Senior Member
During the third week of September, Ubisoft Montreal hosted a Far Cry 2 Community Fan Day for about 10 people from various game-related web sites and fans.
Both myself and Slugworth where privileged to be invited along to get some hands on experience with all aspects of the game.
If you have any questions that have not been addressed elsewhere on the forum or in a dev blog or other interview please post them up and we'll try our best to answer them.
All answerable questions will be copied into this initial post below to ensure the information is easy to find and to reduce duplicate questions.
Kimi and SugarM0mma (genesisdevice.org) will also join the discussion when possible.
<span class="ev_code_yellow">[Kimi's note: If you want to read the first-hand reports from the fanday, here are some:]</span>
:: Slugworth's report
:: sugarm0mma's report
:: Trackzero's report
:: Luke's interview with LP
:: Tamer's interview with Pat (Part 1)
:: Tamer's interview with Pat (Part 2)
:: Tamer's interview with Pat (Part 3)
:: Luke's interview with Pat Redding
:: Luke's preview
:: Farcry 2 Fan Day Video (Dev Blog)
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Single Player
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<span class="ev_code_red">Is it necessary to execute incapacitated enemies or will they eventually bleed to death?</span>
(IceT) Thats a good question, sadly I cant say I noticed as I was a little too efficient dishing out death. I did see one or two appear to limp though - but never went into a Tarantino-esque gore fest by disabling them limb-by-limb
<span class="ev_code_red">How was the SP gameplay in Hardmode? did the tangos died of 1 headshot or did it take more than 1 to bring them down?</span>
(IceT) We only played SP on easy. Headshots did drop tangos - especially if shooting with the scoped rifle.
<span class="ev_code_red">In SP, Did you notice respawning of enemies and if so, how long after you killed them?</span>
(IceT) When you clear an area in the SP game, it will stay cleared whilst you are in the area. If you go to one of your safe houses to advance time or travel a fair distance away from the area you have cleared, the enemy will 'move back in' so when you go back you can dish out the love again. At first I wasnt expecting this, until I cleared a road block went on my way to kill someone, then came back to find my jeep getting shot up - a pleasant suprise
<span class="ev_code_red">Did you experience any gun malfunctions during your session of playing FC2?</span>
(IceT) I did experience several weapon jams throughout my SP experience, these occurred on weapons I had picked up from dead soldiers (not in the best condition). On one occasion mid fire fight I had one gun blow up in my face, though at the time it didnt sink in what had happened, only later when i realised I was waving a machete at a couple of guys packing Aks did I think to myself "this doesnt look like a gun!" and then legged it to seek another weapon.
(Slugworth)The weapons you have when you originally spawn seemed pretty reliable. When you pick up weapons from fallen mercs, they seemed to have variable reliability and fail more often. I had some malfunctions from weapons I picked up, you have to use the reload button to clear the jams. I didn't experience any catastrophic failure (exploding weapons) during SP play but the unreliable merc weapons were interesting to deal with in a firefight, to say the least.
(Kimi) Key to this is purchasing weapons from the shop instead of looting bodies.
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Multi Player
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<span class="ev_code_red">Do you think the MP will be a fun experience?</span>
(IceT) If you like your DM, TDM or the sound of Uprising, then Im sure you'll be really happy. The graphics are the same for both SP/MP so no need to worry about the MP looking dressed down. The destructible environments will add a new kind of feel to MP gaming - the fire especially adds a nice new twist! My only negative for the MP is the lack of Assault game mode.
<span class="ev_code_red">How did the MP animations look?</span>
(IceT) They looked fine to me - cant say they jumped out at me as being bad, choppy or unrealistic.
<span class="ev_code_red">Does the game feel pretty balanced online? Does it seem like a certain class has an advantage over the others or is it like a rock, paper, scissors kind of deal?</span>
(IceT) I personally thought the 6 classes balanced out rather well, despite being at a disadvantage playing MP on the XBOX which is not my platform. I didnt get to look into the weapon upgrades in too much detail sadly so not sure if any particular class may get an advantage once the upgrading begins - im sure Ubi would have looked at that though.
I suppose I should mention the weapons themselves, compared to FC1, I thought they where an improvement, not too much recoil, but not too little to make no scoping or shooting from the hip an easy thing to do. Not sure if I'd say they are as good as COD4, but certainly good enough to be enjoyable. You should be warned that picking the dude with the flamethrower can be bad for your health as slugworth will confirm - he killed himself more with that weapon than anyone else!
<span class="ev_code_red">Is there a narrator for MP like in FCIP? (headshots, multi-kills, your diamond has been stolen, or etc)</span>
(IceT) I noticed narration in CTD and Uprising, but not in DM/TDM, nor do I recall any 'headshot' or 'multikill' narration.
<span class="ev_code_red">At the end of MP rounds did it show the #1 player on the winning team in 3rd person?</span>
(IceT) No, it went to a table with your stats for the round.
<span class="ev_code_red">In MP, do you hear the opposing team when they speak if their near you?</span>
(IceT) I cant say I remember hearing any in-game voices in MP - just loads of explosions before I died
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you customize your weapons with scopes or lazer and other attachments and if so do you unlock them and how?</span>
(IceT) I believe you cannot customise weapons ala Crysis, but you can purchase them already modified. Im afraid I dont know what mods are available for the various weapons. In MP you unlock weapon upgrades with diamonds that you earn with experience. The server can be configured in two ways, one way will let players gain upgrades quickly, whilst the other will do it at a slower rate.
<span class="ev_code_red">How is the MP action - run and gun? stop and pop? is it fast paced like COD4 or something slower? more deliberate? does it make sense to run, straf, jump and shoot (halo and COD style) or is it more tactical shoot-behind-cover affair?</span>
(IceT) I'd say the DM/TDM are definitely run and gun types whilst CTD/Uprising are a little more tactical and slower paced. I think the map itself will also determine the kind of pace given the layout/objects present.
<span class="ev_code_red">How fast do the weapons break down in MP?</span>
(IceT) I didnt live long enough to see any weapon malfunctions in MP, though I hear they do exist.
(slugworth) Playing in MP sessions seemed to have fewer reliability issues than SP, you could pick up weapons from depots that seemed to be OK in terms of reliability.
<span class="ev_code_red">What anti-cheat protection is there?</span>
(IceT) FC2 will use Punkbuster as its anti-cheat protection.
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Map Editor
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<span class="ev_code_red">Did u reach and borders of the MP map? how did it look? did it seem like it's the edge of the world suddenly cut off? does it fade into an organic extension of the map?</span>
(IceT) I didnt get to check, but one of the map developers said that it would be like looking over the edge of the world, so anyone wanting to make a decent looking map will probably want to use the terrain deforming tools to block players seeing this.
(SugarM0mma) The world ends like the old one - into empty ocean.
<span class="ev_code_red">In MP and the map editor did you notice any stationary weapons besides the ones on the back of vehicles? </span>
(IceT) Yes. There is a selection of static machine guns you can place in maps, some are standalone (on a tripod), others make use of sandbag protection (gun emplacements).
(Slugworth) I didn't see any stationary flamethrowers in the map editor objects.
<span class="ev_code_red">How much customization is possible with the given gametypes? For instance, with "Capture the Diamond", can you set it to capture just one diamond? I've been thinking that if this is the case, then that would be pretty much like assault.</span>
(SugarM0mma) It's like the older editors, you have to place both to validate the map.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you restrict parts of the map off so you can make nice backround scenery that cant be explored and if you try you will die?</span>
(Slugworth) Yes, you can set the playable area for your map to be smaller than the map size, there is a tool in the map editor for defining this boundary. If a player crosses that boundary in the game while on your map, they will be given a warning to return to the game area and then killed if they do not within some set amount of time.
(SugarM0mma) You can't place invisible walls or anything but you can make the playable area smaller, so if during a game someone leaves the playable area they'll have a couple of seconds then they'll re-spawn in the playable area. You can define it in the map editor but there really isn't a visible clue to players, they just get a notification.
<span class="ev_code_red">Is the non-playable area highlighted on a radar/map ingame like in Battlefield Bad Company?</span>
(Slugworth) No, you cannot see the non-playable area when playing, you will be warned when you enter it.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you change the texture or color for various brushes?</span>
(Slugworth) Not that I could see.
<span class="ev_code_red">Did the editor look like 1000+ brushes, or like 40,000+ brushes?</span>
(Slugworth) Not sure, but there were a lot.
(IceT) Tamer (www.incgamers.com) wrote an article on the Map Editor here, he quotes 40,000 objects, Im sure that figure isnt pulled out of thin air.
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Miscellaneous
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<span class="ev_code_red">Are the driving controls difficult or touchy/sensitive at all?</span>
(IceT) I drove land/water vehicles in SP on the PC, and flew the hanglider on the XBOX in MP. The vehicle control on the PC was an improvement over FC1, they where easy to control without ending upside down on fire in a ditch. Whilst Im not a console person, even controlling the hanglider on the XBOX was a doddle.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you "prone" or "lean"?</span>
(IceT) No, whilst I didnt miss prone if Im honest, it would have been nice to have lean when engaged in a firefight between buildings.
<span class="ev_code_red">What this the final game?</span>
(IceT) The game is still in Q&A so whilst Im pretty sure its feature complete - there are still a few bugs to sort out - such as key assignment issues on the PC (which i pointed out whilst there).
<span class="ev_code_red">How where the graphics for the game?</span>
(IceT) Both Slugworth and I played the SP on the PC and the MP on the XBOX 360 - both on HDTVs. I was suprised how good the XBOX 360 looked, however bear in mind I dont own an XBOX 360 so Im not sure how good it should look, I certainly wouldnt be upset by the graphics quality though. The PC on the other hand looked very good (as I expected), not as photorealistic as the likes of Crysis but not far off and certainly good enough to look convincing and immerse you in the game. I dont know what the PC specs where that we were playing on, but I'd assume they were atleast recommended spec and game ran great with no noticeable stuttering or ingame loading.
<span class="ev_code_red">If you had never heard of this game ever in your life and didn't know the title....would you play it and say hmmmm this feels like FarCry??</span>
(Slugworth) Yes, Yes I would. It does have that "Far Cry feel" to it in my opinion.
<span class="ev_code_red">what about splitscreen?</span>
(Slugworth) We did not see split screen or anything in the game menus that talked about it.
(Kimi) Splitscreen is not available in Far Cry 2.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you shoot from the driver or passenger side of vehicles or drop grenades or molatavs from the glider?</span>
(Slugworth) You can shoot from the passenger side as I recall, but definitely not the driver side. On the hang gliders I didn't find a way to drop goodies like grenades.
(IceT) You cant use any weapon from the hanglider - so no more nade airstrikes.
<span class="ev_code_red">What types of weather was in the game at least what you encountered?</span>
(Slugworth) In the SP session, it was a jungle/forest setting, seemed to be mid to late morning, clear weather. In the MP sessions, different weather for different maps.
Some movies of the MP gameplay, here you go:
:: HeadShot
:: Teabagging
:: MP Gameplay
<span class="ev_code_red">Did you visit the gun shop? If so, is it possible to store vehicles in the garage where you pick up the weapons you bought? And can you stop by and pick up any of your guns at any time, or do you have a set amount of guns you can pick up?</span>
(IceT) I didnt *looks to Slugworth*
<span class="ev_code_red">In the 360 version, do you have to click and hold down the left-stick-button to sprint, or do you just quickly tap the button once to sprint?</span>
(IceT) Unless I was doing something wrong, I believe you have to hold the left-stick down to sprint.
<span class="ev_code_red">Are there any tearing (Vsync issues) in the 360 version and How much destruction is in the 360 version?</span>
(IceT) I cant say I noticed any tearing issues on the XBOX. The level of destruction will be the same across all platforms, trees, grass and bushes will burn if set on fire, as will all wooden building, however the larger wooden buildings cant be totally destroyed like some of the smaller ones. The flying gas cylinders are certainly a great feature of the game.
<span class="ev_code_red">How is the AI? Did you run into any occasions where it just stood there? Any other abnormalities?</span>
(IceT) I found the AI to be satisfactory in their response to my attempts to kill them, they didnt just stand their guns blazing like they would in a bad steven seagal movie, they tried all kind of things, from running away to seek shelter, to flanking manouvers, plenty to keep you on your toes during a firefight.
(Slugworth) I didn't run into any instances of the AI just standing there waiting for me to kill them.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you tell us a bit about the navigation/exploration? Like how do you find your way to objectives? Does there seem to be any use for the compass? Because it seems the map shows you which way you're facing anyway..</span>
(IceT) I used the map to find my way around the bush. Like you say, the map shows your direction by showing you as a pointy arrow (pointing the way your facing).
<span class="ev_code_red">How bad is dying? Do you start from a checkpoint, or just reappear 1 mile from the death site?</span>
(IceT) In SP you start from your last save point, in MP you start from one of the designated spawns.
<span class="ev_code_red"> Can you clean your guns to keep them from jamming or do they just go bad no matter what?</span>
(IceT) No, you can't clean your weapons, they will degrade eventually.
(Slugworth) Once they jam you clear them, but they may jam again after some use.
<span class="ev_code_red">Can you see the weather forming...like rain clouds coming towards you?</span>
(SugarM0mma) Yep, you can see the clouds rolling in it gets darker and sort of foggy.
<span class="ev_code_red">What about terrain deformation? Can explosions tear hollows into the grund as they do in FC1 (PC)</span>
(IceT) I dont believe that happens in FC2, I certainly didnt notice it in SP or MP.
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Is it necessary to execute incapacitated enemies or will they eventually bleed to death?
And do they behave appropriate to their injuries - So let's say, you disable an enemy's leg and he will - if able to get back up - walk with a limp (as we saw in the "Deceive your enemies"-trailer), you disable his other leg and he will be forced to drag himself along the ground crawlingly, you injure one of his arms and he will be rendered unable to use his rifle, having to switch to his pistol, you shoot his other arm and he will finally be entirely defenseless?
Banned
Can you "Prone" and "Lean"?
Ok, someone had to say it and I have got it off my chest.
1.- Was this the final game?
2.- How were the graphics of the game?
3.- What were the PC specs of the PC used to run the game?
4.- How was the SP gameplay in Hardmode? did the tangos died of 1 headshot or did it take more than 1 to bring them down?
I'll ask more later
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