X-COM Dreamland Chronicles
Vitaly Jatkin
Эй, кто там спpашиал насчет пpодолжения X-COM:
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Alien invasions, government conspiracies, and cattle mutilations aren't just
the domain of The X-Files; they can also be found in the X-Com series. The
original X-Com offered a riveting blend of turn-based tactical gameplay and UFO
mythology. Although Hasbro Interactive continues to develop the official X-Com
games, the series' original developer, U.K.-based Mythos Games, is working on
what could be the true successor to X-Com, a game tentatively titled Dreamland.
Gamecenter was recently granted an exclusive interview with Julian Gollop, the
director and lead designer for Dreamland, which is expected to be published by
Bethesda Softworks in the United States and by Virgin Interactive overseas.
Gamecenter: Is Dreamland the unofficial sequel to X-Com?
Julian Gollop: Dreamland is a multilevel strategy game set in the near future,
when earth has been invaded by a rapacious alien species known as the Saurans.
You take on the role of a resistance leader, recruiting and training forces to
overthrow the ruthless alien rulers. The strategy part is controlled via a
worldview display, showing the location of vehicles, bases, and cities. When
opposing forces meet, the player is thrown into a close-quarters tactical
combat.
I cannot reveal too much about the story, except that it connects with
preinvasion alien conspiracies, ancient alien races, and the Area 51 facility
known as Dreamland. I would not say that this was a sequel to X-Com, because
there are too many differences, particularly in the story line. If anything,
Dreamland represents the highest stage of evolution in a whole series of games
we have created, going back 15 years or so.
GC: What does it bring to the table that's new and what will be familiar to
X-Com fans?
J.G.: The most obvious difference from our earlier titles is the use of the
NetImmerse 3D engine for tactical combat. The player can view the situation
from a third-person view above the terrain, or through the eyes of any soldier
in first-person mode. Full use of dynamic lighting, physics modeling, 3D sound,
and special visual effects create a plausible environment. Dreamland will be
familiar with the creepy, intimidating atmosphere. Also, Dreamland supports an
elaborate terrain destruction system, which has been used in our previous
isometric games, but is a new feature for 3D games.
GC: OK, this is an important question: Is Dreamland a turn-based or real-time
game, and why?
J.G.: The tactical combat in Dreamland is unashamedly turn based. I think
real-time games can often seem remote and uninvolving, largely because the
player needs to have a big overview of the situation from a distance.
The turn-based system suits the squad-level combat in Dreamland, in which
stealth and cunning are just as important as brute force. You can experience
the actions of each soldier from his own point of view, which would be
impossible to manage in a real-time environment. The player will be intimately
acquainted with the fate of a soldier when he is torn to shreds by a hungry
Sauran.
GC: A lot of gamers weren't too thrilled with the direction that X-Com:
Apocalypse, your last X-Com game, took. For instance, the retro-1950s look and
feel turned off a lot of people who liked the graphic novel feel of X-Com. In
retrospect, do you feel the same way, and is that why Dreamland seems to be set
in a much more contemporary setting?
J.G.: Yes, the graphic style of Apocalypse was not to everyone's taste. With
Dreamland, the human environments are very familiar and realistic, albeit
suffering from collateral damage since the Sauran invasion. At the start of the
game, you only have access to contemporary equipment and vehicles, such as
Chinooks [transport helicopters], F-16s, M-16s, mortars, and so on. In
contrast, the alien environments are sophisticated, high-tech, and distinctly
unearthly.
GC: Tell us about the multiplayer capabilities, if there are any. Can you play
the aliens?
J.G.: Single battle scenarios can be created for multiplayer games using any
environments, characters, and equipment. These can be played over a network or
hot seat. You can play either aliens or humans.
GC: So how long are we going to have to wait?
J.G.: Not too long; the game will be ready in time for Christmas 2000.
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До свидания!