Homelan - Mod tool interview
Delta Force Black Hawk Down Mod Tools Interview - 14 January 2004 00:01 - John [JCal] Callaham User Comments : 0
Nearly a year after its release, developer/publisher Novalogic is about to release a more robust set of mod tools for their popular military shooter Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with Novalogic producer Joel Taubel to find out more about their plans for the release of the mod tools.
HomeLAN - First, why did it take so long to release mod tools for Black Hawk Down?
Joel Taubel - The tools we are releasing are quite similar to our own in house tools, so to get them ready for release, we had to spend a lot of time going thru them and creating documentation for each tool. We also had to rework a number of the interfaces to make the tools more intuitive for the casual user. As we were working on Joint Operations and a number of updates for BHD at the same time, it took a little longer than expected to get everything right.
HomeLAN - There are lots of other games with official mod tools. Did Novalogic take anything from those tools as inspiration for the Black Hawk Down tools?
Joel Taubel - We did take a look at some of the latest mod tools for games like Quake, Unreal Tournament 2003, Battlefield 1942, and Max Payne 2. We didn’t really take any inspiration for our tools from them, we saw how a mod community can extend the life and enjoyment of a product. We hope to have several successful mods just like Battlefield and UT2K3 have had. We also plan on helping any mods that show promise.
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the mission editor and its features?
Joel Taubel - The mission editor is the same tool that we released with Black Hawk Down. It handles everything from the simple placing of objects, adding audio markers, implementing event and area triggers, to the complicated event driven WAC script.
HomeLAN - What will the object builder tool be able to do?
Joel Taubel - Well first off we should clarify that it’s not an object builder. It’s an object editor. This is important because you will have to have an already created object in 3D Studio Max. The object editor will allow users to take their object from Max and with some minor settings, convert it into a file that is readable by the Black Hawk Down engine. With this users will be able to add basic animation for their objects such as spinning wheels, spinning rotor blades on helicopters, panning radar dishes, and many other variants. It will also allow the user to optimize their objects for the engine. Several other settings are available as well such as ambient lighting, control registers, and other settings.
HomeLAN - What can you tell us about the terrain creator and its features?
Joel Taubel - The terrain generator will allow users to make their own terrains. This is the same tool that we use in-house for all our terrain needs. Following a series of steps they will be able to create hills, valleys, lay down grass, make color maps, and even create oceans just like we do.
HomeLAN - Will there be any need for third party software to be used in tandem with the mod tools?
Joel Taubel - Users will need Adobe Photoshop or another high end graphic editor and 3D Studio Max.
HomeLAN - How much documentation will be available with the mod tools?
Joel Taubel - We have a document for each tool that we are providing. We are also documenting the whole process from the object creation in 3D Studio Max to a useable in-game asset.
HomeLAN - What is the current status of the mod tool development and when will they be released?
Joel Taubel - The tools are done and documented, we are aiming to have everything ready for download around Jan 20th.
HomeLAN - Does Novalogic plan to promote third party mods for the game after the mod tools have been released?
Joel Taubel - We recently launched the NovaXchange program as part of our NovaWorld service. Covering the Delta Force titles Land Warrior, Task Force Dagger and Black Hawk Down, NovaXchange allows NovaWorld members to upload their own missions and maps for other users to download. Members can also rate files by quality of gameplay, layout, sound and enjoyment. To find the files they want quickly and easily, players can search for a particular mission or map by game type or word matching.
NovaXchange also includes ‘top’ lists displaying the newest uploads, most popular based on downloads, and the highest rated maps and missions. The most popular maps may also be featured on official NovaWorld game servers.
HomeLAN - Are there any plans to release mod tools for the upcoming game Joint Operations?
Joel Taubel - We are aiming to launch the mod tools for Joint Ops shortly after the game ships.
HomeLAN - Finally is there anything else you wish to say about the Black Hawk Down mod tools?
Joel Taubel - I am interested in seeing what the public will come up with. Working so closely with a product, it’s easy to get absorbed in it. It will be nice to see what fresh eyes will come up with.
