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Interview: Medal of Honor
With the classic WWII shooter attempting to break into the modern warfare market, we sit down with the game's Senior Creative Director Richard Farrelly.
Written by David Scammell, 11 March 2010
GamerZines: After a three year hiatus why return to Medal of Honor now and why move the series out of World War II and into the modern age?
Richard Farrelly, Senior Creative Director: When the team completed Medal of Honor: Airborne there were a lot of different ideas kicked around, some World War II... some not. After many discussions we grew more and more fascinated by their story and their unique perspective in the modern battlefield. We decided that we wanted to tell that story so the transition to the modern timeframe was made.
GZ: With Call of Duty and Halo sequels launching around the same time as Medal of Honor, what is it about Medal of Honor that you think will click with gamers? It's an intensely competitive market. Do you think there's room to occupy the same space?
RF: We plan on doing what Medal of Honor has always done: tell the soldiers' stories with a strong focus on authenticity. As far as there being room, I'm pretty sure that most gamers would agree that there is always room for another great shooter title.
GZ: In your previous role at Treyarch you worked on a handful of Call of Duty titles. From your experience on working on those titles, what do you hope to bring over to Medal of Honor?
RF: Just like in any career you learn skills and take them with you from post to post. On that same line I am learning a ton from working with some really talented and experienced people on this team.
GZ: Were you aware that 2010 wouldn't be a 'Modern Warfare year'? Are you aiming to fill that void?
RF: We really aren't thinking in those terms here in the studio, we really are just focussed on bringing Medal of Honor back into the conversation with a strong new look and feel. We really feel that the Tier 1 perspective is unique and will stand out in the crowd.
GZ: Can you give us some examples as to how Tier 1's input/feedback has helped shape the game?
RF: Our relationship with the Tier Operators has been fantastic. They have had an influence on virtually every aspect of the game. They give direct input on matters of authenticity such as weapons and uniforms and how they would speak in given situations. They have also shared with us many anecdotal accounts of life on the battlefield from crazy situations they experienced to what we might see in an enemy encampment.
That said, we have also had a great deal of input and support from the land air and sea elements of the regular military.
P3Zine Issue 44
For our latest Medal of Honor coverage, click here to download P3Zine Issue 44 for free.GZ: What sort of missions can we expect to see in the game, and how does the use of vehicles fit in?
RF: You can expect to see a variety of missions in the game. As the player you will experience the battle from different perspectives both Tier 1 and conventional military. This automatically creates a nice pacing in the game. As a Tier 1 Operator you assume the role of "The Scalpel" performing infiltration or small unit "Direct Action" missions, while as an Army Ranger you are "The Sledgehammer"...think large unit assaults with helicopters and tons of heavy ordnance.
Vehicles are used in the game in different ways. Some are ride on "rail" experiences while some are player driven.
GZ: Have you learned anything from previous Medal of Honors that have changed the way you approach certain elements of the design?
RF: This is my first time working on Medal of Honor, but I have played every iteration and certainly know the history of the franchise. There are many people on the team who have worked on multiple instalments who bring that "tribal knowledge" to the table.
As far as changes go, we're evolving with the genre much like other developers. Gamers can expect to see some of the things they know and love from previous Medal of Honor titles along with a few fresh ideas.
GZ: Why did you decide to split the game across two engines and use the Unreal Engine for Medal of Honor's single-player and Frostbite for the MP?
RF: We made the decision very early on that in order for both teams to deliver great quality game experiences, they would need to work with the tools that they were familiar with. Instead of spending time trying to camouflage the fact that we were using the two technologies, we embraced the differences as each system benefitted the project in different ways. In the end everything is tied together with the overarching game fiction and setting as common ground.
GZ: How much communication is there between you and DICE? Are they free to create the multiplayer game they want to create or do you set the guidelines?
RF: We are fortunate to be able to partner with DICE on the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor. This allows the team in Los Angeles to focus on the Single Player with the confidence that the Multiplayer is in great hands. DICE is a world class developer well respected for its Multiplayer game designs so it's been pretty stress-free for us over here at EALA. The communication between the studios is wide open and collaborative.
GZ: Thanks for your time, Richard.
We'll have more coverage on Medal of Honor, including a first look at the game, in next week's 360Zine, available to download for free from March 18th.
Medal of Honor coverage available in P3Zine Issue 44 - click here to download it for free!
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