General
Is the first person weapon optional?
Yes
Is this the final first person gun position?
We are currently considering various positions. However, we don't' want to block too much of the player's view when you consider the possible add-ons to the weapon such as the mini-scope.
Why don't you shoot with the iron sights? This would be realistic...
Shooting from the iron sights is an option we looked into, but finally decided not to implement. After testing, it just wasn't fun.
Can we kick doors? (as seen in the trailer)
Again, after extensive testing we decided against it. With our new opening door system you can open the door as slowly or as fast as you want. If you were to kick open the door, we would have to not allow you to shoot for a second or two and that just isn't fun. You can always using a breaching charge to blow the door apart for really quick entries.
Is the thermal really realistic? (from the trailer) Can everyone use it? Won't it be a cheat like the heartbeat Sensor?
Thermal imagery is not something of a myth, however we do take advantage of our future setting to turn it up a notch.
Only snipers can use it as an attachment to their scope. It gives the players a nice incentive of playing a sniper; you can also work as a commander and instruct the rest of your team of tango emplacement.
The heartbeat sensor has also been greatly enhanced and now appears in 3D instead of on the mini-map. This allows you to see tangos above and below you, but not to know exactly where they are in the world. You won't be able to play recon missions anymore with just the mini-map full screen and the heartbeat sensor. As for the thermal imaging being a cheat, try going through a close quarter environment while looking through a sniper scope!
When is this Game due to come out?
It is currently scheduled for November, 2002.
Are they planning on having some sort of Beta?
There's never been an open beta program for any Rainbow Six game before. We'll let you know if there are any changes to that policy.
Will flash bangs be more useful in Raven Shield?
Absolutely! We've implemented multiple effects for flash bangs including sight, sound, and balance. If you look at a flash bang when it goes off your ears ring (i.e. you loose sound detection), you go blind (i.e. you loose sight detection), and you're disoriented (i.e. you turn randomly because of the concussion). Even if you turn your back when it goes off you still getting ringing in your ears and disorientation. All of these things make flash bangs infinitely more useful in Raven Shield.
In the screenshots and E3 video, Rainbow operatives look like clones, will it be this way in the final build?
In our original screenshots we had only a limited number of character models completed. Rest assured that we've added many, many more and will continue to do so until the end of the project.
What are the available weapons in the game? What about different configurations?
We've got all the weapons from the latest Rainbow title plus a few new ones:
Mac-11/9 Machine Pistol
Micro-Uzi Machine Pistol
SR-2 Machine Pistol
MTAR-21 Bullpup Sub Machinegun
USAS-12 Automatic Shotgun
TAR-21 Bullpup Assault Rifle
Type 95 Bullpup Assault Rifle
VSS Vintorez Silenced Sniper Rifle
23E Light Machinegun
As for configurations, instead of having a special version of a weapon with a silencer or scope like we had in the past, we allow you to add weapon attachments to all weapons. The different attachments are High Capacity Magazine, Mini-scope, Sound Suppressor or Thermal Scope for snipers. Therefore, by adding every weapon attachments to our 57 weapons, you'll have over 150 unique weapon configurations!
Will there be Night Vision in Raven Shield?
Yes, the term "Special Forces Rule the Night" comes to mind. All Rainbow Operatives have night vision by default, giving them a distinct advantage in the dark.
Will we be able to choose our weapons like R6 or will it be a "kit" like Ghost Recon?
Just as with previous Rainbow titles you can custom outfit your entire team. We looked into the "kit" idea, which is extremely valid for military games like Ghost Recon, but decided to stay with the Rainbow Six method.
Do terrorists ever use traps, especially when defending their own facilities?
No and yes. They don't actually booby trap their hideouts, but they do make use of security systems and alarms. The thing to remember is that when Rainbow shows up, the bad guys have no idea they're coming. Just to keep things interesting our terrorists use grenades, which can be a pretty rude surprise if you're not paying attention.
Are AK-47 and AK-74, Uzi, gas and smoke grenades going be available in single player or just in multiplayer?
Except for a few anti-Heartbeat Sensor items like False Heartbeat Pucks and Heartbeat Sensor Jammers, there are no multiplayer only items. Smoke and Gas grenades work in both single and multiplayer. As for weapons, since Rainbow Operatives are the best anti-terrorist forces in the world, who would dare tell them that they couldn't use an AK-47 because it's a terrorist weapon? Maybe the operative got his initial training in the East German military using AKs. If the operative is comfortable and competent with a weapon, they can use it!
Will there be "quick saves"?
No. We considered this option, but ruled it out. Rainbow Six missions are fast faced with a lot of tension. You're not covering miles of ground or defeating 50 tangos. To allow quick saves would break the flow of the game and reduce the tension. You've got to do it right from the start to the end of a mission in order to succeed.
Will there be a mini-map? Where? Will we be able to toggle it off?
In previous titles the mini-map became more of a cheat than a tool. In conjunction with the heartbeat sensor players received totally unrealistic "real time" intelligence. In order to bring more realism to the game and to give a full 3D feeling to the player, we've decided to provide only a full screen map. To display it simply press and hold the map key.
Your planning appears in the Heads-Up-Display and is as easy to follow as it was in previous titles.
How will the planning phase work?
What really makes Rainbow Six stand out from the competition is that you can completely plan your mission before deploying your teams. Therefore, we've spent considerable effort improving this area of the franchise. The planning phase contains all the functionality of previous Rainbow titles, but with a more "user friendly" interface. Our goal is to make it less intimidating and easier to use.
Will we be able to use vehicles?
As in previous Rainbow Six titles, Raven Shield does not allow players to use vehicles. The reason is quite simple actually; Rainbow Six is a close quarters battle game where execution and timing are key. In the real world vehicles perform two roles: insertion and extraction. Since all our missions begin just after insertion and end just before extraction, there is no need to include them. It's just not Rainbow Six.
Specs/Requirements for the game
It is still a bit early to speculate the system requirements for the game… after optimizing the game, we will be in a better position to inform you of the minimum machine to run the game smoothly.
Joystick support?
Unfortunately, there will be no Joystick support for the game.
What about the demo? When can we expect it?
We are currently working on it and we will keep you posted on when it will be available. We can't really say more than that for the moment :
Multiplayer
Will the game play be a lot like the other Rainbow Six's or feel more like CS?
Raven Shield definitely plays like Rainbow Six. How could we call ourselves a sequel if we didn't? We still have "one-shot, one-kill" lethality, which is very unforgiving when you make mistakes. We have, however, added a round and map rotation system. Also when a round is over we don't load the pre-game interface to give you the results. You get them in an in-game menu, which allows you to go directly into the next round with minimal load time. We've also added a multiplayer mode to the existing ones from Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear.
Is this game Round based?
Yes. We don't have respawn, so whenever you die, you need to wait until the beginning of the next round to play again. While you wait you can use the ghost cameras to watch the action or use the gear menu to change weapons/equipment.
What will be the maximum number of people allowed in a server?
Right now, it is 16. If we can get to 24 or 32 further along production, we will have it in the release version.
Is there a buying system?
No. All of our equipment have distinct advantages and disadvantages (i.e. Submachine Guns usually inflict less damage than Assault Rifles but since they are smaller, they are more effective when moving). You always have access to all weaponry and equipment. Rainbow is extremely well funded.
Is 3rd person view still in the game?
As it was one of the most widely used cheats, we've removed 3rd person view in Raven Shield.
Will you be able to pick up weapons?
We do not allow you to trade weapons or pick up weapons during a mission. Once you begin the mission you have everything you're going to get. Why would you pick up a weapon of unknown origin and operating condition in exchange for your own? With over 200 rounds of ammunition between the average primary and secondary weapons you should never run out of ammunition.
Means of telling different teams apart?
One team is always in camouflage, while the other is in a solid color. The base color of the uniform is always appropriate for the map (i.e. Alpha team wears white camouflage, while Bravo team wears solid white). Also when you put your crosshairs on another person you get their name and their team. If they're on your team the name and crosshairs change to green. If they are on the enemy team your crosshairs and their name appear in red. With "one-shot, one-kill" lethality you have to be able to make quick "shoot, no-shoot" decisions.
Will there be any snipers only maps when it comes out?
We aren't currently planning one, but I'm sure the mod community will create one.
Will there be wall penetration?
This was something we originally considered, but decided against. With "one-shot, one-kill" lethality it makes the game feel too random. What we are allowing is shooting through doors, windows, and other objects. If you put your back to a wall you're safe, but stand in front of a door at your own risk. And don't count on the guy ahead of you stopping the bullets for you, if the shooters weapon is powerful enough, the bullet will go right through him!
Will there be arm patches?
Yes, you can count it!
Are we going to be able to have Knifes in the game?
Why bring a knife to a gunfight? With around 150 rounds for your primary weapon and around 45 rounds for your secondary you have more than enough ammo to finish a multiplayer round or single-player mission. However, for those out there who are trigger happy we're considering ways to keep you playing even after you've wasted all you ammo.
Will there be Dedicated Server?
Yes, because we are using the Unreal Engine, the player will be able to start a dedicated servers as well as being able to play on one.
Will Raven Shield supports Linux Servers?
Unreal Engine supports Linux servers. So Raven Shield will surely support it as well.
Can we jump?
Real world operatives never move faster than the speed where they can accurately fire their weapons. This means they don't run and don't jump. Therefore, we've decided to not add jumping.
What Gaming service will Raven Shield be on?
We're integrating the ubi.com service into the game, so that players won't have to use a separate application outside the game to match make. We feel this is better than any external service we could use, and ubi.com has plans for tools that will be very useful for players.
Mod Stuff
What about Mod tools? When will they be released? Will it be like Unreal?
Absolutely, because we are using the latest Unreal Technology, moding and level making will be possible. The Unreal ED should be release with the game.