We have a full interview with Mark Thompson, Lead Level Designer for Far Cry 3 in the December issue of our magazine. You can find it at…
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As a preview, we are posting select questions from our interview. Look for the game on December 3rd.
What are some of the weapons players will be able to use?
We have a huge selection of guns, we are a shooter at the core and having that moment-to-moment combat experience feel tight and polished was one of the foundations of the game. Everything you would expect in terms of pistols, SMGs, assault rifles, LMGs, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, etc. We also have a customization system so you can personalize your weapons to suit your play style. If you are more of a stealthy player, you can add a sound suppressor. If you like to be loud and straightforward you can add an extended magazine and a recoil reducing muzzle.
My favorite weapon is the bow. We have a crafting system that allows you to make your own special arrows. This means that the bow can be a great long-range stealth weapon for silent kills. But by using a fire-tip arrow or an explosive-tip arrow you really have a versatile weapon capable of some insane combat moments.
What type of multiplayer will the game offer?
We have a large multiplayer offering, we have a dedicated four-player co-op campaign that can be played online or offline including split-screen play. We have multiple PvP modes that reward and encourage team play as players face off in a blood feud between Vaas’ pirates and Citra’s rebel warriors. On top of that we also have the map editor which allows players to create and share their own islands of insanity in the Far Cry 3 world. We are introducing a brand new single player sandbox mode to the map editor that will allow players to experiment with wildlife, and AI to create their own insane scenarios.
What are some of the biggest obstacles you see in creating the game, and what are your biggest goals for the game?
One of our biggest goals was to create a real, living, breathing open world, a place that players could really become immersed in exploring and discovery. We wanted to make sure that the world was rewarding so we created a number of interconnected systems that would encourage exploration and would also reward discovery on a number of levels. It all comes back to surviving the island. Early on you won’t have the best equipment or weapons. If you want to carry more weapons or get more weapon upgrades you will need to head out into the jungle, down into the temples, or up the mountains to find the components you need to get better equipment. The island is there to support players if they spend the time they will be duly rewarded, just watch out for the tigers.
What can you tell us about the gaming engine and what it will bring to the table?
Far Cry 3 uses the Dunia engine which is built on the technology proven in Far Cry 2. We’ve expanded on the engine to provide a true open world where you can get to any point of the world that you can see without a loading screen or waiting time. The lighting pipeline was reworked so we could explore interior locations which allowed us to create caves and temples and mines, and really allow players to discover a world underneath the jungle to expand the possibilities for exploration and discovery.
What have been the biggest challenges in creating the game and the biggest rewards?
The biggest reward is when you listen to people talk with each other after they play the game. Three people who all play the same section of the game will have completely different stories about what they did, what they saw, and the insanity that happened around them. Sometimes you’ll hear a story about a bear getting loose and attacking pirates, other times you’ll hear about the time the Rakyat showed up at a side quest which distracted the pirates, sometimes you’ll hear about punching a shark in the face to get a relic at the bottom of a shipwreck. It’s always great when you hear people talking about things that you didn’t even know were possible in the game.
