The idea of a global energy crisis makes us kinda nervous
HEXUS:
How far is Frontlines: Fuel OF War into the development phase
Frank: Right now, it’s just about alpha and still on schedule for Fall.
HEXUS:
What’s the basic story in Frontlines?
Frank: The game is set in 2024 amidst a global energy crisis. The dwindling oil supplies have caused the economy to go crazy around the world and we’re in a desperate situation. Everyone needs to do what they need to do to survive, so two coalitions have formed in order to control the resources. The US and UK make up the Western Coalition and China and Japan make up the Red Star Alliance.
HEXUS:
Ouch, sounds kinda like a vision of the future?
Frank: Well, the funny thing is we did a lot of research about what’s going on in the world with oil. Russia and China do have something called the Shanghai agreement where they actually do joint military exercises because they are afraid of something like this happening, so it’s pretty scary thinking that Frontlines has elements of what could be actual reality one day.
Click for larger imageHEXUS:
We presume you play from the perspective of the Western Coalition?
Frank: Yep, in the single player campaign you play as the Western Coalition, but in multiplayer you be able to play as either side.
HEXUS:
Tell us about our squad and the single player campaign?
Frank: You are part of a division called the Stray Dogs, although you are not a specific person within that division, you are part of the whole unit. The reason why is because the game stretches out into humongous battles in tanks and aircraft where one person isn’t necessarily the best tank driver or pilot. So we chose a division route. So, you are with this squad of individuals that are with you throughout the game and an embedded reported who acts as the story teller in the game. He’s always telling you little pieces of the back story and is with you on the battlefield and you even have to help him sometimes. The game is more about his journal of the whole experience from the beginning to the end of the campaign.
Your frontline consists of 5 guys, so you have 5 lives to finish the mission. If you lose those lives another frontline will be dropped in by helicopter and you’ll start over. You have a number of objectives to complete which can be completed in any order you want. You have the option to pick different soldier types, such as a sniper or a heavy assault guy, rocket guy and so on; you basically pick and choose the weapons you want. We’ve also incorporated roles into the game, so you can choose from the likes of ground support, recon, attacking and defensive roles. Each of these roles actually upgrade during the game. In multiplayer you can rank up a role in about 30 minutes, so you need to think tactically about which role you want to choose. For example: if you want to be able to unleash a nuclear air-strike you’d choose the air strike role, but depending on what the other team chooses you’ll need to make sure you counter the other teams' roles. For that there’s a counter measure role that can stop air strikes from happening, can take out drones or even shock vehicles to stop them in their tracks.
Click for larger imageOne of the roles is the drone tech. One of his abilities is to throw out a flying drone to find out where enemies are hiding. When he’s used his drones long enough he’ll eventually rank up to drone tech 2 where he’ll be able to control a ground based drone with a machine gun attached. He can actually become the drone controlling it in first person or can drive or shoot it remotely. Some of the drones have rockets, mortars and explosives.
