Want to meet a Medal of Honor producer?

Dav

Hello all,

Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:30 pm, Patrick Liu, the Lead Producer on Multiplayer for Medal of Honor is coming to Dublin and I have opportunity for some Boardsies to come along to the event, meet Patrick and get a hands on with the new MoH multiplayer.

I apologise for the short notice on this one folks, I was on holidays last week and didn't get a chance to make this post sooner.

I can bring a number of Boardsies to the event which takes place here in Dublin from 1:30 to 4:30, but unfortunately, I'll need names and numbers by this evening. So please PM me (your name and phone number please) if you can make it and I'll send you the details. This event will require that people get there at 1:30 as there will be a presentation (10 -15 mins max I'm told) and then hands on with the game. There will be media there too and so we'll all get to take it in turns to have a go.

I'll also be getting a chance to interview Patrick, so if you can't make the event, but would like to have some questions answered, please post them here to this thread and I'll do my best to get them answered for you.

It should be an interesting day. I've played the beta on PC and the game is pretty good. I'd personally say it was a nice mix of MW2 and BFBC2. The Multiplayer's been managed by Dice who produced Battlefield Bad Company 2 in case you didn't know. I met with Greg Goodrich who's another producer on the game earlier this year at the EA Showcase (you can listen to the Q&A with him towards the end of this blog post) and I think it's shaping up to be a pretty good restart of a well loved franchise.

So, tl;dr:
PM me your name and number if you'd like to attend and post questions for me to ask in an interview

That_Guy

Grr. I'm in work. Why couldn't this be on Wednesday?

Gunmonkey

While I wont be up, do ask him where Battlefield 3 is...and why its not out now

Seriously, ask him where he sees MP of FPS games progressing in 5 years time. Will it adopt more of an MMO model that the persistant Perks and Weapon unlocks have started? Maybe follow what MAG tried with far larger maps and more players where the wins carry over and affect other fights and where you fight next type dealy.

SeantheMan

Can you please ask him about the release of server side files for future MOH and FPS games ?

There has been none of great note since COD4, which has stunted the mod community and causes a serious lack of competitive leagues for these games.

Dav

Some good questions folks, thank you.

I still have 2 spots up for grabs to attend the event if anyone can make it, please PM me for details.

Please keep the questions coming, I'll be in the office till 1 and will be gone then.

MiCr0

I'm be interested in the level on online integration for stats tracking? (similar to what rockstar offer for their games with rockstar social scene)

+ the ability to see how well i do on X map or playing Y game type
+ accuracy with Z gun

Things like that

Kiith

I'd like to know where he see's the single player side of FPS's over the next 10 years. Will companies start to do away with them completly, and will the focus always be on multiplayer?

johnny_ultimate

Had fun at this today. I seemed to do fairly well at the game which is always welcome :pac:

MoH seems pretty solid to me based on my few hours with it there. First things first, it does 'borrow' many of the Modern Warfare tropes. If you played that game, the controls are almost identical (we were playing PS3). It's a little bit too similar in some regards: 3 kills for UAV? Hmm...

Once you get pass the similarities, though, the game shines. It's pretty visceral - no music, just the battlefield sounds. Maybe it was my close proximity to the TV, but the maps really felt like they were meant to feel - rising dust etc... creates a believable 'Afghan' environment. Maps are plenty big, lots of little nooks and crannies, fun to run around in. Perhaps they will ultimately lack variety though - we tried around 3 or 4 maps, all of them were fairly predictable Afghan villages, towns and deserts. However, the producer did promise the likes of snow capped mountains, but the lack of variety MW2 provided may appear obvious when played in long bursts.

Gameplay wise, it abandons many of the things that made MW2 feel like a messy cluster**** at times. It's toned back - while there are still experience points, medals etc.. it all feels more manageable and less intrusive. XP isn't heralded with loads of bells and whistles, just a gray number at the top of the screen. It's a pleasant change, and it definitely allows the combat to take centre stage. The guns all pack a pleasant punch (I was switching between Spec Ops and Rifleman classes).

Game modes are fairly standard: team deatchmatch (assault here), objective (i.e. defending / planting a bomb) and objective capture (three flags that each team fight to control). However, some of the modes we didn't play sound like they'll provide more of a pleasant change from the norm. But these modes were safe, reliable and fun.

Anyway, have to run so can't write much more. In short: I very much liked it. I was on the fence about it, but I enjoyed my time with it. I went off MW2 after a while because it was just too mental and too focused on levelling up. This tones it back, thankfully, providing more raw and visceral thrills, ala MW1.

Mr E

Great report..... only a few weeks away now, can't wait to get stuck in.

vandammaged

Id rather meet William shatner

Dav

I can't add much more to what Johnny Ultimate has said, I think he's on the money with his summary. Personally, this is a style of game I like. MW2 is too arcadey for my likings and BFBC2 was too "detached" from the action I think. I will definitely be playing this on my PC.

Anyway, here's the interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLsGQRbTHv4

Couple of things of note:

Kiith, I didn't see your question in time to ask it, my apologies.

I really do wish more people had been able to attend, you missed out on a pretty fun afternoon playing multiplayer against each other. However, I accept all responsibility for this, I was on holidays last week, but should've made sure it was sorted.

Anyone who buys the game will have access to the Battlefield 3 Beta (but I don't have a date for when this will appear).

SeantheMan

Good job, thanks for asking all questions posted, clears and alleviates a lot of worries I had about the game :d

Dav

Giving this a wee bump as there's been an official response to the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer part of the game:

Greg Goodrich, Executive Producer Medal of Honor wrote:

In the past few months, we have received feedback from all over the world regarding the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor. We’ve received notes from gamers, active military, and friends and family of servicemen and women currently deployed overseas. The majority of this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. For this, the Medal of Honor team is deeply appreciative.

However, we have also received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers who have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game. This is a very important voice to the Medal of Honor team. This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about. Because of this, and because the heartbeat of Medal of Honor has always resided in the reverence for American and Allied soldiers, we have decided to rename the opposing team in Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force.

While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice - this franchise will never willfully disrespect, intentionally or otherwise, your memory and service.

To all who serve - we appreciate you, we thank you, and we do not take you for granted. And to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines currently serving overseas, stay safe and come home soon.

Greg Goodrich
Executive Producer
Medal of Honor

source: http://www.medalofhonor.com/blog/2010/10/multiplayer-change

I personally don't consider it disrespectful, it's an accurate and honest portrayal of current events. The game maps are accurate reproductions of real world locations. I will also add that I have some good friends serving in the US Armed forces - one of them being an infantry scout which is definitely one of the more precarious roles (he paints targets for laser guided bombs ahead of a rush amongst other things). I know who these guys are fighting. I know that if I want to play a modern day shooter based on current events in Afghanistan, then I'm playing as Coalition and/or Taliban. Calling it "Op For" means very little, but I guess there's a lot to be said for names having power.

I'll say one thing though, having met and spoken with Greg Goodrich and he is very serious about getting the tone of this game right and making it as a game that tells the story of being a soldier (which has always been the focus of Medal of Honor). He has huge respect and admiration for the troops on the front lines and the Tier 1 operatives they've had consulting. He says they're a very unusual breed of man and there's no doubt in my mind he considered these guys to be heroes.

The important thing though is that the game itself isn't changing, just the name of the "Opposition" and that's a good thing. The second beta rolls out for PC in a few days and people will be able to see the changes they've made.

Mr E

Its a sensible move.

ZeRoY

Arghhhh, im mad i didnt see that thread on time! Thanks for the video anyways,