Exclusive dev Q&A session #6 - July 2012 [ended]

[Driber]

Welcome to our sixth monthly* official TR forums exclusive developer Questions & Answers session!

We're holding one of these Q&A sessions every single month* on this forum, where you guys can direct your burning questions to the dev team.

During each session, the 5 best questions will be picked out by Meagan and answered by a CrystalD crew member.

Just a few conditions:

- Read all previously answered questions in our official FAQ (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=124504) before posting in this thread. We do not want questions which are already answered!

- Maximum 2 questions per member per monthly session.

- Post only intelligent, well-thought-out questions which are articulate, clear and to the point.

Example...

Good:

I really loved the music in the Turning Point trailer. Will it be the Main Theme of the game?

Bad:

omg omg omg this is awesome thank u guys for doing this im so stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!! k my question is about the trailer! I really liked the music in it and its sumthing i listen to often because i play violin and stuff lol so i know u guys maybe dont wanna give too much info away already but i guess what else is the point of this thread, rite? lmao. so pleasssssssssseeeeeee tell me if the music is gonna be the main theme in the game. i sooooooo much loved it and i wanna hear it for all the time when im on the title screen lolololololololol

====================

This session will end on July 20th.

=== Forum Q&A session history ===

Session #1 - December 2011 (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=123819)
Session #2 - February 2012 (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=124779)
Session #3 - April 2012 (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=125410)
Session #4 - May 2012 (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=125819)
Session #5 - June 2012 (special E3 ambassador edition) (http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=125819)

*Schedules permitting. For example, around Christmas and summer holidays, we may skip a month.

[Priscillia]

Ok then, here I go :

Question 1:

- Since Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness, Lara's face and model have been changing for each game. Now that you are starting from day one with the franchise, do you aim at keeping the same model for the next games (like it is the case for Nathan Drake within Uncharted for instance) ?

Question 2:

- Within the gameplay video, we see Lara hunting a deer... are we obliged to hunt and kill the animal ? Will we have to hunt regularly ? The question might sound silly, but I'm quite sensitive towards hurt animals...

[a big house]

New questions!!

1# So, you have said that the castaways on the island, formed their own community/society. Why then are they so aggressive towards Lara and the other survivors?

2# Why are Conrad and Sam separated from the main survivor group? (Supposing that they all arrived at the island on the only lifeboat Lara could see)

[Love2Raid]

Saving this spot for later. :-))))

[larafan25]

Question 1: How constant is story progression in the game? We've already seen a lot of the game, specifically from the moment Lara is found hanging in the scavenger den all the way to her being captured by the scavengers, the story feels somewhat intrusive on the actual experience of surviving. Another way to put it, how many missions out of a hub space will involve dramatic story progression? Sometimes a player just wants to take out the trash and perform some basic quests without interruption, you know? :p

Question 2: Will there be swimming in the next game?

[adobeARTIST]

*reserved* :)

[VodkaSushiRoll]

1. Will you be able to gather food or water off any other enemies besides animals?

2. Do you regret or believe it was a mistake showing the scene with Lara fighting off the male getting all creepy on her before she has to shoot him to survive because of the controversy it caused?

[stevespiral1]

1. How do you intend to make QTEs (Quick time elements) integrate in to the flow of the game?

2. There have been many posts questioning CD's attitude towards the older games since the 'forget everything' line so I ask do you see TR1 as something you want to match up to or something you want fans to disconnect with?

[d1n0_xD]

Can you tell us a little more about the environments we're going to traverse? How different are they? :D

[Metalrocks]

Question 1 - will we have fixed cameras or can we move the camera all the time 360° around her? even when Lara is hanging on a wall, etc. Please no fixed cameras!!!

Question 2 - will there be many enemies or will it be more survival and less enemies? personally i would prefer less enemies. like 90% adventure/survival and 10% enemies.

[Shaikh]

In the 'Deer Hunting' demo from Comic-Con, we've seen that Lara was using a map. What kind of device did she use for checking the map? Any kind of GPS device?
If Lara doesn't use a backpack, then where are her collected items stored? We have seen Lara taking Sam's camera and placing it on her waist. Does that mean everything she collects is attached to her body magically?

[GemmaDarkmoon]

1. How will choices made by the player with the level-up system influence the way Lara performs in combat.

2. A recent poll in one of the threads here showed a strong will from forum members for Lara to still remain an aristocrat and I was wondering have you decided on this issue yet?

[Driber]

What's with all the reserving of posts? :scratch:

Once the Q&A session ends, this thread will be closed, so you can't go back and edit in your questions anymore past the deadline anyway.

[The Kramer]

1. Can we expect any comic relief? (Obviously it's a serious game, so no extremely goofy stuff. But maybe moments worth a smirk or chuckle?)

2. Are you planning on 'franchise branding' e.g. keeping the logo, theme music, canon etc. the same for all sequels and spin-off media.

[a big house]

What's with all the reserving of posts? :scratch:

Once the Q&A session ends, this thread will be closed, so you can't go back and edit in your questions anymore past the deadline anyway.

I do/have done it because I wanted my post to be closer to the top. However, thinking about it logically, Meagan is going to read every post anyway so being close to the top is rather pointless... :nut:

[Andrashi]

Does the new Lara Croft play any visible reactions upon being hit by a gunfire and/or other hazards in GAMEPLAY ACTION sequences or is it decided that Lara becomes "industry standard terminator" once player has control and enemies appear?



Is the artificial intelligence in the GAMEPLAY parts able to scan its surroundings, track the player and adapt on variety of player's choices? Or is the AI going to be "industry standard" AI, that means heavily scripted with limited variety of behavior, as we have seen in the E3 presentation?

[Driber]

I do/have done it because I wanted my post to be closer to the top. However, thinking about it logically, Meagan is going to read every post anyway so being close to the top is rather pointless... :nut:

;)

[CobyCroft]

Question 1: Will players be able to replay levels and watch cutscenes over again?

Question 2: Will players have the choice to avoid enemies and let them live, or will the players have to kill them?

[Zeddy]

1. How is wound treatment handled? Will Lara use herbs and bandages to treat her wounds?

2. Is there a chance of bleeding after receiving damage?

[Ivana KC]

I'm not too late to ask a question, right?

So here's my question:
Lara won't be able to do gymnastics moves from previous games. Does that mean that she won't be able to, for example, rotate around the pole and stuff like that? Is she just going to be more capable of jumping and climbing than regular people?

[Driber]

^ Nope, still more than a week left :)

[TheBlade]

1. How will you increase the replay value? there is no online multiplayer so how are you going to implement a new system to make it more re-playable rather than inserting rewards here and there?

2. Linking to the environments, are there any dynamic events that occur if Lara does something specifically? For example walking on rocks, Lara tripping or even rain on the floor make her slip over?

[pomeranianpuppy]

Hi Meagan:wave:

Will players be able to gain all experience upgrades through one play through?

How much of the fans input do you take on board?

[miladchahwan]

Question 1:
When will there be a demo available to download from the xbox live market place or play station store?
Question 2:
Will the game be free roam once you finished the story? So we can continue exploring the whole island ,look for secrets and unlock achievments...

[Once Bitten]

Why is this thread still open three days after the July 20th closing date announced in the OP? Apart from me, no one has posted in it since before that date.

[Driber]

Why is this thread still open three days after the July 20th closing date announced in the OP? Apart from me, no one has posted in it since before that date.

Please use PM to ask questions about forum administration.

For the record, the OP doesn't state anything about thread closure.

The 5 questions will be picked and answered. Just be patient :)

[MeaganMarie]

Hey guys! Picking the questions now and I'll work to have Karl answer them this week! :D

[TranceTrouble]

see no need to worry it's all going to be alright :cool:

[MeaganMarie]

We should have this in a day or so guys! Sorry for the delay - Karl was out on a much-needed vacation last week. :)

[MeaganMarie]

And....Answers! Thanks for hanging in there guys!


[Question #1] Priscillia: Since Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness, Lara’s face and model have been changing for each game. Now that you are starting from day one with the franchise, do you aim at keeping the same model for the next games (like it is the case for Nathan Drake within Uncharted for instance)?

Karl Stewart: As we’re starting fresh with the franchise and laying the foundation for the future of Tomb Raider, it’s important we maintain that vision moving onward. I can safely say that the core of Lara’s physical appearance has been (very carefully!) established in Tomb Raider, and if it evolves in the future it will be a natural evolution that is contextual to the new narrative. Continuity is important moving forward.

[Question #2] SteveSpiral1: There have been many posts questioning CD’s attitude towards the older games since the ‘forget everything’ line so I ask, do you see TR1 as something you want to match up to or something you want fans to disconnect with?

Karl Stewart: In saying “Forget everything you know about Tomb Raider,” our intent wasn’t to disrespect the legacy franchise, nor to wipe the memory of Lara’s past adventures from existence. Rather, the message is representative of this new vision, and that we’re starting from scratch to rebuilding the character. It was intended to emphasize that there would be no cannon carried over from past games – this is a blank slate. In spirit, yes, we absolutely want fans to connect this game with what they loved about classic Tomb Raider. It should feel fresh, as our intent is to modernize and update the experience, but still familiar at the same time.

[Question #3] D1n0 xD: Can you tell us a little more about the environments we’re going to traverse? How different are they?

Karl Stewart: That’s a tough one to answer without ruining the mystique of the island! We’ve showcased several diverse locations already – a cliffside vista, a dense forest, and a dilapidated Japanese village. We’ve also shown slivers of concrete wartime ruin, a scavenger city made of salvage, and even teased some beach exploration. That’s what we’ve shown so far. What we’ve yet to reveal is even more impressive. What’s great about the island is that it’s got a lot of unique spaces, both modern and ancient, and a variety of altitudes and climates. The island has loads of personality, and we can’t wait for you to explore it.

[Question #4] PomeranianPuppy: Will players be able to gain all the experience upgrades in one play through?

Karl Stewart: We’re still in the process of balancing both the Survival and Salvage systems, so we can’t answer that question definitively just yet. That being said, we can clarify that the experience systems are used in a manner to allow players to prioritize a degree of the gameplay to their liking early on, while ensuring that no single path will restrict eventual exploration of the island.

[Question #5]: Andrashi: Is the artificial intelligence in the gameplay parts able to scan its surroundings, track the player, and adapt on a variety of player’s choices? Or is the AI going to be the “industry standard” AI, that means heavily scripted with limited variety of behavior, as we have seen in the E3 presentation?

Karl Stewart: You’re right in noting that encounters during the E3 Microsoft presentation were scripted – the time constraints and pressure of debuting combat on stage makes it important that we highlighted as many unique mechanics as possible in that limited window. That being said, it’s not indicative of the final gameplay. The team is working really hard to ensure the AI is believable, and not heavily scripted at all, quite the contrary. I often play through scenarios repeatedly to see them unfold in a different manner – one time an enemy rushes forward. Another time he hangs back and creates his own cover by flipping over a piece of salvage. We’ll talk more about enemies and AI later, but that’s at least a taste of what we’re up to.

[dark7angel]

Thanks Meagan and Karl! Those were some really interesting answers!!! :cool:

[d1n0_xD]

Yay, my question got picked ^^ I knew Karl's gonna answer with "I can't say much without spoiling" but I wanted to know if we're going to have a lot of different areas, so yeah, thanks for picking my question, Meagan, and Karl, for answering it ^^

[Zeddy]

Aww not even an answer to my questions? Thats not nice, or do i need to bribe someone? ;)

[Shaikh]

My silly questions weren't picked. :o

Yay, my question got picked ^^ I knew Karl's gonna answer with "I can't say much without spoiling" but I wanted to know if we're going to have a lot of different areas, so yeah, thanks for picking my question, Meagan, and Karl, for answering it ^^

And he mentions there's loads more to come, again. :p

Aww not even an answer to my questions? Thats not nice, or do i need to bribe someone? ;)

You might wanna give more flowers to Meagan. ;) Like this way: :flowers:

[pomeranianpuppy]

THANKS MEAGAN AND KARL:cheek: thats whetted my appetite nicely. Roll on 05/03/2013:D

[Metalrocks]

thanks meagan :flowers::flowers:

nice answers. hope the AI will be good. the best AI i have so far encountered is still in FEAR 1.

[Ivana KC]

Since Karl is convincing us that artificial intelligence is very good, it better not be disappointing! It would be the first time that TR had some better AI and I'm really looking forward to seeing that AI in action. :D

[The Hylden]

nice answers. hope the AI will be good. the best AI i have so far encountered is still in FEAR 1.

It's pretty darn good AI in F.E.A.R. at that ;) Nothing can save them from the slow mo, though!

Definitely looking forward to the Island. It's sounding pretty amazing.

[Andrashi]

Thank you both for the Q&A session, Meagan/Karl.

Regarding AI, I admit my questioning is rather aggressive. However, please bear in mind that I would like for the Tomb Raider project to be as much unique as possible. What was shown during E3 evoked Uncharted series too much. It would be very unfortunate for you, Crystal Dynamics, if your hard work was publicly labeled as "another Uncharted ripoff".

That being said, I hope the A.I. will truly fight for its survival and not let itself be killed in a cool fashion, not even in a close combat. A couple of features to think about:

"Reloading vulnerability" - please make A.I. trying to hide when it is about to reload. Also, ability for the A.I. to defend itself from melee attacks during reload would be nice (and quite fresh to the gaming).


Cooperative behavior - no need for complex maneuvers, but simple "one shoots, other one repositions" or "one shoots, other one reloads".


When AI discovers a dead body, it does not run up close to inspect it (and be killed by the player hidden nearby), but instead it gets very cautious, tries to gather reinforcements (if possible) and ocassionally attacks in a random direction in hope of hitting the insivisble threat.


I don't know if there are difficulty levels, but if these features sound too much hardcore for your ears, please consider implementing them at least as a part of some "truly survivor" difficulty, maybe bonus difficulty once player finishes the game.


P.S.: F.E.A.R. had a good A.I., but that was partially due to environments with lots of rigid obstacles. Since TR project has fewer obstacles and many of them are destroyable, it will probably need even better A.I. in order to deliver a believeable behavior.

[GemmaDarkmoon]

Great answers from Karl and I think he did a really good job at stating CD's position with the first 2 questions.

Aww not even an answer to my questions? Thats not nice, or do i need to bribe someone? ;)

Keep trying. Meagan can only choose 5 out the many questions that are answered each month so maybe next time yours will be chosen.

It's pretty darn good AI in F.E.A.R. at that ;) Nothing can save them from the slow mo, though!

I have been playing F.E.A.R. 3 recently and the A.I. is really impressive. With the recent TR games the human enemies seem to stand still a bit much. From what Karl says they seem to be steping it up. I do miss when TR's human enemies were much more keen to advance on you in groups so I hope we see more aggression from them this time.

[Metalrocks]

i actually never used the bullettime in FEAR 1 except for these invisible once that can run very fast. at least like this it was more challenging.

the AI in FEAR 3 i think its not as good as in the first game. the fights are sure challenging at times but they dont try anymore to flank you as they did in the first one. i still remember in the first game how the enemy was shooting at me wile i was behind cover. a moment later someone came from behind me. so i knew that he was distracting me so that his friend can sneak up on me.

[Driber]

Keep trying. Meagan can only choose 5 out the many questions that are answered each month so maybe next time yours will be chosen.

Indeed.

The new Q&A session just went live a few seconds ago, Zeddy. Give your question another go if you want :)

http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=127536

[Zeddy]

Indeed.

The new Q&A session just went live a few seconds ago, Zeddy. Give your question another go if you want :)

http://forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=127536

If i want? Giving up is not something i intend on doing. If need be ill send a truck load of flowers to Meagan to convince her. :p

[Driber]

HA, that's the spirit. You can do it! :D

jcshic_laraCroft_Paz3.jpg

[Priscillia]

I did not see the answers yet, that's nice ^^
This Q&A are really great, it makes the wait a bit shorter.

Still... I really can't wait we have a demo in France ! I hope we will have one at ParisGamesWeek convention.

[MissShortieB]

cheers for the answers :)