GRAW2 PC Q&A with PC developer GRIN's CEO Bo Andersson

[Papa6]

Seems strange that there will be only Nine Multiplayer maps isnt this one of the top reasons why people got bored in the first place, lack of variety, come guys you have to add more than this, unless im reading it wrong.

The GR series is mainly marketed as a single player and coop first person shooter series. 9 maps would even be much for a game of this type. If it's not enough, make your own.

I would disagree with you there. The majority of word of mouth, reviews, and online players from GR1 were of the multplayer TvT breed.

If you made a pole at GR.net asking what people play, you will get a heavy co-op result as this site has always been known for its co-op map makers and modders therefore the results would be bias.

Having both a strong co-op and multiplayer element will be the key to Graw 2's success.

Once again, Coop is a multiplayer game mode.

There are many things that will contribute to GRAW2 being a success and not just one area. Remember, there were and probably still are many who do not ever play online and they too deserve a well rounded SP experience. While many of us here play MP of some sort, we have others here do have never played online and do not intend to start. Should they be left out of the GR/GRAW experience?

well if we have the scripting freedom, then can we script more players for the MP-COOP?

Added: Grin? can you allow us the freedom to add more than 4 players please? perhaps in the drop down box in selecting how many players have enough slots for 12? or let us use scriptiing to add as many as 12?

there should be a good work around. with all the talent here, why can't it be done successfully?

Edited May 16, 2007 by Papa6

[Tinker]

You`ll not see more than 4. Well, i am guessing but...

You need 2 Objectives at least for making missions otherwise. 1: Do the job etc... 2: Extract or kill all. Give the 2, and would be really nice.

Tinker

[Papa6]

maybe Grins not sure how and what to give us in way of modding. This might be the case. But if they give us comprehensive tools that they use then the skys the limit.

Bo and Co. really need to get with us and find out what they can do to help modding. I mean there's enough people here with the skill to really make a difference.

[ROCO*AFZ*]

...and only one objective in [GR] coop?...

oh.. I dont think that information is correct.

Mattias Wiking

multiplayer programmer

Thanks for clarifying Wiking... I play mainly TVT but an occasional co-op... and i'm sure you just gave some releif to the co-op group.

Seems strange that there will be only Nine Multiplayer maps isnt this one of the top reasons why people got bored in the first place, lack of variety, come guys you have to add more than this, unless im reading it wrong.

The GR series is mainly marketed as a single player and coop first person shooter series. 9 maps would even be much for a game of this type. If it's not enough, make your own.

I would disagree with you there. The majority of word of mouth, reviews, and online players from GR1 were of the multplayer TvT breed.

If you made a pole at GR.net asking what people play, you will get a heavy co-op result as this site has always been known for its co-op map makers and modders therefore the results would be bias.

Having both a strong co-op and multiplayer element will be the key to Graw 2's success.

Did you see... gamespy ladders upon release? That will help the TVT at least. I wonder how they will be admined?

[ARDelta]

Will the game allow in game voice communication?

Yes, through Teamspeak services.

That one made me laugh.

But seriously, Wiking, can you clear up, or get someone to clear up the confusion regarding the number of possible objectives in [GR] coop?

BTW, thanks to Grin and Ubi for releasing some info!

[Puros]

It seems like it was a good time to check back for in. Now that I have graduated and moved on to settle into the new job, I will have time to give the game and team proper attention. Looking forward for the release.

------------------------------------------------------------------

*A large cloud of dust bellowed up as the weapons locker door squealed opened*

"Man," Coughed Puros and winced, "Sorry, Boys...they have been neglecting you."

Puros craps his favorite equalizer and mocks, "A shooter needs an education, Command said...It will make you calmer person...Now, all I got is a piece of paper to wipe with and skanky gear. They'll see how calm I am when I use their 5 O’clock shadow to scrub the rust out of the receiver"

*With a blue cloud of stogie smoke trailing, he stomped off cradling his weapon finding new colorful expletives*

[rossiski]

...and only one objective in [GR] coop?...

oh.. I dont think that information is correct.

Mattias Wiking

multiplayer programmer

Don't you love the constant confusions?

It's always smoke and mirrors pre-release.

[GRIN_Wolfsong]

But seriously, Wiking, can you clear up, or get someone to clear up the confusion regarding the number of possible objectives in [GR] coop?

He already has. Some posters have just not reed it judging by the content of their posts. More then 1.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Wolfsong

[Papa6]

But seriously, Wiking, can you clear up, or get someone to clear up the confusion regarding the number of possible objectives in [GR] coop?

He already has. Some posters have just not reed it judging by the content of their posts. More then 1.

Wolfsong, you damn cheater, you live in Sweden! who are you trying to kid anyway

[GRIN_Wolfsong]

Well some good info and some not so good.

Dedi server and remote access is a good thing. Only 9 maps is a bad thing. Even if they do have night and day senerios it's still just 9 maps. Me thinks me smells an exspansion comming out soon after with another 9 maps.

Those where the MP maps. Then there are the SP maps.

But seriously, Wiking, can you clear up, or get someone to clear up the confusion regarding the number of possible objectives in [GR] coop?

He already has. Some posters have just not reed it judging by the content of their posts. More then 1.

Wolfsong, you damn cheater, you live in Sweden! who are you trying to kid anyway

Well how would you interpret this?:

...and only one objective in [GR] coop?...

oh.. I dont think that information is correct.

Mattias Wiking

multiplayer programmer

Edited May 16, 2007 by Wolfsong

[viiiper]

9 Maps is Good, Remember when GRAW1 cam out it had 5 maps ?

Church, Warehouses, Avenues, Downtown, Shanty town.

Then later patches came extra maps, Hollow, Com station & Cape were added and with siege came Strongpoint, a total of official maps 9. So GRAW 2 coming with 9 from the off is a big plus !.

Secondly like Roco posted and original post, the mention of Admin tools.... and Player leader board stats, this means id details are pumped out to gamespy, they can be intercepted and pumped out to your own website. I now know why GRIN have been so quite, NDA & busy bee's.... This is where GRAW 1 should of started off, but like theysay, better late than never.

viii

Edit Add P.S.

All you moaners about 9 maps, The community on GR:AW1 mapped over 70+ Multiplayer maps and similar Co-op maps and you still get board, if you don't want community made mods then you don't know what the Ghost Recon series is built on. Mods is where Ghost Recon lives, the devs, give you the foundation and you as a community build on it, GRIN can not make everything, they have a budget to work too.....

[Panic]

All you moaners about 9 maps, The community on GR:AW1 mapped over 70+ Multiplayer maps and similar Co-op maps and you still get board, if you don't want community made mods then you don't know what the Ghost Recon series is built on. Mods is where Ghost Recon lives, the devs, give you the foundation and you as a community build on it, GRIN can not make everything, they have a budget to work too.....

i think the belief that GR lives on mods is slightly exaggerated. It's true that the last men supporting the game are usually modders but how many people who own the games actually anticipate mods or run only mods on their server?

there is only a handful of active GRAW servers anyway, we had to drop modded maps because noone would join the server because they have to download the mod and restart the game, in the mean time the rounds have finished and they have to miss the next round downloading maps, then they give up and never come back because they never have a game.

this week we have run stock only maps and the server is full every night.

we had over 70 new maps on the server, 90% got deleted straight away because they are so buggy, or try to overpower you with 10,000 AI and 150 choppers. with the rest being so predictable there is little or no replayability. hardly prolonging the gamelife.

i guess i have different priorities, but i tend to think that clan wars / ladders / matches can help push the game along quite nicely, with only 3 HH maps or seige maps it's pretty much impossible to have decent matches = no game promotion on any large mutigaming websites, i mean in [GR] you had 48 stock maps to choose from in multiplyer which lead to successful clan support for several years.

lack of players/playability online = casual gamers get bored quickly and move on, then you get left with only modders in the community but with a small number of players to feed.

GRAW 2 has a great opportunity escpeiclly as a lot of ppl actualy have a computer that enables them to run the game compaired to when GRAW1 came out thanks to Intel's cheap and powerful chips. GRAW was a great game when you could actually play it . we just need a stack of good quality stock maps to keep us occupied

before anyone fries me for knocking modders - yes ive done modding before, and i much prefer playing the game so don't anymore. i don't mean to sound harsh but i'm being honest... i'd rather see 1 super map that is recognised comunity-wide and maybe suitable for matching on than 70 buggy ones that are unsuitable to play.

[viiiper]

All you moaners about 9 maps, The community on GR:AW1 mapped over 70+ Multiplayer maps and similar Co-op maps and you still get board, if you don't want community made mods then you don't know what the Ghost Recon series is built on. Mods is where Ghost Recon lives, the devs, give you the foundation and you as a community build on it, GRIN can not make everything, they have a budget to work too.....

i think the belief that GR lives on mods is slightly exaggerated. It's true that the last men supporting the game are usually modders but how many people who own the games actually anticipate mods or run only mods on their server?

there is only a handful of active GRAW servers anyway, we had to drop modded maps because noone would join the server because they have to download the mod and restart the game, in the mean time the rounds have finished and they have to miss the next round downloading maps, then they give up and never come back because they never have a game.

this week we have run stock only maps and the server is full every night.

we had over 70 new maps on the server, 90% got deleted straight away because they are so buggy, or try to overpower you with 10,000 AI and 150 choppers. with the rest being so predictable there is little or no replayability. hardly prolonging the gamelife.

i guess i have different priorities, but i tend to think that clan wars / ladders / matches can help push the game along quite nicely, with only 3 HH maps or seige maps it's pretty much impossible to have decent matches = no game promotion on any large mutigaming websites, i mean in [GR] you had 48 stock maps to choose from in multiplyer which lead to successful clan support for several years.

lack of players/playability online = casual gamers get bored quickly and move on, then you get left with only modders in the community but with a small number of players to feed.

GRAW 2 has a great opportunity escpeiclly as a lot of ppl actualy have a computer that enables them to run the game compaired to when GRAW1 came out thanks to Intel's cheap and powerful chips. GRAW was a great game when you could actually play it . we just need a stack of good quality stock maps to keep us occupied

before anyone fries me for knocking modders - yes ive done modding before, and i much prefer playing the game so don't anymore. i don't mean to sound harsh but i'm being honest... i'd rather see 1 super map that is recognised comunity-wide and maybe suitable for matching on than 70 buggy ones that are unsuitable to play.

I disagree with 48 stock maps"[Ghost Recon], which was after 3 map pack add ons, which GRAW never got, all it got was patches and within those patches were additional modes which sported there maps, which the odd few crossed over modes.

[Ghost Recon], still runs today and most servers play mods, which are active and downloaded prior to joining and not when you join like GRAW. There are those that dislike loading a custom map and then restarting the game and I admit I too dislike it and think it is one of GRAW's flaws but thats no excuse to move away from mods. Mods were and still are to this day what [GR] does, it is what made it what it is, if it remained stock it word be boring like GRAW.

You and I disagree on the point that I think mods are essential for GRAW I/II to move forward where you think it should be the developers that give a big bunch of maps. I think and I believe from your post you know, if GRIN sorted out the map download aspect and the add MOD, enable/ disable MOD, then we would have a painless road to making GRAW2 a contender. Even GRIN have said they see GRAW being modded for years and this will only add to the game. As for poor mods, maps and the likes... I say, try it, leave feedback and delete it, that way the good modders & mappers will float to the top and the poor ones will leave or get better.

Playing a server so they remain full is not the way to go, playing servers that are fun and give a community what it needs is the way. If all servers were like what yours is at the moment then we'd all be playing stock maps till we die, no fun at all (in my book). We need servers with custom maps, mods and tournaments to let the community have a choice.

[GRIN_Wolfsong]

i guess i have different priorities, but i tend to think that clan wars / ladders / matches can help push the game along quite nicely, with only 3 HH maps or seige maps it's pretty much impossible to have decent matches = no game promotion on any large mutigaming websites, i mean in [GR] you had 48 stock maps to choose from in multiplyer which lead to successful clan support for several years.

I understand you're point, but there is also a big flaw in that comparison that you're not the first to make.

We had 5 MP balanced maps and 15 SP balanced maps which could be used in MP for the first 10 months. Oh, we did get the demo map patched in so we had 6 MP balanced maps a few months after release. Can't compare content included in a new game with that of a new game with 2 expanisions and patches.

we had over 70 new maps on the server, 90% got deleted straight away because they are so buggy, or try to overpower you with 10,000 AI and 150 choppers. with the rest being so predictable there is little or no replayability. hardly prolonging the gamelife.

Making custom maps for playing HH, Siege, DM and TDM isn't hard and shouldn't have had those problems if the modders just get decent feedback and update their stuff. And if your looking for maps for that simply don't get the [GR] ones which are most likely the buggy ones and the only ones which can be overpowering.

EDIT: Oh, Viiiper managed to get another post with similar contents in while I was writing.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Wolfsong

[Halli~SPARTA~]

I do not want to get off topic but Panic I would say VIIIPER 's Maps are a great asset to the BDA and community

they have strenghtened our Group and When He makes a Map Everyone Dies to play them.

I have yet to see a VIII map that has glitches or bugs. Also The new maps in rotation are designed to have better FPS I play on a P4 w/AGP and get in the 50's.

We still see great numbers at the BDA Server and feel that this will only Grow with the anticipated new maps that will be made by our modders.

[viiiper]

EDIT: Oh, Viiiper managed to get another post with similar contents in while I was writing.

LOL, I love threads like this cos you can feel the different

members talking together for the same goal...

and yes, think we are on the same page..

[Colin]

9 maps is more than we had with one.

I am sure even as we speak more are being made for later release.

The mod tools which we had in one were hard to get around and did have some bugs, but this time round we will have the same tools as the dev team, this has been stated in a previous q.and a.

I dont see map numbers as an issue at all.

Bo last time got him self into slightly hot water and the some of us too with a couple of statments about what can and cant be done.

No offence mate

This time round we are getting much more precise information and more detailed.

As we have seen with even this info is being corrected if needs be by the team if it is slightly not accurate, Mattias Wiking

Multiplayer Programmer, this shows a lot has been learnt from the last version both with the game and how the information is passed onto the community.

This to me says 2 things, they have listened more to the community this time round.

Why.

The devs spend a lot of time here reading making notes, they talk and keep in contact with modders,server reps,staff, members, so over the year the ties get closer and direction becomes more clearer.

This ultimatly makes there job easier.

They keep a lid on it people until they know they can produce the goods before releasing the info.

This time the info has been very slow, but when we get it its been accurate and very good.

A dev team that dosent listen to the community and the larger gameing community will make a poor product.

The more time spent with a coummunity the better the outcome, and this looks to be the case with Graw II.

I am hopeing that people will not dwell too much on the past problems with Graw I and move forward, as have the Dev Team.

[Rocky]

I do not want to get off topic but Panic I would say VIIIPER 's Maps are a great asset to the BDA and community

I don't want to get off topic either, but I'll just agree with that particular point, as I just read some comments in the downloads section about Viiiper's latest maps which have gone down a storm and people are crying out for [GR] versions

Back on topic, I do also agree with the sentiment of Colin's post above.

I am hopeing that people will not dwell too much on the past problems with Graw I and move forward, as have the Dev Team.

[ROCO*AFZ*]

I'm not as much into co-op or mods, but i have to agree that they are definately "part" of what keeps the game going. Some of those also were very challenging even to us TVT'ers.

The 2 main parts that make up a succesful game besides game play of course are...

#1 (#1 for me though co-opers will disagree ) Matchability. To be able to quickly set up a match and play clan vs clan easily. GRAW1 is capable now, but with all the bugs until it got to this point most matching clans moved on.

Gamespy clan matches and clan id's is a major plus... although who is going to admin them? I'm questioning this... but still all in all... it will get the ball rolling and also cause peeps to re-unite into clans.

#2 Ability to Create new maps and gametypes. Note i didn't say mods. Mods are nice and fun but don't always add to the longivity like map packs and new gametypes might. They are less dangerous to install (anticheat won't kick you for them and such) and provide a challenge but yet keep in line with what the developers wanted.

Colin, i must say good post and i agree fully.

[ARDelta]

Well how would you interpret this?:

...and only one objective in [GR] coop?...

oh.. I dont think that information is correct.

Mattias Wiking

multiplayer programmer

I would interpret it as the CEO of Grin saying that there is only one objective and Wiking as saying he doesn't think that is right. No offense, but Mattias's statement is not exactly definitive. When I asked him to clear up the confusion, I meant could he state specifically how many objectives are allowed. I should have been more specific with my question.

[JJUK]

Edited May 16, 2007 by JJUK

[Cell]

From the experience with the beta, the screens and the gameplay preview video, it looks like it is going to be pretty sweet. As long as the bugs are worked out and it can be matched... content add ons can come later, without worrying about fixes. Really looking forward to this one. Hopefully its on time....a clean complete product is more important.... Keep up the good work GRIN..patiently awaiting the release.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Cell*AFZ*

[ematsui]

Multiplayer functionalities

Will the game have dedicated servers?

Yes, the game will have dedicated servers at release. We’re currently testing them with the Closed Beta, and have European & US servers.

Is there a standalone dedicated server application to create my own server?

Yes, there is. You can install it on any PC (no need to have the CD in the drive, no powerful GPU needed). It includes admin tools & remote control.

Will there be a multiplayer demo?

Yes, this will be detailed in a separate announcement!

Will there be an anti-cheat system?

Yes, this is a GRIN developed tool.

Will the game allow in game voice communication?

Yes, through Teamspeak services.

Will the game have online leaderboards?

Yes, we will have ladders, including clan ladders, using Gamespy services.

http://ghostrecon.uk.ubi.com/newspost.php?news_id=5525

[GRIN_Wolfsong]

Multiplayer functionalities

All of your post is included in the first post in this topic....

[{B:P:R}Joker]

i suppose we have to look at it do we want more than 9 nine maps or do we want a more or less running perfect game so that we dont have to have patch after patch again.

In an ideal world i guess that we would want both from the start but we all no that wont happen.

As long as the way the modded maps install and you dont have to restart like before changes then it might take the pain off only 9 nines maps but ill guess we will have to wait and see.