GamerZines: Frontlines: Fuel of War was KAOS Studios first game and now you guys are going onto your second effort, how do you feel about it as a studio?
Jeremy Greiner: If feels good, the Desert Combat mod team which formed the core of KAOS Studios, most of those guys are still with us. Frank DeLise is the guy that put us all together and he is actually the executive producer of the PC SKU, so there is definitely a knowledge transfer going on from the learnings of those titles into Homefront. What worked we'll take with us, what didn't work we'll leave behind and make Homefront as good as possible. Frank being on the project is huge, especially for PC, as he is 100% PC focused so he's looking to deliver as much as possible. Usually nowadays the PC SKU is just a port from Xbox 360 which tends to be the primary platform for development, but we actually have a fully dedicated team named Digital Extremes in Canada, working full time, 24/7 to deliver the PC SKU as best as possible with Frank (DeLise) spearheading that project. You are always limited on consoles, but on the PC you have a lot more flexibility and a potential for a lot more features. Even features that get cut from the console side, could make it on the PC side.
GZ: Would you say the PC is the lead platform?
JG: I envision the PC SKU will have more to offer than the consoles when it comes to ship, because it has the capability. At E3 we showed levels called Oasis and Malice, one showed universe and the other the world. When we got to gamescom we put it on PC with an NVIDIA card and it looked absolutely amazing! I migrated from PCs back when Wolfenstein was released, as I was sick of not having the best rig and missing out because of it, so I became a console gamer but for me seeing how Homefront looks and plays on PC and driving that demo during gamescom, I think I might become a PC gamer again.
...
...I think Homefront is its own type of title, no-one else has 32 player vehicular warfare like that on dedicated servers. Obviously we want to make it a low barrier to entry, the Battle Points system does that. You don't have to be the best player on the map to get access to all the cool gear, which is a huge selling point.
I don't think any other game has the escalating intensity which Homefront has. You spawn in the game and there's a couple of drones or Humvees as people don't have many Battle Points saved yet, then you'll see a few tanks and a few Apaches and it starts escalating further.
We haven't revealed all the vehicles which will be in this one and it's only going to even more interesting. There's a really cool feature which is going to be revealed later on in the year. So far we've lifted up the skirt early on this one, but there's plenty more to come....
sorry this is just a reskin/mod to FFOW
Hey guys,
As promised, heres your first in-depth look at Homefronts PC specific features which should hopefully answer a bunch of questions on the MP side. The team at Digital Extremes has been working hard with Kaos Studios in order to deliver the best possible experience and tailor many aspects of Multiplayer specifically to the core PC audience.
THE HEADLINES:
We can officially confirm that Homefront will be a Steamworks title making good use of Valves excellent toolsets. Steam was simply the best choice to deliver the features we needed on PC. Shameless plug Homefront is now available to pre-order on Steam right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/55100/
We also confirm the Official Recommended Specs for the game. A few websites this week released what they claimed to be the official specs, most werent. Read on for the final word from Kaos and Digital Extremes.
Finally, we wanted to confirm that youll be able to enjoy Homefront in glorious 3D on PC thanks to full NVidia 3D Vision support. We showed it off at CES earlier this year, it looked rad.
The guys at Bash & Slash will be posting a podcast with Digital Extremes & KAOS Studios that covers a load more detail, so hit the link at the bottom of the article for even more info when it goes live later tomorrow!
PC SPECIFIC FEATURES
We thought long and hard about the additional features the PC community would appreciate and expect.
From a gameplay standpoint, weve done some additional work on the vehicles. On PC, youll be able to control all vehicles from the 1st person cockpit viewpoint as well as 3rd person. We also added additional control options for helicopters, to give those players looking for more sim-like controls something to get their teeth round. There are three settings:
o Ace: Allows for the best maneuverability, but takes the most practice to master.
o Veteran: Balanced difficulty and maneuverability.
o Rookie: Pick-up-and-play level of difficulty, least maneuverable.
Weve included a Practice Mode so you can get to grips with vehicle controls outside the pressures of a live match. No need in wasting your hard earned Battle Points!
Lastly, we added some extra vehicle abilities for co-pilots, such as a Recon function to the Scout heli, and we obviously support joystick control for all vehicles.
In terms of other gameplay changes - we introduced a Squad Management system for PC, with Squad based VOIP. We also offer Clan Support on PC, and well be tracking more post-match statistics on the PC platform. As stated above, were a Steamworks title and we use Valve Anti-Cheat to counter cheaters.
We also feature Multiplayer Match Recording (check out the podcast for more info), and well be releasing a Dedicated Server Browser Executable to allow you set your own private Homefront servers within 2 weeks of launch. LAN support in there as well!
Finally, a few tweaks youd expect as standard - we optimized the UI to make it more PC / Mouse friendly. We support SLI / Crossfire configurations for extra performance, and we support 3D through NVidias 3D Vision if you have the appropriate hardware.
FAQ
Will there be a PC Beta/Demo?
Right now the teams at Kaos Studios & Digital Extremes are working hard on finishing the game at the highest level of quality possible. Of course wed love to release a public Demo, but this would detract efforts from the main game.
Rest assured, we have conducted a lengthy private Beta on the PC to help us fine tune the game, so any Demo would be for promotional purposes only.
Will a Dedicated Server Executable be provided?
Definitely, weve been listening to what the PC audience is looking for and that file will be provided for use. We know its been disappearing from the FPS space and want to support the core PC gamer where we can. We need to test the dedicated server infrastructure at ship with the influx of traffic and bug reporting, so we plan to release this within two weeks of the PC title hitting shelves.
Will there be Mod Tools?
Not at launch, no. Right now the team is hammering away at the game, building those tools for Community use would take away resources that are needed on the final game. The good thing is: Mod Tools dont need to be in a box, so if the PC Community is supporting Homefront, we have the option post-ship to provide the Community with something like that.
Whats with the Microsoft deal, why are they getting the extra map and DLC first? What happened to PC?
Were trying to release a brand new IP in a really competitive space, and we need as much help as we can get to drive awareness for this game. Microsoft came to us early on, loved what they saw, and offered a ton of marketing support. That support will help lift the profile of all three formats. Having them say; We love the game, it looks great & we want to support it is also a great morale boost for the studio, and really validates all the effort going into the project.
But this is a business right, and you never get something for nothing! Given the fantastic level of support were getting from them, offering an extra map and an exclusive window on DLC in return seemed like the best thing for Homefront
How many players in Multiplayer on PC?
Homefront will support 32 player servers on PC when the game ships. Our large maps actually play best with that number. We found that the critical factor in delivering Large Scale Warfare is less to do with having hundreds of players, and more to do with the density of players in each game.
That said, maximum player count on PC is something we can look at and potentially change if the demand is there for it!
Is there environmental destruction?
Only low-level, mostly superficial destruction why you ask? Our Creative Director, Dave Votypka has this to say about environmental destruction:
In pre-production we experimented with dynamic destruction, but found that this actually detracted from the experience. We use what we call environmental narrative throughout our level design to tell the story of occupied USA, and allowing this environment to be destroyed takes away a lot of what we achieve with this. In multiplayer, because of our focus on lots of vehicles with heavy firepower on the map at all times, destruction would remove a lot of the structures we placed there to support the infantry game and help balance that infantry versus vehicle mechanic. For example, in our map Farm theres a wooden church with a belfry thats perfect for sniping. If we allowed this to be destroyed early in the game, it would remove that tactical option from the map for the rest of the match.
What are the server requirements?
Server requirements are actually pretty low, such that more processing power simply yields the ability to run more servers concurrently.
Will there be Linux Support?
No dice, sorry guys.
What anti-cheat measures are you utilizing?
Valve Anti-cheat is included, as well as a number of other techniques for protecting content, executable code, and game memory.
Will there be any kind of tournament support?
Demo recording support will be available on dedicated and listen servers. Also, automated demo recording upload is possible with some simple scripting. Theres Steam-Group based Clan Support, Player Stats, & Leaderboards.
Will there be Spectator mode?
Yup, via the admin commands.
Are there server admin tools?
Yes, dedicated server tools and RCON.
Will there be Eyefinity Support?
Not initially, but this is something we could add if there is strong demand for it.
Steamworks seems to be the mostly-likely DRM solution for the PC release. Will this mean that Online Pass will not be implemented for the Steam versions of the game?
There will be no online pass for PC Homefront. DRM is something we take very seriously from the end user point of view. While some form of DRM is vital, we want it to affect the user experience as little as possible. Our DRM is Steamworks based, and will require the user to have a Steam client (to which they need to log in during the installation process). Steamworks DRM is the least intrusive that we have seen, and it does not require the user to keep original disks. Since we are also distributing the game via Steam, it is the obvious choice.
OFFICIAL HOMEFRONT PC SPECS
Minimum Spec
· Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7
· Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon X2 2.8GHz
· 2 GB RAM
· Shader Model 3.0 graphics card with 256MB of memory
· NVIDIA GeForce 7900GS or ATI Radeon 1900XT
· 10GB of free hard drive space
Recommended Spec
· Windows Vista or Windows 7
· Intel or AMD Quad Core 2 GHz+ CPU
· 2 GB RAM
· NVIDIA GeForce 260 or ATI Radeon 4850
· 10 GB of free hard drive space
NVIDIA 3D Vision Recommended Spec
· 3D Compatible NVIDIA GeForce 480/570 Series GPU
· NVIDIA 3D Vision Kit
· 3D Vision-Ready Display
· Intel Core i7 processor
· 2 GB RAM
· Windows Vista or Windows 7
· 10GB of free hard drive space
Need to know more?
Why not check out the Podcast with Bash & Slash featuring the following guys from KAOS / Digital Extremes:
LINK COMING SOON!!!
PODCAST PARTICIPANTS
Hayden Mulholland: Lead Programmer, Digital Extremes
Jeremy Greiner: Community Manager, KAOS Studios
Edmar Mendizabal: PC Producer/Business Relations, KAOS Studios
Simon King: PC Producer, Digital Extremes
Answers / What we know thread.
New PC info
- Homefront will use Steamworks.
- Homefront will use VAC.
- Anyone will be able to host a dedicated server.
- Lan is confirmed.
- Nvidia 3d is confirmed.
- Helicopter has multiple control layouts. The harder to control the more reward if you master it.
- There is a practice mode so you can get to grips with vehicle controls.
- PC gets squad management wit ha squad based VOIP.
- PC will have clan support. Such as tracking stats.
- There will be a demo recorder.
- There will be a console.
- Mod tools could be add'd at a later date. (Pray damit pray)
- There will be a spectator mode.
- Admins will be able to edit servers with admin tools.
- Fov is adjustable up to 115 degrees.
Timeline.
- 2011: "North Koreas weapons program continues to intensify .... has surpassed 1000 missiles" This shows that North Korea is arming itself. Some countries also want the UN to place severe sanctions against North Korea. Shortly before Kim Jong il dies, they detonate an atomic bomb on some island in a test.. Kim says it was a response to western aggression.
- 2012: "This morning comes the news of Kim Jong Ils death" Kim Jong has died. "North Korea greets there new leader son of Kim Jong Ils son Kim Jong-un"
- 2013: "Kim Jong-un has united north and south Korea" This now forms the Greater Korean Republic.
- 2015: "Costs at the pump are ready to break the $20 price" This forces America to become destabilized. In 2015 a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran causes oil fields to be destroyed, meaning the price of oil rapidly rises.
- 2017: "Civil unrest has intensified with the demise of the US dollar" There are currently a lot of riots in america and the military has started to pull of Asia and other countries due to budget cuts and civil unrest at home.
- 2018: "Under threat of annihilation by the Greater Korean Republic....Japan has surrendered" Japan now joins the Greater Korean Republic. Riots continue during 2018-2022.
- 2022: "The president ordered a freeze on bank withdraws." The US economy has completely failed. Asian bird flu epidemic kills 6 million Americans and Mexico closes its borders to American refugees.
- 2024: "Korean annexation continues to spread" Korea takes over many Asian countries (Someone want to comment on which ones as i cant tell from the picture in the video)
- 2025: "The Greater Korean Republic has launched its latest communication satellite claiming it will bring a message of peace" This satellite is really a EMP that knocks out near all electronics in America. The Greater Korean Republic begins the invasion. Greater Korean Republic takes over Hawaii, San Francisco, Midwest and nukes Mississippi which splits America into two.
- 2026: "US military scattered" This is due to communications being down and the surprise of the attack.
Features of Home Front.
General Features.
- Homefront is released on all three platforms at the same time.
- There will be dedicated servers.
- PC will have clan support and support dx 9 - 10 - 11. Dx 11 will have special features.
- The game engine is a heavily modded Unreal engine.
- There is a game novel.
- THQ are publishing Home Front.
- Kaos Studios are developing the game and Digital Extremes are looking after the pc version.
- Matt Hardwood is doing the audio.
Singleplayer
- Single player will be written by John Millius (He made Conan <3)
- Single player will be a story driven experience.
- Cut senses will be rare if there are even any.
- The single player is set in 2027.
- You are a pilot working for the resistance.
- You are a "magnet" for action.
- Single player. Pretty much the first half of the game takes place in Montrose, Colorado and then after that we move into sort of the No Mans Land between Colorado and the West Coast. I believe some of it takes place in Nevada, some of it takes place in the lowlands west of Colorado. Youll get to see these big, more open environments where the Koreans dont control it so much as its sort of in-between space. Whats interesting about those spaces is that theyre actually controlled by civilians, but civilians that have turned into survivalist gangs and who are antagonistic towards anyone who steps on their territory because, in the world of Homefront, resources are very valuable. Food, gas, anything. Anyone who has these resources fiercely protects them. They dont care if youre American or Korean. If you come on their land, theyll shoot you. We get into some spaces like that and then, in the final mission, we get to San Francisco and we join that battle. (Taken from gamerzone)
Multiplayer
- A major feature of Home front is Battle Points. Refer to http://community.homefront-game.com/blog-post/battle-points for information on it.
- Multiplayer will have ranks.
- You play as US or GKR military in MP.
- Matches will have 32 players.
- Vehicles, drones, weapons etc can be bought via Battle Points.
- The in game HUD is changing daily do not worry if you currently dislike it.
- Muliplayer will be set during the early days of the invasion.
- Only PC will have helicoptor cockpits!
- Wookie seeking rocket launchers have been confirmed. (http://community.homefront-game.com/forums/topic/602) This is a joke!
- Hardcore mode is not confirmed.
- Spectators mode is confirmed.
- VOIP has been confirmed.
- PC admins can mod there servers and kick people etc.
- DPad or arrow keys will be used for purchasing your BP equipment.
- DLC is already planned.
- Dedicated servers are a go!
Classes
- All classes can be customized.
- Assault
- Smg
- Heavy
- Sniper
- Tacticle
- Stealth
- There are going to be vehicle loadouts.
Weapons
Assault Rifles
- M16 Rifle - The primary infantry rifle during the Vietnam war. Limted to semi-automatic operation but has greater accuracy, range and damage then the M4. Unlocked at level 24.
- M4 Rifle - The main battle rifle for the US Armed Forces. High rate-of-fire and low recoil make it a balanced choice for outdoor and close-quarters combat. Unlocked at level 0.
- Scar-L Rifle - A lightweight, modular rifle developed to meet the needs of SOCOM. It features a burt fire mode that delivers three rounds for each trigger pull. Unlocked at level 5.
- T3AK Rifle - A chinese-manufactured assault rifle based on the AK - 47. Is slower firing then the M4 or ACR, but deals considerably more damage at medium ranges. Unlocked at level 38.
- ACR Rifle - Incorporates several features from other modern rifles into one platform. Leads the M4 in sheer damage, but has greater recoil. Unlocked at level 14.
- XM10 Rifle - Under development until the project lost its funding in the economic collapse of 2018. A number of prototypes have found their way onto the field. Unlocked at level 46.
Machine Guns
- M249 LMG - Primary LMG of the U.S. Armed Forces. The box magazine holds 100 rounds of linked ammunition. Difficult to control due to high recoil. Unlocked at level 0.
- Scar-H LMG - The MG variant of the SCAR comes equipped with a high-capacity 75-round twin drum magazine and a verticle foregrip with intergrated bipod. Unlocked at level 30.
- PWS Diablo SMG - Has similar ergonomics to the M4, but is lighter and shorter. Its vertical foregrip makes it the perfect tool for close-quarters combat. Unlocked at level 0.
- Super V SMG - Uses an asymmetrical system to reduce recoil. Allows operators to put more rounds on-target at close range. Extended 26-round magazine comes standard. Unlocked at level 9.
Sniper Rifles
- M110 Sniper - Semi-automatic sniper rifle that features a 3x scope and detachable 10-round magazine. Chambered for 7.62mm. Effective at long range. Unlocked at level 0.
- M200 Sniper - Bolt-action sniper rifle. Magazine holds five custom-tooled cartridges. Effective at extreme range. Has 4x thermal optics and a laser rangefinder. Unlocked at level 18.
Pistols
- M9 - Unlocked at level 0.
Attachments
- You can attach these to your weapons. They are unlocked via kills.
- Mk1 ACOG Scope
- Mk2 ACOG Scope
- Mk3 ACOG Scope
- AirBurst Launcher
- EMP Launcher
- Grenade Launcher
- Mk1 Holo Scope - Unlocked by 5 kills.
- Mk2 Holo Scope
- Mk3 Holo Scope
- Mk1 Red Dot Sight
- Mk2 Red Dot Sight
- Mk3 Red Dot Sight
- Shotgun
- Silencer
Weapon Camo
- You can apply camos to your guns.
- Jigsaw - Orange
- Frost - Blue
Explosives
- This is your secondary explosive. Your primary is a grenade. You can equip one.
- C4
- EMP Grenade
- Flashbang
- White Phosphorus
Purchase slot 1 and 2
- These are your purchase slots. You can have 2 per class. So you could make a drone class and so on.
Drones
- Helicopter Attack Drone - Costs 800 BP. Fires 2 missiles every 4 - 5 seconds.
- RQ-10 Parrot - Recon Drone - 250 BP - A battery powered, remote-control quadricopter. Cameras relay targeting info to teammates. Unlocked at level 1.
- MQ50 MG Wolverine- Assault Drone - 500 BP -A battery powered, multi-terrain tracked drone. The assault variant is equipped with a machine gun. Unlocked at level 1.
- MQ60 AT Rhino - Anti-tank Drone - 400 BP - A battery powered, multi-terrain tracked drone. The anti-tank variant has two modes of fire: unguided and lock on. Unlocked at level 20.
Air-strikes
- Cluster bomb - 2000 BP - A single-use, UCAV guided cluster bomb. High-altitude dispersal creates large area of effect. Unlocked at level 44.
- White Phosphorus - 1300 BP - Single-use, UCAV-launched white phosphorus guided missile. Unlocked at level 19.
- Hellfire - 1100 BP - Two UCAV-launched air-to-surface precision guided missiles. Unlocked at level 8.
Launchers
- RPG Launcher - 250 BP - Disposable dumbfire rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Comes equipped with high-explosive warheads. Unlocked at level 1.
- Proximity Launcher - 250 BP - Dumbfire rocket launcher that uses a sophisticated distance sensor to trigger detonation when near a enemy vehicle. Unlocked at level 1.
Equipment
- Flak Jacket - 300 BP - Body armor consisting of hard ceramic plates in a synthetic fiber vest. Can be purchased once per life. Unlocked at level 1.
- Personal UAV Sweep - No info yet
- Ammo resupply - No info yet
- Thermal goggles - No info yet
Abilities
- You can pick any abilities you want but the total perk value can be no more than a total of 4.
- Nearly all information here made by Kangaru. Credit him for Abilities.
Infantry Abilities
- Tactical Reload(1) - Faster reload speed
- Quickdraw(1) - Quicker speed into aiming down sight
- Drone Be Gone!(1) - Faster drone speed
- My Buddy!(1)
- Now That's a Knife(1)
- Straight From The hip(2) - Reduced weapon deviation when shooting from the hip
- Thick Skin(2) - Increased drone health
- Penny Puncher(2) - Equipped special weapons cost less
- Ghost(2)
- Steady Aim(2)
- Blast Wave(2)
- Utility Belt(2)
- Grave Robber(2)
- Fist Full(3) - Extra grenades
- Grizzled(3) - Increased XP gain
- Boomer(3)
- Crater-to-Order(3)
Vehicle Abilities
- There is a passive repair perk
Ingame appearance
- Ingame appearance is based off classes.
Vehicles
- Humvee - 400 BPs (Level 7)
- Light Armor Vehicle (LAV) Piranha - 1400 BPs (Level 10)
- M1A3 Abrams - 2000 BPs (Level 15)
- AH-700 Scout - 2400 BPs (Level 22)
- AH-64 Apache - 3200 BPs (Level 30)
- You can spawn in vehicles
BP Info
- Each game mode has different BP rewards
- Ground control
- You get 250 BP for capping any objective
- You get 130 BP for a kill
- You get 70 BP per assist and objective defense
- You get 30 BP for avenging a teammate
- Team death match
- You get 150 BP for a kill
- You get 70 BP per assist
- You get 30 BP for avenging a teammate
Gamemodes
Battle Commander
- The Battle Commander itself is an AI that assigns certain star-based threat levels to all players in a BC match.
- At three killstreak you get an easy to see golden name above you
- The more kills you get after that alert the enemies of your postion via radar
- Until soon every enemy has your position
- You then get a permanent red diamond
- When you die it all resets
- You get bonuses if you have alot of skulls but the enemy team sees you as a thread
- If your in a drone or vehicle etc you get bonuses catered to that vehicle/drone
- If your drone/vehicle dies your skulls go away
Other Gamemodes.
- Team Deathmatch
- Ground Control
- Battle Commander Team Deathmatch
- Battle Commander Ground Control
Maps
- Crossroads - Large map along an ruined Interstate highway and overpass.
- Cul de sac - Small map in the occupied streets of suburbia.
- Farm - Large map. Wage war within farm lands, bridges, and creeks.
- Suburb - Small/Med Xbox 360 exclusive suburban map.
- More to come out soon
Miscellaneous
- Pc specs to be released during January.
- Steam specs are wrong.
- Private matches are confirmed.
- Private parties are confirmed.
- The closed alpha is now over.
- Unsure what is happening to Mod tools.
- There is a killcam
- Drones can be taken out with a single melee attack.
- The maps were Farm (Large), Cul de Sac (Small/Med), and the Xbox exclusive map Suburb (Small/Med).
- Knife range is 1-2 Feet
- The bottom left features a square mini map with score, time limit, and if you are winning or losing.
- The bottom right shows your ammo, bp selections and grenade counter.
With black ops still new, how many people is homefront going to attract? It seems to me that these battle field types of games have a certain niche of players. With so many games already in this niche, how are sales going to go? The market can only become so saturated, and then sales are going to take a nose dive.
The game is more likely to attract Battlefield fans than Black Ops fans. And then, it only has a few months to establish itself before it faces mass emigration over to BF3. But yeah, the whole FPS fan base does seem to have far too many options at the moment, and in the near future. It also faces competition from upcoming games lke Crysis 2, BulletStorm, Brink, and Red Orchestra 2. But what are you going to do? Take a years vacation? :hmm:
thanks a friggin lot gully
preordered on steam over lunch....
you guys will regret buying this game...
you'll probably be able to get it for 5 bucks in no time like FFOW.
you guys will regret buying this game...
you'll probably be able to get it for 5 bucks in no time like FFOW.
Interesting how Microsoft says they support PC gaming, then pull bullshit like the SUBURB map being an Xbox 360 exclusive.
Hello?
The whole point of this game is fighting an occupier on home turf, and it doesn't get any more home turf than suburbia.
Imagine a Vietnam game where the JUNGLE maps are Xbox exclusives.