Interview :
play3.de : The first data sheet you provided always had 4 protagonists listed.Isn't a coop mode the obvious choice ?
Ru:The reason, sticking our focus on four personality's is clear.With The Order 1886 we wanted to establish and create our own heroes and personalitys.However, for now the player will only play Gallahan.
Play3:According to your statements, you're still always active as group.Is it possible to give orders to directly influence their behaviour ?
Ru: That's something we can probably discuss later.Most likly when we're gonna present a fully playable level to the press.For now it's a distinct companionship how you'e gonna play and how they interact with each other.We can't provide any further gameplay mechanics information yet.
play3.de : Your mixture between London,mystery and monster is pretty fascinating.How did it began ? Was the team sitting together in a bar eating and then these ideas came up ?
Ru: Stricly speaking there were serveral kick-off-points with them everything began.The story, the content compounds and the idea, how the world is constructed, these are all things, I was already writing short storys about in 2005,2006.Back then they were just ideas for a brand not necessarly for a game.
It was all about creating a world, and thinking about the structure: How did the past look for this world ? What where the origins of this world ? Which events directly influenced the world ? And of course, how does this world seperates itself from ours ? Then in 2009,2010 when I created several short storys and thought about them for a long time, we began to discuss the key mechanics for a title with whom we experimented with for some time.Well, eventually the point came up where both of these projects were began to merge together.The story and the brand(ip) began to influence the key concept of the game, which we had planned as shooter within the victorian time.Alot of influence is also based on the fact that I'm a history freak.I love history and history always provided alot of mysterious and incredible storys.
play3.de: So the player will always find actual references from the victorian age ?
Ru:Absolutely.Still, you always have to keep in mind that The Order 1886 is just a small timeframe, the viewers will only see what actually happens.The ongoing war however, is already going on for centuries.
play3.de:Does this also mean that other titles like The Order 1912 could happen in the same universe ?
Ru:Yeah.I personally want to achieve the point, where it's theoretical possible to offer a new story with a different/alternate timeline.However our priority is to create a dynamic story that can be carried on.
play3.de:How exactly can we imagine the world back then? Is the player running through an open world or is he/she gonna go from area to area like in Uncharted 3 for example?
Ru:Our playerexpirience was always "level-guided".We've discussed, if a modular open world would make more sense, we decided against it.In order to tell a stunning story and carry our player along, you've got to stick to the linear approach.
play3.de:In the first documents that explained what this title is about, there is talk of events are centuries behind and influenced this world to what it became now.Is the player gonna expirience those events ?
Ru:In The Order 1886 we wanted to create a solid backround story for Gallahan.In the game itself, leaps in time aren't a topic.In the foreground we've got the conflict between 3 groups in 1886.The main fight is taking place between humans and the so called halfbreeds, an interbreeding between humans and werwolves.Into the crossfire of this rivalry alot of different social ranks get into the conflict.The rabble/mob for example knows, that they've got to fight the halfbreeds.Simultaneously they don't want to get ordered around by aristocrats.That results in a triangle, which shows similarites to our world.Our world isn't always black or white, there's always a grey spot.We don't want a scenario where good and bad are clearly seperated, grey will always play a role.
play3.de:In your information sheet,object interaction plays a key role within the game.What exaclty do you mean ?
Ru:I'd love to explain this.Let's take the cover system as example.It's so sophisticated, that not only covers are destructible,but you're also able to specifically make holes, something your team can take as advantage.Or as second example the interaction with metal, the player is able to deform things out of metal, something you most likely can't do in other games.A possible result would be: suddenly there are gaps or paths the player can take.
Or let's take another example with fabrics, if you shoot clothes, there are parts flying off alot more realistic then with the "stiff-body-physics" you are used to.The resulting world is alot more realistic.This isn't our top priority, but it helps to create a believable world.
play3.de: Is your physic simulation also possible on the PS3 ?
Ru:We haven't tried it out.We're only working on the PS4.Our current technology, even though it's made for cross-platform, it's primary target are PS4 projects.So today I cannot elaborate this, but if there is a possibility to take our physic-system onto another platform, we would do it.
play3.de:Your team has an outstanding reputation within the handheld-sector with God of War leading the way.
Thus the obvious question follows: What are you doing to connect The Order to the mobile world ? The Vita as second screen maybe ?
Ru:Interesting Question.When we begun with the project, we didn't knew alot what our platform could do, especially the connection between the PS4 and the Vita.We've discussed the possibility's and some ideas how we could combine both of these platforms.However, if we continue to develop our ideas even further, there lies the danger to loose something of our actual experience with the game.That's something we don't want to happen.
Also we thought about some ways to integrate the PS Eye camera.The possibilitys are big.For now, we haven't integrated the camera.
Play3.de:Regarding the experience, how would you answer the question "what's the biggest selling point for The Order" ?
Why yhould a "God of War" fan be interested in the game, which is scheduled for fall 2014 ?
Ru:At the end of the day, there are 3 key points to distinguish The Order.First the immersion, shortly said: We want to thrill the player.It's called "moment to moment"- gameplay.Every passage is extremely diverse.You will get the feeling of actually taking part instead of just watching.You know, the typical structure of watching a video,playing for a short amount of time until the next video sequence is running over the television.We don't what that procedure.We want to merge these elements together.
Secondly, the world itself and everything that's happening in it, are playing a key role.
And last but not least the fighting system, the weapons and everything surrounding them.We've got this freaky ideas of scientific and fantasy, which alone creates an "aha-experience.We've researched alot of dominating hystorical weapon systems and modified them.
Nikola Tesla for example was researching back then, as well as Alfred Nobel and alot of other people.It was the time of inventor's.
Considering their research, we thought about taking these ideas even further, making even crazier weapons, without getting onto the Sci-Fi track.
You'll see the result in the players armory.
The weapons have to look cool, but also be believable.The thermite-gun is shooting thermit, which the player can inflame.The arc-gun is firing electronic shocks, just another example.
Our priority with the weapon design was to offer a diverse lineup, every weapon has to drastically distinguish itself from another weapon and not just feel like a better version of another weapon.The player has to take wise decision, we're not gonna force him to do anything.That's why we're not gonna allow him to take all weapons at once, which is also more realistic.
play3.de: And the close-combat system ?
Ru:We are working on different gameplay levels with the melee combats.We're tweaking the classic quicktime event's and are giving them a little twist,we're trying leveling with the target to create a cinematic experience.For example, we've studied tons of combat scenes in movies, to get a feeling of strike capability and hardness, in order to replicate it.
Another would be intuition in the melee system, but I can't ellaborate that futher yet.
And yeah, another point is the object interaction with the surroundings in close combats,that's gonna take an important role.
play3.de:With the next console generation alot of catchphrases are thrown around, like 1080p or 60fps.
Sadly, not every title could achieve these targets.What's your position ?
Ru:For now, we're not trying to achieve 60fps.It would make sense for an ego shooter.Also beat-em ups are predestinated for 60fps.For us, the cinematic experience is in the foreground. In Full HD 1080p, in order to offer spectacular effects and the highest resolution we're restricting ourselves with smooth 30fps.
(Note: Fluid/Liquid is often meant as smooth in Germany).
Play3.de: Mark Cerny, the architect of the PS4, said some time ago, there would be a faster developing time with the PS4 compared to the PS3.Would you agree with him?
Ru:Yeah, everything surrounding the plattform itself, I would definitely agree.It's alot easier then developing for the PS3, even though it was fun.The barrier you've got to climb,in order to work with the plattform is easier.
However, creating a game is a different reality.Until the real game experience takes , whatever platform it is, alot of time passes, and as dumb as it may sound, you can't calculate how long it's gonna take.The game is gonna take as long as it needs.Sometimes it takes years to create the percect mechanics and alot of times passes while you're working on them.
Still we're pretty satisfied with the PS4, more than with every platform before.
play3.de: Could you be more specific ? Faster calculation speed, XXL-memory speed, a fast graphic chip, a nice controller, social interaction - for what are you particularly grateful to sony ?
Ru:The whole package is what makes it beatiful.When they were assembling the system, Sony was collecting alot of feedback from every developer worldwide, to match as much wishes as possible.The PS4 was build to work future-oriented.The beginning of The Order1886 from our PC-based technology was easily ported to the PS4.No comparison to the PS3 or PSP.They've always had the developers in mind, and that's one of the key factors that sony can use.There was always a dialog between us and Mark Cernys team and yes they listened.Not only to the Sony studios itself, but every important studio was kept in mind.
play3.de: Ok,let's cut to the chase.Could you give or reader something, that hasn't been shown yet ?
Ru: Hehe, nice try.Actually this question comes up alot.Sadly, we're bound to embargos.
Nevertheless, there will be alot of occasions to speak futher about The Order.