FileFront Interview news

STALKER Theft Auto: FileFront Interview

I: Hello, Could you please introduce yourself.
- Hi, my name is SNIPER-X. I am Project Director for the upcoming in the works, Total conversion modification for "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.Shadow of chernobyl".

Q: So we see your mod is very popular among many for the mods in the making for S.T.A.L.K.E.R ?
- Yes, i am frequently asked about my teams modification on a good many occasions.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about STA & and it's purpose ?
- STALKER Theft Auto / aka "STA". Is a Total conversion modification for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Being based of the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise. Simply we have enjoyed the GTA experience for quite a few years now. That me and my current team, work very very hard at taking GTA to another level of gameplay. Where we want to see it in the future, and simply want to get our careers in the game development field, with paying companies of the industry.

Q: What is your teams current state of progress, and how many people are now working on it ?
- STA currently out of the progress at the state of around 20% of 100%. Weapon modelling has been achieved, while vehicles and characters still remain in the state of "work in progress". STA's team count is at a total of 7 hardworking insightful individuals. Whom are working hard together with me, and some other members to help make the mods concept as whole, a solid piece that will last a long time among many gamers. Simply we want to deliver the best at what we can, and improve quickly at what can get for feedback. We don't preferr in saying we are the best mod out there in the making. But we want to deliver it to people by our work, not our big mouths. Glamorous story telling of ones mod, and it's concept and over making oneself seem like he's a "Big shot" at what he can do, really throws peoples interest out the window onto something else. Simply we as a team want to leave it up to the fans speculation, and those whom follow alongside to hear what we say, and show.

Q: Are you still doing any recruiting, or looking for any new talented people to work with ?
- We are, but for the standards we have for recruiting individuals with talent. We preferr they would be 18 years of age or older. Simply in the past, we have had a old total team of 20+ people. Simply many were very young, too busy with their school, ect,. That for the team ourselves. Wanted to recruit actual talent, an inspirational, hard positive working characters looking for a good mod that would fancy their interest to work with. As i've said we have about 7 people working very steadly and are very dedicated at every effort to make this work.

Q: How many gameplay modes are you having for the Multiplayer ?
- We have concepted a total of 4 Solid multiplayer modes that we find enjoyable, and fitting to a GTA/STALKER setting. 1st mode is called "Free Roam" which is you're standard "Deathmatch" gametype mode. 2nd mode is "Team Deathmatch" which is pretty self explanatory. 3rd mode is called "Capture the Whatever" which is your regular CTF, but relation torwards capturing random objectives, or stealing ect,.. .4th mode is called "Strategy & Elimination" simply as put "S&E". In this mode everyone will consist of groups or stereotypical grouping. All set on a 5 by 5 sq. kilometer sized map. While each group will consist of strengths and weakness's that will determine by ones stereotype, overal wieght, weapon skill, and weapon type ect,.. It will be important in reguards to using teamwork, and strategy for this mode compared to the rest, because if you want to live. You have to watch each others backs.

Q: Do you plan to have citizens walking around and doing everyday normal things like in the orginial GTA games?
- We first want to establish a solid, fun, realistic online experience in different senarios. Later once we hear & learn more about Co-op possibilities. We will focus our concepts in piecing together a greater online experience, with much more to do. Than previous mods for other engines have made.

Q: In relation to the question above, will there be a ongoing traffic system?
- Ongoing traffic will be in the Co-op addition to the modification. Simply in standard multiplayer mode, there will be soo much in relation torwards killing anothers team. We'd rather than a bunch of sidewalking/driving pedestrains. That we think won't be needed. But there will be vehicle support for certian gameplay modes.

Q: Will you be able to buy property and store cars, weapons, etc there?
- Buying property no. Storing cars will simply be available to those who can find good hiding spots, or a nearby parking garage ect,. Stashing weapons and other essentials will be depended upon your wieght system. Which is a default inventory system in STALKER. But we may take some time to consider the option to have a car inventory system.

Q: Can you fly helicopters like in GTA: Vice City?
- For now, it's a difficult question to answer. Because GSC and THQ are not really revealing too much information reguarding wether a custom scripts can easily be made for such a feature. We shall wait and see. While depending on wether GSC and THQ will release certian editors with limited content early to certian mod teams such as us STA, so we can get a jump start at learning how to operate such tools, that are yet still undisclosed to many. It will help us a great deal, as we continue in supporting their game.

Q: Something I always like from the GTA games, rampages. Do you plan to add them?
- We will be adding something similar to the senario. More on the side of a Multiplayer mode. Which will be announced with the rest on the opening of the website.

Q: Btw, what is going on with the website ?
- The website is now actually in "development". We have a guy on the team now, whom is very dedicated in finishing a great looking website for us, and help us run it.

Q: Will there be motocycles in the game?
- It's a Considered feature, but we will leave that for a future release or update & the flexabilities of the "Robust SDK" we are promised to be given.

Q: How will the game map be set up? Three Islands like in GTA III and VC, or large cities with countyside and a "coast" like in San Andreas?
- We will be making Small-medium-large- to a gigantic maps for STA that will be taking pieces and chunks and the whole area we plan to recreate. Simply STA is a remix of GTA and STALKER together. So that way we can make it easy to keep map sizes where it will be firefight, or ongoing counter attacks. Ones where we will be just roaming with online buddies. Ones that happen to be good for fucking around purposes, and so on...

Q: Will there be large bodies of water to ride around in boats, or are there going to be boats?
- Well Water will be a yes, but for boats. We don't have anything planned for now reguarding those features.

Q: Will you have to "unlock" portions of the map like in the GTA games by doing missions, or will it all be open at the start?
- Unlock map sections, no. We will not be incorporating such features as previous GTA titles have done.

Q: Textures! Do you plan to use textures from some of the buildings in the GTA games? Will you use high res textures?
- We will not be using anything from GTA wether it comes from actual modelled content to mapping, to textures ect,... Primarly we focus our needs from GTA, are it's current & past concepts. Upon how we can turn this into a more pleasureable experience for the player, and other players.

Q: Will you be creating your own in-game cutscenes for the modification?
- We will not be doing any cutscenes ect,. All will be just simply gameplay eyecandy. Which happends to be in my eyes more gratifying than watching cinematic movies that produce such wonderful quality in graphics, that cannot be as well seen ingame.

Q: When you are driving in a vehicle, will there be an option to turn the radio on/off and tune to different stations?
- There will be an option yes. Though, we will be working on to implement a player custom "Mp3 player radio" similar to the PC GTA titles.

Q: Will there be support for a joystick to make it easier for some gamers to control cars, etc...?
- If it's a Option for S.T.A.L.K.E.R, i am sure it will be a option for STA.

Q: Voice acting! Will you do the voices yourself, take some voices from the GTA games, or get people that can voice act to do them?
- We will be doing some of our own voices. Though we will probably be interested in voice talent from primarly "Black males" with a deep slang in gangsta talk. Otherwise we may just go out on this feature being cheesy to add, recorded movie voices, or quoted parts from movies.

Q: Will the missions be story based?
- Trust me, you don't want a story from us (Laughs). Primarly, a story related to a GTA style game. Is always about mobbing, murdering, and nothing too interesting. Besides the fact you start screwed, then you work your way up to be the big shot. That's not our style. It's all about real life we are creating. I can assure you the missions will seem either "Very wrong to society" or "just obsurd", mostly both.

Q: In the GTA's, we saw lots of action between gangs and police. Will this be added as well?
- Oh most definitely. Though the standard police wasn't the best. We will be focusing on a SWAT senario for a police force. Just because, would you rather look like a "PIG" or a "Kickass counter trained officer" ? But we will still be making a standard police officer in a daily police uniform.

Q: Character actions! Will there be new animations for your character and other people?
- We will first be using the default STALKER player animations for alpha/beta demo testing. But we will be sure with no doubt, to send everyone with some new animated features. Which will seem fantastic, or at least awsome to most.

Q: Combat question, will there be hand-to-hand combat?
- Yes, there will be Fist fighting implemented, if not already implemented in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Q: How will saving progress work? Will there be checkpoints in a mission, or do you have to be in your own house to save?
- This is definitely not going to happen.

Q: Since clans play a big role in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. itself, will you be able to ally yourself with an ingame faction?
- We will be having a "gang" role in STA more than a clan operation. Simply, clans are everywhere in today's FPS. (i.e "Counter-Strke, Soldier of Fortune2, Unreal tournament, Battlefield ect,") We just want to bring a thing where players feel like enemies to each other. But if you're thinking we are aiming to have online friends hate their friends, that will not be the case. But we STA dev's will be off on the sideline as judges *Snickers*.

Q: In the GTA games, the view was from Third Person. Will there be an option between first and third person views?
- Nope, 1st person view is a must. Simply we are very tired of having to play GTA without a 1st person view. Though if 3rd person view is still a want by the fans it will be added. But we focus on a realistic experience for the player rather than something other where you're his guardian angel behind his back, being able to see everthing at once. While in reality, you cannot see what's behind you. *Unless you are an alien from another planet, with eyes in the back of you're head*.

Q: Clearly the day/night cycle in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will work well in the GTA style environment, what do you have planned for the night life in this area? Nightclubs, bars?
- Night life as i would put it, will not be very special but night time. Sure you can count on having Bars, a real strip club in this game, and some other places you would see as a deal in the real world. But for the most part, the Day & Night cycle weather system, will be re-scripted so the days seem longer rather than a 3 hour real time ingame day time cycle. We will implement the current features such as lightinging, heavy rain storms ect, But for blow-outs and the fake non-real elements will be removed. Just take note, at night time. It will be more than anything very hard to see, if not around an area with street lights ect,.. So a flashlight/ or headlight, will probably very well come in handy.

Q: This has to do with the radio in the car, will there be an option to import MP3's and listen to them in-game?
- We plan to implement a feature as stated from the question above. Simply for allowing players to drag and drop their mp3 files into a folder in the main STA directory of their C:\program files drive, or where ever they have it installed. But for the most part, we may consider customizing a bit of a soundtrack through emailing artists, and companies for their permission.

Q: How many buildings will be accessable in Stalker Theft Auto?
- About 60% of the buildings will be more than likely be able to be entered by the players on the online server. But for the most part we will keep things on a balanced level in some maps. Just so that it won't be round based mp modes where a player could be on the 10th floor while another player on the 3rd floor of the building. We want to make sure, that everyone gets their kills, and is able to enjoy the online experience, and at most would forget the time. And play it again and again.

Q: Here is our last question, what is the name of the city that the modification takes place in?
-The name of the city which is a real place located here in California, USA. Which is called "Walnut Creek".The name of the city will probably be given a different name for game purposes ect,.. although located in a reference of the area of EA games ect,.. (Aka where "The sims" was created). But there will be some open hills, citish/townish office complex areas, some random towns, freeways ect,.. and a mountain we wish to recreate called "Mt.Diablo" which is real, aka "Mount Devil". So we will optimize the areas. though mini maps will consist of new locations.

O: Any other comments to add to this close ?
STA team would just like to say, thanks for the questions, and taking the time for an interview. As for you're own interest in the modification we are proud to be making.