SH0DAN's GBX forum highlights

On his blog, SH0DAN has been running a series of "from the forum" highlight articles. These glean the best bits from discussions with the developers of Aliens Colonial Marines and display them in a "no crap, just juicy content" style.

With thanks and due credit to SH0DAN, I'd like to present Forum Highlights 03.

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Posted by ikarop: How much time will you be doing xeno-critters? Is the ACM Gbx team already focused on the game or just part? Are you just finishing the game or redoing stuff?

grbxdesign (Lorin Wood, senior Concept Designer on ACM): Well, first off, I am a fulltime designer in-house for the company. Been here since the end of last year, though I do contract work outside of the company in my off-hours. Not sure about the official logo on my profile. I logged in via iPod last night. I'll figure it out eventually.

Anyway, from our Game Informer article last year you may know we had Syd Mead and Craig Mullins do some broadstroke design and visualization, which was pretty cool. Let your imagination run wild with that. Syd's focus was to design the rest of the interior of the Sulaco that wasn't seen in the film.

As far as our focus, we are obviously working first to get Borderlands done, so there are still a few people polishing that off, while a nice portion are focused on Aliens, myself included. Other than that, can't say much else...yet.

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Posted by SH0DAN: I know you said you would be answering more questions further on down the line, but I am dieing to know, which of the four ALIEN movies is your favourite?

grbxdesign: Well, coming from a film background I appreciate each Alien movie differently as well as each filmmaker who made them. I'm a huge Cameron fan, so obviously I love the second film, but Ridley Scott started this franchise and he's also a master filmmaker. I'm also an admirer of Fincher. Compound all of this with me being a very forgiving audience member and having an understanding of what it takes to make films like these, I have a different perspective than most and find it hard to favor one over the other. That is, unless it REALLY sucks. Like AVP, for example. At least I didn't pay for that one, but I did lose two hours of my life. The Vanilla Coke was good. See, I'm a glass-half-full kinda guy.

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Posted by hells highway: So,after that there will be some new screens, info? So there is a little chance to see something for A:CM this year,yeah? And Borderlands is coming in "fall 2009" right?

grbxdesign: Can't say for sure. That's up to the powers-that-be.

Borderlands is definitely coming out before years end and after that it's up to Randy and Sega to decide when they want to announce any Aliens details. That a broad enough answer for ya?

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Posted by Takhen: Since the beginning of the development did you do much stuff?

grbxdesign: Syd, Craig and some other artists were involved in the early bulk, blue-sky phase of designing this game. Gearbox needed someone with a visual style similar to Syd's at half the price. My dad is an industrial designer and I was raised on Syd's work, the project is Aliens, so it was an easy "yes" to jump on board.

My involvement, in film parlance, is more akin to a production designer. I get to dip my fingers into real conceptual design work on occasion, but for the most part, I am translating other ideas into something practical that the level designers can run with.

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Posted by HudSon: I have a Q, how many guys are working on this title now..?

grbxdesign: Can't give an exact number of people working on the game right now (the details are confidential and I'm not in a position to divulge them publicly, sorry). Suffice it to say it's in fullswing. Things are being tweaked, fixed, upgraded, what-have-you as is the normal procedure of production.

I'll tell you that I'm designing a hallway for a certain spaceship. There, go crazy.

Keep up the excitement guys. It's a fun property and I hope you all are going to enjoy it!

Lorin

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Posted by Takhen: Will the Sulaco be big?

grbxdesign: Yep.

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Posted by Dwaine: Will there be a Nostromo class ship?

grbxdesign: Well, no Nostromo; this is Aliens and is set solidly in that timeframe and universe...57 years after the Nostromo blew up.

The details are still under wraps as far as the visual and experiential elements are concerned so I can't comment upon that at the moment.

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Posted by Windebieste: After 8 years of modding 'AvP2', it's kinda getting old. We need a new 'ALIENS' game to frack around with. (Maybe REBELLiON's new 'AvP' will have tools released for it - it would be a pity if that game was moddable and 'A:CM' wasn't. I'd have to go and mod that game instead...)

grbxdesign: As far as customization it's too early to say anything. I'm sure those conversations will happen when get further along. I'll keep you posted as that info is cool to disclose.

Lorin

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Posted by Takhen: Saying that looks like the game has a long way to be completed?
Posted by hells higway: Is the game looking better than the screenshots at this stage of developement?

grbxdesign: To answer both questions, we got sidetracked to help out on Borderlands. As it sits, the screenshots are still an accurate representation. At the moment.

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Posted by Chris!(($$))!: So it is around 17 Days and we are the Rescue Team like Hicks said?

grbxdesign: I think Game Informer gave pretty good idea of the nature of the game. If it didn't, well, you'll just have to wait and see. :P

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Posted by Takhen: Are you working only on the Sulaco?

grbxdesign: I'm covering the whole spectrum of the game: the Sulaco, which is a major setting, to some other familiar environments. Don't ask what they because I can't say at the moment.

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Posted by Tonks: Can you comment at all on how the xeno's are looking? movement, attacking, all out crap your pants scariness? A very general or vague summary would suffice!

grbxdesign: The Xenos look really good. Improving their animation.

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Posted by JayHy17: Sooooo botman, now that lwood has answered some questions on his side of the project, is there anything you would like to share with your fans?

botman (Jeffrey B, Programmer): Nope

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Posted by JayHy17: Do you think we will see something new about Aliens: Colonial Marines before Aliens vs Predator gets released?

ennui (Allison B, Community Manager): It's not known to me right now either when we'll start talking again. As soon as we have anything, we'll let you know.

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You can check out SH0DAN's blog here: http://sh0dans.spaces.live.com

[BooGNiSh]

Originally Posted by Mother

Posted by Takhen: Will the Sulaco be big?

grbxdesign: Yep.

Hah. I'm not sure what's worse, the ridiculously obvious question, or the ridiculously obvious answer.

[Ripley]

Thanks! Very imformative.

[Neverfate]

Nice stuff! Cheers.

[Mustafuck]

The developers just answer nothing, furthermore, they seem to be playing dumb at these guys, and worse, having fun while doing that.

Some questions are definitely ridiculous, so you obviously get ridiculous answers. they had the chance for asking some serious and interesting questions and most of them have wasted It. too bad.

I too agree the question coming from my comrade takhen is perhaps the most ridiculous of all

[SH0DAN]

Sh0dan EDIT: *Removed unnecessary comment*

This wasn’t supposed to be a Q&A session. The devs, particularly Lorin was just interacting with us on a forum level. It was me who decided to take it in that direction by putting it up on my blog.

Direct your criticism at me.

BTW, I am happy for ACM.net to use this for news, as we don’t have a lot coming at the moment and it keeps the community alive. But you guys should know it for what it is.

Same goes for Takhen's comment. Read it within the context of the forums and its obvious he is trying to gain an idea for how large the levels are. Obviously Lorin wasn’t giving anything away.

EDIT: Sh0dan has a point here. It wasn't a Q&A, we're lucky enough to even have Lorin talking to us. Let's not turn this into an argument though. -Nevs

[Mustafuck]

Quit trolling Mustafuck. You didn’t get banned from the GBX forums twice for no reason.

that,s a nice comment coming from someone who has been completely biased at me in both situations, specially in the second, where I was seriously insulted by one member, and you did just nothing, (you didn,t even marked that as a bad post), until I answered him as he deserved of course, moment at which he lost his cool and you rapidly came to save him, banning me in the way instead of him, as you should have done before such serious insults. why were you that partial?, because he was a bum of yours, and that,s final.

Look shodan, you know I appreciate you for being a man who gives his time and dedication for free moderating a forum, yes don,t be surprised at this, I still think like the first day in this regard and have told It to you several times, and I also understand every mod in every forum has some bums to protect, no matter they are trolls or not, such was your case in the end, and If this wasn,t bad enough coming from a mod, you proved to be totally impartial, and that is not something good imo when It comes to moderation, don,t you think?

Nevertheless, I still wish you the best of luck in your job there and hope that, by the times this game is FINALLYYYY released, then more and more people are joining there. Never think I am mad at you or something like that..., you know how I am. All I wish is that this game gets eventually released and then we all meet online and have some fun with some co-op or frag fest or whatever, just the thing we all should have done long time before if this game would have been released at that time.

Direct your criticism at me.

you know me, and also you must know that everytime I had to criticize you for any reason (like the one I,ve written above) I did It directly to you, which is my way and you know this too, and many times I did things you asked me to do, just for you because you asked me for that, and then you fucked me up when being attacked by anyone, such is the case written above, and now you come here and call me troll?, you gotta be jocking right?, I hope so.

This wasn’t supposed to be a Q&A session. The devs, particularly Lorin was just interacting with us on a forum level. It was me who decided to take it in that direction by putting it up on my blog.

I admit I didn,t actually noticed the Q A thingy, and I was thinking It was a recent interview with them. I,m gonna read It fully in your blog so that so that I can figure It out better, but In regards to the question-answer part of It, I don,t regret just one single word I,ve said, and still think that stupid questions (some of them) you just get stupid answers.

Direct the criticism at you..., why should I?, you do what you can do, you,re not one of the developers, and I guess they wanted rhetorical questions because they still can,t talk about their game, so in any case, what is the point of a developer talking to us If he has nothing to say?, that,s stupid, and forgive me for thinking like that, but what were you expecting?, me giving thanks to them for that?, no thanks, that,s why you and the others there are meant to do, but that,s not my style thanks, unless they deserve It of course.

I,ll just wait and see for a real interview after avp3 has been released and they can talk about their game without fear..., that,s the moment I,m waiting for.

Mustafuck still appreciates you no matter you,ve made some mistakes, I hope you bear this in mind, so greetings and keep on the hard work there at the forums.

[Neverfate]

Mustafuck, take it to PMs please, this is not the place to discuss why someone was banned from the Gearbox forums or anything related to that.

Sh0dan, if you wish to continue the conversation, the same thing applies for you. You can chat all you want in private.

-Nevs

[Corporal Lewis Hicks]

i cant wait for this game. and i agree with SH0DAN even some thing with out alot of info is helping keep the community alive. we are not getting nothing from gearbox at this time so this is good to know. they are still working on it and not waiting for Borderlands to come out and then just start working on it again.

[Mother]

I maybe should have been a little clearer in my description of the first post and the intention of it. My bad. Thanks to Shodan for his continued dedication to the cause.