Yep, honderden bugfixes komen eraan.
Ok stukje uberfragger dan maar.
Lees het goed en begrijp dat ze de nadruk leggen op bugfixes en uitbouwen op bestaande opties.
<UberFrag-Chris> Welcome to the #uberfrag channel, gentlemen. We are proud to have you here. And we want to say a big thanks for taking the time to chat with us. To start off, please introduce yourselves. What are your positions, titles, and responsibilities on the AA team?
<[Dev]ltcjay> ltcjay, I am an active duty ARMY officer assigned as the projects operations officer. i do the army stuff
<[DEV]Abraxas> <--- Executive Producer/Creative Director (Civilian) <---- Runs Dev Team...
<UberFrag-Chris> To date, is there any idea how many people have downloaded the game, as a measure of its popularity?
<[Dev]ltcjay> almost 1 million
<UberFrag-Chris> Has it had the success that you expected?
<[Dev]ltcjay> more than expected july 4th was quite the scene
<UberFrag-Chris> No doubt.
<UberFrag-Chris> How long was the team working on AA before it’s release?
<[DEV]Abraxas> I think so. The game seems to get more popular every day. Typically, we seem to have the highest ration of players to server as any game out there...
<[DEV]Abraxas> I've personally been on this project for almost a year and a half...it was going probably a year before I got here...in a limited form....
<UberFrag-Chris> What was the biggest hurdle that your teams faced in the development process?
* [Dev]raYGunn catches up
* UberFrag-Chris slides raYGunn a chair.
<[Dev]raYGunn>
<[DEV]Abraxas> Certainly learning the engine was a hurdle...
<[Dev]ltcjay> from the army side keeping the game real, yet fun to play ... quite a balance to accomplish
<[DEV]Abraxas> Also, early on the project was not public knowledge, so it was difficult to get experienced people...
<[DEV]Abraxas> It was a learning experience for many of the team members here...
<[Dev]ltcjay> the project remained close hold until release on 4 jul
<[DEV]Abraxas> Of course, another hurdle was balancing realism and fun...which is true of any game like this...
<UberFrag-Chris> Why the Unreal engine?
<[DEV]Abraxas> I've used many different engines in my career. At the time that we started the project, the Unreal tech offered the most bang for our buck. It allowed us to do detailed indoor geometry, as well as extensive terrain...
<[DEV]Abraxas> Plus, being the most modern engine available at the time, it ensured longevity for our long term goals...
<UberFrag-Chris> What goals did you lay out for yourselves when designing missions within the game?
<[Dev]ltcjay> one was to highlight various units in the army
<[Dev]ltcjay> another was to allow folks to see what army training is all about
<[Dev]ltcjay> example, we use MILES, a laser tag type of device to train with so no one gets hurt
<[DEV]Abraxas> All the while offering an experience that competes and even surpasses any of the commercial products available on the market...
<UberFrag-Chris>
Being an Infantry veteran, I can appreciate the realism that was incorp'd into the rifle training.... Was there any worry that this feature would not be a hit with the avg gamers?
<[Dev]ltcjay> also to show the various occupations in the army, which our other game ... Soldiers will do
<[DEV]Abraxas> I don't think so...it plays into the realism of the game, and properly portrays Army activity...
<[Dev]ltcjay> no, we wanted to show the player what it is like on the range. just as we are showing folks that you will get punished for breaking the rules
<[DEV]Abraxas> Many of our players have asked for even more training type levels...
<[Dev]ltcjay> more training levels are coming as we highlight various facets of the army
<[DEV]Abraxas> At this point, you really have to consider what we've done just the foundation...we will be continuing to evolve and expand on the experience...
<UberFrag-Chris> What factors influenced the choices of the game’s various locations?
<[Dev]ltcjay> well for some of the locations there was no choice since airborne school is at Benning we had to go to Benning
<[DEV]Abraxas> Also, locations are chosen based on the types of activities that the Army engages in...
<[Dev]ltcjay> some other considerations was that we wanted to show that the army has posts in several states and is active around the globe
<[Dev]ltcjay> we basically went to where the action was
<[DEV]Abraxas> ...and other locations are just cool!
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]ltcjay> so there was no real influence other than to tell the army story
<UberFrag-Chris> Now a few questions about the missions and play itself.....
<UberFrag-Chris> One that’s really eating me…. Why oh why are the airborne missions only MILES?
<[Dev]raYGunn> FLS is live fire
<[DEV]Abraxas> Well, it used to be...
<[DEV]Abraxas> It makes sense, since the early Airborne missions revolve around training...as we move forward, you will see more Airborne maps that are live fire...
<[Dev]ltcjay> fls was live fire and then we switched it, the issue is to keep the game at a teen rating and not to be a violent shooting game. There are laws to war and in the Army we train, then fight
<[Dev]ltcjay> if you notice the number of MILES vs. LF is about equal
<[Dev]ltcjay> also, fls takes place at JRTC our training center which uses MILES, another realistic point.
<[DEV]Abraxas> It's also important simply to emphasize that training is a big part of the Army experience...
<[Dev]ltcjay> hooah!
<UberFrag-Chris> lol
<UberFrag-Chris> A question that was posted to us earlier...
<UberFrag-Chris> With the stress on realism, why only one or two qualifying shots to be awarded a sniper badge?
<[Dev]ltcjay> that is all they do in the school for those specific ranges
<[DEV]Abraxas> The difference in the game is that we give you another chance. In the real school, if you miss, you're out...
<[Dev]ltcjay> we can not model all the schools instruction so we picked those that would be useful in the game
<[DEV]Abraxas> Kind of makes that one shot seem a little more important
<[Dev]raYGunn> Also don't forget you need to be an Expert Marksman to qualify for the school
<UberFrag-Chris> true.
<UberFrag-Chris> What sparked the latest development and usage of the new “Honor System” that is in place and due for a minor tweak in this next patches release?
<[Dev]ltcjay> we wanted to have a method of showing who are vets and who are newbies
<[DEV]Abraxas> We want players' time invested in the game to mean something. Also, Honor is a big part of the Army's core values.
<UberFrag-Chris> hooah!
<[Dev]raYGunn> it will also tie into future features and school availability
<[Dev]ltcjay> later honor will have MORE meaning and will allow those who achieve certain levels to participate in higher training
<UberFrag-Chris> Can we expand on 'future features' it will relate to?
<[Dev]ltcjay> yes, but only in broad terms.
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]ltcjay> can't let all the surprise out of the bag
<[DEV]Abraxas> Let's just say that as your Honor rises, your abilities may change.
<[DEV]Abraxas> You also may become available for other aspects of the Army...
<[Dev]ltcjay> combat vets will behave differently than green soldiers
<[Dev]ltcjay> stay tuned
<[Dev]ltcjay> keep playing
* UberFrag-Chris is drooling
<UberFrag-Chris> Your game is in direct competition with those that currently sit on the shelves for $50 each such as the great game series by Tom Clancy… How do you feel AA measures up and what makes it different?
<[DEV]Abraxas> I think the game can speak for itself...
<[Dev]ltcjay> i played the very first Clancy game and was quite impressed, it was neat
<[Dev]raYGunn> I've played all of them and enjoy them very much
<[Dev]ltcjay> our game is more realistic, we don't have heartbeat sensors that show good guys from bad
<[Dev]ltcjay> plus there is no such thing as a lone wolf
<[DEV]Abraxas> BTW, raYGunn had a power failure during introductions...he is our Lead Designer here, for those that are wondering...
<[Dev]raYGunn> oh yea, sorry
<[Dev]ltcjay> but each game is great in its own rights
<[Dev]ltcjay> we are not trying to compete with the other games, we just want to show the public what it is REALLY like inthe US ARMY
<[DEV]Abraxas> I don't think that the fact that our game is free is a factor. I've worked on plenty of commercial products, and I treat this one no differently. Just because we're not motivated by the dollar does not mean that our standards are low...
<[DEV]Abraxas> In fact, because the game is offered free, I personally feel that we need to have even higher standards...
<[Dev]raYGunn> in someways our motivation allows us to have higher standards
<UberFrag-Chris> I think that the fact that over a million copies have been downloaded speaks for the great work done thus far.
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]ltcjay> HOOAH!
<UberFrag-Chris>
What were the main considerations for making the selections of the weapons chosen to be included in the game and will there be more weapon selections available moving forward?
<[Dev]raYGunn> we give standard issue equipment from the squad level
<[Dev]ltcjay> the weapons selected are based off of the tables of organization for the unit in play
<[DEV]Abraxas> Well, obviously no one in the Army carries around an arsenal in their pockets...so we had to take that into consideration...
<[DEV]Abraxas> And we will be adding more weapons in the future...
<[Dev]ltcjay> in other words there is an Army document that states what each unit will get, who gets it and how many
<[Dev]raYGunn> future weapon choice will be affected by realism also
<[Dev]ltcjay> more weapons are coming as the Army inventory changes and different units are modeled.
<[Dev]ltcjay> this brings up a good point
<UberFrag-Chris> Will there be a bit more freedom in selecting what weapon you receive when playing?
<[Dev]ltcjay> many have asked why no side arms, well the truth is not many in an infantry squad get a pistol
<[Dev]ltcjay> abraxas you want to hint at the new interface?
<[Dev]raYGunn> your honor will affect your weapon choice more in the future
* UberFrag-Chris does his best abraxas voice and says "YES!"
<[DEV]Abraxas> You have to remember that weapon selection is a PREFERENCE only...the Army does not let you walk into a big room full of guns and pick out your favorite...
<[Dev]raYGunn> unless...
<[Dev]ltcjay> this is what makes our game unique
<[Dev]ltcjay> contrary to popular belief you cannot carry 40000 rounds, a MG and a rocket launcher while eating an MRE
<[Dev]ltcjay>
<UberFrag-MK> : )
<UberFrag-Chris> why would you eat an MRE! Ack!
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]ltcjay> ranger food
<UberFrag-Chris> What updates can we expect in the game browser? Any? Buddy features, etc?
* [DEV]Abraxas cannot eat an MRE while carrying 4000 rounds!
<[Dev]ltcjay> abraxis how about the report
<[DEV]Abraxas> The entire interface is being overhauled. New look, new feel, new features.
<[Dev]ltcjay> by the way mres are better than the c-rations i had back in 79 as a PFC
<[DEV]Abraxas> Plus, the interface will be far more intuitive, scaleable, and expandable for future updates...
<[DEV]Abraxas> Some of this will take a while to come on-line. In the mean time, we have added a Report In feature that will tell other team members your location automatically.
<[Dev]raYGunn> yes, im heading up design on the new interface...
<[Dev]raYGunn> it will be a big improvement
<[DEV]Abraxas> Your location will also be displayed on your HUD while you play. This should improve communication between team members...
<UberFrag-Chris> This is the new feature in the next update, correct?
<[Dev]ltcjay> it is neat!
<[DEV]Abraxas> Yes
<UberFrag-MK> cool
<UberFrag-Chris> Alright… Where are the mortars? We know they are coming….. Right?
<[Dev]raYGunn> duck then
* [DEV]Abraxas looks up at the sky...takes cover...
<UberFrag-Chris> Heheh
<[Dev]ltcjay> we have given it some thought
<UberFrag-Chris> taking cover from the question?
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[DEV]Abraxas> We anticipate that they will come at some point...but probably a ways down the line...
<[Dev]ltcjay> more than likely a 60mm
<[Dev]ltcjay> which is a neat system
<UberFrag-Chris> I’ve heard rumors of a new lightly armored infantry transport… Can you elaborate?
<[Dev]raYGunn> we arent adding anything like that in the game right now
<[Dev]ltcjay> the army has acquired the stryker, which is a wheeled armored vehicle and belongs to the SBCTs (StrykerBrigade Combat Team)
<[Dev]raYGunn> not driveable anyway
<[Dev]ltcjay> we are looking into modeling this force soon which will show the latest and greatest tech that the army has
<[DEV]Abraxas> Not yet anyway
<UberFrag-Chris> Sounds incredible.
<[Dev]ltcjay> this unit is digitally enabled and has all sorts of equipment at its disposal, mnore than ever before
<UberFrag-Chris> Doesn't the stryker have a 50cal mounted on it's roof?
<[Dev]ltcjay> now the infantry squad has an MI soldier attached
<[Dev]ltcjay> yes the stryker has a remotely operated 50 cal and situational awarness
<[Dev]ltcjay> the vehicle is quiet and fast
<[Dev]ltcjay> the 50cal is designed for supression while in a support by fire position
<[Dev]ltcjay> any other ?
<[Dev]ltcjay> i meant other stryker ?
<UberFrag-Chris> Heheh.
<UberFrag-Chris> nope.
<[Dev]ltcjay> if you go to the fort lewis home page you can get more info
<UberFrag-Chris> cb|WeAzE|MaN asks if there is any talk of support vehicles such as tanks, hummers, and if the engine will be able to support items like helicopters such asn in BF1942...
<[DEV]Abraxas> We anticipate adding vehicles at some point. But there are a lot of other elements we want to add first. Vehicles are very difficult to do, and very time consuming. They also will push the hardware significantly. For this reason, we will be holding off on that feature for a while...
<[Dev]ltcjay> remember this is 2002
<[DEV]Abraxas> You also have to keep in mind the "arcade" type gameplay of BF1942. We will not implement vehicles in such a matter. If we do them, we'll do them right...
<[Dev]raYGunn> they did them right for their type of gameplay imho
<UberFrag-Chris> HF|KIR|HanoverFist asks if there will be any added bot support implemented into the game? Any plans on something like this?
<[DEV]Abraxas> Yes, we are planning to add AI to the game...
<[Dev]ltcjay> hooah
<[Dev]raYGunn> =D
<UberFrag-Chris> YES!
<[DEV]Abraxas> We will probably add AI in steps, starting with non-combatants...
<[DEV]Abraxas> We will then move on to Opfor and friendly AI...
<UberFrag-Chris> Very nice!
<[Dev]ltcjay> great point, the battlefield is not sterile
<[DEV]Abraxas> Ultimately, I'd like to see the game offer single player, co-op, and force on force missions...
<[Dev]ltcjay> HOOAH
<UberFrag-Chris> HF|CM_Zealot|Tech asks that since AA does not have the latest Unreal Engine code if there is any ETA on Mark Rein giving out the goods?
<[Dev]raYGunn> "soon" is what we get
<[Dev]ltcjay> coming
<UberFrag-Chris> Heheh
<UberFrag-Chris> HF|CM_Zealot|Tech also asks about incorporating Karma and possibly LipSync tools to the game. Thoughts?
<[DEV]Abraxas> Yes, those are planned...
<[Dev]ltcjay> have someone been reading our e-mail?
<UberFrag-Chris>
<UberFrag-Chris> [75th]Duece78 would like to know if the ABC report in regards to AA has had any direct impact on your team?
<[Dev]ltcjay> no, should it?
<[DEV]Abraxas> Yes...they all feel famous now...
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]raYGunn> report?
<[Dev]ltcjay> by the way do folks know that there is a strategy guide out for the game?
<UberFrag-Chris> Where is it available?
<[Dev]raYGunn>
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/categories/p ... _id=230089
<[Dev]raYGunn> and other places im sure, i just dug that up
<[Dev]ltcjay> best buy is one source along with other stores like EB, Fries, etc....
<[Dev]ltcjay> the guide book comes in a cool box and contains the 1.3.0 build on disc
* [DEV]Abraxas peeks at strategy guide...takes note of something to try on ltcjay...
<[Dev]ltcjay> prima is the publisher
* UberFrag-Chris checks his watch to see when Best Buy closes.
<UberFrag-Chris>
<UberFrag-Chris>
Because the mod community for most fps games have become a driving force in development, will any mod or skinning guides or tools be released to the public?
<[Dev]ltcjay> also there are some contests coming up so check the AA home page
<[DEV]Abraxas> Not at this point. The Mod community drives other games because the developers abandon those games.In this game, development is ongoing...
<[Dev]ltcjay> since the game is reflecting the US Army we have to keep tight control to ensure quality
<[Dev]raYGunn> usually development stops on a commercial game when it ships so the mod community is the thing keeping it going... we are continuing to upgrade the game ourselvs at the moment
<[DEV]Abraxas> Frankly, it would be too difficult for Mod teams to keep up with the changes we make every patch...
<UberFrag-Chris> Does this include letting gamers develop maps?
<[Dev]raYGunn> most likely
<[DEV]Abraxas> At this point, yes. It simply doesn't make sense, both from a technical standpoint and a quality controlperspective...
<[Dev]ltcjay> at this point this is not an option, perhaps when the code is final a system could be established, but that is far down the road
<[Dev]ltcjay> we intend to keep the community engaged by posting enhancements and maps regularly
<UberFrag-Chris> Why the decision to not allow individuals to host their own games on the release? Will this change soon so that more servers will be available to gamers BY gamers?
<[Dev]raYGunn> you can host un-official and LAN servers right now
<[Dev]raYGunn> the new interface will make it easier to manage
<UberFrag-Chris> Will the new change let the Honor System roll smoothly between official servers and un-official servers?
<[Dev]raYGunn> no, we plan on adding more official servers though
<[DEV]Abraxas> Unofficial servers will not be reporting Honor.
<[DEV]Abraxas> Otherwise, the system would be too easily exploited...
<[Dev]ltcjay> to keep the honor in honor points will have to come on an official server
<UberFrag-Chris> MEK|116th asks that since in e.g. weapons cache you can throw grenades through the fence inside the building, will this be changed in the future, so we only can shoot through it?
<[Dev]raYGunn> thats fixed in the next patch
<[Dev]ltcjay> hooah
<UberFrag-Chris>
<UberFrag-Chris> [75th]1LT-Herman would like to know if players will ever be able to take prisoners as seen in the screenshots?
<[Dev]raYGunn> you can still get them under and over those fences though
<[DEV]Abraxas> That's a definite maybe...
<[Dev]ltcjay> once the AI is worked that is a potential option
<[Dev]raYGunn> maybe when we implement bad guy AI
<UberFrag-Chris> Several questions are coming in about how the binos will work in the new patch coming out.... Can you expand a bit on the small amount available on the aa.com site now?
<[Dev]raYGunn> we are giving them to squad and fireteam leaders for now
<[DEV]Abraxas> You put them up to your eyes and you can see farther...
<[Dev]raYGunn> hahaha
<UberFrag-Chris>
<UberFrag-MK> LOL
<[Dev]ltcjay> they will be a leader issue
<[Dev]ltcjay> also they are autofocusing
<UberFrag-Chris> whew.
<[Dev]raYGunn> the beta testers love them
<UberFrag-Chris> SL|Yukon asks about locational damage to buildings to that terrain is affected... Will the engine allow this?
<UberFrag-Chris> (blowing holes in stuff!)
<[Dev]raYGunn> its not very easy to do...
<[DEV]Abraxas> It's not a native feature to the engine. It would likely require some drastic coding. We could do it inlocalized areas, but the same place would blow up every time.
<[DEV]Abraxas> But this is a long term project, so who knows what we'll get to in the future...
<[Dev]raYGunn> unless we switch to the red faction engine?
<[Dev]raYGunn>
<UberFrag-Chris> [FHC]Stealth is asking about 'soldiers' and an ETA and synopsis?
* [Dev]raYGunn looks around
* [DEV]Abraxas begins to whistle to himself...
<UberFrag-Chris> Heheh
<UberFrag-Chris> lol
<[Dev]ltcjay> soldiers will come out next year and will allow folks to experience various jobs in the army
<[Dev]ltcjay> the skills learned in this game will provide you with skills in AA:OPS
<[Dev]ltcjay> the game is kinda like the sims goes Army to provide folks with a picture in their mind, but it is different
<[Dev]ltcjay> it uses photorealistic images and will run on basically any machine with a sound card - technologically it is really cool
<UberFrag-Chris> sounds great.
<[Dev]ltcjay> you will be able to see what the army is like in the barracks and while having fun
<[Dev]ltcjay> there are penalities and rewards
<UberFrag-Chris> Now I'm not sure how much time you have left, but SEVERAL people are asking about [Dev]Cyan's fascination with DragonBall Z?
<UberFrag-Chris> Do you even wanna' touch that?
<UberFrag-Chris>
<[Dev]raYGunn> hes an odd one
* [DEV]Abraxas isn't touching ANYTHING of Cyan's!!!
<[Dev]ltcjay> i am in another room thankfully
<UberFrag-Chris> Hee hee
<[Dev]raYGunn> biznocs
<UberFrag-Chris> Well there were TONS of great questions that came in.......
<[Dev]raYGunn> yes
* [DEV]Abraxas prepares to go shut down Cyan's DrogonBall Z vidoe....
<UberFrag-Chris> I know that you guys are working late to get some things done and need to jam...
<UberFrag-Chris> A question that is a shameless plug of my own....
<[Dev]ltcjay> thanks for the invite
<UberFrag-Chris> Any chance of getting the UberFrag.com site mentioned on the AA site?
* UberFrag-Chris ducks.
<UberFrag-Chris> Hee hee
<[Dev]raYGunn> i crashed it, sorry
<[Dev]ltcjay> certainly
<[Dev]raYGunn> the chat!
<[DEV]Abraxas> Sure, anyone is free to post on the forum!
<UberFrag-Chris> bah!
<UberFrag-Chris> lol
<UberFrag-Chris> Well thanks so much guys. You have been great and we really appreciate you taking the time to answer the q's.
<[DEV]Abraxas> No problem...any time........(well, not any time....)
<[Dev]raYGunn> sure
we often hang in #americasarmy irc.homelan.com too
<UberFrag-Chris> Everyone here is welcome to shoot us some q's, as the dev team has agreed to let us consolidate them and get answers back to all of you.
<[Dev]ltcjay> have a great weekend and PLAY AMERICA"S ARMY, the Official Game of the US Army
<UberFrag-Chris> Thanks so much.
....
Heel verhaal, maar zoals ergens te lezen is, is de unreal warfare code niet geheel vrijgeven.
Ze gebruiken tot nu toe nog steeds een ruwe versie van iets dat heel mooi kan worden.
Heel misschien zijn andere spelletjes makers met dezelfde engine wat huiverig voor wat AA zou kunnen worden.
Ikzelf begon AA pas te waarderen na zo'n 40 uur spelen, nu nog smijt ik soms de comp uit als de lag niet te harden is in bijv tunnel of recentelijk weapon cache.
Ik hou me staande met de wetenschap dat er aan gewerkt wordt
Je zult dan wel even moeten zoeken 