Close Combat: First to Fight Q&A
We talk to the president of developer Destineer to find out about the upcoming game being created in association with the US Marine Corps.
Close Combat: First to Fight is the upcoming squad-based first-person shooter from publisher The Gathering. The game is being developed by Destineer Studios, a fledgling studio whose roster of employees consists of vets from Atari, Bungie, and Electronic Arts, among others. The action title's development is being directed by active-duty US Marines to give it an extra layer of depth and relevance to modern combat tactics. We recently had the opportunity to talk to Destineer president Peter Tamte to find out more about this promising title.
GameSpot: What was the impetus behind this project? Who created the initial concept?
Peter Tamte: It was a joint effort between three parties: the Marine Corps--our partner in the project--Atomic Games, and us. It started when Atomic (creators of the very popular, original Close Combat series) became aware of a specific Marine Corps first-person-shooter training need while it was developing real-time-strategy simulations for the Marine Corps. After we showed the marines a demonstration of the 3D game engine Destineer had been developing for the past couple of years, the Marine Corps decided to expand the first-person-shooter project to become what it is now.
GS: What's it been like working with marines who are on active duty? What kind of insights have they provided?
PT: It wasn't too long ago that we were watching TV and seeing marines out front in the fastest invasion in modern history. Now these guys are sitting in our offices helping us make a game. Each of these marines has been in combat during wartime, which I'm sure changes your life even more than being shot at.
The best way to describe working with these marines is "profound respect." It's not just because these guys are willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. It's because each of these guys--literally every marine we've met--lives his life, first and foremost, by a set of values. These values govern everything about them.
They've provided insight into just about every area of the game--from tactical movement, to flanking, to combined arms effect, to what their enemies wore, to what it sounds like to get shot at.
I think the most valuable insight we've received from these marines has been the "Ready-Team-Fire-Assist" procedures. These are the formations, movements, and tactics that make a marine fire team very lethal. They're exactly what marine fire teams use right now in Iraq, and they're hugely helpful in giving players' fire teams in the game 360-degree security in intersections, on stairways, when taking down rooms, etc.
GS: First to Fight isn't the first video game developed with the military's support. America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior both come to mind. What do you think about those games, and how will First to Fight's development be similar or different?
PT: Both FSW and AA are great, authentic games. But they're both very different from First to Fight.
While Full Spectrum Warrior is really a third-person, real-time strategy game, First to Fight is unabashedly a first-person shooter. With First to Fight, you still get the advantage of using authentic military tactics, but you do it from a first-person perspective with a gun in your hand. We think this makes the experience much more personal and much more action-oriented.
And, unlike America's Army, First to Fight is all about leading teams--and the team follows authentic marine tactics. Additionally, besides great multiplayer, First to Fight has a complete single-player campaign. And, in First to Fight, you can call in Cobra attacks, mortars, and tanks against enemies as well.
As important, though, is the way we've modeled human behaviors into First to Fight. The marines believe the driving force of all action in war is the human will. Military strategy should be all about the tactics you use to force your will on your opponent. Unfortunately, most military games don't actually factor the human will into artificially intelligent behaviors. In First to Fight--just like in the earlier Close Combat games--we're modeling morale and discipline for every enemy and friendly character. This means you can use real military tactics, like flanking and combined arms, to defeat your opponents.
Close Combat: First to Fight Quick Links
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- 2K Games
- Destineer
- Modern Tactical Shooter
- Release: Apr 6, 2005
- ESRB: Teen
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