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It's verbal fencing ahoy as we chat with NovaLogic to find out all about the Delta Force: Black Hawk Down expansion
12:25 Due February 13, 2004 in Europe - typically it's already out in the US - Team Sabre is the Ritual-developed expansion for NovaLogic's Special Forces-themed first-person shooter epic Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. Returning to the fray, hardened combat vets oozing chutzpah from every pore will be engaging in manic firefights, dishing out destructive justice as they track down some bad eggs in Colombia and Iran.
We caught up with producer Joel Taubel to find out more about what we Europeans can expect from the add-on.
For those who might not be familiar with Team Sabre, can you give us a quick overview of the expansion pack?
Taubel: Team Sabre features 11 new missions set across two separate campaigns from the jungles of South America to remote islands in the Persian Golf.
The first campaign involves the Delta Force tracking down a drug lord in Colombia. Players engage in several missions aimed at taking the drug lord down and destroying his legacy. The second campaign is set in Iran where the player will engage in several missions against a rebellious Iranian group as they attempt to secure a foothold against the Iranian rebels.
The expansion pack will also ship with 30 new multiplayer maps across five new terrains. Players will also be able to play with three new weapons and as an SAS character.
What appealed about the Colombia and Iran's islands settings for the two campaigns? Why present gamers with these?
Taubel: By including the jungles of Colombia and the oil fields of Iran we are giving gamers a very different experience to Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. We deliberately chose locations that offer thick foliage (Colombia), which has massively increased the number of trees and shrubs for the multiplayer maps, which offers plenty of areas to hide.
The islands of Iran give us the opportunity to utilise some amazing coastal scenery combined with heavy industrial areas.
Can you give us some examples of the types of missions we'll be going in the expansion?
Taubel: In the Colombian missions, as well as playing a Delta Force operator, players will take the role of an Army Ranger in one of the missions that requires an airfield assault. Other missions will vary from an assault on an oil rig in the Persian Golf to fighting off suicide troops. Other missions include playing as SAS characters, and destroying enemy harbour emplacements.
Outside of the new campaigns and missions, how is Team Sabre enhancing the Black Hawk Down single-player experience?
Taubel: The expansion pack really shows off how flexible the game engine can be. Once players take a look at the Colombian terrains, they will be astonished to see how the engine can render a very dense jungle. It gives the players some wide open spaces to really explore.
What vehicles will be appearing in the single-player campaigns and will these be directly controllable or are they "on rails"? What sort of roles will vehicles be playing?
Taubel: Team Sabre will feature a number of new vehicles that will be "on rails". These vehicles will be used to transport you and your team mates during campaigns - these include a helicopter - the MH-53 PaveLow IV, a boat - RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) and a light armoured reconnaissance vehicle - Vehicule Blinde Leger. All vehicles in Team Sabre will be A.I. controlled.
We toyed with the idea of making these player controllable, but decided against this after conversations we have had with our subject-matter experts. As Delta Force is a strike team, it relies on other parts of the military for infiltration and extraction transportation.
What improvements are you making to the game engine and AI, if any?
Taubel: The game engine has remained virtually the same, so it still retains the feel of the original. With two new locations it has allowed us to play around to create new thick foliage - which is perfect to hide in.
What specific new multiplayer features are you including in Team Sabre?
Taubel: Those who have played on NovaWorld will recognise the game types - while we have made no new game types, player favourites such as Team King of the Hill and Team Deathmatch will be making their return. We have of course also upped our multiplayer capacity to 50 players per game, which makes for some amazing battles.
Finally, is Team Sabre the first of a number of expansions for Black Hawk Down? Any hints on where you might be going with future add-ons?
Taubel: No news on any future expansion packs yet - but be sure to regularly check novalogic.com for announcements.
