John Slaydon is the lead designer for Rainbow Six Lockdown PS2, which is being developed at Red Storm Entertainment. He has ten years industry experience with 4 years experience at Red Storm Entertainment. Prior to his position with Red Storm, John worked as a game designer and producer at a variety of game companies including Random Games. Soldiers of War (PC, 1998), Mad Gab (PC, 1999), Sum of All Fears (GBA, 2001). His areas of expertise on Lockdown have included mission design and game accessibility.
1.) What are the new weapons found in R6L?
JS : We have a variety of new weapons in Lockdown. These include the:
- SA58. A compact American clone of the world famous FN FAL. This weapon fires a 7.62mm round, which makes this Rainbow's most powerful assault rifle.
- PPM1. A prototype Russian submachine gun. It was designed as the replacement to the older Bizon SMG.
- MP7SD. A German made personal defense weapon that fires a high-velocity round with a pistol grip loaded magazine. This version of the weapon comes with an attached suppressor.
- MAG 7. Made in South Africa. This weapon mixes the power of a shotgun with the compactness of a submachine gun.
- U100MK3. A lightweight but powerful machine gun with minimal recoil that enables it to be fired accurately in full automatic mode. It is equipped with a scope for long-range engagements.
- SR-4CQB. A customized version of the US carbine, configured with an under-barrel shotgun. This weapon's dual purpose allows the user to quickly switch between the rifle portion for engaging enemy targets and the shotgun for breaching doors.
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2.) Which weapon favorites from previous R6 games return?
JS :
- MP5/10. The trademark Rainbow Six submachine gun.
- P90TR. A compact bullpup weapon that focuses on maneuverability and ergonomics. It features a top-loaded high-capacity magazine.
- MTAR-21. This compact, or "micro," assault rifle is configured specifically for close-quarter battles.
- USAS 12. A South Korean shotgun whose bulky size and large mass help to reduce recoil when used in full automatic mode.
- M249SPW. A lighter version of the SAW in use by many militaries around the world.
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3.) How do you choose which military weapons to feature in the game?
JS : We select weapons for a variety of reasons. First of all we look for modern weaponry that is currently being used by the counter-terrorism teams around the world. We also try to select weapons from a variety of countries as this better showcases the Rainbow (multi-nation) mentality. Finally, we select visually appealing and interesting weapons as we also want our weapons to have interesting silhouettes and to stand out from other games.
4.) Do you consult a military professional?
JS : For Rainbow Six: Lockdown we relied on the internal resources here at Red Storm. One individual, Christian Allen, is a former Marine and very knowledgeable on current military weaponry. He helped in the selection process and balancing of the weapon systems.
5.) How real do you keep the functions of the weapons in the game to the weapons used in real life?
JS : We designed the weapons to function as if a professional counter-terrorist was using it and not the average Joe off the street. Our goal was to make the player feel like they know how to use the weapon already instead of learning how to fire the gun as the game progresses. By doing this, it allowed us to make the guns act more realistic instead of overcompensating their stats for a novice.