An interview with Vince Zampella (Chief Creative Officer, Co-Studio Head), Jason West (Project Lead, Co-Studio Head), and Todd Alderman (Multiplayer Lead Designer).
GFW: You've wanted to move Call of Duty into a modern context for a while, yeah?
VINCE ZAMPELLA: Ideas we floated around wouldn't fit in World War II. I wouldn't say we were dying to do it off the bat -- like, "Oh my god, no more World War II!" -- but it was a natural move for us. We're able to write our own story this time, which is something we've always wanted to do. You know, with WWII you have to worry about historical accuracy. With this, we're able to work in whatever locations we want, whichever characters we want to use. Modern weapons let us introduce a lot of gun modifications, different gadgets -- things like that. Communication options improve with radio and satellite intel -- it allows us to broaden what our levels show you and in a believable way.
GFW: For example?
VZ: In one level, an AC-130 [ground attack airplane] flies in and saves your ass. Later, you get to jump into the gunner's seat and see the battlefield in another light. It adds to the variety of gameplay that we're going for.
GFW: Sounds similar to Call of Duty: United Offensive's B-17 bomber mission, though, doesn't it? Are Modern Warfare's locations rooted in real life?
VZ: Yeah. Russia is very accurate, and you'll recognize a lot of locations. For the sake of sensitivity, the Middle East is more nondescript.
Click the image above to see all the new screenshots.
GFW: How is the contemporary setting shaping your multiplayer content?
VZ: Well, we're able to do a lot more with the weapons, for one thing. As I said, we're introducing different attachments to customize your weapons with. You can recamouflage guns, tweak the way they look. And we have high-tech perks, like radar jamming and eavesdropping, which lets you hear the enemy team's voice chat.
GFW: Are you creating new modes to capitalize on these changes?
VZ: We're not ready to divulge all of the multiplayer modes right now, since some of them are still in testing. We are bringing back some stuff from Call 2, though: Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All, Search and Destroy, Capture the Flag. In addition, we're adding different rules over these, so while you've got CTF, you can also play Hardcore CTF, which is our realism mode.
GFW: This makes sense on PC, since realism mods are so prolific, right?
TODD ALDERMAN: Really, that's where it comes from. The community always adds that to the game, so we're giving it to them straight out of the box.
GFW: Let's talk about unlockable perks. What's the plan?
VZ: Well, we're doing good balancing the game...you start with your base classes -- all of which begin with perks -- and, as you level up, you get new perks. These change the game, but not to the point that a high-level player is clearly more powerful than you. So you look at the list of possible perks, decide to take this or that, and the downside is that you only get one. When you pick that perk, you're eliminating the other 10 that you could've taken, so it balances itself out that way. Same thing with weapons -- all the guns and attachments have strengths and weaknesses. If you equip a silencer you're not dealing as much damage, but then you're not showing up on the radar either.
TA: Yeah, perks are divided into three different categories. So, say, the radar jammer is in the same category...
VZ: ...as Stopping Power, which doubles bullet damage, or Juggernaut, which boosts health. But you can only take one for each build, and that's where the balance is.
GFW: Are we swapping these in and out every time we spawn, or only once when we join the server?
VZ: When you join. You're allotted slots with the class you create, and you can change what goes in them from outside the game. Once you join a server, though, you're committed to that class. You can create five different classes and can change whatever you want while in the menus or lobby.