Ubisoft's tactical shooter Rainbow Six: Vegas launches for PC today, so what better time than now to sit down with producer Stephane Roy and bombard him with questions on the version for the platform where R6 all began... To kick off with, could you give us a quick overview of the plot/scenario for Rainbow Six: Vegas?
Stephane Roy: Sure! The game starts where Team Rainbow is chasing an international terrorist group. You don't know who exactly or what their final goal is but Team Rainbow is redirected to Las Vegas where a terrorist strike is unfolding. A major attack could kill the city's entire population, thus heightening the tension and emphasizing the need to act quickly and decisively. Chaos in the Sin City is just about to start...
Is Vegas on PC identical to the 360 version? What are the major differences, if any?
Stephane Roy: Yes, both versions are similar. We believe that the experience we created with Vegas was great for all the platforms. Therefore, we went for the same tense and involving experience game.
Are there any significant changes you've made to the core Rainbow Six experience, or have you stuck to tradition to deliver a hardcore, tactical squad-based first-person shooter? Are elements like the pre-mission planning stages intact, for example?
Stephane Roy: The team behind Rainbow Six Vegas worked on Rainbow Six 3 too, so it gives you an idea of what to expect. But instead of focusing on action and shooting like other shooters do, we went for what the franchise is known for: tactics, tension and realism. You'll have to make sure your OPA (Observation, Planning and Assault) is done right; you can't burst into a room guns blazing and expect not to take some punishment. You're dealing with lethal enemies that are set in close-quarter combat scenarios. Your team and your state-of-the-art equipment give you an edge over the bad guys, as long as you use them intelligently.
What's new, in terms of gameplay, to Rainbow Six in Vegas on PC?
Stephane Roy: With Rainbow Six Vegas, we introduce numerous changes in terms of gameplay, going from the take cover mechanics to the squad control. The Cover system adds a lot to the experience since it gives you more options and visibility of the action. It's also a great way to plan ahead with your team mates. We also have revised the way our order system works so that you can better control your team when you are not right next to them.
In Rainbow Six 3, you could give orders on the fly thanks to the zulu system, but it was based on where your reticule was pointing. Now the available orders are based off where your team is. It sounds like a simple change, but it really makes it more powerful, because now you don't need to be right next to your team mates and see what they see to give them orders.
We've also brought back the rules of engagement, and linked them with the order system. So on top of the Rules of Engagement controlling when your team is allowed to engage the enemy, your available orders are different if you are in RoE Infiltration or Assault.
Also, we added brand new moves that increase the tactical feel of the game - rappelling and invert-rappelling give you complete control over the situation if well used and it also adds vertical gameplay elements which is new. The new tagging system is also adding a lot; it helps prioritise the targets for your team mates. No more random shots and kills, now you're in control of what your team will shoot first.
Finally, the PEC 2.0 is a major step in the customization department. We took the ideas we had in Lockdown but pretty much corrected all the inconsistencies (better rank doesn't mean better weapons/equipment for i.e.)
What keys areas have you worked to improve since Lockdown? How do these improvements impact the gameplay?
Stephane Roy: When we started on the project, our goal was to take what has made Rainbow Six games so popular, and bring the player's experience to the next level.
This means focusing on core elements like tactics and realism, but it also means accepting to stop doing things we've done in the past. The format of the game for example. Since we want players to feel the experience we created, we decided to do our storyline in real-time.
When we talk about realism and tactics, we need to talk about multi-path. It means that the player can approach a situation from different angles. They will have many options to enter through windows after rappelling down a building, making simultaneous room entries with his team mates, etc.
To conclude, one of our major focuses is the AI, not only the enemies but the team mates as well. Your team mates will have their own skills and will help you out on the field. Regarding the enemies, you'll see a progression in their abilities. At the beginning, you'll encounter some guerilla-like terrorists but near the end, they'll be organized and expertly-trained to increase the challenge.
Is there anything else significant about the AI in Vegas that you'd care to divulge?
Stephane Roy: AI is a major point in Rainbow Six Vegas. For your squad members, they really work as a team, they take cover together etc. You back them up, they back you up. For example, if you give them an order to advance, they will go to the safest cover point and will adapt their path depending on the action and/or order. Also, they communicate to you what is happening, vocally. So while they take cover for example, they tell you if they see any enemies etc.
We can't afford having a bad Rainbow A.I. in a game where team coordination is so important for the mission's success.
Terrorists' AI is equally as important too. They communicate together; they move in groups, they flank you on one side while they suppress you from the front... They want you out of cover, and they'll use any force necessary to make it happen. So yes they will act differently depending on the situation and what you do, but they'll also be proactive.
We had a full-time designer on AI for our game, and it shows.
Guns! Tell us about the guns in the game!
Stephane Roy: Rainbow Six has always been about realism and cutting edge technology. Rainbow Six Vegas will offer a wide array of weapons and gear. Over 30 weapons are available in the game. Every weapon can be customised with attachments like a scopes and laser sights to assist you in a variety of situations.
What has the Unreal Engine 3 technology brought to the Rainbow Six table?
Stephane Roy: UE3 gives us the possibility to push the details of all the environments, but also interaction. It's an impressive engine that we learned using with Rainbow Six Vegas. Also it's a great engine for Multiplayer needs.
What multiplayer modes featuring in Vegas on PC?
Stephane Roy: Multiplayer is a very important facet of RSV. We offer both adversarial and cooperative game modes in and around the city of Las Vegas. You can expect to find a new team-based adversarial game mode called Attack & Defend. You'll face objectives you'd expect to find in a Rainbow Six mission such as Hostage Rescue, Bomb Defusal and Recovering Intel. One team assaults while the other team defends.
Achievements are placed around single player and multiplayer milestones, so you can show off your accomplishments in every aspect of the game. You can create a custom online operative and personalize him through your gameplay. As you play online, your operative evolves over time. Finally, Cooperative gameplay is available online and offline.
So we really wanted to have the full package we are known for with Rainbow Six Vegas, and by introducing the new mode and importance of the PEC 2.0 customization mode, we just did that!
GRAW on PC has received significant post-release support with the release of content updates - are similar plans afoot for Vegas, and is there anything you can tell us about those plans at this time?
Stephane Roy:Impossible to give you all the specific details now, but we are supporting the game, even after release. So it means that patches and the sort will be done if required. We did that for most of our recent games and we will continue to do so with Vegas PC!
Finally, in what ways would you say Vegas on PC raises the bar in the tactical shooter genre?
Stephane Roy:We are actually putting a lot of emphasis on what we call the OPA. Observe, Plan and Assault. We're not inventing anything here; it's the way spec ops work. But we are designing the game and our features to fully support this.
For the observation, we added the ability to snake cam under a door so that players would have better information about a room before they storm in with their team. As for the planning, we have revised the way the player gives orders to his teammates. Our new way is more intuitive, and it allows the player to control his team mates remotely without needing to be right next to them. Finally, for the assault, we've added rappelling and fast roping, allows player and their teammates to enter locations in new tactical ways.
But everything I just said, tactical-wise and realism-wise wouldn't be possible if the AI was not following. You can't describe yourself a good tactical squad-based game if the threat and help don't follow your expectations.
I just bought this a few hours ago. Its fantastic!!, the best RS ever. Only one problem, its the Unreal 4 engine. Damn thing always crashes at random. So far i own Splinter Cell: Double Agent and now this with Unreal 4 and both have the same problems. I think it was something to do with using high detail shadows with shader model 3, you can use one safley but not both at the same time, worked for me anyway on my Nvida 6800U. In RS:Vegas though you dont get an option to turn one of them off, so i can have good shadows and crash or crap shadows...im vain so this presents a problem.
That said, the 40 mins worth ive played were excellent, FAR!! FAR!! better than RS:lockdown. One thing stands out, being a Clancy fan, this game is exactly the same as GRAW. Its a good thing!.
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