Do you that because there has already been an Area 51 that there will be a perception that the team and the concept is “creatively bankrupt?”

Not at all. There has never been a game until now that has really paid off on Area 51 as a real place. A base that could be harboring a lot of secrets. We’re able to bring that stuff out in this game. And with the great technology behind the game, we’re able to show it off with incredible detail.

What’s the best part about working on Area 51?

It’s been an amazing creative process. We had a rumored base as our foundation, that some think is actually fictitious. There were no limits to where we could go with it and I think that’s what has kept it fun the whole time. The team wasn’t locked into an rules.

Is the engine powering Area 51 a proprietary engine developed from scratch or a licensed engine?  How versatile is the engine?

We built the game engine from scratch. Almost half the development time was devoted to the game engine and the toolset. The engine itself is very versatile. One thing that is impressive is just the amount of geometry we’re able to display in a given scene, all with high detail and environment mapping. We’re seeing a lot of developers use tricks like normal mapping to create detail, but there’s no replacement for real geometry density.

Are design documents a thing of the past?

I wouldn’t say they’re a thing of the past. It’s very necessary to have a decent road map, once you get out of pre-production. What’s changing is that games are becoming much more complex and through the course of development, you start to find you’re able to do some things better than others. This changes the design to some degree. The “design document” is more of a living roadmap to the finish line.

Why are aliens such a common target when it comes to blowing things up?

Because they’re much more fun to shoot at than humans. Humans are predictable. Aliens are the unknown.

Will there be nods given to sci-fi classics in Area 51?

There are a few clever nods. There is also a lot of secret information you can uncover, where we provide the player with answers to some of the rumors surrounding the base.

What approach has the sound team taken?  Less is more (dramatic silence) or more is better (explosions every few steps)?

It really depends on the action level in a particular area. Chris Vrenna (NIN, Alice) is composing the music, which is specific to each environment. It starts off with a military edge and starts to move toward more of a strange alien sound as you progress through the game. Some areas are silent, a big drop off from say, a major battle while you’re exploring. And some have some intense music in the background in a major attack situation. It works very well for the game world and I think it draws the audience in even more. Sound design is also a big focus for us. Especially when you get to some of the more alien levels, there are a lot of ambient effects going on to create atmosphere.

Briefly describe how the design process works as it pertains to Area 51? (Top down or group decisions?)

Well it started off top down until we got the foundation up and running. As we began to hone in on our design goals, we would have group discussions and run throughs to fine tune the details. We found that process to be pretty effective toward the end of the project.

What games have been identified as Area 51’s chief competition?  How will Area 51 try to best the competition?

That’s an interesting question that is probably best for the marketing folks. We’re just determined to make the best game we can. It also happens to be an FPS, so the comparison to other high profile titles in the genre are unavoidable. That being said, AREA 51 is definitely unique for an FPS. For the first time in the genre, players will be able to explore the secret base. On the gameplay side, we start the player off with some squad combat, paying off on the closeness of the team. Then we take those teammates out and leave the player alone, with an infection that gives them alien abilities. Plus we have a game world that is very interesting visually, especially in the later, more alien levels.

Were there early problems or flaws with Area 51 that have been ironed out?  What problems have you identified as persistent and that need to be stomped out before Area 51 ships?

Well, there isn’t really one thing that jumps out as being a persistent problem. There are always challenges to overcome throughout the course of development. I think getting our engine and tools to perform in such a way that we could fully realize the design, was certainly a challenge. Design dictates everything. You come up with a cool idea and then it’s up to the programmers and artists to figure out how to best deal with that idea in the game. It’s always a balance.

What’s one question you wish someone would ask you about Area 51?  (And what would be your answer?)

So what’s so great about Area 51 multi-player? It’s being consulted on by industry veterans John Romero and Tom Hall. 16 player madness on both consoles. Bring it!

 (September 15, 2004)