Thread: Crytek Q&As

Questions about Crytek

1. How do you estimate your reputation in the community? (SoLLy, Crysisnews.de)
Answer: We are aware of the fact that there is room for improvement regarding our work with the community and appreciate the passionate feedback we have received so far, both positive and negative. We hope to learn from our experience so please keep giving us feedback.

We are quite happy with what we have achieved with our modding community and we want to continue to extend our support in the future. We are looking forward to share more details on Crysis Warhead with you soon.

2. Which other projects are in development by Crytek? (foofi, Crysis-HQ.com)
Answer: We wish we could share more, but this is something we can?t tell you yet, since it is just too early to even name the other unannounced projects we have in development.

3. Why did you create the monthly update if it included less (new) information compared to the weekly updates, even though there would be enough topics to talk about? (Willy, Crysis-HQ.com)
Answer: This question definitely requires a bit of an explanation on what the Crysis Weekly/Monthly Update should be for the community. When we started with the weekly update we were in the middle of the patch 1.2/1.21 production for Crysis. At this time we had a lot of content to share with the community to get them up-to-date on the development progress. Our goal was to keep you informed.

Afterwards there was a time with almost none new information available for the public because we were not able to talk about all of the exciting things we were working on with Warhead. Fortunately this changed with the announcement and you should keep your eyes open for more information on the game in the near future.

The upcoming monthly updates won?t necessarily share brand new information on Warhead only, since we have information and asset releases planned for the community independently from the monthly update. Furthermore you can expect a community report from our side on what is happening in the Crysis community, around Warhead and extended by notes from the developers to keep everyone up-to-date.

4. Also what does Crytek think of our maps/mods that are in production or released. (PsycoFalc, Crymod.com)
Answer: We are quite impressed and surprised not only by the amount of maps, assets and mods that are work-in-progress, but also by the fact that so many things have been released to the community already. The quality the community comes up with it breathtaking and some times even we are stunned by the high quality modders are able to deliver.

Even the code snippets and flowgraph nodes people develop are very interesting to look at and follow-up on. We are really proud of our modding community and we are pretty sure that the quality bar will rise even further with the time passing by.

Contests like the Intel / Crysis Mapping Contest just underline what our modders are capable of doing and this one definitely won?t be our last modding contest.


Questions on Crysis

5. Why is there no first person spectator view in multiplayer? (Spike83, Crysisnews.de)
Answer: During the development of Crysis, we evaluated several systems and had to make a choice due to a limited time frame for developing this feature. We definitely wanted to provide the basic 3rd person view which we then enhanced later on with some new functionalities, including zoom in/out and camera rotation. Our tests found that spectating from a 3rd person view was much more intense and entertaining than the 1st person view which mainly is used for competitive play. Thus we decided to stick to the 3rd person view only and enhance this system.

6. Is there still a possibility of a Linux Dedicated Server for Crysis? (Roberi91, Crysisnews.de)
Answer: At this stage we have put the development of the Linux Server files on hold. We will update you if this changes.

7. Why do mod teams do not get supported with enough tutorials which has been stated so often by Crytek? (Cry|loud, Crysis-HQ.com)
Answer: We are constantly working on new tutorials and reference documents to update our official CryENGINE2 manual on http://doc.crymod.com. Still, tutorials and especially reference documents do take quite some time depending on the size of the topic. We are aware that the manual lacks in some areas, but we are confident we will improve this over time and come up with new stuff for you to read through ?we are dedicated to helping you take your mods even further!

8. People keep saying Crytek haven't stopped supporting Crysis, how does Crytek plan to support Crysis? (Alcoholic1, Crymod.com)
Answer: We have our official modding portal, up and running ? a great meeting place not only for modders, but also for all who are interested in playing new, custom content. And of course, your dedicated community management teams are still here and active in our official forums and fansite forums.


Questions on Warhead

9. What percentage of the game will be completely new levels/maps? (Armoured, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: The Singleplayer campaign will feature entirely new levels which you haven?t seen or played in the original Crysis.

10. Will you play the whole story over again, but with Psycho? (tolgapaksoy, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: With Psycho you will encounter a completely different story on the other site of the island which is quite dramatic, full of action and more intense and explosive than what you experience with Nomad.

11. Is Cytek (Germany) helping Crytek Hungary? Or are they on there selves? (Linkin, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: Crysis Warhead is being developed by Crytek Hungary.

12. Will the game be using Games for Windows - LIVE for its multiplayer infrastructure or Gamespy or something else? (Nightmare225, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: Crysis Warhead will be a Games for Windows game, and we will use Gamespy as our online service again.

13. Is the game broader and less path-driven, less linear? (Even though I never thought Crysis was much linear.) (Shletten, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: In some areas, especially in the last levels of Crysis, the game was linear to drive the story further and to give the player a more intense feeling while playing the missions. We listened to the general feedback from the community and we have changed this in Warhead, where you?ll have a lot of the freedom in the first ? of Crysis throughout the whole campaign. For instance, vehicle based sections can be accomplished in various ways and the player is not bound to a specific route. You still have mission goals you need to achieve in order to proceed with the story, but the decision how to achieve them is up to the player from beginning till the end.

14. Do you have a release date already planned or do you have an approximate date which Crytek plans on getting this game out the door (Q4 2008? Q1 2009?)? (Jiggles, Crysis-Online.com)
Answer: Fall 2008!

15. Will it still be possible to grab enemies? (jupiee, Crymod.com)
Answer: Yes. [img alt=Smile]http://www.crymod.com/img_crysiscrystal/smilies/smile.gif[/img]

16. Will Crysis Warhead use the same engine as Crysis, or a modified version to take advantage of new graphics, physics, AI, or sound technologies? (Aggressor Prime, Crymod.com)
Answer: Warhead will use a modified and improved version of the CryENGINE 2. It comes with new features such as the global ambient lighting system and we have improved the AI for both aliens and humans to incorporate more group tactics to make them even more challenging. Of course, the engine has also been further optimized which is going to improve performance across a wide range of hardware.

17. What spurred the decision to cease proper support for the game we all bought, and instead release this extra-content pack (consisting of both a new campaign section - thank you Crytek - and a patch which should have been free for Crysis) at full game price? (Halfdark, right here on the forums)
Answer: Well, really what did it was that we'd quite like some more money, and we're run by EA now, who fully support this sentiment. We didn't really learn much from the shocking community feedback we were given during our time post-Farcry when we should have been delivering patches there, because whilst this seemed like something which would make us more popular, we figured that people would buy our next game anyway. These days of course, we're bankrolled by a brand new, bigger, better publisher than ubisoft, so we can basically afford to do what we like

You really don't like these guys do you HD

I'm thankful for the extra campaign content, as well as the other interesting tweaks. I just think it's a shame they've taken such an EA attitude to it all.

btw, is Warhead multiplatform?

No, but it will be the last game only for PC that Crytek will ever release.

PC games are ridiculously unprofitable for companies compared to console games, because it is so much easier to pirate them.

That and the number of PC players is dwindling

I just don't understand why though. Consoles are much less cost-effective. I can play top of the range PC games on my PC and at the end of the day it's still a PC and apart from anything PCs have a much better interface.

Consoles are much more cost effective.

I can play PS2 games released right up until the PS3 was released.

Try running PC games released at that time on the PC I bought at the same time as I did the PS2.

Consoles are more sociable, easier to use, don't break as much, most people prefer the interface for the majority of games (I'm still waiting to see how that Halo rts goes), and there's virtually zero piracy. You say PC's are more cost effective, but if I want a slightly-less-than-top-of-the-range PC today, it'll cost me about ?600 (and I've got to shop around for that), whereas I can buy a PS3 (more powerful than any PC you can buy) for around ?300, and it's got a blu-ray player! Not only that, but I never have to worry about not having enough ram / old video drivers / this that and the other, because guess what? Every game developed is developed for exactly the specs I have.

And right there's another big point - as a developer, you know *exactly* what you're developing for. No more creating 3 different models, 3 different textures, 3 different particle effects for each bit. You just do one; because you know that's what everyone will be able to run.

Only reason I don't go out and buy a 360 is I know I'd want to mod my games (I'm still desperate to mod UT3). So I'd have to buy half my games *twice* - once to play on the console, once to mod on the PC (and then move across). Not only that, but I'd have to fix up my PC anyway!

Originally Posted by Halfdark

Consoles are more sociable, easier to use, don't break as much

Unless you're EarthScorpion for the third, or Akhmed for the first.

And for the things that aren't games i.e. word processing and internet browsing; most of the time you can use a cheap PC/laptop. My old Windows 3.1 Notebook is still fine for word processing.