After Deus Ex's triumphant showing at this year's E3, the ION Austin team returned to their offices to
carry on with this hotly anticipated title. Lead Programmer Chris Norden was kind enough to fill us in
on the team's current deadline schedule, along with some more game-specific information.
[Stormtroopers] Can you explain the objective for the Alpha 2 deadline?
[Chris] Well, I can't really talk about our internal milestones, but essentially, it means that all of the gameplay fundamentals are in place and all major systems are completed.
[Stormtroopers] What are the main differences between the two Alpha stages?
[Chris]Once again, the specifics of each stage are unimportant to anybody but us, but the most recent Alpha let us show off two completed missions whereas before, we didn't have any missions playable to the extent that they are now.
[Stormtroopers] How many Alpha stages do you expect Deus Ex to go through?
[Chris] We have an internal deadline to get all of the missions playable by a certain date in the near future. Other than that, I can't discuss our milestone schedule.
[Stormtroopers] How close is Deus Ex to feature-complete?
[Chris] Really close...our "code complete" date is rapidly approaching, and we're on target to hit it. After that, we'll be tweaking things that aren't fun, fixing bugs, and polishing the visual effects.
[Stormtroopers] Will there be a lot of ambient objects in Deus Ex, trash, dirt, wind, ect...? How many are in the game now?
[Chris] Yep...there will be a lot of little touches which will make the world seem more real than in most games. We're still balancing everything right now, so there's really not a certain number that I can give you. There will be just enough to fully immerse the player, but not too much to get in the way of the gameplay.
[Stormtroopers] At this point how much of the Unreal engine has been altered for Deus Ex?
[Chris] We haven't altered too much of the engine, but we've added quite a bit. Things like the inventory system, conversation system, user interface, animation system, physics, and improved AI are just a few of the new features that we have added.
[Stormtroopers] How is inventory handled in Deus Ex, do you have an unlimted amount of space? Can you keep objects for all of the game, or do you switch out different objects for different areas or missions?
[Chris] You don't have an unlimited amount of space...inventory is handled much like Diablo. You have a certain number of "slots" that you can fill with objects...if you carry around larger objects, you won't be able to carry as many things as you would if they were all smaller in size. We don't limit how many things you can carry based on weight; size is a much more tangible quality in a computer game. You won't be able to carry every object through every mission with you...you'll have to decide what you want to carry from mission to mission. You will also be able to leave some items in certain places and retrieve them later if you wish.
[Stormtroopers] Does Deus Ex use large levels or many small ones? How often will the game have to load a new level?
[Chris] All of the levels in Deus Ex are smaller in size so we can make them more detailed and keep the load times as short as possible. You'll have to load a new level whenever you travel between major areas.
[Stormtroopers] Will the game come with any tools or editors to help mod builders?
[Chris] Probably not at first...we would rather concentrate on making the game fun instead of releasing our tools to the public. Maybe at some point in the future...
[Stormtroopers]. What is the sound atmosphere like in the game? Is there music playing all the time? Are there lots of ambient noises?
[Chris] Sound will play a pretty important role...we haven't made any final decisions on music yet, but there will probably not be music playing constantly. We'll probably use a lot more ambient sound effects and location-specific music depending on where you are in the game world.
[Stormtroopers] What sort of new environmental effects are being added?
[Chris] I'm not really sure what you mean by environmental effects...Unreal already has all the graphical effects that we need...volumetric fog and lighting, environment mapping, procedural effects, and good DSP effects and 3D positioning for the sound.
[Stormtroopers] Hear any really extreme reactions or exclamations from people who played the game?
[Chris] So far, all the responses have been very positive, with the expected occasional skeptical remarks. Everybody who plays RPGs and who has played Deus Ex has had a good reaction, and some have had really good comments and suggestions on how to improve certain aspects of the gameplay.
[Stormtroopers] Any game elements going to be changed due to watching people react to the game?
[Chris] Yes...you always learn a lot when unbiased people play your game, and we're paying attention whenever anybody has had a good idea. We're going to be making some changes based on feedback that we've received from certain very respected names in the industry.
[Stormtroopers] Any words of wisdom?
[Chris] Not really...I don't want to preach to the choir.
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