Steve Ranck was recently interviewed by Game Informer magazine regarding StarCraft: Ghost. Read on to see what's in store.
Steve Ranck is the vice president of console development at Blizzard, and formerly worked at Swingin' Ape Studios. Adam Biessener of Game Informer interviewed him at BlizzCon.
There are several new developments in this interview, the biggest ones being the emphasis Ghost's multiplayer features.
Game Informer: The multiplayer’s huge innovation is, as a Zerg, being able to mutate into higher forms of Zerg. Or thecapability to respawn as a higher form on the Terran side. Beyond that what is it that you would say makes Ghost’s multiplayer more appealing than another round of Halo 2?
Steve Ranck: Halo 2, you’re all the same character. With Starcraft: Ghost you are playing any of four characters per race. Each unit has its own strengths and weaknesses. Infantry can build turrets but are very weak – he has the basic artillery, and can drive vehicles. Marines can’t drive vehicles. Marines, though, are straight up fighters. They are more offensive than defensive. They have grenades and a lot of armor. Firebats are good for close-quarter defense. Ghosts are good for recon and behind-the-scenes. You don’t want to be out there uncloaked with your assault rifle. You want to be behind the scenes sniping, maybe planting some sticky mine traps, or go back there and use your nuke launcher to take out a node.
Steve Ranck: Halo 2, you’re all the same character. With Starcraft: Ghost you are playing any of four characters per race. Each unit has its own strengths and weaknesses. Infantry can build turrets but are very weak – he has the basic artillery, and can drive vehicles. Marines can’t drive vehicles. Marines, though, are straight up fighters. They are more offensive than defensive. They have grenades and a lot of armor. Firebats are good for close-quarter defense. Ghosts are good for recon and behind-the-scenes. You don’t want to be out there uncloaked with your assault rifle. You want to be behind the scenes sniping, maybe planting some sticky mine traps, or go back there and use your nuke launcher to take out a node.
We know from the playable demos at BlizzCon that Zerg units were available in multiplayer. Also available, however, will be Protoss units, for a total of 12 playable multiplayer characters. On top of that, you will be able to switch units in-game, and each unit has special capabilities. I am reminded of Sierra Entertainment's Tribes series, which has continued to set the standard for multiplayer teamplay, beginning in 1998.
Ranck: Really what we’re trying to do is, just like in the RTS, create this team oriented style of gameplay. If everybody is infantry you’re going to lose. If everybody is a Ghost you’re going to lose. But if you have a good team that has spread out between all the units and know how to use it, you’re going to master the game. I think the team aspect of Ghost in multiplayer is key. The other thing is, we’ve taken the RTS, what you see from up here, and brought it to ground level. You’re actually seeing it in 3D. You’re out there and you see Zerg come up to your base. “Zeeeerrrrrg!” You’re spraying fire at them. It’s that experience that you’ve always wanted to have in the RTS that you get from up high, but now you get down close. We’re also going to have to Protoss as well so we’ll have 12 units.
GI: So the Protoss are going to be fully playable in multiplayer as a third side?
Ranck: Yes.
GI: Are you going to have any team matches that are going to go like Terrans on one side, Zerg on the other, and Protoss on another as some sort of big melee? Or are you going to have it limited to the 8-on-8 structure?
Ranck: We haven’t really decided yet, but there are some technology limitations that might prohibit us from having every single unit possible on the screen at one time.
GI: So the Protoss are going to be fully playable in multiplayer as a third side?
Ranck: Yes.
GI: Are you going to have any team matches that are going to go like Terrans on one side, Zerg on the other, and Protoss on another as some sort of big melee? Or are you going to have it limited to the 8-on-8 structure?
Ranck: We haven’t really decided yet, but there are some technology limitations that might prohibit us from having every single unit possible on the screen at one time.
Read the full interview for more on Ghost and Blizzard's acquisition of Swingin' Ape Studios.
Links
Game Informer - Interview with Steve Ranck
