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Zipcast
- Reminder - Mag extra slots available now...
- MAG Beta Time reminder
- Fan site call out ( MAGallstars.com , SOCOMupdates.com)
Q&A - MAG
- Any plans for pistol sites? Answer is NO
- Will we ever see .50 cals as one hit kills? Headset shots yes, otherwise it depends on what the person is wearing your shooting.
- Any additional plans for the knife? Nerf it or use it as a equipable weapon? No to equipable, and yes on adjusting the knife
- Will MAG ever come to the PC? Not likely
- Once the level 70 cap is introduced, will extra XP be retro active? No, you have to earn the experience after the cap increase
- Will the new DLC have any new armor types? The next DLC will not have any, but maybe in the future
- Why wasn't the MAG beta just called the escalation Beta? Because they are testing way more than just the escalation stuff.
Q&A - SOCOM
- Travis had some reactions on Gamescom (almost E3 size but not quite). Unlike E3 it's open to the general public as well Media. Huge SONY presence. SOCOM area was set up as a destroyed living room (bullet holes, torn curtains, furniture, etc...). Great turn out with people playing SOCOM and pretty even distribution of people playing with the Move and the DS3.
- Any comments from the people playing S4 at Gamescom? Yes, Similar to the comments at E3. Skeptical about the Move, but left with their concerns being eased and walked away excited about it. Comments on the improved graphics and destructible environments.
- Are the controls for S4 final and what types of customizable controls will it have if any? No part of S4 gets more feedback internally than the controls and it's tough to balance out. How much of the controls are going to have to change to accamodate the new style of game play. Played around with quite and have gone through at least 100 different layouts so far. no Six Axis mechanics
Control Layout
L1 - Aim view - tap R3 to toggle between L1 and previews view
R3 - to scope view, knife attack
L3 - Sprint
L2 - tap to quick swap (no pre-selected quick swap)
L2 - hold down to bring up gear menu (Pop up screen within the game paly and can move with it's up but no shooting
R1 - fire your weapon
R2 - Dedicated grenade button tap to throw, hold to bring up arch
Triangle - Stance change
Circle - get out of cover and every other weapon action
X - jump or vault
Square - Weapon pick up and reload
Left D- pad - Blue team
Right D-pad - Gold Team
D-pad down - regroup
Start button - Tac Map
Select - Real time scoreboard and stats
(Still tweaking where to put the fire rate mode)
- Anything that you used to be able to with commands that you cannot do know? Yes, in order to pull off the streamline approach with S4 some of the commnads where you used to be able to order the AI, it is no longer that way. AI more Automated without you having to move them with every command.
- Current state of MP? Progressing pretty well. Assembly line approach to the game. SP focused on first and wanted to put the effort with the SP. Game modes, community features and level design are there, just needs the same level of visual polish applied to it, to make it look as good as the gamescom SP demo. Animations and little details of online play needs to be refined. This is the main reason why they are not allowed to talk about MP at this point. They don't want to turn off new players to the franchise if they see an unfinished MP demo at this stage.
- Is S4 going to be the best one in the series so far? Travis thinks it will be because people internally are having a blast with S4 and the potentional of the title. Believes it's best to evolve the game in this day and age with the number of military shooters on the market.
- Characters in S4 based on any one character (Dr McNoob)? Not one in particular, but do research from google image search to get some inspiration form real life Ops people around the world. Jeans came from real photos taken from SF guys in Afghanastan.
- Will there be Voice commands in SP (Imtiaz)? No, voice commands were not the optimal approach, direct the AI with the D-pad is a much more streamlined process. Liked it in the past games but at the end of the day , they didn't think it would be something that people would use.
- Can AI teammates revive you (Partnur)? No - bug issues with AI doing this and isn't worth the trouble to try and get correct. Also think it takes away from the tacticle aspect
- What did Zipper do with Spector and Jester (BiG-LUCK)? wanted to focuse on new story and din;t make sense with S4
- Grenade indicators (SpecterMK23)? Absolutely will be included (did not specify if it was in SP vs MP but it's safe to assume it will be)
- Will you be able to cook grenades (islisius)? No (quick throw and grenaD
- What was the key to success for S1 and S2 versus S4 (LUKENBACHER)? Spoke too fast for me to type all this, I'll edit in a bit
- is the SP finished cimenas, climax, the ending, etc..t)? done but still needs to be polished
- Will we be able to use the Classic TP centered Camera for SP (Col_Cathcart)? Nope, only usable in the MP
- Will armor play a roll in S4? No selectable Armor
- Will we be able to change fire (single burst, full auto) modes in S4 (Tyberius213)? Yes
- will you be able to turn off blood splatter and HR in S4? "well, in SP there will not be an option" was his exact quote. This leads me to believe you will be able to turn it off or it's not included at all in MP.
- Shed any light on the encumbrance system (Dirty_Walter)? NO Encumbrance
- Will Abandoned be the same (r_e_v)? Same differences but no expanded changes to the map
- Why no manly beards (RedViolance)? SE Asia you don't see the locals with this type of facial hair
- Has anything changed in S4 from the first time you did the first Zipline (Cagalindo)? Game play no, polish, yes
- What pysics engine does S4 use (Mauler_51_50)? Uses the Havoc Engine because they believe it's the best on the market.
Ziptip
S4 SP tip, watch your flanks - very different from the previous SOCOM SP games.
Zipcast
- Reminder - Mag extra slots available now...
- MAG Beta Time reminder
- Fan site call out ( MAGallstars.com , SOCOMupdates.com)
Q&A - MAG
- Any plans for pistol sites? Answer is NO
- Will we ever see .50 cals as one hit kills? Headset shots yes, otherwise it depends on what the person is wearing your shooting.
- Any additional plans for the knife? Nerf it or use it as a equipable weapon? No to equipable, and yes on adjusting the knife
- Will MAG ever come to the PC? Not likely
- Once the level 70 cap is introduced, will extra XP be retro active? No, you have to earn the experience after the cap increase
- Will the new DLC have any new armor types? The next DLC will not have any, but maybe in the future
- Why wasn't the MAG beta just called the escalation Beta? Because they are testing way more than just the escalation stuff.
Q&A - SOCOM
- Travis had some reactions on Gamescom (almost E3 size but not quite). Unlike E3 it's open to the general public as well Media. Huge SONY presence. SOCOM area was set up as a destroyed living room (bullet holes, torn curtains, furniture, etc...). Great turn out with people playing SOCOM and pretty even distribution of people playing with the Move and the DS3.
- Any comments from the people playing S4 at Gamescom? Yes, Similar to the comments at E3. Skeptical about the Move, but left with their concerns being eased and walked away excited about it. Comments on the improved graphics and destructible environments.
- Are the controls for S4 final and what types of customizable controls will it have if any? No part of S4 gets more feedback internally than the controls and it's tough to balance out. How much of the controls are going to have to change to accamodate the new style of game play. Played around with quite and have gone through at least 100 different layouts so far. no Six Axis mechanics
Control Layout
L1 - Aim view - tap R3 to toggle between L1 and previews view
R3 - to scope view, knife attack
L3 - Sprint
L2 - tap to quick swap (no pre-selected quick swap)
L2 - hold down to bring up gear menu (Pop up screen within the game paly and can move with it's up but no shooting
R1 - fire your weapon
R2 - Dedicated grenade button tap to throw, hold to bring up arch
Triangle - Stance change
Circle - get out of cover and every other weapon action
X - jump or vault
Square - Weapon pick up and reload
Left D- pad - Blue team
Right D-pad - Gold Team
D-pad down - regroup
Start button - Tac Map
Select - Real time scoreboard and stats
(Still tweaking where to put the fire rate mode)
- Anything that you used to be able to with commands that you cannot do know? Yes, in order to pull off the streamline approach with S4 some of the commnads where you used to be able to order the AI, it is no longer that way. AI more Automated without you having to move them with every command.
- Current state of MP? Progressing pretty well. Assembly line approach to the game. SP focused on first and wanted to put the effort with the SP. Game modes, community features and level design are there, just needs the same level of visual polish applied to it, to make it look as good as the gamescom SP demo. Animations and little details of online play needs to be refined. This is the main reason why they are not allowed to talk about MP at this point. They don't want to turn off new players to the franchise if they see an unfinished MP demo at this stage.
- Is S4 going to be the best one in the series so far? Travis thinks it will be because people internally are having a blast with S4 and the potentional of the title. Believes it's best to evolve the game in this day and age with the number of military shooters on the market.
- Characters in S4 based on any one character (Dr McNoob)? Not one in particular, but do research from google image search to get some inspiration form real life Ops people around the world. Jeans came from real photos taken from SF guys in Afghanastan.
- Will there be Voice commands in SP (Imtiaz)? No, voice commands were not the optimal approach, direct the AI with the D-pad is a much more streamlined process. Liked it in the past games but at the end of the day , they didn't think it would be something that people would use.
- Can AI teammates revive you (Partnur)? No - bug issues with AI doing this and isn't worth the trouble to try and get correct. Also think it takes away from the tacticle aspect
- What did Zipper do with Spector and Jester (BiG-LUCK)? wanted to focuse on new story and din;t make sense with S4
- Grenade indicators (SpecterMK23)? Absolutely will be included (did not specify if it was in SP vs MP but it's safe to assume it will be)
- Will you be able to cook grenades (islisius)? No (quick throw and grenaD
- What was the key to success for S1 and S2 versus S4 (LUKENBACHER)? Spoke too fast for me to type all this, I'll edit in a bit
- is the SP finished cimenas, climax, the ending, etc..t)? done but still needs to be polished
- Will we be able to use the Classic TP centered Camera for SP (Col_Cathcart)? Nope, only usable in the MP
- Will armor play a roll in S4? No selectable Armor
- Will we be able to change fire (single burst, full auto) modes in S4 (Tyberius213)? Yes
- will you be able to turn off blood splatter and HR in S4? "well, in SP there will not be an option" was his exact quote. This leads me to believe you will be able to turn it off or it's not included at all in MP.
- Shed any light on the encumbrance system (Dirty_Walter)? NO Encumbrance
- Will Abandoned be the same (r_e_v)? Same differences but no expanded changes to the map
- Why no manly beards (RedViolance)? SE Asia you don't see the locals with this type of facial hair
- Has anything changed in S4 from the first time you did the first Zipline (Cagalindo)? Game play no, polish, yes
- What pysics engine does S4 use (Mauler_51_50)? Uses the Havoc Engine because they believe it's the best on the market.
Ziptip
S4 SP tip, watch your flanks - very different from the previous SOCOM SP games.