Well Uncle has another interview for all my nieces and nephews today. This one comes from the Galactic Conquest mod, well I'm sure you're all excited to read it so here it is: [quote] [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- Can you tell us about yourself and your role in Galactic Conquest? [b]Scott[/b]- My name is Scott Zier, and I'm Project Director for the Galactic Conquest team. I joined the team about two months ago as a skinner, but my role has been drastically enlarged since then. I now do primary work on map-making, mesh creation and texturing, and coding on a few vehicles and various subsystems within the mod. I share the leadership of the mod with JayBiggS and Suge (Eric Izso), and my role as Project Director has me maintaining our goals and work direction for each release, as well as handing out assignments to available team members. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- What's the idea for GC? [b]Scott[/b]- For me, Galactic Conquest is about making the kind of Star Wars game that I have always wanted to play. It's going to be a different style than what most battlefield players are used to, because we are really going to great lengths to bring the scale of the Galactic War and the fictional-realism of the films to life. While that's a little bit of an oxymoron, it basically means we want players to feel as if they are a part of the original struggle between the Rebellion and the Empire. We want the environment and ships to match the wonderful vision set forth in the Star Wars films. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- Do you have any idea for a release date of your next version? [b]Scott[/b]- In the next few weeks we should complete all of the art resources and maps needed for the next release (GC .2). From there we go into finalizing the physics and damage systems, and play balancing the game to the best degree possible before the public release. I can't give an exact date at this point, but there are fewer days ahead than behind. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- Will there be any new and cool features? [b]Scott[/b]- Most certainly! The first release of the mod was not much more than a teaser. GC .2 is the main bulk of the mod. It will carry 8 new maps, each with it's own custom theme and static objects, and most with their own theme related vehicles. In fact, there are now close to forty vehicles, four new player models, and a completely reworked damage and backbone for the mod files. In addition, some of the 2D art has been reworked, and Luuri has made brand new loaders for every map. While I can't go into much detail on the maps themselves (some things we are keeping secret), I will say that we have many things that have not been seen or done with the BF engine yet. The map selection has a very wide array of game types, and different play styles. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- The GC mod recently lost a lot of its fan base, how did you manage to handle that and carry on? [b]Scott[/b]- Well, that happens when you only make one release over a long period of time. I didn't join until after this had already happened, but for the older members of the team it didn't come as a shock. Things happened, and the team changed quite a bit. The members who stayed with the development group during that time carried on with the same motivation that brought them to GC originally; we love working on the game! It's a very enjoyable experience, and we are making it as much for ourselves as everyone else out there. When .1 was released, there just hadn't been enough back work on the mod to maintain regular updates. Our primary goal with .2 is to create enough content to not only stand on it's own, but to have the back systems in place for regular future updates. GC is a fun game, and we are confidant the players will come back to see what we have to offer. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- When you were starting out what was the one factor that kept you continuing your mod progress and not giving up? [b]Scott[/b]- It's the most enjoyable work I've ever done. Like most people on our team, I'm a very creative person. Making and entertaining other people with our creations is something truly amazing. For the whole team, GC is a learning experience, and a vital one for what many of us want to do in life. Sorry, that was two factors. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- What are your feelings about this Star Wars: Battlefront game coming out? [b]Scott[/b]- We're really excited that Lucas Arts is taking an interest in making the kind of multiplayer action games that we like to play. From what I have heard, I think GC and Battlefront will differ vastly in terms of the gamely, feel, and scope. I'm really looking forward to their new take on character classes, and in-depth rolls for each one. With their release being in the fall, and GC being sooner (and Free), I think there is plenty of room for players to enjoy both our Mod and Battlefront. This hasn't really effected our development process any, or our enjoyment in making the mod. I'm highly supportive of Lucas Arts, and see this as a very positive thing for the gaming community. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- What makes GC stand out from the rest of the competition? Well, I really don't see the Mod community as competition. I think we gain a lot as a community from every Mod that does well. What makes us different from other BF Mods? It's absolutely going to be the gameplay and style of GC. People are going to see things they didn't think possible, and battle with a balanced system that makes them feel like they are in the movies. While we place a lot of importance on the graphical look and feel of the mod, gameplay is our top priority, and GC is very focused on teamwork. One simple example: We took out parachutes in GC is because we wanted to give pilots of transport craft the responsibility of landing. When the imperials gear up for an assault in the lambda shuttles, you can expect that the pilots are going to have to land them, and that pouring down the ramps will be a squad of Storm Troopers, as opposed to random drops from the sky. To allow this, the transport craft are very resilient to most forms of attack, which is true to the Star Wars films. In fact, some can even be used as cover for battles, and medical stations. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- Do you plan to port to Battlefield Vietnam? [b]Scott[/b]- It is to early for any official decision. At this point we are waiting on a number of factors, including the popularity of Vietnam, and the technical aspects of the medium. It's certainly something we are capable of doing, however. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- What renders are you and your team especially proud of? [b]Scott[/b]- I may be a little strange in that I really don't like renders. I feel the best way to show off a model designed for a game is to actually show it in the game, with the game lighting and effects. For that there are a lot that I'm proud of, but at the moment my favorite ones are secrets we are not ready to reveal. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- What are some of your favorite mods? [b]Scott[/b]- I assume you mean other than GC. I really love the detail and effects in Desert Combat, especially their newer maps. Attention to detail is something I respect a great deal, and visually, it's probably my favorite mod. In terms of gameplay, for some reason nothing can really replace the original Team Fortress for Quake1. There was just something special about running around 2Fort4, smacking guys with my medical axe, or walking in plain sight with my spy before a backstab, that just hasn't been matched yet. [b]Uncle M.P.G[/b]- Thanks for your time. [b]Scott[/b]- Thank you for having me on BF1942Files![/quote] And now for the update! [quote]I would also like to share with you all the newest weapon to join our mod, the Mer-Sonn Vibroblade. It was modeled and skinned by yours truly. ;) Enjoy![/quote] Sounds great! I've always liked this mod and hopefully 0.2 will come out soon. The new pics look real nice, I just can't wait for that next version. Well Uncle has got to say goodbye to all his nieces and nephews because UPS is calling and it's time for work. I must say that this mod has a huge chance of taking home a good chunk of those Uncle Awards! I can't wait until the winners are announced. Well I hope you like all these pics, the last render is that Vibroblade. See ya!