Recently, I got a chance to speak with Darren Chukitus of Red storm Interactive regarding the hot tactical strategy game Ghost Recon. The intense mix of action and tactical strategy has been a huge hit with gamers, and is one of the must-have games for serious gamers. Darren was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the game and it’s development.
GVK: Going into this game, what were the main objectives you wanted to achieve in regards to content and gameplay?
DC: —To create a realistic, tactical FPS that was superior in graphics,
sound, and gameplay.
GVK: What were the biggest obstacles and success stories that you encountered
when you were creating the game?
DC: —Time is the biggest obstacle in any project. You always could use more
time to generate new ideas and see them come to fruition. I feel fortunate
that we did have some time to fine-tune our features, but we could have
used more. As far as success, I feel we are starting to move into a realm
with interactive sound that we haven’t been able to do before. We’ll
continue to work towards solving this area more fully.
GVK: In regards to content, were there features you wished to include but were
unable to do so, and if so what were they?
DC: —I would like more interactivity between vehicles and the armed infantry.
Again, time is important. Doing something merits doing something right.
We looked into what type of experience we wanted to give the player given
the amount of time we had, and what was appropriate with a Red Storm game.
I’m happy with the result, but I will explore this area more in the future
to expand the experience.
GVK: If you could change any part of the finished game, what would it be and why?
DC: —Bugs. Hate ’em. The development team holds some control over these, but
not all. We never ever want to see a bug in the final game.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a game made that doesn’t have them. Again,
these are usually due to time constraints. I think we did a good job of
catching what we could for Ghost Recon.
GVK: What new features would you like to see developed in terms of multiplay
for gaming?
DC: —I don’t play much on line because it usually takes some dedicated time. If
that amount were greatly reduced, I would probably play much more. On line
services and net connections usually are the cause, but because games are
so big these days, unless you’re playing a massive multi player game, you
going to spend some time frustrated by loads and lags.
GVK: How long was the development cycle of the game?
DC: —We started thinking about Ghost Recon right after Rogue Spear; we wanted to
develop a game that didn’t have the kind of rules of engagement
restrictions that counter terrorist games had. We started full development
this last Jan., so about 6 or so months of design and prototype, and about
7 months of production.
GVK: Will there be an add on pack or a sequel?
DC: —Can’t tell ya, yet.
GVK: What are you working on now?
DC: —Again, can’t tell ya but good things come to those who wait.
GVK: Thank you.
