Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus Interview

Ever since it was first showcased back in '99 at the ECTS show in London, Ground Control has been garnering plenty of attention and words of praise from the press for its outstanding visuals and dynamic action-oriented strategy gameplay. This time around, the folks at Massive Entertainment have prepared something special for us. ActionTrip.com has caught up with Henrik Sebring, Lead Game Designer, to discuss the progress of Massive's upcoming, long-awaited sequel. As you can see from the exclusive screenshots provided with the Q&A, the game is definitely looking better than ever.

Unleash the fireworks, baby!

It’s awfully quiet tonight.

Action Trip: What would you say are the main strengths for each of the warring factions?

Henrik Sebring: The two factions are very different on the actual battlefield. The NSA relies on cruder but somewhat conventional technology. They have a wide selection of different infantry types and vehicles. They excel in dominating the ground with their heavy terradynes backed up by support units such as the long-range mobile artillery and dual-purpose (anti-missile/air-defense) rocket vehicle. One of the strengths of NSA is that they have superior numbers and can more easily go for flanking maneuvers.

The Virons on the other hand are extremely flexible, as they rely on melding units together on the battlefield. A Viron unit is generally much stronger than the NSA units but suffers more when their units are actually killed. Also, being organic allows the Viron units to regenerate their health on the battlefield. Virons can easily master hit and run tactics - their units are fast using hovers and can even travel over water.

AT: You said in one of your previous interviews that, "Most of the units come to their full effect when combined with other unit types." Can you give us a few examples (besides the earlier mentioned Ravager Tank)?

HS: The NSA mobile artillery has a great weapon range (reach out and touch someone) but its own view range is greatly limited. The NSA player can use stealthy snipers behind enemy lines (hiding in forests) to provide targets for the artillery. The artillery itself can be placed in safety behind hills or buildings lobbing deadly shells on the target.

The Virons are definitely affected by combining units since they are able to meld two different units together in order to create a completely new unit. One of the extreme combinations for the Virons comes from using their Screamer Helidyne. The Screamer Helidyne isn't offensive in its own right but combined will improve the firepower of other units nearby.

AT: How will the Acquisition Points work, and how do you gain them in combat?

HS: Acquisition Points (or AP for short) are gained by controlling strategically placed Victory Locations and by destroying enemy units. These AP are then used to call down reinforcements, upgrade the dropship and call down support weapons (artillery strikes, smoke screens) on the battlefield.

AT: Can you tell us a bit more about the new features of the improved dropships?

HS: One of the "trademarks" of the original Ground Control was the dropships - huge shuttles that ferried down troops to the battlefield. We wanted to make these even more prominent in GCII and also for the player to be able to use them on the actual battlefield.

The player can upgrade his dropship by spending AP and time. A dropship has six different attributes that can be improved. Armor gives better protection from enemy fire, firepower increases weapon strength, sensors improve the scouting capabilities of the dropship, cargo allows the player to bring down more reinforcements at a time, engines increases the dropship speed and finally fuel allows the dropship to stay longer on the battlefield.

We believe that the dropship will add an additional layer of tactics to the game. In the early and middle game, the dropship will help to tip the balance of the game, and a fully upgraded dropship by the endgame will be able to deliver that extra powerful punch in an offensive maneuver!

AT: Considering how you plan to make some of the maps look like a futuristic version of WWII Stalingrad, what efforts have been made to ensure that the AI is up to the challenge?

HS: The AI is adept in making choices of where to attack the enemy, and to use the dense terrain to its advantage - encircling the enemy and attacking from several streets at once. We also teach the AI where potential dangerous ambush points are and where to counter them...

AT: What are some of the elements of GC2's map design that you think players will enjoy the most?

HS: I strongly believe that GCII's realistic scale and detail will amaze players - especially in pitched city battles where each city block is a potential ambush... and haven't you always wanted to fight your last stand from the protection walls of a sushi restaurant??? :