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Interview: Blizzard's Bill Roper on StarCraft Ghost by HomeLANfed.com
By: John Callaham; October 21, 2002
While Blizzard has created games for consoles in the past most of their work for the past few years has been solely for the PC. That has all changed with the announcement last month of Starcraft: Ghost, a third person action game set in Blizzard's popular Starcraft sci-fi universe. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with Blizzard's Bill Roper about the game which is being co-developed by Nihilistic Software.
HomeLAN - The reaction to the introduction of Starcraft: Ghost has mostly been positive. Was Blizzard worried that such a departure would not be received well, especially by long time Blizzard fans?
Bill Roper - We certainly had some concerns that our PC community would be more than a little surprised at a console announcement. We have also had many people asking us to please come back into the console arena for many years, however, and so we hoped that the overall reaction would be good. The fans of the StarCraft universe have been supportive of this direction and are looking forward to seeing not only how we will expand and deepen the storyline, but also to watching how what we do in Ghost may impact other potential StarCraft projects. All in all, once the initial shock wore off, our community was excited.
HomeLAN - Blizzard most likely could have formed its own internal team to create Starcraft: Ghost. Why did the company wish to work with Nihilistic Software on the game, and what will each developer's responsibility be for the game?
Bill Roper - Actually, one of the biggest hurdles we have in regards to making more games is the fact that we simply cannot just form internal teams to develop every idea we come up with. While we have certainly grown over the last 10 years, we know that one key to our success has been the ability to focus on a few titles and bring the entire attention of the company to any single game if so required. Nihilistic has a lot of experience in creating the style of game - and a game with a certain style - that we are looking to make. They bring a strong technical 3D team to the equation as well as some talented artists and a good sense of design. Coupled with Blizzard’s artistic direction, world and story concepts, sense of game design, and the gritty sci-fi StarCraft universe, we are truly collaborating on a title that is gripping and fun.
HomeLAN - Blizzard has always had strong single-player storylines for its games. What can you tell us about the storyline for Starcraft: Ghost, and how does it relate to the storylines in the original Starcraft game?
Bill Roper - Set in the years following the cataclysmic finale of Brood War, StarCraft: Ghost puts players in the role of Nova, a lethal Ghost operative trained in the arts of espionage and tactical combat. Twenty years of ruthless physical conditioning and techno-psychological instruction have made her a being of terrifying potential. As the Dominion established under Arcturus Mengsk is rebuilding, old enemies continue to plot destruction. Dark times call for dark deeds, and those missions call for the unique skills of the Ghost.
HomeLAN - What extra abilities will the main character have, and how will the Hostile Environment Suit add to the player's abilities?
Bill Roper - One reason the Ghost unit was such a perfect fit for this game is the symbiosis between natural psionics, heightened physical training, and how the Hostile Environment Suit augments them. All of the abilities displayed in the StarCraft RTS games are here for the player to exploit, such as Cloaking, Locking Down mechanical units, and even calling down Nuclear Strikes. We also wanted to use this opportunity to expand and refine the nature of these covert operatives, and so we have added a slew of new skills and powers. Nova can move at hyper speeds, giving her the ability to attack targets from numerous angles at a rate far beyond normal human abilities. She can also use the Hostile Environment Suit’s imaging hardware to read heat signatures through walls, ceilings, and floors. The Ghost standard issue Gauss Rifle is here as well, although Nova will have many opportunities to modify the weapon with various types of grenades. We are also going to add a set of hand-to-hand combat abilities, as well as more “call downs” like the nuclear strike.
HomeLAN - What locations and settings will the game take place in?
Bill Roper - We don’t want to give away too much of the storyline, but it is safe to say that you will visit not only some familiar territory such as the Terran base at Mar Sara, but also some locations we never really explored in StarCraft. Also, we are detailing out many areas that were usually abstractly represented in the game, such as Terran science installations. This game will really allow players to get inside the StarCraft universe and see places and technologies and their enemies in a whole new way. Although it was daunting to see an Ultralisk bearing down on you in StarCraft, it doesn’t compare to the feeling you get when one is literally towering over you in StarCraft: Ghost.
HomeLAN - What sort of enemies will have to be dealt with in Starcraft: Ghost?
Bill Roper - As an operative of the Terran Dominion, you can expect to be on the other side of the galactic fence from both the Zerg and the Protoss. Not all of humanity has the same goals and aspirations as our young heroine, though, so she may also run up against other Terrans as well. Players can expect to see many of their favorite units from StarCraft brought up close and personal in this game, as well as encounter some new foes that have been created specifically for Ghost (and will then become a part of the StarCraft universe).
HomeLAN - What can you tell us at this stage about weapons and items in the game?
Bill Roper - We are focused on giving Nova a common template of weaponry that is expandable and configurable. Her Hostile Environment Suit and Gauss Rifle support her impressive natural abilities, but she can not only modify these tools, she can also use many weapons and items she finds in the world. Players will be able to acquire new technologies beyond the scope of the Ghost unit in StarCraft, up to and including driving around in a Vulture Hoverbike and getting behind the guns of a Goliath armored assault vehicle.
HomeLAN - What other gameplay elements in Starcraft: Ghost do you consider to be unique and/or important?
Bill Roper - We are really trying to give players a lot of rewards for ingenious game play. We want to support as many possible avenues of problem solving as possible within the scope of a linear storyline. Every challenge should have different perspectives and potential solutions. If a Dragoon is guarding the entrance to a Protoss outpost, players should have more options than just coming in guns blazing. Perhaps you can Lock Down the Dragoon somewhere on its patrol pattern. Maybe there is a series of ducts that also access the part of the outpost you are assigned to infiltrate that takes you away from the Dragoon. We want to allow players the opportunity to try different things within the context of the game and feel rewarded for ingenious thought.
HomeLAN - What can you tell us at this point about your plans for multiplayer in the game, and do you plan to take advantage of certain console's online abilities?
Bill Roper - While we certainly will support some form of multiplayer gaming, we have yet to determine exactly what that will be. As we continue to develop the unique skills of the Ghost unit and play the game, we will start finding out what is really fun to do in regards to multiple players. While most action games tend to gravitate toward head-to-head deathmatch-style games, we also want to look into the possibilities of cooperative play. We also want to see how far the online components of all of the consoles come in the next few months in regards to acceptance, use, and support before making a decision in that regard. Basically, we are keeping all of our options open in order to take advantage of what is the most fun.
HomeLAN - Finally, even though Blizzard and Nihilistic are working on Starcraft: Ghost, most people still would like to see Blizzard make Starcraft II. Can you give us any hints about that possibility?
Bill Roper - Unfortunately for fans of the series, we are still not working on StarCraft II. We know you want it, and you know we want to support the universe and our passionate community. It is something we talk about frequently and fondly and is at the top of the list of games to consider every time a team becomes available.
Article from HomeLANfed.com
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