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The Conflict military shooter franchise from developer Pivotal Games and co-publishers SCi and Gathering/Take 2 has taken two tours of duty in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm but this fall the franchise goes further back in history when Conflict: Vietnam is released for the PC and consoles. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with the game's producer at SCi Lee Singleton to find out more about their plans for Conflict: Vietnam.
HomeLAN - First, why was the decision made to base the next game in the Conflict series on the Vietnam War?
Lee Singleton - From the start, our intention was to have Conflict become a franchise, and we planned from day one for the third game in the series to be set in Vietnam. Our thought process was that by the time we got to the third game, we’d be to the point with our technology and experience where the gameplay, enemy AI, and game engine could handle the complexities of the Vietnam War.
HomeLAN - There are a lot of military shooters based on the Vietnam War due out in 2004. How will Conflict: Vietnam stand out from this growing crowd of shooters?
Lee Singleton - We have spent a lot of time focusing on the storytelling aspect and making sure that our attention to detail in both gameplay and cut-scenes is unmatched. Conflict: Vietnam has more FMV sequences and more lines of dialogue than the previous two Conflicts combined. So we’re confident that it has the most fleshed out characters and the deepest story line.
We’ve overhauled the control scheme, refined the gameplay, stepped up the graphics and audio, and in general made this game as refined and fluid as possible. We also put in a massive amount of research to make sure everything in the game looks and feels just right.
The result, we believe, is a game that is very emotionally involving. When you play Conflict: Vietnam, you’re going to feel paranoid. You’ll be fearful that at any moment a VC could pop out from behind some brush and throw a grenade at you. You’ll feel relieved and proud to finish a mission, and anxious to get started on the next. In short, by a few missions in, you’ll be hooked.
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the single player storyline for the game?
Lee Singleton - Conflict: Vietnam tells the story of Private Harold Kahler and his first tour of Vietnam (his squad mates nickname him Cherry because he’s a fresh recruit). During the Tet Offensive, the squad that Kahler is a part of gets shot down behind enemy lines. They’re left with no supplies, no way to contact help and dwindling ammo. The only chance they have to survive is to make a 30 day trek through hundreds of miles of enemy infested territory to the capital city of Hue, where they think they can reconnect with US forces.
HomeLAN - What kinds of locations and settings will Conflict: Vietnam have?
Lee Singleton - Naturally, this being a game set in Vietnam, there’s a lot of thick jungle to explore, but we also wanted to have as much variety as possible. Through the course of the game, players will explore small villages, delve into underground tunnel complexes, sail down rivers, fly in a helicopter through mountain valleys, make their way through abandoned temples, and get into firefights in a ruined city. This variety helps keep players on their toes, making them rethink their tactics for each new environment.
HomeLAN - Will there be multiple playable characters in this game as in previous Conflict titles?
Lee Singleton - Indeed. Players will be in control of a squad composed of four unique personalities, each with their own specialties: Sgt. Frank Wier –leader; Corp. Bruce Lesh – sniper; Corp. Will Shafer – machine gunner; Pvt. Harold Kahler – medic.
Staff Sergeant Frank Wier
Name: Frank Wier; Rank: Staff Sergeant; Squad role: Leader, Rifleman; Height: 6’0”; Weight: 167 lbs; Build: Muscular, Slim; Age: 28; DOB: March 29, 1940; Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois; Nickname: Ragman
Background: Frank Wier was born into a blue-collar family of autoworkers. It was assumed that he too would follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather; but Frank had other ideas. He quickly tired of the drudgery that came with assembly line-work and opted instead to join the Airborne. When the war came, Frank was deployed in the early stages of US mobilization, and has seen the conflict evolve into the bloody mess it is today.
Personality: Frank is usually cool and calm when under fire. However, when things go wrong, as is often the case in combat, he’s been known to recklessly and fearlessly assault enemy held ground, pulling wounded men to safety and winning the battle through sheer stubbornness. This disregard for personal well-being and heroism has made him widely respected and liked by all the ranks of Bravo Company.
Speciality/Skills: Already on his third tour of Vietnam, Frank is a brilliant combat leader and expert with all types of Assault Rifles and Sub-Machine Guns. He also is a crack shot with a pistol.
Preferred Weapons: M3A1 “Grease Gun” Sub-Machine Gun
Remington 870 Shotgun;
Corporal Bruce Lesh
Name: Bruce Lesh; Rank: Corporal; Squad role: Sniper, Grenadier; Height: 5’11”; Weight: 156 lbs; Build: Athletic, Slim; Age: 23; DOB: December 17, 1945; Place of birth: Queens, New York City; Nickname: Junior
Background: The America that Bruce Lesh had always known was one of poverty and exclusion. Like thousands of other disenfranchised youths, Lesh only believed he was destined for a life of petty crime and low-paid work. Drafted into the Vietnam war, Bruce saw this as a route out of the ghetto. However, the reality of combat and the loss of many close comrades have soured his view and he now only hopes to get out of this war in one piece.
Personality: Bruce is ‘short’ on his tour of duty with only 30 days left before he is due to be shipped back to the US. This has made him prone to panic when under fire. He dislikes Will Shafer intensely, thinking him a white trash, racist redneck who will get them all killed.
Speciality/Skills: Bruce is the team’s expert sniper and grenadier. He is also experienced with explosives.
Preferred Weapons: M14 Rifle with Sniper Scope; M79 Grenade Launcher (Bloop Gun)
Corporal Will Shafer
Name: William Shafer; Rank:Corporal; Squad Role: Machine Gunner; Height: 6’2”; Weight: 198 lbs; Build: Heavy, Muscular; Age: 24; DOB: May 3, 1944; Place of birth: Clay County, Alabama; Nickname: Hoss
Background: Born into a poor farming community, Will’s world-view seemed destined never to pass beyond the borders of Clay County. Then war arrived. The brutal guerrilla nature of the combat offered Will an outlet for all the pent-up frustration that life in an isolated and introverted community had instilled in him.
Personality: Will Shafer is an aggressive and slightly unhinged individual. This is one grunt that has been ‘in-country’ too long and often goes berserk in the heat of combat. He is also often at odds with Bruce Lesh who thinks he is nothing but a dumb redneck. Shafer in turn thinks Lesh is a smart mouthed, complainer who should learn his place.
Speciality/Skills: If its maximum firepower you are after, then Will Shafer is the best man for the job. He can lay down withering amounts of firepower to keep the enemy suppressed.
Preferred Weapons: M60 Light Machine Gun (PIG); M72 Light Anti tank Weapon (LAW)
Private Harold Kahler
Name: Harold Kahler; Rank: Private; Squad Role: Field Medic; Height: 5’9”; Weight: 152 lbs; Build: Athletic, Slim; Age: 19; DOB: July 6, 1949; Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri; Nickname: Cherry
Background: Harold Kahler is the all-American kid from a proud white collar family who, through hard work, reaped the rewards of 1950s prosperity. Having been to medical school, Harold has a degree of education that sets him apart from most of his fellow soldiers. The reality of the war in Vietnam is about to test his training and his faith in the American dream.
Personality: Kahler is an even-tempered and usually calm individual but has no real combat experience. His first tour of Vietnam will be his trial by fire.
Speciality: Kahler is an able field medic but has no real experience of treating the wounded when under fire.
Preferred Weapon: M16A1 Assault Rifle
HomeLAN - What kinds of weapons and items will be used in Conflict: Vietnam?
Lee Singleton - There are over 30 historically accurate weapons for players to find and use throughout the game. There is a variety of assault rifles, pistols, sniper rifles, machine guns, grenades and rocket launchers. There are also some more interesting armaments to use, like Claymore mines and crossbows.
HomeLAN - What will the enemies be like in the game?
Lee Singleton - In a word, devious. We’ve really put a massive effort into making the enemy AI something that players need to both respect and fear. This is their territory, after all, and they should know how to use it to their advantage. If your characters are running through the jungle, the VC will “hear” you and hide, waiting for the right time to pop up and fire away. If they’re cornered and there’s a hidden mine nearby, they’ll make a suicide run and attempt blow up your squad along with themselves. Moreso than previous Conflicts, if you’re able to sneak up behind an enemy opponent and perform a stealth kill with a knife, you should be damn proud of yourself.
HomeLAN - Will there be any drivable vehicles in Conflict: Vietnam?
Lee Singleton - Players will be able to drive jeeps, APCs, and tanks that they come across. We’ve made sure to get the physics more realistic so these don’t feel floaty. When you’re driving a tank in Conflict: Vietnam, you can feel the tonnage.
There are also missions where the squad is manning the guns of a river boat and helicopter. You don’t get to pilot these vehicles, but your actions determine their course (and the action is so frantic during these missions, you’ll be glad you don’t have to worry about steering).
HomeLAN - What improvements will be made to the game's graphics engine?
Lee Singleton - Just as we made a gigantic graphical leap forward with Conflict: Desert Storm II compared to the first Desert Storm, the visual difference between Desert Storm II and Conflict: Vietnam is an even bigger step forward. The first thing players will probably notice is the detail of the jungle. It’s truly alive with lush vegetation, brush that shifts in the wind, and bugs and animals scurrying about. Then there are the small touches, like each weapon having a unique sight in first-person mode or the light shining in through the jungle canopy, that bring it all together. We hope that anyone, whether they’ve played Conflict before or not, is going to be impressed with the amount of things going on.
HomeLAN - What other new additions and improvements will be put into Conflict: Vietnam compared to previous games in the series?
Lee Singleton - I know it’s cliché to say it, but everything has been improved in Conflict: Vietnam. Aside from the graphic improvements I talked about above, another improvement that people will notice is that the audio has really been taken to the next level. The voice overs were produced by the Take-Two New York team and they’ve done an amazing job. Sound effects and voice overs have distance and location distortion, so if you’re walking toward a distant conversation in a tunnel, you’ll hear it echo and get louder as you approach.
We’ve added many new commands that you can give your squad, such as guarding, taking over vehicles, and picking up items. We’ve improved the inventory control scheme so players can switch back and forth between favored weapons without having to dig through the menu.
Then there’s the skill advancement system that gives the game a little rpg-like flavor. After you complete a mission, your team is awarded points based on performance. These points are then used to increase your squad members skills in 9 areas such as assault rifle, medic, and booby traps. This lets the player build a squad that suits their style of play, or try something different when they play the game for a second and third time.
HomeLAN - What will the differences be for the PC, PS2, and Xbox versions of the game?
Lee Singleton - There will be a slight difference in graphics between the versions, with PC being slightly better than Xbox, and Xbox being slightly better than PS2. Not a major, mind blowing difference, just slight. If you load up the PS2 version, you’ll still be thinking, ‘This looks amazing!’
HomeLAN - Finally, what is the current status of the game's progress and when will it be released?
Lee Singleton - We’ve come down to the final fine tuning, and we’re on schedule for the game to be released in North America on September 28.