BF 2 Mod | Russian Assault Interview

The idea of RussianAssault was Stephane Sinclair's, the MOD leader and Patrick Chartrand's the MOD's coordinator. We wanted a story that would bring some added drama to the game. So the WWIII story in Europe provided that. We wanted it to be reasonably realistic and based on current events. We just extrapolated a bit for the future timeline. The mod officially started on the 1st of April 2004. As you might know we aren't just Russian Assault anymore. We merged with Tactical Warfare and NATO WarGame just 2 months ago and now all Mods work together under the Modname: Russian Assault WWIII. Also we have now switched to Battlefield 2. But for February we have a BF:Vietnam release planned with all of our progress up until now.

How is progress on Russian Assault coming along?

Overall progress is moving along quite nicely. We haven't release any updates for a while, because there is nothing spectacular to show our fans. The RA Dev Team are currently working on static objects, like barrels, sandbags, trees, houses etc.

Russian Assault first started out for Battlefield: Vietnam. What do you feel that BF2 has to offer a mod team that BF:V does not?

Well we had a look at the BF2 videos and the information that got out on the engine and thought: "Wow, what a graphic and physic-engine!" We feel that our MOD will be more effective in providing the player with an overwhelming experience because of this new engine.

Will the mod focus on a realistic or more arcade style of game play?

Realistic. Our story line is in the future, but based on facts of today.

What can you tell us about your plans for the actual game play in the mod?

We want to make the game play as realistic as possible. And with BF2 graphics and physics engine it will be much easier than on BFV.

What do you expect the fans to enjoy the most once it's released?

I think the fans will enjoy the balance we have struck between realism and game play. Total realism is not desirable if it will provide an unbalanced experience for the players. For example, Desert Combat played around with realism because if it was totally realistic, nobody would play the Iraqis. I also believe the setting will appeal to players. It will take place mostly in Europe, so that's a change from all the desert and arid maps out there. Playing in a WWIII setting will bring some drama to the game. I have played the Beta versions and even though right now we are playing on BF:V I am astonished about how well our Dev Team has managed to work with the Engine taking it to it's limits. It's awesome already and will be even better on BF2.

Can you tell us anything about the classes that you intend to include in the mod?

The classes are very mixed. 4 different teams will be playable all having their own specific vehicles. Russia, The US, France and Canada are included for now. On www.russianassault.de or www.russianassault.com you can keep track of the progress of the mod and see what vehicles are being worked on for which team. As for the soldier classes, the biggest addition will be the special forces class along with engineers, normal infantry, anti-tank, anti-air classes.

How much competition do you feel there is and will be from other mods?

We don't like to see things in terms of competition. Everyone is working hard on MODS that will bring a unique flavour to the game and provide a unique experience for the players. Don't forget that most people are using their own free time to provide players with a free enhancement to their game. Sometimes we believe the communities forget that and are way too harsh on Modding teams. Modders could be doing something else with their time but they are passionate and still go on despite some very difficult personal situations. Remember that. Also, we think the game community suffers greatly from the Darwinesque competition we see between mods. Mods could be collaborating with each other instead of jealously protecting their own turf. The community would benefit greatly from more collaboration between mods. For example, a space-based mod with aliens could jointly create a mini-mod (including a few maps) with a mod featuring a human conflict, we would then have a mod featuring a conflict between aliens and humans. That would be fun. So many good ideas don't see the light because people are discouraged by this competition and the harshness of the MOD scene. But we are realists and we know that the situation will not change soon. To answer your question, competition will be bigger for BF2 since the modding scene is now popular and a lot of people are trying their hand at it. Some old teams will also try to release a mod on the BF2 engine so it will be harsh.

What differentiates Russian Assault from the other similar mods under development?

The difference of Russian Assault is that its game play is situated in Europe. It has 4 Countries involved ( USA, Russia, Canada and France ). It will feature some new equipment not seen elsewhere, like French and Canadian equipment for instance. We will also include some new features and game capabilities like the ARENA anti-missile system on Russian tanks for example.

Do you intend to make one complete release or release in stages like Desert Combat?

Well we are soon releasing a teaser mini-mod showing our progress for BF:V out of respect for the fans that are eagerly waiting for something on BFV and for the coders who worked very hard. But for BF2, we will release in stages like desert combat. But we haven't quite settled that yet.

Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Russian Assault?

Yes, keep track of our website for news, in game screenshots, Wallpapers and much much more. [ www.russianassault.de || www.russianassault.com ] also visit our forums @ http://forum.russianassault.de!

At this point we would also like to thank our fans and all the BF:V and BF2 News sites that have done so much for us!