodies this time?
[–]Simista 5 points 21 heures de ça
yes!
[–]Kerrash_ 4 points 21 heures de ça
Awesome! I would've modded in if not anyway as I'm a sick little coder
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[–]FiremanC 10 points 23 heures de ça
Some pedestrian questions I've had for a while:
• Will there be cyclist?
• Will there be children?
• Will there be colored folks?
• Will there be pregnant women?
• Will there be old people?
• Will there be handicapped people?
• Will drones have people inside which will try to exit the vehicle and run, or die if you head-on collide on them and fly through the windshield?
[–]nobby_SG 8 points 22 heures de ça
What Bf1shY says - the game will be very highly moddable, and you'll be able to drop in what ever kind of victims you fancy. For us, our fancy doesn't extend to the extremes of bad taste... Mainly because my mum still likes to play the game.
Drivers running about isn't something we have planned for Carma:R. But all vehicles will have drivers who can be ejected throught the windshield in a heavy impact.
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[–]Tonnycorelli 6 points 23 heures de ça
Just please double check the physics are flawless, just like in Carmageddon 1. I still remember the cars feeling really heavy and realistic and then WHAM another opponent wasted!
[–]DaveH_SG 7 points 22 heures de ça
Dr. Kev's physics are returning - we think you'll be happy!
[–]Psyrgery 2 points 1 jour de ça
It looks like you really are making the physics spot on. You can tell from those seconds in the Kickstarter video where the eagle is about to land on a rooftop, albeit brief it has a Carmageddon-ish feel which can only come from Stainless Games. Nice work guys
[–]nobby_SG 4 points 1 jour de ça
We are VERY happy with the way the physics is feeling - as we're rebuilding the city level map, we've been tuning the handling for a Carma 1 "feel".
[–]r00x 9 points 1 jour de ça
In anticipation of this I pledged $50 so I could install a copy on two computers and crash into myself.
I call it Crashturbation.
[–]Simista 4 points 1 jour de ça
FPMSL!! Thats a great selling point for the $50 pledge
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[–]Toikka 6 points 23 heures de ça
Are you able to match the sheer huge scale of the maps, like in the original?
[–]Simista 4 points 22 heures de ça
YES! and exceed them! the massive environments are a key feature in Carmageddons gameplay, massive environments = lots of room for carnage!
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[–]Psyrgery 9 points 23 heures de ça
I am aware you don't talk about "this ", but did you get to play Carmageddon TDR and judge it by yourselves?
Did you know Torus Games mentioned you in the Credits saying "They were sorry and knew what you guys felt about the franchise"
What is the average number of peds you are going to place in each map, are you heading for Carma1 quantity (The Wall, 5k peds) or Carma2 (700-900 peds average)
What are the minimum system requirements you expect the game to run on?
Madman Tony is coming back for more PratCam epicness... Is Faye Morey returning for Die Anna as well? Are Die Anna or The Hawk coming back as main protagonists to go with Max Damage/The Eagle at the beginning of the game?
Are you planing to include Carmageddon 2 cars to Reincarnation? Propshafter was (and still is) my favourite, it had the best handling of the game, imho.
Is there any TDR2000 easter egg/pun planned? Come on guys, you can tell me
Are you listening to your fans in order to add more content, powerups, etc? I've heard something concerning Solid Granite Peds from some very charming guy called Psyrgery there in the Carmageddon forums...
[–]nobby_SG 17 points 22 heures de ça
I have tried to play TDR, but I just didn't like the look and feel of the game. I'm sorry if people who did enjoy it are miffed by our attitude (which is rather over-played for comic effect, tbh), but as we had no involvement in it, none of us has any emotional link to it other than the distant memory of bitterness at the time it all happened. It's nice to hear about the comment from Torus - and we have no ill feeling towards those guys whatsoever.
Number of peds? Per level, it'll vary with the level, but for example our prototype city level has 1500 for a nice level of density.
Min system requirements? The game's going to be really tweakable for performance, so it shouldn't be an issue with a relatively contemporary pooter.
I SPOKE TO FAYE TODAY! I swear - first time since she finished her filming session in 1996! She called me at home to say sorry she'd not accepted my FB friend request but she thought I might be a weirdo. Her husband worked out that I was probably legit and got her to give me a call. And so we had a nice chat, and she'll be on the Island in a couple of weeks so we're going to get together. We'll try to persuade her to reprise her role... Die Anna/Hawk is coming back. Oh yes.
We might include some C2 cars, but if we don’t have time, the tools will make it easy for the community to add them!
Easter Eggs and puns there will be aplenty…
We are definitely listening, and want to incorporate the fans’ ideas. Solid granite peds is great – but as we’ll often find, it’s already been discussed here! (Because we’re thinking that some powerups should effect peds too…)
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[–]Shabow 6 points 23 heures de ça
What will the multiplayer be like for Carmageddon: Reincarnation? You mentioned that it will be plugged in with Steamworks, so will there be leaderboards and achievements?
Also, if all goes well have you thought at all about a console version down the road?
[–]DaveH_SG 7 points 22 heures de ça
Multiplayer in the original games was, and still is great fun - if you were a fan then, you're going to be very happy.
Yes, there'll be leaderboards and achievements aplenty. The brainstorming for the latter have been great fun!
If all goes according to plan, you'll see the game on consoles in the future.
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[–]eliaspoveda 12 points 23 heures de ça
What will you do if you don't get the $400.000? I hope you don't cancel the project.
[–]nobby_SG 14 points 22 heures de ça
We're really confident that the campaign will be successful - it doesn't feel right to speculate about a different outcome!
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[–]seithon 5 points 23 heures de ça
Great stuff
If you don't mind me asking a followup.. Have you guys thought about putting in a destructible environment, like if i drive though enough walls will it bring a building down or so ?
[–]nobby_SG 4 points 21 heures de ça
That almost certainly won't happen in Carma:R - due to the massive amount of extra complexity it would bring to the art tasks. There will however be "feature" geometry that can be trashed, lots of lamp-posts to use as pedestrian pool cues, and of course masses of GLASS!
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[–]DeadTrooper 4 points 21 heures de ça
One of the features in C2 that impressed me the most was the cosmetic damage system, the ability to split an opponent in half was amazing, will that be a feature in the new game?
[–]DaveH_SG 4 points 20 heures de ça
Yep! So satisfying.
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[–]p1r473 3 points 23 heures de ça
any chance of a reward tier somewhere between what there is now for only 1 copy but with the new model of the car?
[–]nobby_SG 5 points 21 heures de ça
I'm not sure if you mean the physical model or the in-game one. But in any case, some further Reward incentives and offers will be coming up over the course of the next week.
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Will there be any new animals in the game? cats? pigeons? Bears? Yeti?
[–]Simista 2 points 1 jour de ça
There is a long list
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[–]thinkl33t 4 points 21 heures de ça
Will we be seeing the original cheat codes like iwishicouldflyrightuptothesky? Typing in long phrases in carma2 helped me learn to type fast and accurately!
[–]Simista 2 points 1 jour de ça
Yes! we liked the funny cheat codes
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[–]jaltesorensen 1 point 23 heures de ça
Hi
I have a few suggestions to levels in Carmageddon:
• The Lost World (with dinosaurs and cavemen).
• A moon base (with reduced gravity when you hit the magnets)
• Area 51 (with hangars full of fun stuff).
• Future Tokyo (with giant robots, other robots and Godzilla-ish-monsters).
• Secret surviving Nazi base on the South pole (with extra bonus for kills).
• Atlantis, an ancient civilization refound (who uses Jules-Verne-ish technology).
What do you think?
[–]Simista 6 points 22 heures de ça
Hey! These are great suggestions and Each of those would require a lot of work needing specific accessories etc, having said that once we have released Carmageddon:Reincarnation there is nothing stopping us looking into special MP levels . The MOD tools will allow you to create them yourself too!
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[–]Darkscale 2 points 23 heures de ça*
Thanks for doing this IAMA. I really love Carmageddon since I was a little to young (11, don't worry had consent from my parents) and I am almost practically fine.
• Where did Carmageddon get created from? Who'se idea was it to create this awesome game? Thanks for it btw.
• I really love the designs of the Hawk and the Eagle. In the concept I noticed some large exhaust pipe on the (first?) Eagle. Will that be possible?
• Will Tim Schaefer be a ped ingame?
• It sounds crazy, but I love crazy, will I be able to drive a shark car?
• The splitting car stuff was one of my favorite features, will it be back?
• Last question, I heard about the ability of crashing through your windshield. If you survive will it just be like the game Flat Out, out are you able to walk around like a ped? If you can walk as a ped, will you be able to steal other drivers cars this way?
Thanks again and hope you guys have a nice evening. I will read your comments here or on kickstarter.
Hope to see you guys at beta!
[–]nobby_SG 2 points 1 jour de ça
• The original idea was a collaboration. Patrick and I did a Destruction Derby demo. SCi gave us a contract to make a game based on it, but with a view to it being based on the Deathrace 2020 license they were pursuing. That license fell through, so I came up with the new name "Carmageddon" and we made the game!
• We're still in the umm and aah stage over the new Eagle design. The big bike style exhausts are cool, and I'd like to use them somewhere even if it was on a different car.
• We've yet to hear from Tim or his lawyer, so now we've built him we might stick him in anyway. $3m bonus when you mow him down.
• Shark car. Modders will help you out, even if we don't get round to that one...
• Splitting is back. And so is spitting. And spiffing.
• Driver becomes ped shenanigans is beyond the current scope of Carma:R. but we DO have a habit of creeping our own features...
I hope you'll see us at beta too... Otherwise our MP code is borked!
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[–]jay_p_666
The first game had a lot of content in terms of the number of cars and tracks available. Can you afford the budget to remake all of them packed with more polygons? And did it will match up the quality standard of current generation of games in terms of texture resolution, and objects on screen or it is a simple HD remake like we're used to see on the PSN and Xbox Live Marketplace? Also, do the new tracks will be of higher quality than the old ones?
[–]nobby_SG 2 points 1 jour de ça
The very short scenes featuring Mr. Schafer in our Kickstarter promo vid give a little hint of the sort of detail level (albeit still WIP at this stage) we're aiming for - as do the latest couple of screenshots we've released.
Basically, we have to balance level of detail with maintaining a consistent high frame-rate, and also the level of artist man-power required to build and populate a scene. what we'll be achieving though is going to be far more complex and detailed than the original games. We aren't starting from the original geometry and HDifying it though.
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[–]Dexyn 2 points 23 heures de ça
Funded on day one of its inception and I'm very excited to see a classic game come back to life.
Thank you, and the team, for trusting the fans to do what's right.
[–]DaveH_SG 3 points 20 heures de ça
Thanks for your support - and that goes for all who've pledged. We really appreciate it.
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[–]Mastro666 2 points 22 heures de ça
nobby Why are you so awesome?
[–]nobby_SG 4 points 20 heures de ça
It comes with age. And I'm so very, very old.
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[–]Rank2 2 points 22 heures de ça
How did you feel when you found out The Pope Himself publicly denounced Carmageddon?
[–]nobby_SG 4 points 20 heures de ça
I was all set to be excommunicated, but annoyingly, it turned out to just be an MP called Greg Pope. But we like to gloss over this fact.
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[–]Colorfag 2 points 22 heures de ça
You guys mentioned in one of your blog posts about exploring the idea of using a upgrade system similar to that of Crackdown (where the vehicle changes appearance drastically, as your vehicle gets upgraded). Ill have to tell you, the transforming vehicles in Crackdown were cool as ! I'm sad that they didn't do that for the second game.
Are you guys still toying with that idea of using that kind of visual upgrade system? If so, do you intend on having the vehicles transform when they upgrade?
[–]nobby_SG 2 points 1 jour de ça
We are still toying, with lots of things. Some even related to the game.
Yeah, one of the things we're still toying with is the stages of visual upgrade... It'll come down to time and budget whether we can do it, and the morphing.
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[–]Rank2 3 points 22 heures de ça
Can you talk about what you had to do to get the rights to the franchise back?
[–]nobby_SG 4 points 20 heures de ça
Years of emails. Lawyers getting progressively richer. A massive sack of money. And the rights were OURS!
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[–]Regulus777 2 points 22 heures de ça
Will there be stats at the end of the match such as number of pedestrian decapitations or number of animals killed, etc?
[–]Simista 2 points 1 jour de ça
Yes! we would like to see more stats in the new game... I personally love stats.. especially more obscure ones! Timesplitters had a great stats!
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[–]fromwithin 3 points 22 heures de ça*
Best game ever made. Can't wait. Who do I talk to about pitching to work on the game? It's the one game I'd love to have on my CV.
Also, I heard while at Psygnosis that we turned down the original Carmageddon because we'd signed Destruction Derby the day before, but I never had it confirmed. Do you know if it's true? Either way we would have wrecked it so I'm glad it never happened.
[–]nobby_SG 2 points 1 jour de ça
By all means pitch to me fromwithin!
Turning down the original? No, it couldn't have been the case unless SCi offered it to Psygnosis after we'd signed with them and I invented the brand! I'm sure I would have remembered that...
Funnily enough though, the demo Patrick and I made that got us our contract with SCi was called "3D Destruction Derby", and we pitched that all over the place (including to Sony) before SCi picked us up - and we then heard soon after about the PSX Destruction Derby launch title. So maybe the story has got shunted around somewhat over the years?
Edited by Tonrac at 11:27:51 21-05-2012
Edited by Tonrac at 11:29:55 21-05-2012
Edited by Tonrac at 11:35:41 21-05-2012
Edited by Tonrac at 11:37:28 21-05-2012
