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Online Gaming Review: What was the
inspiration for Interstate '76? For instance, why the 1970s instead of
say, the much more used, futuristic environment?
Scott Krager: Zack Norman, the lead designer and co-conceiver
of Interstate '76, said it best: "The future is boring." That
being said, the idea for the game originated during a lunch with Zack
and Sean Vesce, director of I '76. The two had just finished working on
Mechwarrior 2 as the lead designers and were looking to do something new
with the Mech engine. Zack, a big car buff, was flipping through a car
trading magazine because he was in the market for a muscle car. As they
threw out ideas like "Hey, what about a helicopter sim?" Zack
would say "Cool. Hey, check out this '69 Mustang." They
quickly realized that the best vehicle for a combat sim was staring them
in the face. Flash forward to a couple of months later and the
preliminary design was laid out for I '76 featuring the two coolest
elements from the 70's---muscle cars and funk music.
OGR: What specific improvements does Interstate '76 have over
the MechWarrior 2 engine, on which it was based?
Scott Krager: Other than being much faster to allow for
fully textured worlds, some specific improvements include the
implementation of a dynamic terrain system, realistic vehicle physics,
much improved artificial intelligence, multi-camera angles in the sim
for real-time cinematics, fully textured 3D cockpit and improved
multi-player options including built-in Internet play.
OGR: Was the idea for using the handgun in close combat
situations in the game design all along or did it develop as the game
design progressed?
Scott Krager: It was always part of the design.
OGR: Who was in charge of the "funky" music for the
game?
Scott Krager: Kelly Rogers, Activision's in-house music
director, was primarily responsible for the music. He and I listened to
a lot of demo tapes, but had no luck finding the right sound. Then Kelly
hooked up with friend and music producer Jason Slater, who has his own
recording studio in the Bay Area. He in turn sent us a demo of a
funk band comprised of professional musicians with whom he had worked.
After listening to the tape, we knew we had found our band. At that
point, lead musician Arion Salazar whipped out a slew of rough tracks
and within a month was flown to Los Angeles with the core band to record
the final tracks at Royaltone Studios, where several well-known bands
like Van Halen and the Scorpions have recorded. After laying down the
core tracks, we recorded the overdubs back in the Bay Area and then did
the final mixing and mastering. The rest is history...
OGR: Groove Champion is one heck of a cool name. Where there
any other names for the lead character that were dropped or was Groove
Champion the sole choice?
Scott Krager: As far as I know, Groove Champion was always the
name for the lead character.
OGR: Is there a particular car in Melee mode that is your
personal favorite?
Scott Krager: I don't really have a favorite... although I use
the Street Van quite a bit because of its configuration and
armor/chassis reinforcement allotment.
OGR: From your experience with the game, do you have any
personal tips you can share with our readers?
Scott Krager: Put some thought into your vehicle configuration
including armor and chassis reinforcement adjustment. This can make a
big difference. Also select your weapons carefully... especially in
multi-player mode. The biggest and baddest weapons aren't necessarily
always the best ones to use.
OGR: Internet multiplayer is a blast, however, hacked
cars are beginning to appear on the server -- unlimited armor, multiple
turrets. Is Activision planning a means of combating hacks so players
can enjoy the game without having to deal with cheaters?
Scott Krager: Yes, we will be releasing a patch within a week
or two that will address the cheating issue. The best part is that it
will keep everyone happy including the cheaters.
OGR: Did you expect that hacked vehicles would begin showing
up so soon?
Scott Krager: Based on what I've seen happen with other games,
I'm not surprised that hacks have already appeared.
OGR: Are there any enhancements planned for multiplayer, such
as allowing the game's host to restrict cars and weapons from entering
the game?
Scott Krager: Stay tuned...
OGR: Are there any add-on discs planned, such as further
single-player missions or more cars and weapons for multiplayer mode?
Scott Krager: We currently throwing around different ideas for
I '76 follow-up products, but nothing is set in stone yet. However, the
I '76 gang will return...
OGR: I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but what is
the status of the Direct3D patch and when might gamers expect it?
Scott Krager: We have been working on the D3D patch for a few
weeks and hope to release it by May. It's one of our top priorities.
OGR: Thanks -- and see you on the battlefield
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