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[Argonomic]

There's a long Street Fighter tradition amongst our group, hailing back to 2002 when we moved from Tulsa to LA. One of the first things I did was find an old SF2:Turbo machine and set it up at the office.

It started with just Jason and I wrapping up the day with a few matches, and over the years more SF fans joined the company. Over the years we advanced through most of the street fighter iterations, one at a time.

We did a SF4 tournament during our live stream charity drive a year or so ago. I got second place with Ibuki. I share an office with Chin and his Seth is a few levels above the rest of us.

For Titanfall we looked to many of our old favorites for inspiration. There are the subtler influences of SF in the game: The pacing of 1v1 combat and the way you poke at each other until you find an opening. Over committing and being punished for it. Then there are the more overt: The Vortex Blocker, the greater abundance of projectiles, and the electric smoke. There were other elements that began their life more explicitly SF-influenced that evolved into something else.

The reality though is that SF is one of several ingredients in the stew. Any one theme or mechanic or beat can be traced back to several different games.

Titanfall has a mutt's lineage. This is not a grand vision, it is try what you know and keep or evolve what works. There are a lot of designers on the team and during development, each fought for what they thought would make the most fun possible shooter. The pieces that worked well together survived.

Some of the big influences on me for this game: DOOM, Quake, SF2, WoW, CoD, Halo, MTG, Starcraft, and some LoL.

 

[Silky]

I did but that zoning and emphasis of movement and map knowledge is existent in other FPS's as well, like counter strike and TRIBES which they actually mentioned. So really mentioning street fighter comes off as peculiar.

Wakeup Mech DPs.

The pacing of 1v1 combat and the way you poke at each other until you find an opening. Over committing and being punished for it. Then there are the more overt: The Vortex Blocker, the greater abundance of projectiles, and the electric smoke. There were other elements that began their life more explicitly SF-influenced that evolved into something else.

...So...the Titans /are/ getting Dragon Punches?

 

[Vanguardofyourdestruction]

Can't wait to get this on release.

 

[Dance Inferno]

Most people when they hear "Bot" assume its an AI controlled character that has all the abilities a human player has - when that isn't not the case in Titanfall.

Ah-ha!! Freudian slip! The bots are bots!

Case closed.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

If only the game had the over the top, fun personality and tone of Street Fighter. Pilot's screaming and shouting attacks, posing while driving mechs and announcing stuff like, "GIGA DRILL BREAKER!!!"

Too bad COD kiddies think that is TEH GHEY!

Or maybe that stuff doesn't fit in with the game they are making, and they are taking their cues from Street Fighter's gameplay and competitive balance, not presentation....nah that can't be it why don't I just stupidly generalize an entire userbase.

 

[DKo5]

Ah-ha!! Freudian slip! The bots are bots!

Case closed.

ololo you got me. They be bots.

 

[Phades]

You've made me really desire that someone make a G Gundam game.

Shoddy Schwarz Bruder.

You wouldn't rather have your hand exploding red telling you to defeat people randomly throughout the match?

 

[The Smoking Bun]

Or maybe that stuff doesn't fit in with the game they are making, and they are taking their cues from Street Fighter's gameplay and competitive balance, not presentation....nah that can't be it why don't I just stupidly generalize an entire userbase.

Oh come on, don't get your Titan mech's in a twist. It was lame humor and a very old and tired joke about COD fans being dumb. And yes while the over-the-top style doesn't fit Titan Fall, I would love to see a clone with that style, think Sunset Overdrive with mechs.

Can't wait to play it on PS4. It's a brilliant looking game that kind of shatters the stigma shooters have had of late. More Quake Arena style is always good.

 

[massoluk]

ololo you got me. They be bots.

Hey, don't take my words as dissing, I still want you to sell me this game for the PC. That bots thing was a tongue in cheek on top of the previous mech comments

 

[crazygambit]

I like that they're trying to go for the arena FPS feel (even if it is unlikely they'll follow through with this because evidence seems to indicate this is not what the kids want), but what the fuck is with this? I'm desperately trying to grasp at what they could mean by this, are you going to have to go into a practice mode and figure out the active frames for your goddamn rocket launchers?

Are the titan

Spoiler

mechs

going to have a complex melee system? Perhaps they mean that they're going for the competitive scene that the game has? But then if that's the case why not just leave it at Quake, hell why not mention counter strike instead? Could they possibly mean that the game has similarities to the arcade feel of Street Fighter? But then, why not just mention Counter Strike, which is basically an arcade game?

I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD MENTION STREET FIGHTER

I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE THROW OUT INFLUENCES LIKE THIS

MY MIND IS SHATTERING

Then read the fucking OP. It's right there.

Zoning if you missed it again. Throw a slow attack to force a dodge move and catch him in your follow up attack.

 

[AgentOtaku]

...ore Quake Arena style is always good.

Oh god YES!

 

[heyf00L]

So how does respawning work then? I didn't actually see that covered.

I hate respawning in CoD, how you can respawn anywhere. It should be that if I've captured a part of the map, the enemy can't just respawn behind me. I like how TF2 (moving respawn sites) and BF (spawn on captured points or squad leader) works.

 

[MasterOfPastures]

Great info all around. The delicate power balance between titans is true as well. I tried to power through an enemy Titan the first time I played it at Pax. He evaded and blocked, and fought back when I had to reload and retreat.






Is there a Steam release announcement yet?

 

[Leb]

“Because you move so fast, it’s not about who [aims quickest]; it’s about who outmanoeuvres the other. I think it’s a response to the fact that we’re all getting older and our reaction times aren’t what they used to be. I want to hop into a game and not feel like every 14-year-old is going to dominate me. I want a fighting chance and I don’t want to feel I’m screwed if I didn’t get in on the first week.”

Just what every fan of competitive online shooters wants to hear. Not to mention, "move so fast/outmaneuver" with a controller? Right. I kind of doubt we'll be seeing anything approaching a, say, Tribes 1 level of maneuverability.

“They’re not bots,” says McCoy. “They’re not meant as a human replacement. They’re a different class of people. Pilots are these super-awesome soldiers that have the gear to do double jumps, the weapons to take down Titans, but the AI are the low-level guys that are always on the ground – they’re not double-jumping and they’re really weak, but the purpose they serve design-wise is multifaceted. They show new players where to go. And once they start fighting, they’re usually fighting other AI because all the experienced players are fighting on walls and rooftops. New players start getting kills on AI, when usually in multiplayer games they’re getting completely whacked.”

Wow, it's even showing up in competitive online shooters now. "Are you awful at online shooters? Well, no worries, this game is still for you -- you can run around on the ground and shoot at AI soldiers which are definitely not bots! Everyone can be a winner in 2014!"

On the other hand, their evident passion leaves me somewhat hopeful.

 

[Obscured]

Sounds pretty good and smart to figure out a way to get people from a variety of skill levels to find a way to enjoy the game. Also gives a way for lesser experienced players to see what the more experienced players are doing in the same game and something to aspire. I like hearing about this influences and how they've found there way into the game, that is a part of game development in general I wish we got more insight into.

I don't recall coming across it anywhere, but are there custom game modes/options that have been announced yet or is it just the multiplayer/campaign hybrid we've been hearing about?

 

[Dabanton]

Cool to see some Respawn guys answering some questions in this thread.

I'd love to ask them if there is going to be a beta for Titanfall.

 

[BigDug13]

Just what every fan of competitive online shooters wants to hear. Not to mention, "move so fast/outmaneuver" with a controller? Right. I kind of doubt we'll be seeing anything approaching a, say, Tribes 1 level of maneuverability.



Wow, it's even showing up in competitive online shooters now. "Are you awful at online shooters? Well, no worries, this game is still for you -- you can run around on the ground and shoot at AI soldiers which are definitely not bots! Everyone can be a winner in 2014!"

On the other hand, their evident passion leaves me somewhat hopeful.

Maybe we will see something approaching Tribes 1 on the PC version of the game. That seems to be where a game of this twitch FPS magnitude belongs anyway.

 

[OriginalThinking]

That point about not being screwed if you haven't picked up the game in the first week rings true. I no longer have the time or patience to get destroyed by kids who have the time to play games seemingly 24/7 and know all the maps inside out and have unlocked all the perks before I've even played a single game.

Sucks most of the fun out of a game if you're still trying to learn how to play whist everyone around you use you as cannon fodder. Especially in a game like COD where you're normally dead within half a second of being spotted.

When I didn't have a mortgage, a full time job and a bunch of other responsibilities to take care of it wasn't such an issue, but now it is. One of the reasons I really enjoyed KZ2's multiplayer was because it took a few shots to take you down - It was more about accuracy, and managing recoil and thought than just whose reactions were fastest.

 

[sonicmj1]

Titanfall has a mutt's lineage. This is not a grand vision, it is try what you know and keep or evolve what works. There are a lot of designers on the team and during development, each fought for what they thought would make the most fun possible shooter. The pieces that worked well together survived.

Some of the big influences on me for this game: DOOM, Quake, SF2, WoW, CoD, Halo, MTG, Starcraft, and some LoL.

That sounds awesome, and I like the idea of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what works well together, but I don't really understand how Magic: The Gathering fits in with anything we've seen about the game so far. Is it related to customizable loadouts or something?

 

[RecursiveFault]

That dance you did, strafing back-and-forth with rocket launchers; you felt like you could actually evade their fire.

Acknowledging that gameplay alone is enough to get me pretty hyped. I love mobility as a core assest of a shooter- (also mechs).

Having "minion" AI enemies ala MOBAs is what I'm envisioning with the human enemies. If they balance it right it could be quite interesting.

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

“Because you move so fast, it’s not about who [aims quickest]; it’s about who outmanoeuvres the other. I think it’s a response to the fact that we’re all getting older and our reaction times aren’t what they used to be. I want to hop into a game and not feel like every 14-year-old is going to dominate me. I want a fighting chance and I don’t want to feel I’m screwed if I didn’t get in on the first week.”

You just got my attention respawn.

Edit: No Ninja gaiden influences? I think the manipulation of 3D space to strike when you see an opening leads itself more to Ninja gaiden Black than Street fighter.

 

[Moral Panic]

I'm really impressed at the way they have tackled the design problems. Most devs seem to just be copying COD, instead of thinking about the inherent problems in the design. Getting killed 100x in a row because you suck isn't fun. MW2 introduced death streaks, but they reset after 1 kill, so it was die 100x kill x1 die x100. Titanfall and it's AI bots seem to be a real attempt at coming up with a solution to this problem, whilst still having the quick multi kill gameplay that fans love.

 

[AstroLad]

I don't know if they will be able to pull it off, but it's nice to know they're thinking about it because this quote really speaks directly to me: “Because you move so fast, it’s not about who [aims quickest]; it’s about who outmanoeuvres the other. I think it’s a response to the fact that we’re all getting older and our reaction times aren’t what they used to be. I want to hop into a game and not feel like every 14-year-old is going to dominate me. I want a fighting chance and I don’t want to feel I’m screwed if I didn’t get in on the first week.”

 

[Mr.Gingerlicious]

Sounds interesting, in theory. It will be good to see if it works out in practice

I think we need a balance of CoD influenced FPS and Old-School Quake / Doom influenced stuff (even if the outcome is bad, the new Wolfenstein comes to mind).

I will pick this up on PC, at some point. Which raises the question, is Titanfall Origin only?

 

[Nokterian]

My pc is so ready for this. Also the doom influence? *drool*

 

[SmoothRunningGun]

Wow, it's even showing up in competitive online shooters now. "Are you awful at online shooters? Well, no worries, this game is still for you -- you can run around on the ground and shoot at AI soldiers which are definitely not bots! Everyone can be a winner in 2014!"

How dare they try to make their game welcoming to newcomers. It's not going to work anyway, which is why they should add real SP.

 

[FINALBOSS]

Man, I'm really not feeling the bots being mixed in with real players.

 

[saxoross]

The sooner this comes to PS4 the better.

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

Mobility and survivability are what will make this game great, or kinda boring. If they do it well, they'll have brought some skill based movement to the MMS genre. If they do it poorly... well... it'll be worse off.

 

[ksdixon]

Don't have a 360?

is it confirmed to also be on 360, i thought it was xbone exclusive?

 

[Jarmel]

I'm not sure what to think about the bots They could in theory add to the atmosphere, but they could probably also get annoying if they start shooting at you when you're low on life after a duel.

 

[BigDug13]

is it confirmed to also be on 360, i thought it was xbone exclusive?

360 and X1 with controller. PC with keyboard/mouse.

I'm leaning towards the latter for a twitch game like this one. I just don't think I'll be able to pull off the necessary tricks with a controller and double jump, jetpacks, quick running, etc.

 

[UNCMark]

This will either be my 5th Xbox One purchase or my first. All depends on whether or not I keep my pre-order, but I'm definitely getting one for this game. One of the only two next gen titles that looks worth a damn to me. The other being Destiny. Summer is shaping up to be pretty good.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Yep, there is that word. 'Feel.' A friend of mine got to try it out at Gamescom, and that's all he could talk about. The feel. Just stressing the living hell out of it like it was genuinely something extraordinary that the developers were onto with the game.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Sounds good enough, the npcs seem to function a bit like creeps in MOBAs.
Will grab this game on PC I think, as I still like the core concept of giant mechs.

 

[HariKari]

Yep, there is that word. 'Feel.' A friend of mine got to try it out at Gamescom, and that's all he could talk about. The feel. Just stressing the living hell out of it like it was genuinely something extraordinary that the developers were onto with the game.

Has your friend ever played Tribes, or any mech based games, or anything of the sort? Because nothing this game is doing is really revolutionary. Using grunts powered by AI as a way to ease people into the game is a nice idea, but beyond that the game is still picking ideas from games that have come before. I'd be curious to see what an experienced PC shooter player has to say about it.

The titans, pilots, and grunts all sharing the same battlespace with a sort of narrative over the top of it all looks like a blast. But the gameplay/gunplay just doesn't seem as off the charts innovative or hype worthy as some are making it out to be.

 

[Hydrargyrus]

The sooner this comes to PS4 the better.

Yup

I hope it won't take to much.

 

[geordiemp]

Man, I'm really not feeling the bots being mixed in with real players.

Agreed - I play COD multiplayer, and everyone is constantly finding that 'edge' to win.

COD AI bots / survival - is very easy.

So in Titanfall, will good players not just kill the enemy bots so much quicker, slaughter a couple of noobs and they have their streaks / titan or whatever ?

Seems flawed in balance concept (not saying it does not look good or fun)

 

[Seanspeed]

Mobility, survivability, scale.... so... more and more like Halo. Less like COD.

Jetpacks/enhanced movement... longer time to kill... larger more complex maps... winning gunfights more on skill and tactics vs. twitch reaction-first-to-strike...

Yup... It was done years ago... it's called Halo.

I can perhaps see why you'd get this idea if reading that article was the one and only thing you're going by. But I think if you'd seen the footage of the game, you'd realize how silly your comment sounds.

 

[Gamesadict]

TBH, BF4 and this are the only games I'm actually excited about. Will be getting it on PC, because really, can't be bothered getting any of the new consoles this early just for 1 game.

 

[Shane]

Yup... It was done years ago... it's called Halo.

Have you played it? It doesn't play anything like Halo.

Let's be honest here, anything that is AI controlled cannon fodder are bots; and killing them isn't particularly thrilling. Still, I'm sure the game is fun.

The key is that it isn't always apparent who a bot is and who isn't in the middle of a firefight. It's blended in a clever way. It worked for UT '99. It worked here (of the demo I played). Newcomers will feel empowered without damaging scoreboards.

So no meaningless grindfest Perk system? Hmmm?

There was no visible unlock system in the demo build. However, I believe this is because it's still under construction/discussion internally.

The bots are probably the most intriguing aspect of titanfall for me, It''l be interesting to see how they work in practice, in terms of predictability, movement and how they engage in combat. If they don't do it very well, it'll be a huge detriment to the game I'd think, but they know what they're doing i'm sure.

They play like normal AI bad guys in a modern FPS. They get drop shipped in. They then move out as a pack and take cover. I think they're avoiding the term 'bot' as that indicates a higher difficulty level (I.e. AI trying to mimic player behaviour). These are straight up campaign-esque soldiers. Cannon fodder to keep the pace up. Bonus points.

So how does respawning work then? I didn't actually see that covered.

What I played put you back at the team spawn spot.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Mobility, survivability, scale.... so... more and more like Halo. Less like COD.

Jetpacks/enhanced movement... longer time to kill... larger more complex maps... winning gunfights more on skill and tactics vs. twitch reaction-first-to-strike...

Yup... It was done years ago... it's called Halo.

This plays nothing like Halo.

 

[twobear]

I'm offended that they're discussing the mechanics and game design in depth because it's going to make my drive-by 'it's just cod with mechs' troll posts so much harder

 

[Bayonettasbuddy]

This game is COD with mechs, jetpacks and wallrunning - but it's bloody amazing. Played it at Eurogamer and it really surprised me. The jetpacks/wallrunning meant that campers are screwed. I hate campers...

 

[disastermouse]

Sounds pretty good and smart to figure out a way to get people from a variety of skill levels to find a way to enjoy the game. Also gives a way for lesser experienced players to see what the more experienced players are doing in the same game and something to aspire. I like hearing about this influences and how they've found there way into the game, that is a part of game development in general I wish we got more insight into.

I don't recall coming across it anywhere, but are there custom game modes/options that have been announced yet or is it just the multiplayer/campaign hybrid we've been hearing about?

This gives me hope that I can actually get into a competitive FPS - this and the all-bots practice I can get in KZ:SF.

 

[Shinta]

You just got my attention respawn.

Edit: No Ninja gaiden influences? I think the manipulation of 3D space to strike when you see an opening leads itself more to Ninja gaiden Black than Street fighter.

Yeah, some of the crazy wall running stuff reminds me a bit of the Devil's Third announcement trailer.

I have a question for the Respawn guys, just out of pure curiosity.

Did any of you guys ever get into Vanquish? And do you think TPS games are inferior to FPS? I'm probably not part of your intended audience, but I would have loved to play this game if third person was an option.

 

[Argonomic]

That sounds awesome, and I like the idea of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what works well together, but I don't really understand how Magic: The Gathering fits in with anything we've seen about the game so far. Is it related to customizable loadouts or something?

You know the episode of Star Trek Next Generation where the guy talks in metaphor? "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!". Game development is like that for us. We use examples from games as a reference to the underlying gameplay or feeling it creates. It saves the time of trying to explain it without playing it. It is important that both individuals have a deep understanding of the game though.

In the past we would use map names from CoD like language, but we lost that when we started over.

Jason West liked to use the phraseology of Magic, so the terms and concepts were woven into the early development of the game.

A little history: A bunch of us used to play Magic regularly back at 2015 in Tulsa, although I myself had only played Magic once in the past and deemed it a dumb play to win game.

Magic swept into Respawn in 2010 (thanks to it being referenced so much), and I got into it very heavily (see youtube.com/argonomic). We may have overindulged in the Magic for a bit there.. it is now a one night a week thing at the office.

Anyway, the direct influences may not be obvious in anything we've shown, but it definitely was part of the stew.

 

[Marvel]

I can't wait to get my hands on this game.

 

[webrunner]

so this is Respawn on Respawning?

 

[E92 M3]

so this is Respawn on Respawning?

Spoiler

;P