Shack: For only $10 bucks, I think it's safe to say that Euro Force, the first Battlefield 2 booster pack, was a pretty safe buy for any BF2 player. What did you learn from the development of Euro Force, and how will it differ from/be similar to Armored Fury?
Tom Galt: We learned 2 valuable lessons, at least from the design side of the Euro Force booster pack. The first lesson was that while everybody seemed to enjoy the 3 new levels, which maps people liked depended on their play styles. The infantry players preferred Great Wall, while the pilots and tank drivers gravitate to Operation Smoke Screen and Taraba Quarry. For Armored Fury, we've tried to strike a better balance between the 3 disciplines, and I think the levels are much better for it. From the content side, people enjoyed the new vehicles but many hoped that the vehicles would offer some new gameplay when in fact they are pretty much just variations on the existing themes. In BF2, a tank is a tank. So for Armored Fury, we have focused on providing new types of vehicles that can offer players something different than what already exists in Battlefield 2.
Shack: It's interesting to use the term "booster pack" instead of "expansion pack," as most video games do. In fact, when I think of boosters, I think of add-ons for trading card games. One aspect of Euro Force that immediately caught my eye was the $10 price tag. That, to me, is the sort of price I can feel safe making an investment in. If I like it, great; if not, well... only $10 down the drain, right? Was this the main reasoning for a "booster pack" type approach? Tell us more about this sort of take on expanding the BF2 universe.
Tom Galt: You hit the nail right on the head there. One of the nice things with the booster pack approach is that gamers can pick and choose the content they want to buy without being forced to shell out cash for stuff they may not even want. At $9.99, the booster pack becomes an impulse buy for many people. Heck, it's cheaper than going to see a movie nowadays!
Shack: What's the storyline behind Armored Fury?
Tom Galt: With the fighting continuing to rage in the Middle East and Asia, the Chinese and MEC have been slowly putting the pieces into place for a massive joint invasion of the USA. Russia has agreed to allow China use of their ports as a staging area for an invasion of Alaska. After landing at Valdez, a major port for the export of oil from the Alaskan pipeline, the Chinese plan to push inland and then south through the Canadian oil sands in Alberta, one of the largest deposits of oil in North America. Meanwhile, the MEC forces have been gathering in the Caribbean and South America for multiple landings all along the east coast of USA, poised to strike at its heart, Washington D.C. Armored Fury depicts a few of the battles in the very early stages of the invasion.
Shack: Tell us as much as you can about each of the new maps where conflict will be waged: will one require certain strategies over the others; what sets each apart, etc
Tom Galt: All of the new levels will require players to mix up their infantry and armor tactics to win the battle. While the levels all have a similar mix of vehicles, the landscape and base layouts make for some unique fighting in each. Operation Harvest depicts America's desperate attempt to halt the MEC advance towards Washington D.C. The defense of their capitol is being made at a river crossing in Pennsylvania, the landscape dominated by farm houses and recently harvested fields, with scattered hay bales providing great cover for advancing troops. Midnight Sun takes place in Alaska, shortly after the Chinese took control of the port of Valdez. USMC reinforcements have just arrived, and the counter attack to push the Chinese army back into the Baltic Sea is about to begin. The battle here is one for oil, and the landscape is dominated by the industry, from the Alaskan pipeline and the oil refineries to the villages that have grown to service them. Operation Road Rage is another fight between the USMC and the MEC, this time for control of a highway overpass critical for moving supplies up and down the eastern seaboard. The overpass is the focal point of this map, with battles raging around it in a junk yard, a strip mall, and highway service stations.
Shack: Armored Fury seems to be emphasizing vehicles as one of its main selling points. Tell us all about the new machines of war we'll get to drive, pilot, etc. into battle: what are their strengths, weaknesses, intricacies, etc.
Tom Galt: Armored Fury sees the introduction of ground attack aircraft and scout helicopters to Battlefield 2. The ground attack aircraft are relatively slow jets, but they carry some awesome firepower in the front cannons and can drop 4 heavy bombs before going to rearm. Each of the original Battlefield 2 armies has a new jet. The USMC have the A10 ‘Warthog', the MEC use the Su39 ‘Frogfoot', and China employs the Q5 ‘Fantan' to deadly effect.
The scout helicopters are strongest against infantry, although they can take out light armor as well. The 2 mini-cannons are ineffective against heavy armor, but then any passengers with anti-armor capabilities can use their own weapons against armored targets. To live up to their name, the scout helicopters are equipped with radar that will detect enemies for the entire team to see. The speed, agility and versatility of the scout helicopters make them a valuable addition to all the armies! The new choppers include the MD 530 ‘Littlebird' for the USMC, the EC 635 for the MEC, and the WZ 11 for China.
Shack: Speaking of vehicles: I'm a foot soldier, I'll admit it. Will I get completely mauled with all these machines rolling and flying around? In other words, what sort of balancing issues has the team had to deal with in order to ensure that players who opt (or maybe don't even have a choice) to not operate vehicles still have a fighting chance?
Tom Galt: This can be a tricky issue to deal with, and we've spent a lot of time trying to make sure infantry won't be overwhelmed by the all the vehicles. What we tried to do in all of the levels is to create paths for infantry that provide lots of cover options, so you're never stuck out in the open for too long. In many cases, infantry can access areas where vehicles cannot follow, or it's simply too dangerous for them.
Shack: What has been done to air combat in terms of tweaking?
Tom Galt: We haven't tweaked the air combat for Armored Fury, although the addition of scout helicopters has added a new dimension to the battle for the skies. It's not uncommon to look up and see scout helicopters circling each other, mini-cannons blazing.
Shack: Besides vehicles, what else will players be given access to in terms of battle gadgets?
Tom Galt: Armored Fury includes the 3 new levels and 6 new vehicles, but the recently released patch 1.3 included the new Commander Vehicle Drop ability which allows them to airdrop jeeps for teammates anywhere on the battlefield.
Shack: Tell us a bit about the co-op single player feature; the bots, specifically. I've found that, in playing other FPS games that make use of bots, they're either too stupid or too obviously cheating their way to victory. Also, will the co-op campaigns be limited to certain maps?
Tom Galt:
All Battlefield levels that have been playable in single player will be available for use in co-op mode as well, and it's a great way for just a few players to have fun with the maps. The bots aren't as challenging as human opponents, but they know their way around the maps and put up a good fight. Co-op mode is a great way to learn the maps and develop new tactics.Shack: And now, the bread-n-butter: multiplayer. What sort of changes, new additions, etc. does Armored Fury hold in store for BF2-ers?
Tom Galt: Our focus for Armored Fury was on the maps and vehicles. Those nifty new features are part of the new 1.3 patch.
Shack: So what's the deal with the BF2 1.3 patch? Since Armored Fury will require it, what was the purpose of the patch in terms of problems to fix, balancing issues to address, etc.? In other words, what's the patch all about, and how will it affect Armored Fury?
Tom Galt: Patch 1.3 addressed a number of Battlefield 2 bugs and added some new features, including Co-op mode and the Commander Vehicle Drop feature.
Shack: Thanks for your time! Anything else you want to add?
Tom Galt: We've had a great time developing the Armored Fury booster pack and have played a lot of intense battles. I'm really looking forward to getting this in the hands of the community and learning some new tactics from all the experts out there!
