Doel said:

The 2 other classic maps in the retail version will be Frostfire and Desert Glory.

Click to expand...

Dev Q&A 04
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

And we’re back with another round of questions! Seth Luisi and Allen Goode are still answering, so I’m still posting. This time, we get the low down on Clan-specific features, Aim Assist, and views. If you want to get caught up on the Dev Q&A's, you can either access all of them here in the Dev Q&A category. If you want direct links, check out number one, two, and three.

What type of customizations will the clans be able to do in Socom Confrontation that were not there in the past games?

Allen: Clan leaders will be able to create clan badges that will appear on all clan members' arms in game. They will also be able to create a clan Motto and choose a clan color which will be applied to portions of all clan member’s uniforms. On top of this joining or creating a clan will provide players with unique character customization options which include gear, armor and a faction specific weapon.

What clan features are supported in game, and how will it work?

Allen: Clan members will gain access to clan specific community pages that we’re not ready to discuss yet and clan members can also look forward to seeing the classic clan ladders.

Which view will be the main focus when you start a round and which view are the developers focusing more of their time on, the Third person or Over-the-Shoulder view?

Seth: Both views are third person view. Do you mean the classic SOCOM, character at the center of screen, perspective?

Both the new over the shoulder and classic SOCOM views are available as an option from the options menu. Which view you start in depends on what you have selected for this option. Some members of the development team prefer the over the shoulder view and some members prefer the classic SOCOM view. Both are being used. I would say that most people on the development team prefer the over the shoulder view but both are being given equal attention.

Can you provide any information on the network/server infrastructure that Confrontation will run on?

Seth: We cannot provide too much information on this. What I can mention is that SOCOM Confrontation will have a global server with game servers hosted throughout the world.

Is there Aim Assist?

Seth: No.

Click to expand...

Dev Q&A 05
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

Seth Luisi and Allen Goode are back for a fifth round of questions and answers. Respawn games, SIXAXIS™ control, and a few other hot button topics get answered today.

Check out the Dev Q&A category here, and volumes one, two, three, and four. If you want to subscribe directly to the Dev Q&A feed, click here.

Will there be an option so that i can choose to use the d-pad to lean my character opposed to having to use the SIXAXIS™ motion controls...?

Allen: The leaning system was designed specifically for SIXAXIS™, and provides a huge range of variable input. Trying to represent this with buttons would remove the range of input (you would have to snap to the maximum extents), would require at least 4 buttons and would be very difficult to do while operating all of the other controls. Some of the lean positions would simply be unavailable – you could never lean out and then stretch up to clear your gun into a slot in a specific section of broken wall for example. The real issue is that you will be using both analog sticks as well as your trigger while layering on progressive lean and trim with the SIXAXIS™. As well, the lean system interacts with the low-speed movement (shuffle) and duck (bailout!) positions and there is no good way to express this with a digital button.

What role will respawn games play in Confrontation? Will there be ranked respawn rooms?

Allen: Respawn games play as big of a role as players want them to play. As developers we want to provide as many options to the community as possible and generally certain people are very drawn to respawn game types. All ranked games have respawn turned off.

Were the new maps created with the intention of supporting all modes from the get go, or were they created like SOCOM 1/2 maps where they were built around a single mode, and then you added more mode support for what makes sense in that map's original design? **My question **

Seth: We’ve taken a lot of care to make the maps work equally well with all game types. We realize that this has not worked as well as we would have liked in SOCOM 3 and SOCOM CA and so we are being extra diligent to make it work with SOCOM Confrontation.

My question pertains mainly to sniping. If you see it in your scope can you hit it?

Seth: Yes. Past SOCOM games had an effective range for weapons, which meant that you could see someone who you could not hit. We made this better with a patch but we will not have an effective range where you cannot hit someone who is beyond it in SOCOM: Confrontation.

Will there be also an EU beta test??

Seth: This is still TBD. However, we are working towards this.

Click to expand...

evilone said:

Japanese site just went up and it has a never before profile screen that will make you melt.

Hit enter then select the bottom text.


http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/socom_cf/

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Geez, blog city today:


All great info

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Here is the screen cap

SO much good stuff on there.

And game replays? :O

Click to expand...

Seth: This is still TBD. However, we are working towards this.

Click to expand...

kevm3 said:

Do you automatically get in the beta if you purchase the 2.99 single episode of qore? or is it more like you are put in a drawing with a chance to get in the beta?

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Everyone who buy's this issue of Qore gets in.

The only catch is that if you are getting in the open beta through Qore, you won't be able to join the beta until 2 weeks after it's already been available to people who got it through pre-ordering the game.

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Everyone who buy's this issue of Qore gets in.

The only catch is that if you are getting in the open beta through Qore, you won't be able to join the beta until 2 weeks after it's already been available to people who got it through pre-ordering the game.

Click to expand...

liquidspeed said:

Any word on the closed beta yet? I am getitng nervous that I may have missed that boat. I was nominated as a community leader and I applyed in phase two as well

Click to expand...

oneHeero said:

Can you still do both? As in preorder and get a in beta + QORE? I'd say thats the safest and best way.

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Dev Q&A 05 is up. Including an answer to the question I asked and an answer for you European fans about the beta:

Click to expand...

kevm3 said:

Just bought Qore. Hopefully they release this beta soon.

Click to expand...

Dev Q&A 06
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

Let's get right into it - Here's your Dev Q&A category. Seth Luisi and Allen Goode are still here and they've got four answers for four questions.

Do you plan on having an individual ranking ladder? If so how will it be implemented? Will stats from each category go into that individual ranking ladder and will stats from each place to play (i.e. auto matching, party system, and custom SOCOM lobbies) be compiled into one all inclusive individual ranking ladder?

Allen: We have fully supported Leaderboards and individual player statistic. Players will be able to see their stats for both ranked games and un-ranked games (we keep them separated). Players will also be able to comparer key statistics to that of their friends and clanmates.

Are there challenges in the new Socom that need to be accomplished to UNLOCK some weapons or are all weapons unlocked when we buy the game.

Allen: All of the weapons in Confrontation are available at the outset, but each Special Forces team has a unique weapon that only they can equip.

Will there be any Female Characters to play as? Or are they only Male Characters?

Seth: At this time, only male characters.

If you have picked up a weapon and the next round starts, do you keep it or does it reset to your own weapon?

Seth: If you pick up a weapon during a match and you do not die before the end of the round you can use the weapon you picked up in the next round. As soon as you die you lose the weapon you picked up and instead are given what you selected in the armory.

Click to expand...

Stay Informed
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

Do we have any Game Informer subscribers out there? Camp your mailbox this week. The latest issue of GI hits and there's a one-page preview of SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation in the mag.

They'll also announce a new map, so keep your eyes open. I'll be back to talk about this article once it drops!

Click to expand...

i loved the new preview, however GI seemed to say some negative things like they dont see it becoming as popular as COD and halo. they did say a few things. ill list what i read

NEw map called Viral Lab. its the inside of a domed industrial facility surrounded by metal catwalks and water.

they said you can only have one character at a time and the only way to get a new character is to leave your clan

each character "seals, sas, ksk, UOE, RPIMA have their own specific weapons, camo and specialized armor

in the photos:

let me say i dont know if every screenshot here are from this new viral labs but let me describe each picture:

the first one has terrorists on top of a cat walk shooting at seals below. the seals are crouched behind 2 water turbines.

the second one has a seal prone on a catwalk shooting at a standing terrorist on another catwaelk

the third one has seals shooting at terrorists on a catwalk. the terrorists are standing by a big satellite

the fourth one has a SEAL with an ACOG scope on an M4A1 shooting at a terroriost. someone must have thrown a smoke grenade because the effect is AMAZING

the fifth photo is seals running outside *seems to be 2 facilities in this viral labS EMPHASIS ON THE S. meaning seals start in one lab and terrorists start at the other. water surrounds the lab

Click to expand...

Dev Q&A 07
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

Seth Luisi and Allen Goode hooked us up with five questions again! This week, they break down SOCOM: Confrontation's resolution, kill descriptions, and some other new bits. Catch up on our Q&As here.

Will there be a way to see you got a headshot? Like an icon or something?

Allen: There won’t be any headshot icons but a more detailed kill description will be displayed. If a player gets a headshot it will say so in the game event window.

Will you be able to use your customized Special Forces clan setup for both the Commando and Mercenary side or is it just for the Commando side?

Allen: You get to customize both the Commando and Mercenary separately. Look at them as two alter-egos that will represent you while playing Confrontation and as soon as you join a clan your Commando becomes a member of that specific Special Forces.

What will the game run as 720p 60fps? or 1080p 30 fps?? or any other combination..

Seth: The game will run at 720p at 30fps.

Will Socom: Confrontation be using the PlayStation Name to sign in online or will we have to create a whole new, separate name for Socom online?

Seth: SOCOM Confrontation uses the PSN login. A separate login is not required.

My question is the lobby limit. From the past SOCOM games the lobby limit was always 256/256 in US East/West games, will there be more than 256 or will it have the same number?

Seth: The maximum number of players we can have in a lobby is 256.

Click to expand...

Hi SOCOM fans!



As promised I now have a list of questions and answers for you to take a look at. I hope these give you the information you want, but fear not if new questions are popping into your head as we'll be collecting more questions up to the end of Tuesday, with the intention of providing new answers next Friday. Going beyond that we'll start to focus the Q&As a little more on specific elements of the game, so if you have any ideas about features you'd like to know more on then feel free to make yourself heard in this thread. I'll review the most popular suggestions and we'll take it from there... :smileywink:



So, without further ado, here they are:





Q1. SCEA are offering Beta trial places to the public via 'Qore' and a pre-order program. Are there any plans to announce a closed or open Beta for the EU?

A1. There will be a Public Beta trial in Europe but details are still being finalised. More info soon…



Q2. Will the U.S. and EU versions of "SOCOM: Confrontation" be identical, allowing gamers to play online worldwide?

A2. Yes, “SOCOM: Confrontation” is a global game and you will be able to play any region you choose, including Asia.



Q3. The recent poll on SOCOM.com showed that nearly 70% of the community wants ranked custom lobbies. Will you be supporting this?

A3. We are considering the option to support ranked custom games as well as ranked auto-matching. As far as I’m aware no decision has yet been made on this, but keep watching www.socom.com for any updates.



Q4. It's been mentioned that Confrontation will support clan ladders and tournaments. Will games be moderated to ensure that no lagging or foul-play takes place and if so, how?

A4. Seth Luisi has already confirmed that “SOCOM: Confrontation” will have in-game moderation services. The exact details of this have yet to be fully defined.



Q5. An enjoyable gameplay feature that wasn't present in SOCOM 3 or CA was the ability to 'back-blast'. It was a comedy way of killing enemies or team-mates by launching an RPG or AT-4 as they stood behind you. Will back-blast deaths still be present in "SOCOM: Confrontation"?

A5. Currently we don’t have that feature in the game, but that’s not to say that it’s not on the team’s to-do list.



Q6. Why has "SOCOM: Confrontation" seemingly changed so much over the original SOCOM games? Why not just remake SOCOM 1 with better graphics?

A6. The challenge with developing new versions of a popular game franchise is that you want to keep it true to its roots, but at the same time add new features that will keep it competitive with other popular and successful titles in the market (look how games like “Quake” evolved over time). Furthermore, being the first SOCOM title on PS3 allows us to use the increased hardware capabilities to enhance the game experience through elements such as improved sound design, photo-realistic graphics and dynamic physics. This will inevitably change the playing experience a little when compared to older-generation SOCOM games, but hopefully for the better in everyone’s opinion.

Slant Six have taken SOCOM 2 as the template for Confrontation but are trying to add more to the genre to ensure that SOCOM regains its title as the number one military shooter. Game design is a highly skilled and very delicate balancing process that only select individuals in the industry are qualified to do. As the old saying goes, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can certainly draw on all your experience to ensure that you appeal to the largest audience possible. At the end of the day games have to make money, and to do that they have to sell to as many people as possible, not only the hardcore SOCOM fans. This is the way Sony will justify funding further SOCOM projects in the future.



Q7. Will any additional post-release content be compatible with the EU version of the game, or will the EU players have to wait several months before they are ported from the U.S.?

A7. The reasons for the lack of support in the past are complicated, but they are definitely in the past now. As with most PS3 titles and Sony’s strategy in general, development is now a global initiative. Therefore “SOCOM: Confrontation” is not being developed for North America and then adapted to other regions later, it is being developed as a single product for all regions simultaneously. This is reflected in the fact that for the first time a SOCOM game will be localised into 11 foreign languages, which will be selectable in any regional version of the game. So, by extension this also means that any updates or additional content will also need to be developed for simultaneous release in all regions (give or take a day or two), as is already the case for games like Resistance and Warhawk.



Q8. Is "Requiem" on the way back for "SOCOM: Confrontation"?

A8. There are currently no plans to support classic maps beyond the three already announced (Crossroads, Desert Glory and Frostfire), but that’s not to say we won’t add more classic maps in future if the game is successful and the demand is high enough.



Q9. Are there any plans to implement unlockable camouflage in "SOCOM: Confrontation"?

A9. None at present that I’m aware of. You can already select from a range of camouflage in the release version of the game when customising your character.



Q10. Will there be a tutorial to teach new players the basic controls and rules of the game, or has it been decided to let the player figure it out for himself, as in Warhawk?

A10. There will be no specific in-game tutorial as such, but there are menu screens to show you the controls and explain the motion sensor functionality. You can also create custom games to provide a ‘noob-friendly’ environment for learning the ropes. We will probably also offer hints and tips for playing the game on www.socom.com after release.



Q11. Will the EU version be released this September?

A11. We are currently targeting a September release, but we have not yet locked-down a specific date.



Q12. Seth Luisi recently confirmed that "teams will automatically switch sides mid-way through the match. For ranked games and clan games you will need to play both sides on a given map in order to make sure it is a fair fight". When exactly is the half-time point? Does it occur halfway through one match, or are two matches played to determine the overall winner? Furthermore, will the players be able to return to the game lobby and armoury at half-time?

A12. A game typically lasts a pre-defined number of rounds. For ranked games the players will automatically switch teams after half the rounds have been played, to ensure the balance of the ranking system is kept fair (there is currently no interim lobby). Players can set-up default characters for both Commandos and Mercenaries from the game’s front-end menu, so that once the switch occurs in-game you already have your chosen, customised character. Furthermore, you are still able to adjust weapons and armour when you are killed in a game, as with past SOCOMs.



Q13. Can you please explain a little about the new knife attack? How much damage does it inflict? Is the knife always to hand or must it be selected first? Are there other melee attacks?

A13. The knife mechanic is still being worked on but is supposed to offer similar functionality to the rifle butt mechanic from previous SOCOMs. This is the only melee attack currently planned and is always to hand, triggered by pressing L3. Damage values are not yet locked and so it would be inappropriate for me to comment on that.



Q14. Is Slant Six Games confident about the future of SOCOM, or are there a few doubts knocking around amongst the dev team?

A14. Everyone involved in this project is confident about the future of SOCOM, including myself. It would be foolish to believe that we will get EVERYTHING right with this game, that’s not the nature of game development. However, there is a renewed effort at Slant Six and SCE to bring SOCOM back to the forefront of online shooters, starting with “SOCOM: Confrontation”. There may be features not liked by some that are liked by others and vice versa. I am confident though that this game captures the *spirit* of SOCOM, while at the same time offering something new for those who look for evolution.





Until next week... :smileywink:



Shijima.

Click to expand...

However, there is a renewed effort at Slant Six and SCE to bring SOCOM back to the forefront of online shooters, starting with “SOCOM: Confrontation”

Click to expand...

n1n9tean said:

Oh, I am all over this muthafucka come September.

Click to expand...

Encouraged clan play. A brilliant accident.

I'm going to do something I haven't done in a while, write an editorial. Usually mine are slightly negative and trying to shed light on something I think needs to be looked at, but in this case I want to shed light on something I think is going to have a profoundly positive impact on Confrontation.

Encouraging clan play is one of the best things they could have done for SOCOM Confrontation. First of all, if you aren’t already aware, being in a clan is being encouraged in a few different ways. It’s the only way to join a Special Forces team (ie: Navy SEALs, British SAS, etc) and have access to a new weapon, new gear, and be a part of the clan leader boards. At first I wasn’t so sure about this idea to push people into a clan, but now it’s all making sense and if you look ahead, post-release, it’s going to help keep the community for Confrontation going strong.

If you aren’t following what I’m alluding to here, I’ll make it a little more clear. The online mode in the original SOCOM was able to create a very strong community, almost by accident. A large part of the reason for this was the lobby system that was implemented in conjunction with the lack of a fleshed out friend’s list. What I mean by this is the friend/clan list in SOCOM 1 only told you who in your list were online, it did not tell you what room they were in. This caused each clan to have a “home server”, so you always knew where to find their rooms or could at least narrow down where they’d be playing. Which also meant that it, almost accidentally, caused communities to form around each server and you really got to know the people you were playing with and against as you would keep running into them in that single 256-max player servers (‘US East 5’ for example).

So what does that have anything to do with this? Well the encouraged clan play in Confrontation is almost like the SOCOM 1 lobby system in that they will both, almost by accident, strengthen the community. What the encouraged clan play in Confrontation will do, is firstly, cause people to join a clan. That part is rather obvious. But the ramifications of this will be huge.

For anyone that has been in a clan or a guild, one thing you realize is that often times you’ll just play the game so you can play with those people, because you enjoy spending time with your clan mates or guild members. And if you take a look at all the most successful online games (World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, SOCOM II, Halo 2, etc), clans/guilds are a HUGE part of those communities.

So not only is pushing clan play in Confrontation to the benefit of Sony/Slant Six, as it will build a strong community and help keep this game going for many years, but it will also benefit the player in ways that might not be as obvious. Taking the examples I used in the paragraph above, something else they all have in common that goes hand in hand with clans/guilds, is voice chat. Whether it’s through Ventrillo in World of Warcraft, or it’s built in like it is in SOCOM II, voice chat is integral to those experiences. And if you are familiar at all with the state of online gaming on PS3 right now, voice chat is very underutilized.

But with clans being so prominent in Confrontation, what this will end up doing it pushing people to use voice chat more. No longer will we be in games where only 50% of the room has a headset, and the other 25% has one but doesn’t want to wear it, because with clan play you WANT to talk. You want to have conversations with the people you play online and have become so familiar with. So because of this, I predict SOCOM Confrontation will be one of the first PS3 games where you find 9 times out of 10, that almost everyone in the room is using voice chat.

So the way I see it, encouraged clan play is the SOCOM 1 lobby system of 2008. Both are brilliant accidents that did/will strengthen the community.

- David Doel

Click to expand...

Ramirez said:

The new map looks nice, not sure how I feel about swimming, I never played any of the Socoms where that was in. Can you shoot from the water or no?

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Swimming is back (dude crawling out of water):

Click to expand...

Sol.. said:

lol @ that map



DEEPEST, BLUEST, MY HAT IS LIKE A SHARK'S FIN!

Click to expand...

Agent Ironside said:

Eh, can I still get in the beta? Just bought a PS3 like a day ago....

Click to expand...

Dev Q&A 08
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

You guys should know the deal by now, but if not, our Q&As are questions that are submitted by forum members. Seth Luisi and Allen Goode do us the favor of answering them. Here's the link to the Dev Q&A category. We are still working on getting the first batch of answers back to you. Abigale opened a thread last week for new questions and we will get those answered next. Keep an eye on SOCOM.com for the new round to kick in, okay?

Onward!

Will we be able to put different color camos on our weapons?

Allen: Not in the first release but you never know what the future may bring.

When we customize our character, will we be able to wear wild colors (pink, purple, yellow, orange....etc.)

Allen: Wild colors are fine for the competition but SOCOM prides itself on realistic and intense looking characters. There are lots of color options but they are designed to work with the area of operation, so no neon green for you!

I was wondering how deep the physics engine actually goes with things such as grenades and the like? I.E. Are you able to pick the grenade back up once its thrown (If you have time), would the grenade roll back down a hill on a steep incline, etc.

Seth: You cannot pick up grenades that have been thrown. Grenades will roll down a hill.

Is there still a dive to prone ability in the game? (This ability was added in SOCOM II, and I think I speak for most when I say it is a loved.) If it is in the game, can the character get up fast from prone like in SOCOM II, or do the characters get up slow from prone like SOCOM 3/CA?

Seth: This is currently in the game, we like it too . The speed of getting up is similar to SOCOM II.

Click to expand...

dork said:

Pre ordered

Click to expand...

Poll of the Week: Attachments
Posted by David “Point Man” Brothers

You have three attachments: a laser sight, a scope, and a grenade launcher. Each of them has different strengths and weaknesses. They are good in certain situations and terrible in others. My question to you is tough. Which do you prefer overall? Which fits your playing style the most? The gun is irrelevant. Just assume that you're using a gun that fits the attachment. Which one would you go for? Vote in the poll and explain why in the comments.

The poll before the last one was about which you were looking forward to more- Crossroads or Urban Wasteland. Personally, Urban Wasteland is my choice, but SOCOM.com's readers have spoken. Here are the results for that poll as of 06/11, just before the poll went down.

Crossroads had 2,743 votes to Urban Wasteland's 1,988. So, basically, Crossroads walked away with 58% of the votes to Urban Wasteland's 42%. It was a close race, but it looks like people are looking forward to Crossroads the most.

Don't feel bad, my fellow Urban Wasteland lovers. They'll understand the joy of bombed out cities in the end.

Click to expand...

Hi again everyone!

Here are answers to a few more European-specific questions that you have been asking about “SOCOM: Confrontation”:

Will there be a headset bundle available, as with previous SOCOMs?

This is something decided by SCEE’s Marketing groups and will be publicly announced when a final decision has been made, probably in the near future.

What language do the Mercenaries speak?

As the game is set in North Africa, the Mercenaries speak Arabic. However, for ease of understanding the Merc Announcer will speak in your chosen game language, albeit with an Arabic accent (except in France for cultural reasons).

Will the in-game ladders have referees and/or moderators, to keep things fair?

In Europe, the plan is to support ranked ladders and tournaments with a dedicated team of in-game moderators.

Will you be able to select a lobby by region/language?

All lobbies supported by the game are visible in every region, allowing for global play. The plan is to include all traditional SOCOM lobbies, including those for different countries/languages. There will also be a filter option to only display the lobbies in specific regions as the number of lobbies worldwide is very large.

How will the Australia/New Zealand region be supported? Will servers be region based?

Each major region is supported by its own servers located in that region, allowing for low-latency gameplay in those areas. The regions are North America, Europe, Aus/NZ, Korea/Asia and Japan.

I realise that these may not answer the really BIG questions you all have, but please keep an eye on the SOCOM.com Q&As by Seth Luisi and Allen Goode for more information on general game features...

Shijima.

Click to expand...

Doel said:

Dev Q&A 08 is up:



I'm so glad dive to prone is in there and you can get up quickly like in SOCOM II

Click to expand...

Doel said:

European Q&A Part 2:
Will the in-game ladders have referees and/or moderators, to keep things fair?

In Europe, the plan is to support ranked ladders and tournaments with a dedicated team of in-game moderators

Click to expand...

oneHeero said:

Does that mean no ladder support for NA? as in refs/mods? Please tell me we have it too :\

Click to expand...