Oh good lord. That Tornado landing looks amazing.
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Oh good lord. That Tornado landing looks amazing.
Fuck.
That looks incredible. I want a demo now.
Roger: count me in.
sweet recent scans
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gorgeous new screens!
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highly informative new interview.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/789/789651p1.html
Quote:
Ace Combat Six Interview
Namco is taking the sky to the limit. An exclusive interview with a
ton of gorgeous new screens.
by Jonathan Miller
May 17, 2007 - Decisions, decisions. Do you take out the enemy power
plant or take over its landing strip? Leaving your enemy without juice
is as equally appealing as obtaining a new base of operations from
which to launch support fighters. Such are the dilemmas faced by the
ace pilot in Namco's upcoming Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. That,
and figuring out how to go to the bathroom in that tiny little
cockpit.
In Ace Combat's new Living Battlefield, players will choose which
objectives to tackle first, and the results will affect the entire
game. Hey, at least you have squads of allied planes, tanks,
helicopters and warships to help you out, a first for Ace Combat. We
sat down with Ace director Natsuki Isaki to talk all things Fires of
Liberation and the new direction his franchise is taking. And if you
don't like words, click on the images for some beautiful new screens
of Ace Combat 6 in action.
IGN: First off, we're big fans of the franchise so thanks for taking
the time to answer our questions. We'd like to focus on some of the
new features in the game: the living battlefield and the ability to
command other air, land and sea units. So here we go.
Natsuki Isaki: Thank you very much for being a huge fan of Ace Combat.
There are so many great, new features made possible in the game using
next-gen technology. Please ask me anything because I am eager to give
you details.
IGN: Tell us about the concept of the Living Battlefield.
Natsuki Isaki: In the living battlefield, the player can experience
the massive scale of group combat where multiple armies from both
sides, intensely battle through missiles, gunfire and explosions. This
creates an action-packed and interactive style of entertainment,
unlike battles in movies, which are scripted and not interactive.
Fully utilizing next-gen technology, you can control a plane that is
capable of flying at any direction or altitude at mach speed, and you
determine the outcome of the mission since you are the ace pilot.
Technically speaking, there are two big features. One is high-tech
control of mass NPCs, and the other is the reinforcement of visual
effects that are not static. Please let me explain each of them.
In the NPC control, not only are there many NPC's but also each NPC
has a unique feature. For example, some enemies are 'good for enemies
in the air,' 'good for enemies on the ground,' 'good for occupying the
opponent's base,' and 'despite the lack of strength, good for high-
tech information warfare,' and they capture components of real modern
combats.
They act systematically, set up units, and try to accomplish a number
of different missions. For example, some battle crafts try to get
command of the air, some tanks try to break through the enemy's
defense line, some helicopter units try to conquer the enemy's
facility, etc... Those missions simultaneously occur in real time.
Imagine the real battlefield. The success or failure of a mission
changes the complexion of war, as if it was a living creature. For
instance, even if a tank unit breaks through the enemy line, if you
fail to take control of the airspace, a player still might be at a
disadvantage. But once you conquer the airport as a main base, you can
take advantage of the air battle no matter how strong the enemy is.
The importance and influence of each mission in Ace Combat 6 changes
the outcomes of individual missions and delivers the massive real
battlefield dynamism. Your skills as an Ace pilot determines the
outcome of the game and how well you do. So even if you clear the game
the first time round, it is well worth playing it multiple times
through because of the complexity of each mission. I'm worried that in
the future when Ace Combat 7 comes out, users will say, "I'm still
enjoying 6 so I can't buy 7 yet!
Also each NPC has its own character with its own name. You can feel
the satisfaction of a successful operation or the desperateness of
defeat, which will give you the realistic feeling of fighting as a
unit. The player also has the option of talking directly to a NPC. If
you have helped them in a previous mission, they would give support to
return the favor. I consider games as something that gives you an
interactive experience, games should not be solely based on if you win
or not. I want you to create your own active heroic story that books
or movies can't allow you to do in the same way.
Let me also take this opportunity to talk about non-static visual
effects.
Thanks to the capabilities of the next gen system, the glossy terrains
in Ace Combat have been dramatically improved. And not only that, we
put a lot of effort into the non-static visual expressions such as
flying missiles, machine guns, explosions, smoke, airplane tracks,
etc., which alter according to the action of the player or NPC. Every
visual in Ace Combat 6 has been dramatically improved from photo-
realistic views of allies and enemies exchanging shots, views of
friend's bases being attacked and being engulfed by smoke and flames,
the weltered airplane tracks caused by dogfights and missile fire from
the friends' units gathered in response to your call, etc., etc...
These non-static visual affects all come together to give life to the
battlefield while allowing players to feel the fierce and powerful
realism of war when playing the game.
IGN: How does this change the series from its roots?
Natsuki Isaki: The various features liked by users in the past series
have been 'its beautiful graphics', 'heroic experience as an ace
pilot', and 'the exhilaration of flight action.' All of those features
have been improved tremendously in Ace Combat 6, thanks to the
capabilities of the next-generation system.
Until now, only the wireless voice and demo scenes have interactively
helped to show off the skills of the player. But this time, the
additional elements such as allies in the battlefield reacting to the
call from the player, help the interactive and large-scaled expression
of the player as a key person in the battlefield.
We have overcome a problem that couldn't be avoided in all previous
flight action games. All flight action games typically lack physical
objects compared to the feel of the speed of the aircraft. For
instance, racing games could actually give you a better sense of speed
at 200km/h rather than a plane flying at 2000km/h because there are
oncoming cars and billboards coming from a short distance. But now,
the high-quality graphics of smoke, airplane tracks, and explosions in
a very dense state, have achieved the feel of mach speed.(In addition,
the same technique enabled to show the cumulonimbus that had been
unable to be portrayed, which increases the exhilaration of flight.
IGN: Walk us through an example of a Living Battlefield. What are some
of the objectives and the risk/reward involved choosing one objective
over another?
Natsuki Isaki: Let's say there are allies surrounded by a group of
enemies. They consist of three groups and each has its own operation.
Let me give you three examples. Group 1 is a friend's fighter unit and
tries to protect a power plant against the enemy's air assaults. Group
2 is a garrison and tries to protect the home airport against the
surging enemy's helicopters. Group 3 is a tank unit surrounded by the
enemy ground forces after having attempted to stop a siege. The
mission is to "rescue the friendly unit and beat the enemy." In order
to complete the mission, the player must participate in some of these
operations. If you succeed in the operation 1, electricity would
continue providing the friends' radars with power, so the friends
surrounded by enemies can have the advantage of utilizing the radars.
On the other hand, if you fail, the radars have no electricity and the
player will be at a distinct disadvantage. If you complete operation 2
and secure the safety of the runway, all the friends' fighters can
start taking off and attacking the enemies from the air. Also, during
the battle, players can always land at the airport to refill their
weapons and recover from any damages.
When you clear operation 3, the tank units will help by fighting with
a fierce bombardment of ammo against the enemies and they can destroy
multiple enemies with one attack. But if you fail, the enemies would
attack your fighter and friends' organized position. Once you finish
an operation, you proceed to the next mission. Whether you succeed or
fail in the first operation, will have influence over the situation in
the next operation.
IGN: Can you still win any mission regardless of the order of
objectives?
Natsuki Isaki: You can clear a mission with the completion of any
operations. However, in most cases, clearing one operation isn't
enough. Players are assigned a number of required operations in order
to complete the missions (three out of six). In this case, you can
choose any three. If you like dogfights, you can mainly engage in
battles with fighters. As you can imagine, based on the examples
above, not only is which operation you choose the key point in this
"living battlefield." but also the order in which the operations are
completed is extremely important.
On a side note, we have always been torn regarding the feedback we
receive about the tunnel battle. Some people really like it due to its
thrill and speed but others dislike it because of its difficulty.
However, Ace Combat 6 has a solution! Whoever doesn't like it can
avoid this tunnel operation.
IGN: We also know you can now command other land, sea and air units.
What are some of the vehicles that you will have at your disposal?
Natsuki Isaki: In the air, there are fighter planes similar to the one
you operate. They can fly fast enough to respond to a call in a matter
of minutes. There are fighters which are good at air battles, attack
aircrafts which are superior in ground attacks, and also multi-purpose
fighters which can do both. Helicopters are good for attacking enemies
on the ground even if they fly slowly because their accurate attacks
at point-blank range can be executed repeatedly. Large bombers whose
size exceeds 50 meters can be there, too. They are useless against the
aerial enemies, but they are powerful enough so that they can wipe out
a large number of land targets by dropping multiple bombs. This is
something that you don't want to miss. Electronic Support Measure
(ESM) is also a unique plane. They are slow and they are not loaded
with any missiles or machine guns to attack the enemy, but they are
equipped with an advanced technology called Electronic Support Measure
(ESM). ESM gives the player the ability to analyze the adjacent enemy
data and send the info to the allies' tactical computers. By flying
close to the ESM, the player can obtain an access to more accurate
detail on the enemy forces, gaining a crucial advantage in battle.
Use spy planes to jack enemy intel.
On land, there is a variation of tanks, anti-aircraft artillery, anti-
air missiles, and long-range artilleries. They will create a formation
to destroy their opponents. Since they don't fly or go across rivers,
they are not effective against the fast-moving opponents. However,
they can be very effective in taking control of the enemy hubs.
On sea, there are destroyers and cruisers as hubs of the ocean. They
are loaded with powerful artillery guns, antiaircraft machine guns and
anti-air missiles which are superior in both destructibility and
firing range and are equipped in the destroyers. Also, as a control
tower on the sea, they also have EMS. However, they can only battle on
water.
(continued)
Quote:
IGN: What type of commands can you issue? Is there a way to control
any of the units yourself?
Natsuki Isaki: Through a game system called "Allied Support," you can
request support from your allies far beyond your wing men. The system
has two types of support, one is the aggressive "Allied Attack" and
the other is the defensive "Allied Cover." You can use this feature by
using the d-pad so that you can instantly use the function even in the
middle of an intense battle.
Aim the nose of the plane to the enemy group that you want to attack
and use the "Allied Attack." Allies launch fierce salvo against all
enemies on screen. You can use the "Allied Attack" against an enemy
group or you can use it against the enemy ace pilot. The friendly AI's
of land, sea and air will wisely select their targets by applying
their unique abilities; therefore, unorthodox strategies such as large
bombers launching dogfights to the enemy fighters won't happen.
Prepare for a ship to shore transmission... of bullets!
By using "Allied Cover," friends will attack all enemies shooting at
the player, whether they are on-screen or not. This support is
effective when you get attacked by multiple enemies and it is
difficult to escape. This is not a typical move by an ace pilot, but
an ace pilot must be able to pick and choose their battles.
In using both types of "Allied Support," the units responding to your
call are the ones involved in the operation(s) where you have
succeeded. By being rescued by friendly aircraft saying, "Roger! I'm
coming" as if it were in return for you helping them in a previous
mission, gives the player the feeling of being the main character in
the battlefield. Also the powerful spectacle proceeded by salvos with
various weapons such as missiles, machine guns, artillery guns, and so
forth can be a memorable feature in the game.
Also, the players don't board the tanks or vessels, or operate them.
Unlike RTS, you don't give detailed instructions such as, "Go that way
and come this way." In this game, being a hero as an ace pilot in the
battlefield is important; therefore we didn't want you to also be a
tank operator, captain, or general... We have concluded that unless you
play a steady character, you may become confused of who you are and
even though you could get a simple sense of accomplishment of clearing
stages, you would never be able to get the emotional sense of
achievement of being a hero. Providing an opportunity of becoming a
hero who not only feels the joy of beating his/her foes, but also
feels the pleasure of helping friends in need is one of the key
benefits of "Allied Support."
IGN: Are the allied units' static or can you bring them with you
throughout the living battlefield, if the geography allows it?
Natsuki Isaki: Most of the time, ally aircraft are able to follow the
player without any geographical restrictions, although there still is
an issue of how fast they can reach you. For instance, it might take
large bomber(s) a while to arrive when "Allied Support" is requested,
though once they arrive, they show their immeasurable strength.
Land units and fleet can't help facing geographical restrictions. Even
so, they can come where you are likely to call for "Allied Support."
Nevertheless, fleet is reliable and will support you even with limited
mobility because they have a long firing range.
IGN: Ace Combat has always been such a flying focused game. Do you
think the addition of land and sea units detracts from the flying or
compliments it?
Natsuki Isaki: As mentioned above, the player is the ace pilot. The
fact that the game is focused on flying hasn't changed; therefore the
presence of land and sea units doesn't hurt the quality of the game as
a flight action game. In fact, having the point of view from the jet
gives players the sense of the massive scale of the living
battlefield, with land, sea, and air units below you and all around
you. I believe that being a pilot in such a realistic battlefield is a
very appealing concept.
IGN: Are you able to purchase more units or somehow upgrade these
units in the game?
Natsuki Isaki: This game doesn't have an element of purchasing other
units since it's not a simulation game. However, the player gets
additional supporting units by clearing each operation. As I mentioned
earlier, the maximum of six operations can be engaged in one
battlefield. So the power of combined assault resulted from "Allied
Support" and its extravagant visual impression will expand depending
on the player's performance.
IGN: Can you please send me a copy of the game this week?
Natsuki Isaki: Are you sure that you would want it this week? You
could have a better one next week, or a much better copy next month!
I'd wait a little more if I were you. Thanks to the quality work by
the team, all the components such as graphics, friends and enemy Al,
level designs, audio, and fight feel, have been improved drastically,
and now the improvements are beyond my expectation. I, myself, am also
looking forward to seeing the completed game.
IGN: Thanks for all the help and good luck the rest of the way.
Natsuki Isaki: The pleasure is all ours. We look forward to providing
gamers with a brand-new Ace Combat with features that can only be
accomplished using the technology and power of a next-generation
console.
sounds just freaking awesome!
"IGN: Tell us about the concept of the Living Battlefield."
Didn't they use the same phrases about like, Dynasty Warriors and 99 Nights and shit?
Well, I'm pretty sure Namco and more precisely Team Aces hasn't. And holy shit I have another new Wallpaper.
http://www.gamespot.com/video/938702...cial-trailer-1
Official Trailer.
Holy shit.
as long as the gameplay stays solid, purchase confirmed.
Namco has sold me on 2 games today.
Looks awesome. So awesome.
