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 In my search for the next hidden MMORPG gem, I came across War Dog Studios and their hidden mechanized raison d'etre Force of Arms.
Being a long time follower of FASA's Battletech miniature game and Activision's PC based Mechwarrior and MW: Mercenaries franchise, FoA has stroked that flame of mecha based MMO warfare that has lain dormant for so long. Utilizing an ultra realistic combat engine and promising a plethora of game design innovations and features which will appeal to those players looking to harken back to those days of yore when the Mechwarrior series was at the apex of popularity.
I recently got a chance to chat with Jeff Newcomb of War Dog Studio's to discuss the creation and guiding forces governing the development of Force of Arms.
Lets read what he had to say:
For those not familiar with your project please describe War Dog Studios and your current project: Force of Arms.
Wardog Studios was loosely formed under the "Force of Arms Project" umbrella around 2004 by several "gamer types" who were dissatisfied by our experiences with the only Sci-Fi game available at the time: Star Wars Galaxies. We started off with a single forum post by our founder, Patrick "Ham" Hamilton, that asked if there were any players with an interest in developing a Mech based MMORPG. I don't remember the exact number, but more than 15 of us got together and began to outline a game system, built around a working pen and paper based Mechanized Infantry game that Ham had spent at least 10 years creating. Our focus then was to better serve the player base by producing a game that was fun, challenging, bug free, and unexploitable, while taking better care of our employer: The Gamer. It was a lofty goal then, and still the way we roll today.
Fans of past Mech based games will be pleased to know that we are almost all Mech fans (I'm not naming the guilty party here,) and will be including different levels of technology that are representative of all they are used to, as well as some new Mechs that are top notch.
What is driving War Dog Studios to create this MMOG?
While I would like to be able to tell all the people out there with stars in their eyes that we're doing this to become filthy rich game developers that drive around in Ferrari's and smoke Cuban cigars lit with $100 bills, that would be a lie. All of the owners and contractors with the Force of Arms project want to create something that we can be proud of, and something you will want to play. We watch with amazement as, almost every day, we read about yet another game developer who sells out, compromises, or releases a product that they themselves would not play, just to satisfy <insert villain here>. Every step we have taken, from doing our own development to our alliance with the up and coming Multiverse platform, has been in an effort to assert an acceptable level of control over our Intellectual Property, so that you, the gamer, get to play a game you would have made for yourself.
As a gamer, don't you get tired of empty, or broken promises? Patches that are larger than the game you paid $50 for? Game features that are broken, and never fixed? My personal favorite: having my favorite attributes being nerfed into oblivion because some 12 year old throws a tantrum on the forum, when the problem is really that he just doesn't know how to play. (How many creature handlers from SWG are reading this? How about Riflemen?) I hate to keep picking on SOE, but our last rant had to do with them developing a game that a LOT of people had really high hopes for, a game about special people with "the Force" (tm) running through their veins, but forgetting to put Jedi (tm) into the game for over a year. When they finally did, it was so bug ridden and poorly planned that most of us just walked away. Let's just say that "we choose a different path" for our game, one that does not involve becoming a chef.
How has development been progressing?
We spent about a year and a half on storyline and documentation. We've been in Pre-Alpha since September of 2006, when we did a proof of concept demo at the Austin Game Developer Conference (AGC). Our ties with Multiverse and their development of the game engine dictate a fair amount of the progress we are able to attain. While some of the Multiverse teams have fleshed out their games pretty well, we've spent an inordinate amount of time developing the little things that don't seem to make sense to some people now, but will knock their socks off in the future, while we await key features to be enabled. Our game is much more complex than theirs, to be fair. Short answer: We think we're doing pretty good, and we'd like to do better. Like JFK's speech to Rice University in 1960, where he introduced the plan to go to the moon by the end of the decade, we did not choose to do this because it would be easy; we chose this because it would be hard to do, and ultimately, very satisfying.
Since this is an independent development [what] challenges have been your biggest obstacles.
Finding talented individuals who see the potential in our "vision" of the future of Mechanized Warfare on the PC comes to mind. We have some great people doing some wonderful things, but they are stretched to their limits at times. Our association with the great guys over at Multiverse has also brought our project to a halt a few times, so we could present with them at the AGC in Austin and the GDC this spring in San Francisco. We don't mind, as both events were genuinely fun, and enlightening. Thanks to the fellas at Multiverse (www.multiverse.net) for making that happen, and we hope to be at the AGC again this September. (Note to little guys: You can do this, it isn't impossible!)
What has been the most rewarding part of recreating the "Force of Arms" Universe?
It's ours. And John Smedley (SOE President) doesn't get to do to this what he did to Vanguard. Beyond that, and more importantly, I would have to say that getting to know, hell, becoming FRIENDS with all of the people who help us push this game forward every day, fighting beside us in the trenches, has been very rewarding. I have developed a special friendship with Jean-Marc Lederman, our composer from Belgium, and his band of merry composers who have made music that is so good, I listen to in my Rumble Bee on the way home, in rush hour traffic. I would mention all of their names, but you probably don't have room here. Each and every one is a mech fan, an MMO enthusiast, and an Indie at heart. If anyone in this project "gets rich beyond their wildest dreams," I hope it is them. They deserve it.
I know FoA is a niche product and as such will command a dedicated base of gamers. However will there be anything added to allow a neophyte Mech gamer who missed the MechWarrior rush the ability the join in and compete?
Our game is being built from the ground up so that a player can install the game (for free,) sign up for an account, join a faction, and come out swinging. There will be no level grinding (like WoW,) and our neophyte friends can expect to step into the game next to us and have a blast. Now, since we DO know more about mechs than they do, and we HAVE spent more time playing the game than they have, there WILL be perks and advantages. But nothing that would be considered a noob killer. No rabbits, no orcs, none of the time.
As an independent developer and publisher you're free from the tenets of big money and publisher influence. What latitude has this given you in your creation of content and gameplay?
It's all wide open. In fact, it is so wide open that we even take suggestions from our community at www.forceofarms.com, and have even brought one fella over from there to join our team. We get to put our fans first, and be true to our core at the same time. The downside is that it takes longer, is less structured, and seems to be more chaotic than we would like (at times,) but it all works out in the end. If we have an idea for something at lunchtime, it can be in production by 8pm, and in the game the next day. Your mileage may vary, see store for details, some restrictions do apply. :-) Seriously, it is a very satisfying arrangement.
Surely, we would like to obtain some level of funding, as not all funding is "bad." Remember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Good intentions that eventually become something, usually do so with some level of support from someone else, be that with money, or just good advice. With the ideas that we have generated through this organized anarchy, a business person or investor with a little patience and vision, interested in becoming a partner (rather than a wildcatter,) would surely benefit from investing in our success.
In your opinion what is the most compelling reason for the jaded MMOG crowd to play: Force of Arms?
Force of arms is being built for them to enjoy. Everything we've done, from our choice of engine (Multiverse) and combat rules (the vaunted HERO system,) to the inclusion of the historical type of Mechs, right down to the original book (Force of Arms: Mech Legacy, in development) are made for their enjoyment, so that they can expose themselves to any level of immersion they desire. We're building this game in four phases to ensure quality, consistency, and playability, we're listening to the the fans, and we're going to give them a pipeline to push models and content into the game, as well as make decisions that effect the game tomorrow. We haven't had to make any compromises yet, and don't really plan to. They have a reason to be jaded, and we know the reasons very well, since all of us are not only computer professionals in real life, but gamers too, just like them.
I have to ask, any word on a closed/open beta? (using the word 'soon' would probably cause a riot)
Yeah, that's the big question, isn't it? I read an interesting quotation about being diplomatic the other day, something to the effect that diplomacy is "always remembering a woman's birthday, but never remembering her age." The same concept goes with our game. We are aware of the time it has taken to get where we are, and we have a few points in the future where people will get a glimpse of this future giant of MMO's, but at this point we really only have a target date. That number may end in a 8, it may end in a 7, and even then, it may only be a beta release. But it could be a gold release. :-) The important thing for people to remember is that those who participate at www.forceofarms.com will always be the first to see what we have to offer, the first to get behind the stick of a modern, 12 meter tall, linebacker fast Venom, and the first to compete for the ultimate prize, Arena Grand Master.
Last question, if there was anything about "Force of Arms" [we should know about,] what would it be?
A couple of points are appropriate, I think. This isn't just a game. It is being developed as an "entertainment system," not to be confused with any of those wimpy console games. We have *multiple* gadgets and gizmos that will be debuting in Force of Arms that will knock your socks off. Some of them I can't talk about, obviously, since they don't exist in any game that we can find right now, and never have before. Let's just say that we've all been screaming for most of these things in games for years, but the developers (you know who you are) have thumbed their noses at us gamers. Pardon my French, but Viva le Gamer! And isn't it about time?
Force of Arms will be the first game to employ "real world" ballistics. Gun ranges will be from point blank to 28,000 meters or more, depending on the weapon. Remote sensing equipment, realistic combat (with a little bit of arcade to make it more fun,) a storyline that is changed by the players as they play.... Multiple vehicles to choose from, even power armor suits for avatars, for the purposes of infiltration and sniping. We're developing some ideas (in total secret, btw) that may even have real world military applications.
In later phases, Force of Arms will allow players to fill positions in the leadership of their chosen factions, deciding issues that effect the entire online culture. Don't like it? Replace them, if you can.
Ever set the high score at the arcade, only to have them unplug the machine at night, erasing your initials? Force of Arms ranked ladder system for Arena play will feature a mechanism for enshrining players and their avatars, for all the world to see, as long as people are playing the game. Be the best, but watch your back.
Our crafting system (in later phases, as Phase 0 will be combat only) will be fun for everyone, even non-crafters. Death has its cost, and will be non-lossless. If you want "easy mode," go play some game that lets you turn on "cheat mode" and knock yourself out. We will progress through the phases from Artificial Intelligence to Artificial Life, bringing new realism and a different level of immersion. Stuck at work? Take care of administrative functions via the web, or your phone/pda. Why not? It's your game.....
And so much more I wish I could talk about, but can't. Just know that as we take our first baby steps, we realize that is is our fans who are taking the baby pictures, watching as we grow, anticipating our development and cheering us on. We don't intend to let them down.
Thanks for the interview!
For more information concerning Force of Arms
Please visit them at: Force of Arms Website
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