Interview: Tim Browne(N1tch)

Hi guys,
I am very excited and pleased to bring you all an exclusive with the lead game designer  on Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag multiplayer, Tim Browne! I do hope you all enjoy the insight into the multiplayer of one of the biggest games of 2013, without further ado here it is:

1) What is it like to develop the multiplayer for a game with a fan base the size of which AC has?

In a word ‘Awesome!’. We have such a great community who are very supportive makes things really great. That said when I first started it was a little daunting. Fans and players have very high expectations so we know we have to make a game that lives up to these.

2) What was the biggest problem you faced whilst developing Black Flag's multiplayer?
This year we were very ambitious. Partly on some of the technical obstacles we wanted to overcome and partly on some of the new features we wanted to give to the players. Developing on the Next Generation of consoles also came with its challenges but the 1^st parties have given us huge amounts of support to allow us to be part of their fantastic launch titles.

3) What academic route did you take to end up in your current position?
I didn’t know I was going to be a game designer back when I was finishing high school. I actually wanted to be a Paramedic at the time so the route I took when I went to college was more focus on Health and Social care. That said I did do a course in computer programming (not that I remember so much of it now). I spent a lot of time modding maps in several games and when I was 18 I sent out examples to lots of companies. One of them loved my work and offered me a job as a level designer so you can see things have changed since 15 years ago!

4) Where did the inspiration come from to put Game Lab into the game?
This came about partly from the community and their discussions on the forums and twitter. Often there are abilities in the game that get discussed and players would talk about how they would change it or how some would just outright ban some of them. We started discussing ‘what if we could allow players to ban certain abilities’ and this is where the initial idea came from. After we though more about it we said ‘why stop at just banning an ability, why not allow players to make their very own modes’ and so Game Lab as it is today was born from that.

5) Did you ever consider holding a beta for Black Flag?
We do have a beta program but this is known as a closed beta. We use this to do stress tests on servers and check aspects like the match making of the game. We also used it to stress test the clan system. To make a beta that is open for the public would take a great deal of time and we currently work on roughly a yearly iteration. If we did a beta like that we wouldn’t have the resources to be able to have as many great features we have in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag multiplayer.

6) What are your thoughts on the next generation of consoles?
I’m very excited about the next generation of consoles. I have both pre-ordered and I know I’m going to have a hard time deciding which one to play on and which game!

7) Would you like to see a competitive scene form around AC games?
I think there already is a competitive scene around the AC games but its not very big at the moment. Oh amazing community however have made it grow year on year and I’d love to see it get much bigger. I’d actively encourage people to run their own tournaments and leagues which I know some of the community already so. Also with the addition of Game Lab this allows players to create their own modes to run tournaments on so I think we’re going to see an even more competitive scene developing over time.

8) Ubisoft is known for having passionate workers. What is it like to work in such an enviroment?
Having been in the industry for 15 years now I can say that this environment is one of the most exciting, challenging and rewards I’ve worked in. The drive and passion that I see from my co-workers is fantastic and we have a great team spirit here.

9) What games have you worked on the past?
Assassin’s Creed III, Operation Flashpoint Red River, Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising, Pirate of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, Batman Begins, Predator: Concrete Jungle, DJ Decks and FX, Rogue Ops and Blade. That covers PC and consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all the way back to the original PlayStation.

10) How did you feel when you started reading the reviews for Black Flag?
Similar to previous game launches. I was nervous, excited and curious. The reviews have been great and some high praise has come through for multiplayer and in particular, Game Lab and the improvements we did on Wolfpack.

11) What games did you play as a child that inspired you to enter the gaming industry?
A lot! I’d say one of the earliest games I remember played was Chuckie Egg on the Acorn Electron which I still occasionally play on online emulators. Growing up I had both Atari and Amiga machines and then progressed on to consles. Other games I remember fondly from a long time ago are Road Rash, Bomberman and Worms.

12) What inspires you in your day to day work?

There is a lot that I get inspiration from. Things like TV shows, movies, other games. This will sound a little cheesy but comments on twitter from fans are very inspirational and they can really spurn you on. Also because Assassin’s Creed is such a big internationally known game I get them at random through day and night which is really cool.

 

Thank you very much for reading, and a special thanks to Tim for doing the interview with me.

Ed

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My thoughts of the week

Hi guys,
Firsly I recently surpassed 5,000 views on my blog, and I would like to thank each and every one of you who has come onto my blog and read even the smallest of articles. I hope to continue producing articles that interest you are provoke thoughts of your own! Anyway enough of the soppy rubbish the show must go on!
    To mark the special occasion of passing 5K views, I thought is was high time to start a new series of articles! So I welcome you to my thoughts of the week, in these posts, I will be talking about many different ideas or thoughts I have had about gaming that don't really deserve their own post! Let's get on with it:
 Current and Next gen multiplayers: Due to that fact that this year particularly a lot of people will be upgrading to a next gen console, and many people will be staying with their current consoles. That will mean that multiplayer lobbys will be considerably lower in population than last year. Last year there were 3 platforms that most game could be on: the PS3, the PC and the Xbox 360, however this year there are 5 platforms to play a game on: PS3, PC, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Does it concern you that current gen multiplayers may be considerably under populated in comparison to last year?
 User Created content in more games: I know it is a stupid thought, but just imagine if every game you bought has the ability to create your own content!  Now the main problem from the developers point of view, is money, the commodity that is rumoured to keep the world going! As it stands dev's make a lot of money from DLC and micro-transactions(which are technically DLC but anyway!) so if they were to introduce UCG into every game, they would have to sell the game for considerably more money in the first place. You would be looking at around £100 just for the game! I can dream though.
Developer's working on the same project: A project that would see at least 2 major developing company's join arms and create one super awesome game, this is more realistic that my above thought, but still unlikely. Just because a game has been made by two company's doesn't mean the game will sell more copies than if it had been made my just one company. So each company would more than likely make a loss due to the same size team being used, but only half the profits coming it. Just think of it though a game that saw both Activision and DICE teaming up to create one mega shooting game!
     Once you have finished drooling over my last thought I have the unfortunate news of telling you that this post in now over! I do hope you have enjoyed if you have, you can click here to tweet about it!
You can also Like my new Facebook page here! Or follow me on Twitter here!
Thanks for reading
Ed

Assassin's Creed Black Flag 101 Trailer Breakdown

Hi guys,
 With the new story trailer being released for Black Flag today, you may have missed the new trailer(if you can call it that) that Assassin's Creed's You Tube channel uploaded. You can check out the full 101 trailer out below, then I will dissect it for you, as it holds some hidden gems for us!

Right let's get into the dissection!    

A look at the Grand Master of the Templars!

The seas will be a treacherous place, and will include scenes like this; tornadoes.

 The fleet of ships Edward will be facing.

 One of the many animals Edward will be able to hunt and use the parts to craft weapons and more!

 A view of what I believe is Nassau, and this is one of the 3 main cites in the game along with Kingston, and Havana.

 Another look at the beautiful world we will be living it.

 A cinematic look at the protagonist of the game; Edward.

 Another cinematic look(get used to them) at one of the pirates who will be able to help you and probably give you missions.

 The one major female pirate of the age, she looks to be the possible love interest in the game. Let's hope Ubisoft don't go down the route of Rockstar and demean all women!

 Not masses to say other than the fact that he makes a rather humorous remark in the trailer, he looks to have a good sense of humour upon his shoulders.

 The most famous pirate possibly of all time Black Beard, he also seems to be a close friend of Edwards, so he may be the character who gives us the naval tutorial!

 Not all people in Black Flag are as nice as those above, Woodes Rogers has been sent by the King to dispatch of pirates! We don't know yet if he has any connections to the Templars.

 A shot of what seems to be the main room on the Jackdaw, doubtlessly there will be many a cut scene with in these walls.

 The first screen you will be met when you want to tinker with your ship.

 Some of the weapon options for the Jackdaw. The Mortar sounds like it will devastate opponents.

 One of my favourite shots, this shows the aesthetic customisation options for the Jackdaw(truly the second protagonist of the game). I can't wait to make the ship my own.

 A look at some of the tropical locations in the world!

 Again I believe this is Nassau just from a much higher vantage point, don't forget all synchronisation points now act as fast travel stations.

 A look at some of the caverns we will be able to discover in the game.

 An in game shot of what it is like to swim the depths of the oceans!

 I chose this shot because of how barbaric I find it, I personally will not be taking part in such activity's despite the rewards for doing so.

 Some of the smaller upgrades you can make to the Jackdaw/hunting.

 A close look at the iconic weapon of the assassins, the hidden blades.

 A look at the weapons you will be able to buy/make in the game, note the second and third options! Yes both Altair's and Ezio's swords will be available to purchase, no Connor though as his time period hasn't occurred yet!

Another look at the long range weapons that will be available to purchase, as above note the damage stats are laid out much clearer than previous instalments!

 

That brings us to and end of my breakdown, I hope you stuck with me to the end, and found something useful within this post. If you could also spair a second to like my Facebook Page, and follow me on Twitter.

 

Thanks for reading,

Ed



 

The War of Games Will Go On

Hi guys,
 You may have hear of the rivalry between Call of Duty and Battlefield, well this rivalry has been showcased in the last few days. Both games have released story trailers, which show us what will be in store for us if and when we play the respective campaigns. You can watch both below!

Now I know that both the companies behind both games will have had these trailers made for quite some time now. It seems a bit of a coincidence that Battlefield release their trailer the very next day after the Ghosts equivalent was released! Anyway both trailers of action packed and as I will be getting both on the PS4, I can't wait to see what they will have in store for me! Tell me what you think of the trailers below, and which game you prefer the look of.
You can now like my Facebook page to stay up to date with all my posts, I will also be posting smaller news articles exclusively on Facebook, so you won't want to miss out on that! Of course you can also follow me on Twitter.
As always thanks for reading,
Ed

Borderlands 3 Wishlist

Hi guys,
 It may seem a bit premature to be talking about Borderlands 3, but since finishing Borderlands 2(review coming soon) I have thought off little else gaming related! So I thought the only way to get in out of my system is to blog about it! Thus I humbly present to you my wish list for Borderlands 3.
     -More uses for money. Borderlands 2: Very limited uses, you can buy ammo, health, grenade mods, a select few guns and slot machines and this is it really!
     - Cut Scenes. There are a few through out the game, but they are very short and leave you feeling a bit disappointed.
     - Don't pay to respawn. The current system sees you paying about 10%(based purely on what I have seen) of your total money, so when going into a boss fight you will lose a lot of money. There is also no way to store it!
     - Leveling up you weapon. As it stands when you find a gun it is usually only good for the next few levels. So my plan would be to see you paying Eridium(or BL3's equivalent) to level up the gun with you. Say you pick up a gun at level 10, you would only be able to pay to level it up 5 levels. Each level would cost more Eridium than the last though!
     - Gun Creation. Now this is the idea that I want more than anything else in BL3 let's get into it! You have 10 points to spend on a gun, so the main section of the gun will cost 3 points. A silencer would cost 1 point. A larger mag would cost between 1-3 points depending on the size of the mag. All kinds of sights could be attached for just 1 point. A camo could be applied for 1 point. And finally you could give it elemental effects, at 1 point for the first and 2 points for the second. However you are only allowed to apply 2 effects at any one time!
     (Still gun creation) You collect these parts by dismantling guns you find on the floor by paying at specific gun creation stations(next to ammo and health stations) you can only salvage 5 points worth of things from a gun, so you will have to chose wisely!

     That is it, all my thoughts and suggestions for Borderlands 3 in one place, I would like to stress these are just ideas and I have no idea at all what is going on with the development of BL3, if it is even in development yet!
Thanks for reading,
Ed
Do tell me in the comments below if any of you would be interested in reading some Borderlands 2 diary's(spoiler free)?

GTA V Review

 

Hi guys,

 There are very few games that can do what GTA V does with such flare, this game defies all things you have previously though a current generation game was capable. A huge open world, with few glitches in sight(GTA Online aside) and graphics that will reach out of the screen and drop your jaw for you. This game takes the principle of Skyrim and takes it to new heights, a huge open world with no load screens to cut it up, one huge mountain in the middle, and a plethora of content to go with it. Unlike some of the reviews you may have seen, this game is not perfect, though the problems presented in the game do little to detract from the amazing memory's you will take away with you into the next generation of gaming.

For me this was the first GTA game I have played, so the controls took slightly longer than I would have liked to get accustomed to, though now I know them they are not only easy to use, but make the game flow better. Just expect some rocky sections in the first couple of hours in Los Santos, such as diving out of cover when you wanted to through a grenade, obviously I didn't do that....
     For a game of such brilliance as GTA V you want to play it as soon as you put the disk in your console(sorry PC gamers), alas this is not the case, every time you want to boot up the game you will be met with a long wait of looking at cell shaded pictures of the characters non to flattering mug. Whilst we are on the subject of long waits, the time it takes to switch between characters outside of missions it a bit on the long side. Though that is understandable when you see just how big the whole world actually is. 

The three characters are one of the largest selling points of the game(as if it needed one) and I am pleased to tell you that the missions with all three characters are pulled of seamlessly. Through out the missions you are encouraged to switch between characters, though it is rarely essential. Believe me you will want to switch between the characters, as it presents 3 totally different perspectives of the mission. There aren't many occasions when you are forced to switch between characters, and these occasions make you feel sad to be leaving that character, all that sadness is blow away with a tank sized gust of wind when you find out what the other character is doing. Trevor will be flying a helicopter, Michael will be scaling a building and Franklin will be on an adjacent building providing cover fire with a high power sniper rifle. The level of freedom within the levels is unlike any other game you have played. And that sums up GTA V really, unlike any other game you have played.

     If you think this game is with out it's morale issues then you are sadly mistaken, all 3 of the main characters use frequent and extensive language. There is about an hour and a half section near the beginning of the game when you are forced to play as Franklin, in this section you spend a lot of the time with your "friend" Lamar. Both Franklin and Lamar use obscene amounts of racist language towards each other. Now I can put up with so much language in a game, but that section was highly un-enjoyable to play due to all the dialogue being filled with that type of language.
     Now it may look like I am trying to diss the hell out of this game, but please don't see it like that, GTA V is a game that has created many fond memories and will create many more in the future, that I will take with me into the next generation of gaming. One of the largest pleasures in the whole game is just driving around, not because the driving mechanics are good(though they are), no it is so enjoyable because of how alive the world is, you will start out on your journey in the city, and you won't know where you will finish out. You could be robbing a store so you can get enough money for that suit you wanted. You could take the cable cart to the top of the main mountain and then parachute off. The number of possibility's in this game are nearly endless, and the map gives of a similar feeling of near endlessness.
     Asking someone to review this game is like asking someone to review Shakespeare; it can not-or should not- be done. Suffice to say, you need to play this game to class yourself as a true gamer.
     And if you still need convincing, here is my score breakdown:
Graphics: Truly amazing, with some stunning faces,                                               9/10
Gameplay: Brilliant but with some hiccoughs in here,                                              8/10
Length: A game with a plethora of content, be sure to know you are in for the long hall if you want to 100% this game,                                                                                10/10
Sound: Good sound and brilliant voice acting, but with a few very annoying glitches in there,                                                                                                                          9/10
Multiplayer: There is GTA Online but I will review that separately soon!
That gives us a grand total of 9/10, this is a game that-despite it's flaws- you need to play; a true send off of this generation of gaming.
Thanks for reading,
Ed
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Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag Release Date for Next Gen

Hi guys,

 I come to you will some sad news, that is if you live in America and are getting a PS4 at launch. The hit title from Ubisoft Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag will be releasing world wide on November 22nd, so if you wanted to get Black Flag at launch with your copy of your PS4 you can't. Because the game won't be releasing until a week after the PS4 is released in the USA! I find it quite odd that Ubisoft aren't making their game available to next gen consoles at the time the PS4 is released in America, I wouldn't have thought that week would be much use to anyone! Anyway there is also a new trailer for Black Flag, called Pirate Heist which you can feast your eyes on below!

I would like to stress that the current gen versions of this game will still be launching on November 1st, so you can still play it then.
Thanks for reading
Ed