Combat Freedom, Gideon-Style

Still trying to master the intricacies of Advent Rising's Flick Targeting? Get some tips from the game's co-creators, Donald and Geremy Mustard, in our exclusive interview.

We sat down with the developers at GlyphX Games to get the inside scoop on Gideon's action combos, and to find out what "combat freedom" is all about. Read on and learn how to harness the superhero powers in Advent Rising.

Xbox.com: What was your main objective for Advent Rising? How do you feel you've achieved it?

Geremy: One of our main objectives for Advent Rising was to make a game that we would want to play: a game that is fun and tells a rich, compelling story. I am pleased to say that we accomplished this goal. I actually love to play the game, even after working on it for so long!

Donald: Another goal we had was to create a gameplay experience where the player felt like they had become a superhero. We wanted the player to start the game with lots of cool guns and heavy weaponry, and then through the course of the game, evolve to the point where they become the weapon. We wanted you to be able to do a triple back flip in slow motion while shooting one enemy in the face with your left hand and picking up three other enemies with the lift power in your right hand and throwing them off a cliff, and upon landing on top of an enemy, snap its neck, and while riding its dead carcass to the ground, shoot one or two more enemies. And we wanted the player to be able to control this completely, easily and intuitively. We are very, very happy with how our control scheme and consequently our gameplay facilitate the awesome experience of evolving into a superhero!

Xbox.com: How did you approach developing Advent Rising for the Xbox® video game system? Were there any special challenges or advantages?

Geremy: The Xbox is a nice platform on which to develop. It has robust, easy-to-use tools and great support to back it up. However, we still went through a lot of pain to bring this game about. We brought it on ourselves, though: our ambition was beyond the scope of what most broken-in developers consider sane. But I'm young—my pain threshold is high—and I'm proud to say that our ambition still exceeds our restraint, driving us toward ever greater dreams.

Donald: Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat." We feel our core belief that nothing is impossible is our greatest strength. And even though that will bring occasional pain, the results are well worth it.

Xbox.com: How closely did your visual team work with Orson Scott Card?

Geremy: Well, they did work in the same room for a while …

Donald: He sat right next to me—one foot away. Working with Card was an incredible experience. Since he first expressed interest in being involved with Advent, Card was very vocal about remaining involved with the entire process. He offered not only to develop the backstory for the game, but to work with us on creating the script/dialog and directing the voice-over sessions. While the bulk of his work on the game was completed in the first year of development (and might I add is freaking awesome), he and I continued to go back and forth over little details as we made adjustments and refinements to the pacing and editing of the story. He's an amazing resource to have. He was absolutely the most perfect author to work on the Advent project. The game as it stands already goes far beyond any other in the realm of storytelling, character development, and evoking the emotions of the player, and the contributions he's made will continue to shape the entire trilogy.

Xbox.com: How big is the game world? Did the world's rich character evolve from the story, from the concept design team, or a combination of both?

Donald and Geremy: The game world is huge, but the universe is even bigger. Advent was designed from the start to be a franchise, and as such, one of the main goals was expansiveness. We have many hooks scattered throughout the game that tie into planned story branches that we now have the ability to develop at some point. However, they do exist, and their existence alone makes Advent's universe feel more robust and complete.

Xbox.com: How would you describe the look and feel of the world? How important was the art direction to establishing this look and feel?

Geremy: The look and feel of Advent is gesturally similar to drawings that I've seen my whole life all around the house. Donald would doodle all the time, everywhere. In fact, he still does. I would find drawings in the phone book, in sketchpads, in notebooks, in school books, on napkins, and occasionally on the wall (usually hung, but sometimes mischievously scrawled). The design team has done an amazing job coming up with all the cool things found in the game, but in the end, everything bears the mark of Donald.

However, the fact that the game looks so much like the design is a credit to the entire team: to Bert's models, to Nathan's lighting, to Jared's painting, to Gavan's animation, to Lanny's effects, etc. I could go on listing another 25 people without whom this game would be completely different. But you asked about art direction, and without Donald, the overall look would be less cohesive and distinct. He is the end filter through which everything passes.

Xbox.com: Please describe how Flick Targeting works. How does its use impact gameplay, and how did it impact the game's overall design?

Geremy: Right from day one in the development ofAdvent, we determined to give the player true "combat freedom." We envisioned a scenario where Gideon could be diving off a ledge toward an enemy that he is levitating with his right hand while shooting it with the gun in his left hand, and then, in the midst of the very same dive, finishing the enemy off with a kick to the head. How cool would that be!?

Combat freedom means much more than Gideon looking cool while the player mashes an attack button; it implies that the player chooses each of Gideon's actions. That sort of freedom requires the constant use of both triggers and all four right thumb buttons (A, B, X, and Y), and the occasional use of the black and white buttons.

While many third-person action games have these same requirements, they either auto-target enemies for the player or they steal a trigger button for Z-targeting. Also, both of these approaches take away the player's freedom, in that the game, not the player, chooses the "best" target (usually the nearest enemy).

These two problems concerned us greatly, until one night I awoke amidst nocturnal inspiration: Flick Targeting! This is a natural extension of the typical camera stick (right Xbox joystick). As with most third-person games, we use this joystick to orbit the camera around Gideon. However, if you flick it in the direction of an enemy (or other selectable object), Gideon will target it. When targeted, all Gideon's movement will be relative to the target (i.e., he will strafe around the target and dodge appropriately), his actions will be directed at the target (he shoots at it, can do special hand-to-hand finishing moves on it, etc.), and, of course, the camera will lock onto the target. Clicking down on the camera stick will break the lock.

Flick Targeting is an evolutionary step because it solves the problems mentioned before. One, it frees up the left trigger button; two, it allows the player to choose a target himself; and three, it frees the player's thumb from resting on the camera stick!

There are other benefits, too. A major benefit is that it is directional: Flicking left picks the next best target to the left on the screen, etc. Another benefit is that you can rapidly jump between many targets by flicking multiple times. All of this gives you excellent targeting ability during combat against 10-plus enemies at once, while still having access to nearly every available button on the controller! We have achieved combat freedom!

Pulling off the scenario I described previously is actually really easy and surprisingly intuitive. This all may sound dauntingly complex, but it really isn't that difficult to learn. In fact, you could probably play through much of Advent without using half of the buttons and combinations that we've given you the freedom to use.

You will need to learn Flick-Targeting to play Advent successfully. Like we said, though, novice players might not even use half of the features we have provided. This leaves room for advanced players to feel an added sense of accomplishment in the game through actual skill progression. By the end of Advent Rising, a practiced player really will feel like a superhero.

Xbox.com: Players will start with all of game's powerful weapons in hand. Why did you decide to do it this way? Which is your personal favorite? Which primary/secondary fire combination is the most conceptually and/or visually satisfying?

Donald: Even though games expanded graphically into the third dimension years ago, player progression and learning curves are often still treated very two-dimensionally. WithAdvent, we advance the gameplay in layers, and allow the player to learn in a non-linear fashion. We assume that the audience has some experience playing games and can figure out on their own the base layer of gameplay, like running, jumping, punching, and basic shooting.

We do take time to train the player on Flick Targeting, as this is critical to mastering the other layers of gameplay. The next layer is advanced movement, like dodging, crouching, rolling, and double-jumping off walls. The next few layers include the powers, some of which are a layer all on their own. Because of this layered approach to learning, skilled players can discover unique ways to play that we may not have even anticipated.

So why do we give the player the ability to use any available weapon right from the start? Two reasons: It's awesome, and why hold them back? The fun of Advent lies not in merely increasing your arsenal, but in using the instruments provided to compose your own sweet symphony of super-powered mayhem!

Xbox.com: Which of the evolutionary/psychic powers is your favorite?

Donald: My current favorite is the alternate fire of Timeshift. It allows you to move so fast that everything else seems to be moving really, really, really slowly. Once I have slowed everything down, I love to run up to a Seeker, punch it (which sends it flying back through the air), and then run around behind it and punch it again before it even hits the ground! I will usually continue to juggle the Seeker (or Seekers … you've got to have skills to do that, but it's awesome) until it finally dies and crumples to the ground.

Geremy: My favorite power for this week is Shatter. The alt-fire of Shatter sends out a blast of endothermic energy, freezing enemies dead in their tracks. At this point, I love to leap up and slam the ground at the enemy's feet, creating a shock wave that will shatter the frozen foe into a thousand tiny shards.

Xbox.com: Which weapon/power combination is the most fun to pull off?

Geremy: Here is one scenario that I particularly enjoy: I run into a room full of Seekers and dodge to the side to avoid their initial shots. While dodging, I equip the Timeshift power in my left hand and the Surge power in my right, and then switch each to their alt-fire modes. When I land, I use Timeshift to slow down time while still allowing me to move at normal speed. Then I target each enemy in quick succession, using Surge to suck the weapons out of their hands. I speed time back up to watch them all roar in anger and confusion—then they start to leap-attack me. I slow time down to a crawl, virtually freezing the Seekers in the air, and I jump up and punch each of them. When I speed time back up, I love to just watch as they all fly backward in unison, unaware of what just hit them!

Donald: I've got to say that one of my favorite combinations is simply using fully mastered dodges (you know, the sweet flips and rolls) while dual-wielding pistols. You become the ultimate action hero!

Xbox.com: Could a player conceivably play through most of the game using just weapons or just psychic powers? Can players customize their evolution—in other words, can they choose to max out a few powers and leave others undeveloped?

Geremy: Although difficult, a player could play through Advent just using weapons. There are situations that behoove the player to use certain powers or weapons, but the choice remains their own. However, if you could levitate five enemies at once and throw them through a wall, why wouldn't you?

Donald: We very much believe that gamers tend to gravitate toward their own individual play style. I think most players will find their three or four favorite weapons/powers and primarily stick with those. We will reward them for that. Simply by playing the game the way you naturally play it, you will evolve those traits you use the most. For the player who wants it all, that will also certainly be attainable.

Xbox.com: How important are vehicles in the single-player campaign?

Donald: Heavy weaponry and god-like powers are great, but sometimes you just need the power of a massive hover tank to get the job done!

Xbox.com: What is the essential element of the Advent Rising experience?

Donald and Geremy: Having fun is the essential element of the Advent Rising experience. A lot of cinematic, story-driven games tend toward tedium when traveling between cut scenes. We feel that Advent's gameplay is just as rewarding as its story development. It is really, really fun to play.

Xbox.com: What do you think will be the most overlooked element of the Advent Rising experience?

Donald: You know, what I really hope is that gamers play Advent for the entire experience of the game, everything from its gripping story and rich characters to the freedom of its control scheme and the variety of gameplay that it provides. I hope people notice the little details and the attention that was put into them, that they find themselves amazed at an incredible vista or wowed by an awesome explosion. I hope that they become lost in the universe that we have created for them. I really think that Advent has something unique and fresh to offer, that it feels different from any other game. I don't want people to look at Advent as a mere video game, but as a big, epic, and awesome entertainment experience that they get to interact with instead of just watch.

Xbox.com: What sort of downloadable content are you planning?

Donald: There are some cool things that I don't think I can talk about yet …

Xbox.com: How will the next two installments in the projected Advent Rising trilogy of games build on the first game? Can you give us any hints as to story and/or gameplay surprises?

Donald and Geremy: The only thing more fun than creating a game is keeping secrets from the media! But we will say this: You will be more surprised and amazed at where theAdvent series ends up than by any other entertainment franchise, ever.

Xbox.com: Many have imagined what the war games seen in Ender's Game would be like. What's your take? If you were going to make a game based on the war games and exercises in Ender's Game, what would it be like?

Geremy: I think Battle School would make a fantastic MMO [massively multiplayer online] game. The battle room provides an arena for fast-paced squad based action akin to Counter-Strike™, with the addition of global stats, rankings, and team ladder boards. The school's arcade could have mini games, but its main feature would be the virtual reality game, providing plenty of room for expansion and exploration of new worlds. But the pinnacle of this theoretical online experience would be the war games, allowing people to pilot individual ships (or, if they prove worthy, command squadrons of ships), and perhaps even rise to the rank of Ender, commanding whole armies. It could be very cool.

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