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Created: 20 May 2015

All of these come from http://www.cgwmuseum.org/.

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Created: 20 May 2015

These are complete articles from German magazines. If you can't read German, they're still full of fancy pictures. :-)

Hier sind einige Artikel zu I-War und Edge of Chaos. EoC wurde auch in PC Games 9/01 und GameStar 9/01 behandelt, aber davon gibt es keine Downloads.

Die Artikel stammen großteils von http://kultcds.com/, eine sehr empfehlenswerte Seite.

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Created: 19 May 2015

Note: This is from Starship Repulse.

Starship Repulse: When you go about making a game like I-War, what order does the design process take? Story or engine first?

Glyn Williams: We started with the subject matter: we wanted to do a space combat game. We then went on to produce the design documents. Game publishers are very keen to avoid investing in projects that fail, so the design documents have to be very detailed. The game story-line emerged as we created that set of documents. At that time we were using the SubWar2050 engine as a prototype. It is useful to show publishers what a finished game will look like.

SR: What other genres can we expect to see Particle Systems revolutionize, or create?

GW: We are working on some new game designs, and some of those take us into new genres. As for the future, we are not ruling anything out, but I doubt we would ever do a soccer game.

One of the most well developed ideas being considered is very different from Independence War. It is not exactly a first-person shooter, but that genre is the closest to it.

SR: Is there anything more that you can tell us about what skews this FPS concept away from the standard model? Is the difference in a similar vein to the way Thief is different from the Quake-genre?

GW: Our aim is to do something like we did with I-War; namely to to introduce more diversity, realism and thinking into the genre - while still keeping it emotionally exciting.

SR: I-War seems to take much more inspiration from written SF than other 'space-sims.' As we understand Particle Systems is developing I-War 2 now, what are you, or have you recently, been reading?

GW: We are all science fiction fans. The last big title was the latest in Iain Banks culture series: Excession. My teenage years were spent reading classic SF: Larry Niven and E.E. Doc Smith - that kind of stuff. Right now, I read very little fiction at the moment. But I have started to read a lot of books on how to write fiction.

As games get better, I think game developers have to pay more attention to story structure, character and dialogue. So we have a responsibility to get good at this sort of stuff.

SR: In a similar vein, are there any universes from written SF for which you have some urge to transform into a game?

GW: A culture based game would be cool - but I wouldn't want to write the AI. I think it is useful to borrow ideas from other sources too. The mission storyline ideas in I-War came from a whole bunch of historical events. It's not SF but I'm also interested in Hornblower. The Hornblower novels, which feature a lot of tactical sea battles were one of the influences on Gene Roddenberry when he created Star Trek. Transforming those big sailing ship battles into a kick-ass space setting would be a lot of fun.

SR: Do you have any thoughts about the yet to be released space RTS 'Homeworld'?

GW: Yes. We are officially sick as a parrot. We wanted to do that! We intend to develop the Independence War universe into more than one title. One extension would be into a real-time strategy game. I'm eager to see how Homeworld turns out.

SR: The orbital tower in the opening movie was a very nice touch, will we be seeing any further examples of mega-engineering in I-War 2?

GW: Oh yes indeed.

SR: Reportedly I-War 2 will be more free-roaming than I-War. What changes is this going to bring to your narrative approach?

GW: We still strongly believe that having a story line is vital to a game like I-War. The player needs a clear role and an objective. But at the same time we want the player to feel like the title is not on rails - and allow them to go out and explore the world.

I-War 2 will be a hybrid featuring big heroic set pieces within a free roaming world. We describe is as the chocolate chip cookie model. The free roaming is the cookie and the adventures are the chocolate chips.

SR: How have sales of I-War/Independence War been? Particularly in the US?

GW: It has only been on sale since September. But sales are still strong and we continue to get excellent review scores. We are hoping that by next year the US sales will overtake Europe. The US product got a makeover. We were delighted that we were allowed to design the US packaging. Some US stores took a lot of units simply because they liked the box.

SR: If you were able to go back in time and do I-War all over again, what, if anything would you do differently?

GW: There are a couple of lines of dialogue in the intro movie I would re-write because I cringe every time I hear them.

To be fair, with all projects, there is always stuff you would do differently. The trick is to write them all down, listen to criticism and then make sure they don't go into the next project. We have collected a huge number of Emails and Newsgroup postings about I-War and we read them.

SR: The I-War engine's power and adaptability make it seem like it should be ripe for licensing to third party developers. Have there been any nibbles?

GW: Yes from quite big names. But it is not an avenue we are actively following. At the moment we are a games company and not a technology company.

SR: The name 'Dreadnaught' has taken some degree of flack for seeming to denote a very large ship. As far as I can tell the association of the name with large ships dates back only to the 1906 launch of HMS Dreadnought, the ship which kicked off the ultra-heavy battleships, oft called dreadnought battleships, or just shortened to dreadnoughts. How did Particle Systems come to decide on this name?

GW: In all truth, we wanted Dreadnaught to be the title for the game - mainly because it sounded cool.

But I do have a defence. The ship in I-War is supposed to be quite old.. so when it was new it was considered to be a big warship, but within its lifetime the introduction of much larger ships made it a medium sized warship.

In the British Navy the name tends to get used for the first big ship of an all-new class. I know the commanding officer of the Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine (which sailed under the North Pole). In discussing this with him he pointed out that his "Dreadnought", is now completely dwarfed by present day Trident Subs.

M'lud, I rest my case.

SR: Particle Systems' release of the deslabber tool was a wonderful thing for all us I-War fans, will some sort of mission editing be supported in I-War 2?

GW: We are toying with the idea of having a mission editor built into the product. This would be particularly useful for the multi-player stuff. I like the idea of a bunch of people thinking up a combat scenario, then being able to create a script and then play it out.

SR: We've seen a lot of inquiries about fan fiction on the I-War/Infogrames message board. What is the official Particle Systems line on fanfic?

GW: I'd very much like to encourage that sort of thing. - Although I do think that it might be a good idea to release a style guide or writers bible.

SR: Does the I-War series have an overall arc planned out, in the fashion of Babylon 5?

GW: To some extent. There are future histories, maps etc. But we want to continue to develop and extend the universe. We are planning to release more information on the IW universe.

There are also a set of rules about the types of story that fit into the Independence War model.

SR: Can you tell us what the minimum system requirements are that you are targeting for I-War 2?

GW: This is a moving target, so no promises. The likely spec is fairly modest. But would include a P233 - processor and some kind of hardware 3D accelerator. We also plan to support DVD and MPEG 2 hardware.

SR: Will the primary player ship in I-War 2 will be a Dreadnaught-class corvette, or will it be a new type?

GW: Hold on to your horses - we are planning to offer the player more than one type of ship.

SR: What advice do you have for fans who are building their own missions?

GW: How about: please don't hit me.

SR: Will the engineering station have more to do in I-War 2?

GW: The original I-War design had a lot of engineering stuff in it. Some of the missions required a clever tweak to the ship. But as the game was developed we dropped a lot of this stuff, because it wasn't really a lot of fun. We are planning on completely overhauling the user interface for I-War 2, and I think the design is a lot more sensible.

SR: What forms of multiplayer gaming can we hope to see in I-War 2?

GW: Multiplayer gaming is very different to single player gaming. Our aim is to allow a group of players to design and act out a combat scenario, whether that is from the game, or one of their own design. If we do that one thing well, then I think the multiplayer mode will be very successful.

SR: What one element of gameplay do you most want to push to the next level in I-War 2? And how?

GW: I reckon that good gameplay is as much to do with stuff that isn't there as much as stuff that is. What I mean is that a game may often have brilliant design and clever implementation, but it will be perceived as weak if some niggling little flaw gets in the way when you try to play it.

With I-War we want people to become engrossed in the game. The most difficult challenge is taking down the obstacles that stop this happening.

I think a lot of Japanese software is particularly good at polishing titles so that these rough edges are absent.

SR: Any chance that we'll be seeing the I-War franchise expand onto our bookshelves in novel form?

GW: Possibly, we have had discussions with some novelists. We'd obviously want to have a strong story which kept the same flavor as the original game.

SR: 3D sound APIs seem to be popping up all over these days, which, if any, are you hoping to support in I-War 2?

GW: We are building a new game engine called Flux. Flux includes its own sound API which should do some neat things.

SR: The physics modeling in I-War was excellent, as anyone who's spun up, and spun down an object by shooting it knows. What additional physical effects do you hope to add in I-War 2?

GW: The I-War (although good) was based on Euler (pronounced oiler) angles. Flux and I-War2 uses a quaternion based model - which is more physically correct. The dynamics has been completely overhauled so you'll notice things like long objects will tend to tumble end over end. The physics model is all new, so there are improvements in every aspect of the dynamics. For instance all the ships will have working thrusters.

SR: Will Infogrames also be publishing I-War 2?

GW: Yes indeed. We have established a very good relationship with Infogrames. The are a very developer friendly company - and we are delighted that they have increased their US presence by acquiring GT Interactive.

SR: Is there any chance that Particle Systems or Infogrames might start selling merchandise, like say, more posters?

GW: Particle is not really set up to do that sort of thing. Infogrames has already started selling some T-Shirts, but I for one would like to see mugs, posters and bumper stickers.... the works!

SR: Will Particle Systems provide a multiplayer server in the vein of Blizzard.net, or PXO, for I-War 2 games?

GW: In the long term - we see the future of the I-War franchise being a large scale persistent universe. But to be honest that kind development takes a lot of research and development to get exactly right.

I-War 2 will offer a more immediate form of networking, allowing groups of players to act out scenarios with their own rules. So players will be able to setup different multiplayer games. From deathmatch in space, to more tactical scenarios.

SR: Will wingman control change much for I-War 2?

GW: Yes. One of the areas which we felt we could improve upon with I-War is the whole user interface. Fighting space battles is always going to be difficult, but it should be the content which provides the difficulty, not the interface. We particularly wanted the game to be accessible without the requirement to learn lots of keys. - so we have designed a system which hopefully will retain the depth of the original title, but be more accessible to new users.

SR: In all your time developing games, what project has given you the most satisfaction?

GW: Apart from I-War, Warhead was the most rewarding. Warhead was a single person project. Just myself doing practically everything. I enjoyed that a lot, and I was able to produce a very satisfactory game. However while working alone on a project can be very entertaining it is very very hard work.

SR: What sort of games do you play when you get a chance? What other titles get played about the office?

GW: At lunchtime the office turns into a warzone ( Network games being played almost exclusively). I got completely into Forsaken. I liked Decent - but Forsaken multiplayer is really well designed. The office is usually split between the driving camp and the shooting camp. Half-Life is the flavour of this week.

SR: What are your three favourite movies of all time?

GW: Could I pass on this one? I am a big movie fan with a growing collection of DVDs and Movie scripts. My favourites change from week to week.

SR: What do you see in store for humanity in the next few hundred years? What fears and hopes do you have?

GW: I-War presents a quite pessimistic view of the future: Mankind is destined to repeat his mistakes.

On a personal level I am much more optimistic. I think each generation has a better standard of living than the last, and that generally speaking, the world is a better place for having human beings on it. My only regret is that there is only 21 years left until Blade Runner and we still haven't got flying cars.

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Created: 19 May 2015

This was posted at www.avault.com on March 16, 2001.

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Created: 19 May 2015

This preview was featured on the gamesdomain.com website.

This article has been featured on gamesdomain.com.

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Created: 19 May 2015

This interview has been made by stomped.com.

April 26th, 2001
By This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The space sim genre got a big boost creatively with the release of Particle System's Independence War. Instead of flying a sleek and fast fighter, the ship was a large vessel that actually followed some realistic physics. Now Particle System is finishing up work on the sequel. Independence War 2: The Edge of Chaos is currently undergoing a closed beta test and is scheduled to be published this summer by Infogrames.

Stomped got a treat when it asked to interview some of the folks behind Independence War 2. We got to chat with a number of the folks at Particle Systems about the game, including the game's managing director and executive producer Michael Powell, producer Roger Godfrey, lead programmer Will Vale, game designer and content scripter Stephen Robertson and network programmer Carl Birkinshaw.

Stomped: First, it seems like space sims are getting fewer and far between compared to a few years ago. Are you worried at all that Independence War 2 will not find an audience?

Powell: We think space sims were going up a bit of a blind alley becoming more and more complicated. We've reduced the number of keys for IW2:EOC and improved the user interface to make it much easier to control. Fans of the series need not worry though as we still have realistic physics and all the engineering stuff is there in the background for people to discover.

We still think there's a big market for our blend of sci-fi action and adventure in a space setting. There's no other game or sim that gives you the sense of freedom, exploration and exhilaration that is experienced in Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos.

Stomped: The first game was one of the few that allowed players to fly ships that were much bigger in size than a simple fighter. Now we are seeing games like Star Trek: Bridge Commander with some of the same things. Do you feel that Independence War 2 will further encourage developers to create space sims with more variety?

Powell: I'm not sure - but more variety in all computer gaming would definitely be a good thing.

Stomped: What is the plot of the single player game and how does it connect with the plot of the first game?

Powell: Edge of Chaos is set 100 years later than the original game. You are Cal Johnston, the son of an asteroid miner, orphaned when his father is killed when gangsters led by the infamous Caleb Maas come to repossess his mining ship. You are brought up and trained by Clay, the stored personality of a war hero, who featured in Independence War, until a bungled attempt to avenge your father and kill Caleb Maas lands you in prison for 15 years.

You manage to escape from prison with a motley band of like minded individuals and operating from your hidden base in the Effrit Nebula, begin a life of piracy. More noble motives come to the fore though as the downtrodden citizens of the Badlands Cluster search for leadership to help them overcome the cruel repression of the corporations.

Stomped: What are some of the more noteworthy features in Independence War 2 in terms of gameplay?

Godfrey: The ship to ship combat is similar in style to that in the original game. You still have to cope with inertia and realistic weapons so more brain power has to be employed to defeat you enemies than in other space simulators. Also we have more attention to sensor modelling so you can now make use of stealth tactics and stealth technologies.

The ships are fully configurable so you can customize each one around your personal combat style. If you like balls out action you can go for a really brutal setup with heavy assault weapons. Those commanders with a sense of subtlety can fit their ships out to be stealthy for sneak attacks. The choice is yours.

We also have some very interesting story lines. A lot of thought has gone in to sorting these out as good characters and interesting situations really bring the Independence War universe to life. As with the plot from the original game, nothing is ever quite as it seems...

Stomped: What are some of the engine features you are utilizing in the game? Are you going to be taking advantage of DirectX 8's features?

Vale: Edge of Chaos is built on a brand new engine, called Flux. Flux has been written from the ground up to provide kick-ass gaming technology for I-War 2. On the graphics front, we use a sophisticated shading model similar to high-end 3D rendering packages. If you look at one of our ships in the game engine, you can see light glint from individual paint scrapes on the surface!

Flux makes it very easy for us to cue sound and animation to the action in the game. This means our artists can set up loads of audio and visual effects to give really rich visuals, and let Flux take care of managing them so that the game runs fast.

We also use fully spatial 3D audio to provide a totally convincing soundscape. You can hear every PBC blast, every shield impact, and know exactly where you've taken damage.

On the DirectX front, we fully support Hardware T&L, which allows us to throw complex geometry around and let the graphics card do the work. 

Stomped: How many playable ships are in Independence War 2 and can you give us an idea of their capabilities?

Godfrey: We have five ships that the player can use in the single player game:

* NSO Laplace Command Secton
* Storm Petrel
* Tug
* Fast Attack Ship
* Heavy Corvette

Each ship has different capabilities. For example the Storm Petrel is fast and agile but lightly armoured. The heavy corvette (my personal favorite) is large and can be cumbersome in the hands of an inexperienced pilot - but it packs a heck of a punch.

We also have some special extra ships that players will be able to use in instant action and multiplayer. But we are not going to talk about those just yet...

Stomped: Have you done any changes or improvements in the user interface for the game, especially for piloting the ships?

Godfrey: To previous Independence War players the first and most apparent gameplay change will be the controls. The original game's controls were complex and took new players time to learn. The newly designed Independence War 2 control system is a great deal more elegant. Using the Command Menu is immediately intuitive and allows you to control every aspect of your vessel.

The command menu is simply controlled using the joystick hat-switch (or cursor keys) and the fire button. The player navigates through a 2D Map of ship systems and then fires to select. Our focus tests have shown that it is really easy to use.

I-War 1 Captains will be pleased to know that Keyboard shortcuts are provided for experienced players which are consistent with the original game.

Stomped: What are some of the enemy vessels the player will encounter in the game?

Godfrey: In terms of hardware we have hundreds of vessels flying around the badlands, each with its own task or mission to fulfill. Ships often travel in convoy to discourage piracy; this makes life difficult for brigands like the one you play.

As for the enemy ships some of the most dangerous are the Cutter class corvette operated by a ill mannered group called the Marauders. You will have to be careful around these ships; their vectored thrust makes them very maneuverable and those heavy mount Particle Beam Cannon (PBC) can reduce your ship's hull to scrap in seconds.

Stomped: What can we expect in terms of missions in Independence War 2?

Robertson: We have over forty full missions in the game, with many other minor missions. We've tried very hard to keep the flavor of the original I-War missions while creating new and unique content for Edge Of Chaos.

Missions range from simple piracy and courier missions to huge space battles, and additionally there are specialized missions where you do something completely out of the ordinary, and your ability to think is much more important than your ability with a laser cannon.

Of course missions form only part of the game - there's a huge amount of free-form exploration, piracy, trading, and making alliances, too.

Stomped: What are your plans for multiplayer in the game?

Birkinshaw: Currently we have four multiplayer game scenarios:

* Death Match, a free-for-all frag fest;
* Team Death Match
* Capture the Flag game where opposing teams try to steal cargo pods off
each other and dock to their respective bases * Bomb Tag, where players each scramble for control of a bomb with a ticking timer.

All of the fun weapons from the single-player game are there for you to use, such as beam weapons and gattling cannon. You can fight against AI controlled Bots in all of the games, and you can alter their intelligence if you find the going too tough.

The multiplayer engine is fully scriptable, and that means that you can look forward to more game scenarios being released in the future, certainly ones that require much more co-operation between team players, that reflect the depth of the single-player missions. We're sure that the IWar community out there will have plenty of ideas for missions that they'll be able to develop themselves.

Stomped: Any plans to release a demo of the game before its release in stores?

Godfrey: Yes, the plan has been to create two demos. The first demo release is intended for magazine covermount and this should be appearing on the covers of the PC games magazines in the next 8 weeks.

Once we have completed work on the full game we are hoping to create a smaller demo that can be downloaded from the internet. This will have different mission content to the covermount.

Stomped: What is the current status of Independence War 2 in terms of what has been done and what needs to be finished before its release?

Godfrey: We are almost there right now. The game is 97% finished. Currently we are taking out the last few bugs and dealing with last minute game balancing issues. We are lucky that we have an understanding publisher like Infogrames that have allowed us the time we have needed to bring the gameplay quality up to scratch.

Stomped: Finally, any plans at all for an add-on or gold edition of the game, similar to what you did with the original Independence War?

Godfrey: Nothing is beyond the realms of possibility, though currently we have no firm plans for an add on. However we do want to continue to develop the Independence War universe and the characters who live within it. We are only now scratching the surface of what is possible by applying our technology to the field of space warfare simulation.