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Sub Rebellion (PS2) - Developer Q&A

by Rainier on Oct. 9, 2002 @ 5:43 a.m. PDT

In the game, Sub Rebellion, players are taken to 2139, a time when the earth’s tectonic plates began to shift, producing massive seismic activity throughout the world. As most of the worlds land began to sink into the sea, civilizations changed forever. Survivors of this era had to adapt to the new conditions of life under and above the sea.. By 2145 two factions arose, the Melgis Empire and the Alliance Army. The Alliance, in a desperate attempt to turn the tides on the war, deployed the experimental Clonos attack submarine. We had a few questions for Irem Software Developer/Manager Kita Hiroya.. Torpedos away!

Question: Who has the honor to talk to us ? State your name, rank, and occupation? What was your involvement in the development of Sub Rebellion?

Answer: Kita, Hiroya ,IREM SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INC., Manager; Research & Development Dept. I was producer of Sub Rebellion.

Question: How many people are on your design team? How long has it been in development?

Answer: There were about five to six core people on the team, but when it got to the crucial points, we had up to 10 people working on “Sub Rebellion.” Development took about one year.

Question: Will there be support for Sony’s online capabilities?

Answer: “Sub Rebellion” does not have Sony’s online capabilities, but we considered it and have not completely ruled it out. This may be a possibility for “Sub Rebellion 2.”

Question: Will you be adding multiplayer support in general? 2 or 4 players perhaps?

Answer: When we decided to delete the online capabilities, we thought about a multi-player feature. However, these added features may appear at a later time …possibly in “Sub Rebellion 2.”

Question: Are you using a licensed graphics engine or your own in house engine?

Answer: We used our own original in-house engine.

Question: How many total subs will there be in the final build?

Answer: We will have 10 subs. However, there are a variety of things in the water. So, you can enjoy that for sure!

Question: Will the subs be upgradeable? i.e. faster engines/torpedoes and the like …

Answer: Absolutely! Players will enjoy that!

Question: The empire seems to have the advantage in the sub class department, will there be more sub classes added to the Allied Forces?

Answer: You probably will feel the empire subs have the advantage. However, to tackle the strong enemy and be successful brings good feelings to the challengers, so you will like that.

Question: Will you be able to play both sides? Allied and Empire?

Answer: I am sorry, you cannot. At the beginning, we tried. However, we would like the player to love the Chronos, so we decided against it.

Question: What is the current status of Sub Rebellion? When can we expect to see it in stores?

Answer: “Sub Rebellion” for PS2 will be released in the U.S. on 10/10/2002.(ed. that being TOMORROW ;)

Question: Are there talks of a sequel or add-on?

Answer: We are definitely discussing a “Sub Rebellion” sequel, however it is very early in discussion. We look forward to “Sub Rebellion’s” October release and its success in the U.S. When the time is right, we will look toward the sequel.

Question: Can you elaborate on the permafrost environment? Will you just stay under water till you find a good spot and break through the surface or will there be a designated spot to break through

Answer: At the beginning, we wanted to put icebergs in the game, because we want to compare the difference in largeness between the surface of the water and underwater. So, we created the permafrost environment. Of course, you need to surface in some parts. Well, the idea of this permafrost environment comes from where I was born!

Question: How big are the levels and how many will be in the game? Will you be confined to a limited amount of undersea space or can you just explore the ocean bottom at will?

Answer: You will be able to choose `easy,` `normal`, or `hard` levels. There are up to 20 missions in the game for long-lasting enjoyment. Also, there are many hidden parts! The player can stay in the water as long as the person wants, but some missions have a limited amount of time.

Question: Will there be any limits to the sub in reference to how deep it can go?

Answer: The sub you are using can be modifiable, so it depends. At the beginning, you only have a limited number of changeable parts, but it will increase as you go through the game. If you go deeper than the limitation, the sub will be damaged and it will break apart.

Question: How are you planning to handle the controls? Will it be all analog for movement? Or can you to the directional pad if the player chooses to?

Answer: The Sub control only relies on the analog control.

Question: Are you able to capture enemy technology and incorporate it into your database of tech?

Answer: During game play, some parts have that feature, but not by the player’s decision. It sounds really fun if you can steal the empire’s tech…hmmmm.., maybe that is for the sequel!

Question: What will these treasures offer you if find them? Will it be of monetary value for parts or will they be new and powerful additions?

Answer: Treasure gives you a hint for the ancient technology, so the more treasure you find, the more advantageous it is for the allied team to create/ develop new weapons/ features, etc. So, try to find treasures. Search for these hidden items, please!!

Question: Will subs be the only method of transportation or will there be others means?

Answer: The sub is the only method of transport. Since we are sticking with the theme SUB, we did NOT include any other means of transportation.

Question: Will there be any sea inhabitants that can pose a risk to you such as the classic Giant Squid or Whales?

Answer: Not a Giant Squid or Whale but ……. Please, find by yourself! You WILL be astonished!

Question: Is there anything you had to cut of remove from the game that you would have liked to see in the game? What and why?

Answer: Of course we had several things we wanted to incorporate into the game, however if there is a sequel, we will surprise you with these features!

Question: Finally, are there any last words you would like to say about Sub Rebellion? A nasty sales pitch to make people go buy it? What makes Sub Rebellion a must have title?

Answer: Following are some game play tips to think about when diving into “Sub Rebellion” we think players will really enjoy!

  • First of all, please control the sub and feel the original water physics. Then, while attacking a big strong enemy… whoa, you will have a whole new experience!
  • X-sonar is a new development; to see through a future sonar. This will give you some opportunity to find out so many THINGS. It also looks cool.
  • Don’t forget about secrets of the ancient technology. You will discover this as you play along…

Thanks very much for your time and we look forward to players responses to the game as it hits store shelves in the U.S. this October 10th!

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