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Interview

Spartan Total Warrior

2-Aug-2005 We cross swords with Spartan's game designer Sophie Blakemore to learn more on the Creative Assembly's latest

The Total War series - a legend amongst strategy fans and a series which ran from Shogun through Medieval to Rome to deliver some of the finest mass battlefield carnage ever seen on the PC. In the process, the award winning series earned its makers Creative Assembly a reputation as of the brightest stars of the PC strategy firmament and one of the leading lights of Britsoft.

But a new year brings a new direction, new platforms and also a new publisher for Creative with the advent of Spartan: Total Warrior, an offshoot rather than an extension of the Total War series. Instead of commanding the massed ranks of an army, Spartan places you on the ground in the role of a single heroic Spartan warrior blessed by the gaze of the gods, charged with giving some hammer to all and sundry and reclaiming your birth right as one of the fiercest warriors of the ancient world.

High time then to find out more about this PS2, Xbox and Cube Total upstart, so we strapped on our armour, girded our loins (which is actually less pleasant than it sounds) and prepared to cross swords with Spartan's games designer, Sophie Blakemore, to get the very latest word on the title.

Here's what we discovered:

Spartan: Total Warrior - what can you tell us about the story behind the game?

Sophie Blakemore: We place the player as a young Spartan warrior, on a mission to protect Sparta from the invading Roman forces and then embark on an epic quest to destroy the Roman Empire, culminating in the heart of Rome itself. At the same time, he's also on a personal quest to discover his own history. The Greek gods guide him, so he receives special powers to ensure that he's the most hardcore Spartan around. There's a twist in the tail, in the classic Greek tragedy style. We had a great time doing the research and development for the storyline - there are so many ancient legends and myths that we were able to use to enhance the gameplay and the characterisation, even if it meant messing with the timelines a little.

In what ways, if any, is your experience with the Total War series influencing the development of Spartan?

Sophie Blakemore: First of all, it's important to realise that this is an entirely different kind of game to our PC Total War games. It was conceived, designed and developed purely as a console game. We did, however, want to keep the core Unique Selling Point (USP) of epic, cinematic battles and vast armies onscreen. We're really proud to be the only developer able to have these massive many vs many conflicts. Spartan has been in development for three years - so it's not been an easy job - and we're continuously striving to make sure the game is pushing new boundaries and as technically advanced as it can possibly be on the current gen platforms.

What appealed about the setting? Why not set it in medieval times, for example?

Sophie Blakemore: Ancient battles, mythical stories of divine men, legendary beasts - this truly is a time frame to be explored! It also takes the greatest warrior race of the ancient world and pits them against the greatest empire of the ancient world. This provides an awesome backdrop to tell a compelling story. In terms of gameplay, this era also offered us so much scope for the many versus many battles, as well as really exciting end of level bosses. It's also a period of time that many of us here were already familiar with, having grown up with the Greek and Roman epics (I acted as Electra in a play at University, so I ensured I used my research for that to make our Electra character as real and strong as she is in Euripides' play).

How have you gone about realising the settings/environments used in the game?

Sophie Blakemore: It was a tough job and our artists and coders have been working really hard to get the look and feel of the locations right. A lot of research was carried out into the ancient world - for instance, we wanted the city of Troy to have an unearthly, ethereal quality about it to reflect the huge sieges and souls of the fallen warriors there. We achieved this through beautiful lighting effects, some really scary enemies, and gorgeous texturing. Conversely, we needed Athens to be a city of culture and intellect, and so the buildings and structures, not to mention the NPCs, replicate this feeling of a civilised society under occupation by the Romans.

We've also been told to expect to be impressed by the game's environments. Why, and also, how much freedom of movement will we have in these environments?

Sophie Blakemore: There are many unique environments that the player encounters in the game, each with distinct enemies, pickups, and Easter Eggs to discover. Technically, our environments are loaded at the beginning of each level - so there's no loading times between sections, and every part of the fully 3D pre-rendered environment is fully explorable by the player. We're particularly happy with the draw distance - it's well over 2km, with no fogging or pop up or other cheap tricks. Basically, if you can see it in the game background, chances are you'll be able to get there and have a little rummage around.

In footage we've seen mythical creatures, Ray Harryhausen-style giant warrior statues and even a flamethrower! What's the balance between historical fact and fiction in the game?

Sophie Blakemore: In Spartan: Total Warrior, we do history "Hollywood style". That is, we borrow some ideas from historical fact but have given our design team the licence to explore other avenues that make for great gameplay. We found that there's a lot of interesting and innovative gameplay that can be taken from Greek and Roman myth - for instance, the Medusa's ability to petrify mortals makes for a terrifying encounter. The giant statue you mention is actually based on the Roman legend of Talos - a huge mechanical man, animated by the gods to besiege unsuspecting towns and cities. But we figured that to ensure the player is fully immersed and drawn into the game it would be nice to add appealing, out-of-the-ordinary features that will surprise and delight. The first time you come across the infernus troops (the Romans with the 'flame throwers') should be quite a shock for the player, and will demand they re-evaluate their fighting tactics.

Talk is of epic, large-scale battles. Can you tell us more about the combat/battle side of the game? For example, will players be able to command squads of allies?

Sophie Blakemore: This isn't a RTS like the Total War titles; therefore the player is in control of just one soldier, rather than entire squads. There are still massive numbers of warriors onscreen - we're up to about 180 now, with a constant 60fps and no popup. Despite not controlling entire armies, by playing as the Spartan the player has the ability to turn the tide of the battle. Allied NPCs have great AI so they'll stick with the player and realise where they're needed, if they're winning or losing, etc. Enemies also act the same way, targeting weak players or attacking in groups to overwhelm the allies. Only one man can change the outcome of the battle though - the Spartan.

It sounds as though you're ensuring that combat for the player will be much more than simply a button-bashing affair. How are you adding depth to this part of the game?

Sophie Blakemore: The combat system is what we like to call "action-reaction". That is, the player must consider the enemy he's facing and change his tactics accordingly. The controls are intuitive - there are just two attack buttons - a direct attack that targets one enemy, or a radial attack which will take out a group of surrounding enemies. Each weapon in the game has its own Power of the Gods move associated with both attack types, in addition to an adrenaline-based attack for each. These modifiers work on all the weapons, including the offensive shield and the bow, ensuring the player has a whole multitude of possible assaults to use against the adversaries. The system is so easy to learn that players will find that they're focussing on the enemies in the game and finding cool new ways to fight rather than fighting against the control system itself by having to learn complex new combos all the time.

What can we expect from enemies in the game, in terms of AI governing them, who we'll actually be fighting and variety of enemies and so on?

Sophie Blakemore: There are over 60 different enemy types in the game, each with their own AI, their own battle tactics, their own weapons, etc. Each new type that the player encounters will demand a new fighting style to be used - for instance, the Roman Centurions tend to use their shields offensively, making it hard to attack them front on. The player can use the beat-'em-up style "Roll" move to get behind them, or the Shield Breaker to destroy their shields, or indeed, let their allied NPCs weaken the Centurion then go in for the final kill. The Romans also tend to attack in groups, targeting weak or solitary allies. In comparison, the Barbarians can be very gung-ho; launching berserker attacks alone with no thought for their own welfare. It's a frightening experience!

Is the game all about constant action, or are you varying the pace? And are boss battles included?

Sophie Blakemore: Though epic combat makes up a large part of the game, we have made sure we infuse every section with different scenarios, including reconnaissance sorties, escort duties, search and destroy missions, etc. The great thing about the battles is that, to a certain extent, you can hang back and let your allies weaken the enemy while you observe the unfolding battle. Though be careful - the enemy AI will notice this after a while, assume you to be a coward, and attack you in earnest!

Like the classics, we include a wide variety of boss battles, all of which require unique strategy and attacks from the player. Many of our boss battles are taken directly from Greek legends, and so we use the facts of the legends to add to the gameplay. For instance, when Heracles fought the Hydra, he soon realised that lopping off her heads wasn't working as they regenerated, so he was forced to find a way to stop the heads respawning. Bear this in mind in the Hydra fight in Spartan: Total Warrior!

What role do siege weapons play?

Sophie Blakemore: The game starts with the Romans besieging Sparta, so as you can imagine there are plenty of gigantic weapons and siege machines that they employ to break down the walls of Sparta. Ballistas are used to devastating effect by the Romans, but the player does get the chance to turn the tables and use their own weapons against them. There are also catapults, rolling siege towers, sappers equipped with explosive kegs, and much more. All of these must be used by the player to save Sparta.

As a hero, it looks as though we'll be able to use magical-style powers. Is that true? Can you tell us more about this?

Sophie Blakemore: As a particularly gifted warrior (with a secretive past), the Spartan is blessed with Powers of the Gods to aid him in his quest. These powers use various types of magic - electrical attacks, fire-based assaults, earth shaking and ground-breaking moves, and much more. Each new weapon offers a different type of power to use against the enemy, and the powers can even be used with the shield, offering a completely new attack type.

Also, what kit - armour and equipment - are we going to get to use, and how is this acquired during the game?

Sophie Blakemore: Throughout the game, you see the Spartan progress from a young, fresh-faced warrior, to a hardened hero and ultimately to a legend. Accompanying these transformations are upgraded armour - helmet, shield, breastplate, etc. In addition to this, you will discover new weapons to add to your inventory, usually as a reward for a boss fight. Once found, these weapons can then be used whenever the user requires them.

What part of Spartan: Total Warrior would you say you're most proud of?

Sophie Blakemore: I think we're all very proud of being the only developer in the world to get the sheer numbers of warriors onscreen that we have. It means we can have these really awesome skirmishes where two huge armies come together in a massive ruckus, plunging the player in a world of epic battles and awesome fights. Imagine the best beat-'em-up you've played, and then add 180 more people on screen - this should give you an idea of why we're so happy with the combat. I personally love the animations on all the various characters - for instance, when the AI catches on fire and runs screaming in panic. It also gives me great glee to knock a particularly tenacious opponent to the floor, and then stab him in the belly while he's scrambling to get up. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Has it always been your intention to branch out into the console scene, and how does the Sega acquisition aid you in achieving such a goal?

Sophie Blakemore: Actually, The Creative Assembly has already developed for consoles - back in 2001 we created Rugby for EA Sports and Spartan was a project well under way before Sega signed it. We have always believed that we have a lot to offer both PC and console fans, though in very diverse ways. It seemed wise to do from a business sense, and it's certainly been fun from a development perspective. Of course, Sega's strong standing in the console market gives us just the sort of knowledge and backing we required.

Finally, what does that Sega acquisition mean for the Total War series? Will it always remain a hardcore PC series?

Sophie Blakemore: But of course! We won't abandon our PC fans, or our love of historically accurate, epic RTS games. We don't like to think of the Total War series as hardcore, more as involving, absorbing, and accessible strategy games. As we are at the moment, we'll carry on working on PC and console titles simultaneously, with a devoted team for each title, so we can continue making the genre-defining strategy titles we're known for.

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