Finalement l'interview date de juillet, mais c'est toujours aussi intéressant.

For those who don't know anything about B.C., give us a basic overview of the game.

B.C. is an action adventure game for the Xbox. Set in a prehistoric world, it's your job to lead a band of primitive man from impending extinction to the promise of safety in a new world. The player will hunt and fight the creatures rivaling the player for territory, meet new tribes, complete missions and defeat a rival simian race to ensure that the tribe not only survives, but prospers and grows.

Talk about the interface. This is a rather complex game in concept, so how does that translate into controls? Will it be fairly simple?

Control is very easy to express in BC. While you directly control one character at any time, you can tag up to another 4 characters to form a team or hunting party around you and then cycle direct control through any character in the team. Similarly there is a unifying UI device called the roll call that allows you to assign a context sensitive task to any other character in the tribe in any part of the map. Behind-the-scenes there is a lot of complex game logic occurring but the way the player receives the information and how he is allowed to interact with the game is not complex at all. The basic game-pad controls are quite simple, you have your usual buttons (i.e. jump, target, throw and melee attack and range attack etc.) and the roll call is called up by pressing one button, you then select the cavemen you want to assign that task and quit out.

The thing that blew me away about B.C. when I first saw it a few years back was the idea of a fully realized ecosystem. Is that still a part of the game and if so, how deep and realistic is the ecosystem? How easy is it to unbalance the ecology and are there other factors besides the gamer's actions (such as weather) that might affect the ecosystem significantly?

Absolutely! The eco-system is fantastic. Each creature has a food, water and safety need. If a creature is running out of food (for example) then it will be forced to migrate to a new nest. What effect does this have on the player? If the player has a raptor nest within a close proximity to camp, it might be useful to him to try and get rid of them. There are a number of ways in doing this. He can run in "all guns blazing" and attempt to kill all of the raptors off (risking the lives of his cavemen), or go the safer route and poison the raptors food supply (although this will take longer) or wait until night time and sneak in the nest using the Hunters skill and steal the eggs. It will then take them longer to reproduce and make it easier for the player to kill off.

Often you can see some really cool things happening under the eco-system with creatures fighting against each other, species dieing off; while at other times the land will be full of tension, competing creatures will observe each other anticipating imminent attack. It makes the game completely unpredictable!

Will weather be a factor in the life of your tribe? For instance, will there be rain or snow that forces you to move the tribe into shelter? Are there seasons in B.C.?

Weather is a factor yes. When it rains, the water vessels in the camp fill naturally so the tribe will have a diminished need for water supplies. The tribe's people will seek cover when the weather gets very severe. Cold will bring the need for warm clothing and will increase the demand for food. The climate will become increasingly hostile as the player moves from the lowland into the high ground and the mountainous territories of the rival simian race.

Your goal is to evolve your tribe. How does the teaching aspect of the game work? How do you get your tribe to first use fire, to create a language, to learn to hunt and farm?

As the player can take control of any one of the characters in the tribe. The tribe's people benefit from direct learning from the player. Skills, once discovered or unlocked are then shared to other characters who inherit the same 'calling' or skill class as the player-controlled character. All of the advancement activity in the game is stimulated by the player's action and shared in this way.

Of course I'm going to ask all about the dinos, but before doing that, one thing that really hasn't been touched on much is the vegetation. Is there a large variation of vegetation in B.C. and if so how does the variety in vegetation affect the game in terms of your tribe's survival?

The vegetation is themed appropriately to each region/climate the player passes through. The trees are real physics objects so they can be climbed, felled and burnt. Small flying reptiles nest in them and the tree canopies draw insects into their shade. Some of the trees are fruit bearing, the player can climb them for fruit or compete with other creatures for windfalls. Not all the fruit and berries in the game are good for eating. In time a player will gain the knowledge to recognise poisonous fruit or berries and to use this material to his advantage as a weapon.

Now on to the dinos -- you know, what everyone really cares about. How many different animals are in the game (dino and otherwise) and what are some of the featured dinosaurs?

We have sixteen different species of creature in the game populating the water, land and sky -- reptiles reside in the lowlands, mammals are more prevalent as the player climbs to the high ground. Each creature has their own behavioral modeling (including packs, flocks or lone predator status) and combat system mod. The Largest creature is the sauropod, a territorial brachiosaur that herds in small groups. The most potent and violent reptile is the T-Rex, as you would expect, especially if you interfere with its young. Each region will host a top predator, as you move into the mountains the post is initially taken by the Sabretooth Tiger, soon replaced by something more fearful.

Will dinosaurs and the other creatures in B.C. have their own lives? In other words, will they exist in the game world when you're not around, fighting for their own survival, going about their own business, or do they only appear when triggered by you entering a certain sector of the map?

Yes they do. The creatures are really simulated and exist within the rule set of the ecosystem. As we move on to the balancing tract, we are likely to install some modifiers to ensure that the player is always presented with exciting scenarios and that creatures are present when the player expects to see them.

There are different areas in B.C. How will each differ in terms of terrain, wildlife, and difficulty for your tribe?

There are actually five themed environments however these contain some cool sub-areas. The player is washed ashore at sea level and set the task of finding passage to the dormant range of volcanoes on the horizon. As the environment is presented as a continuum, the player can always see his goal and can look back to the lowlands he has passed through to check his progress as he climbs higher. The terrain becomes more difficult, the climate more hostile and creature culture increasingly potent the further the tribe travels.

Are there specific goals you need to meet to progress through each area? What determines that you have "dominated" an area and can move forward?

It varies. Each land has a number of missions to be completed. Some missions are required to be completed as they are part of the main quest, while others do not have to be completed but will make life easier through the game if you do!

Can you ever go back to areas you've already cleared to see how your tribe is doing or is it "out of sight, out of mind?"

Once you have completed levels, you can indeed go back to them. Your tribe will be constantly content and the level ends up like a 'sandbox' area where the player can just have a play around. Things you unlock in later levels will also unlock some goodies in previous levels, this is to encourage players to explore all the lands to the full!

How does the save system work? If you screw up and get your entire tribe wiped out, do you have to restart the entire game or are these checkpoints you return to?

We are currently investigating different save systems. While we don't want it too easy (i.e. you can save anywhere anytime), we want to make sure the player never feels frustrated or cheated by our save system.

Talk about the simian race that is competing against you. When do you get your first run-in and will they have an active role in halting man's evolution?

In simple terms the simian race begins with the upper hand as they have already established a vantage point and will defend it at your cost. They are competing for survival and control. It is the player that initiates the fight by venturing into their territory, however I can't really say where or when you meet them as it would spoil the game slightly. All I can say is that they know how to make an entrance!

Does the advancement of the simians have any random factors or will their progression always be the same no matter how many times you play through B.C.?

In terms of their technology and know how -- yes. However, they are like all the creatures in the game in that if you attempt to ignore them and think they will go away, they will continue to breed and multiply.

If you fail to beat the simians to the Fertile Crescent, will there be some sort of Planet of the Apes-like end cut-scene? I would fail just to see apes ruling the planet.

There is definitely a fail scenario.

One thing we really haven't seen much of are the tools and equipment you will use (aside from fire and a bow and arrow). How sophisticated do the tools and weapons get as you progress through B.C.? Can you give some examples?

These basic weapon types can further be advanced by assigning members of tribe to discover new uses for objects found in the world. Your tribe at the beginning of the game begins with one caveman type, equipped only with a basic club -- by the end of the game, you have at your command: mystics, athletes, hunters and builders armed with anything from flaming arrows to boomerangs. So, yes, the evolutionary change in your tribe as you move through the game is very noticeable.

While playing the game you will gain experience points per caveman. Doing cool and hard tasks like taking on five raptors on your own, or diving off a massive cliff, will gain you lots of experience compared with killing a bunch of dodos (for example). Once you have a fully experienced caveman, you need to complete a Rite of Passage mission to prove to the tribe you are worthy enough! These are nice arcadey mini-game style missions, which are great at breaking up the gameplay. Each caveman can gain five levels. As you gain a level, you are given an adornment like a tattoo, a new costume or a mask. But the major change is what you can do as a caveman. Depending on your calling you will gain new skills. Using the hunter as an example, you can unlock the ability to zoom in first person and sneak around the landscape while the athletes can run faster, jump higher and swim underwater.

Was Raquel Welch the inspiration for the busty, scantily clad cavewomen we've seen in screenshots? If not, could you please introduce me to the woman who inspired this? I'd really like to meet her. Badly.

Do you remember the dark haired woman who was Raquel's rival from the other clan? She is a friend of a friend -- obviously she's well over 50 now although I can tell you that the years have been quite kind. I suspect that the age gap might be a problem though.

Are there any physical changes in your tribe as they evolve? Do they get more sophisticated clothing? Does someone become a chiropractor and fix those curved spines?

We have a simple research tree within the game. If you're the sort of player who wants to discover a use for everything in the game, your tribe will evolve cosmetically and systemically. So that for example, your tribe's people will be wearing new clothes, your tents will improve and your tribe will find new ways of collecting food and water, thus making the process of survival more efficient. If you're the sort of player who rushes through games, your tribe will not have the opportunity to evolve to the same level. So it's all down to the player really -- its really interesting to see how some player's tribes can look very different at the end of the game!

Are there different grades for how well you tackled a particular level or the entire game? Is there a main goal for each level and a series of side goals that can be reached by those who do an exceptional job of managing their tribe?

This is something currently being looked into. Personally, I love the idea of players getting 'grades' per level, it makes the player play the level again and try and improve on previous scores. Plus I'd love to get some kind of Xbox Live scoreboard but I'm sure the designers and programmers would kill me if I even mentioned it.

Is there any multiplayer or online functionality planned for B.C.?

Unfortunately not, although BC will be Live Aware. We have talked about Xbox Live content; however, we want to make sure we make the best possible single-player game without trying to 'shoe-horn' in a multiplayer aspect.

How about replay value -- is there a lot of variation and randomness in the levels that playing through a second time will offer a different experience?

Yes! As I described earlier, the eco system is very cool so that every time you play B.C. it'll be different. Sometimes one species appears to dominate a level and the next it's just another competing predator. The simulation element certainly keeps the player on his toes gives him the opportunity to try different tactics.

Will you be able to play as the simians? It's okay, you can tell me, I won't tell anyone else except for our millions of readers. Deep down, you want to say yes.

There are no game play elements in B.C. where you can play as Simians, sorry!

How is the development of B.C. coming along? A lot was made of Ben Cousins leaving the project and our readers are a bit concerned about the future of B.C. Do they have anything to worry about?

B.C. is an ambitious project and as such is really demanding on core technologies such as navigation, collision and physics integration. This has taken a long time to get right and is the product of a small but dedicated team's hard work. We are trying really hard to push one frontier of console gaming and subsequently B.C. will be a really exciting release for Xbox. Ben certainly contributed to the development of the game, but remember that this game is a product of the entire Intrepid team, the design team, and the Lionhead group.

Forget political correctness for one moment and answer as truthfully as you can. B.C. versus Fable -- In the end will Intrepid be known for making the best European Xbox game of all time?

Haha! Well first off, I have the utmost respect for Fable and the Big Blue Box team -- they are doing some incredible work. It's very hard to compare the two games because one is an RPG and one is an action-adventure game. Each is trying something new -- although the objectives of each game are very different. Naturally I am determined and motivated to make not only the best European Xbox game of all time but the best Xbox game of all time. It's not easy.

Ça viens d'où l'entrevue? L'entrevue viens de me "reconvaincre" que B.C. va être bon. :)

Sinon ça sort quand, car ce jeu a l'air bien et surtout il amène un nouveau concept.

J'ai pris ça de team xbox et ca date de juillet. La bonne nouvelle c'est que le jeu existe :) Car à l'e3 c'était pas trop ça Et ça sort 1ere moitié 2005 (et c'est peter pan molyneux qui l'a dit)

Ca c'est le genre de jeu qui peut potentiellement attérir sur Xbox2

en fait je disais cela juste pour faire mon intéressant.........

Au fait, c'est en l'honneur de worms ton avatar?

Du jeu le plus troublé oui. :P La fin de Earthworm Jim 2 restera marqué dans ma mémoire pour toujours.

grrrr tu me prend pour un ignare dans le domaine du jv? grrrrrrrrr, je vais te couper en morceau moi!


EarthWorm Jim, il y a worm

:D

charmante signature

tricheur ;) mais oui elle me plait :)

Bha, je fais mon fier. Tiens j'ai envie de me changer de tête, hop, gigot

Natacha, la jeune stagiaire qui quoi?

gigot -> j'y go
et mon avatar restera "image not avaible" tant que je n'aurais pas trouvé mieux!

Rhàlala, tu n'est pas un amateur d'humour gotlibérien ni fmurien!!!

1-qu'est ce tu fais déjà debout à cet heure-ci? Un train à prendre?
2-Je me comprend des fois difficilement aussi quand je me relis.
3-Gotlig et Fmurr sont des adeptes de l'humour froid mais sophistiqué, pas accessible au commun des mortels ;)

Au diable le gotlibérien!

une petite question au sujet de BC!

"Suspended" selon Intrepid. Or je suis quand même étonné de voir toujours BC indiqué là et là. En général Microsoft est prompt à mettre à jour ses sites.

Quand Molynieux suspend le développement du jeu alors que microsoft en est l'éditeur, n'y a-il pas une couille quelque part?