Computer Games Magazine Interview with Chris Williams

Star Wars: Republic Commando Interview

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20050224102608/http://www.cgonline.com/content/view/252/2/

Chris Williams of LucasArts talks to Computer Games Magazine about their upcoming tactical shooter Star Wars Republic Commando.
While the Republic soldiers that debuted in the movie Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones may be the progenitors of the Imperial Army in the classic Star Wars triology, the upcoming tactical shooter Star Wars: Republic Commando from developer LucasArts will give players a chance to control a squad of these soldiers in a time when they were the good guys. Computer Games Magazine got a chance to ask some questions of the game\'s producer Chris Williams to find out more about Republic Commando.


Computer Games - First, the PC and Xbox demos of both games were recently released. What sorts of reactions did you get from players and are you incorporating any last minute changes in the game based on their comments?

Chris Williams - The response from both the demos has been overwhelmingly positive. The Xbox demo is available on KOTORII, the Xbox Exhibition Demo Disk, and on the cover-mount game disk for the February issue of OXM. It was eagerly anticipated and as soon as gamers got their hands on it the forums lit up with high praise for how fun the action was and how easy it was to control their squad. The PC demo is actually very different content and is available for download on a variety of prominent gaming sites. Gamers really loved that you got a sneak peak at some Episode III content in the PC demo when you see General Grievous. Based on some of the feedback we’ve seen about the demo we did fine tune some of the weapons and balancing in the game but overall we felt like people were really enjoying the game as is.


Computer Games - Some people might compare Republic Commando to the four games in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight first person shooter series. Did the team feel they had to make their game steer away from those comparisons?

Chris Williams - From the start we were passionate about giving gamers a very different military-style “Special Forces” experience set in the Star Wars universe where the focus was on great squad gameplay. We also made the firm determination that Star Wars Republic Commando is light-saber free game. Once we had this clearly established the game very quickly distinguished itself as a totally unique type of Star Wars game.


Computer Games - What can you tell us about the storyline and where it takes place in the overall Star Wars timeline?

Chris Williams - Star Wars Republic Commando takes place between Episode II and Episode III. It acts as a bridge between the movies and tells the story of the legendary Delta Squad and their missions all over the galaxy during the Clone Wars. The game starts off in the very familiar arena on Geonosis from Episode II and finishes on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk, which is a location featured prominently in the upcoming Episode III movie. We have included some characters, vehicles, and locations from the upcoming film so fans who get the game will get a glimpse of never before seen Episode III content.


Computer Games - While the player controls the Republic Commandos from the prequel trilogy, they are also the precursors to the Imperial Stormtroopers from the original Star Wars films. Do you feel that gives the game a little more of an edge?

Chris Williams - Playing as an elite squad of special forces soldiers in the Republic Army definitely gives the game an edge and an attitude which gamers will really love. Star Wars Republic Commando also has a darker and grittier presentation than previous Star Wars games. Each of your squad members is a specialist and has their own unique appearance, personality, and voice. “Fixer” is your by-the-book computer expert, “Scorch” is a wise-cracking explosives specialist, and “Sev” is the silent sniper. These guys are the best of the best at what they do – and that gives them an attitude that is rarely seen with Stormtroopers.


Computer Games - Will we hear the actor who played both Jango Fett and his clones in the game?

Chris Williams - Yes – Temuera Morrison did all of voice acting for the player character Delta Three-Eight a.k.a. “Boss”. We sent our voice director to New Zealand and showed him the game so he really nailed the performance as the leader of Delta Squad.


Computer Games - The game seems to be a mix of both action and tactical gameplay but with some more help on some of the tactical moments than you see in other games in that genre. Was this intentional?

Chris Williams - This was absolutely intentional. We wanted to avoid being a squad game where you have to spend too much time setting up and micromanaging them throughout the game using complex controls to ensure they don’t get killed. Star Wars Republic Commando is all about action and using your squad as quickly and as effectively as you would a weapon in the game.  This didn’t make the game easy or simplistic, it just means that you can make those tactical decisions on the fly by pressing just one button and never break away from the action. The squad in Star Wars Republic Commando is extremely smart and will be very effective even without your specific instructions. They will take up cover, target nearby enemies, and even provide assistance a fallen comrade or you the player during combat. When you do have a specific instruction for your squad, by pressing a single button you can issue a wide variety of orders including planting explosives, taking up sniping positions, slicing a computer panel, or breaching a door.


Computer Games - How hard was it to create and design weapons, locations  and creatures for the game that were both new but also suggested they were a natural part of the Star Wars universe?

Chris Williams - We wanted to strike the right balance between new and familiar content in Star Wars Republic Commando. We had a strong team of concept artists who developed designs for character, weapons, and locations.


Computer Games - What is one of your favorite moments in the full version of Republic Commando?

Chris Williams - Star Wars Republic Commando is not heavily scripted like some shooters so many of the greatest moments are created spontaneously by the A.I. and physics interacting in the game. Recently I was fighting my way through a large hangar with my squad on the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk when one of the Wookiees happened to be near a Super Battledroid. Suddenly the Wookiee turned, grabbed the droid, lifted it high in the air and smashed it to the ground. Then the Wookiee ripped the arm off the droid and stomped away. It was totally immersive and unscripted and just on the many great moments you can expect in Star Wars Republic Commando.


Computer Games - How hard was it to alter the Unreal engine to make it useful for your game?

Chris Williams - The Unreal Engine offered us a great technology base and toolset for starting Republic Commando, and from there we worked to upgrade and enhance many aspects of the engine. As a result of these enhancements we are able to use many cutting edge techniques like normal mapping and frame buffer effects to make Star War Republic Commando look stunning and really push the limits of the hardware.


Computer Games - Are there any plans to release new content and/or mod tools for Republic Commando after its release?

Chris Williams - Yes. We will be releasing additional content and the tools the MOD community needs to create their own content roughly a month after the game ships. 


Computer Games - Finally is there anything else you wish to say about your plans for Republic Commando?

Chris Williams - Star Wars Republic Commando was developed internally here at Lucasarts. We are very proud of the way turned out and we hope you enjoy it!