by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson

Q: What will we see for training missions in Gunship and will we have a "live" instructor?

Tim: I am still working on the training area. If the current version tests well, it will include some multimedia and interactions. The instructor will not be fully interactive, but will give you instructions during the training.

Q: The campaign in M1TP2 was a dynamic one, with a persistent environment and every mission based on the results of the previous one. Is this also the case with Gunship?

Tim: In Gunship and Tank, the missions will be more scripted, with AI and enemy commitment variations. This allows us to have a coordinated over campaign, with more in-depth briefings and a cohesive story line. This decision was made based on comments from the various boards, and the reactions to the different systems in various games.

Q: How many campaigns will be modeled and what is the setting?

Tim: Gunship will include 5 campaigns, set in different areas of the front in a major Eastern European war. The campaigns will allow the player to play as any of the four major nations, including a Russian campaign.

Q: Tell us about damage resolution and physics modeling. Have these changed significantly beyond M1TP2?

Tim: They have been improved and made more in depth. Both are now scaleable for player preference.

Gunship: Havoc Near City

Q: Tell us about AI modeling for enemy units in Gunship, both for ground and air units.

Tim: The enemy use the same type of AI as your wingmen and ground units. They have their own missions to perform and will balance stopping you with their own objectives. Their targeting and combat AI take full advantage of the same improvements available for the player. They will use cover if practical, they will use the most effective weapon and tactic for the range.

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Apache Daylight attack

Q: Some of the more sophisticated elements of AI modeling this past year have included panic models, target fixation, and sight and detection modeling. Tell us about some of these aspects of Gunship.

Tim: We had many of these elements in M1TP2. These games go beyond that. In many ways, making AI reactions more realistic might not have the effect many players imagine. A realistic AI does not always charge the enemy or instantly see every new target. We concentrated on making the enemy react in a way that makes you believe there is more behind them than a few basic if/then equations.

We want to make surprise possible. We want every unit to try and use cover, and to fight back against the threat that they are best able to handle. Morale is a tricky subject. You have to temper a realistic response with the fun of a nearly fearless enemy. We have tried to balance a believable AI reaction with the maximum amount of FUN.

Q: Will we see a mission builder/planner for Gunship? A mission recorder?

Tim: There will be a built in mission generator and a Planner, but sorry, no recorder.

Q: Tell us about briefings, debriefings and Intel.

Tim: Mission briefings and debriefings use both graphics, text and voice to give you the information you need to survive the mission. The briefings are an integrated part of preflight, with the ability to move from there back and forth to the planner, arming screen, and campaign intelligence briefings. I have strayed a little from a pure military format to make them more interactive and informative.

The intelligence in the briefings is usually accurate to a point, but rarely complete. I try to keep a few surprises and every now and again even the best intelligence makes mistakes.

Go to Part V