Today Hi-Rez Studios announced the beginning of a closed beta testing of a network shooter Paladins on PS4 and Xbox One. A game that has remained with an exclusive PC for a long time has officially become multi -platform.
Paladins, we recall, is a kind of FPS and Moba hybrid. We were lucky The Vic Casino to talk with the leading designer of the game Rori Newbro and ask him about the features of the console versions, about the plans for the development of the game and what, according to the authors, the main difference Paladins from competitors.
About console versions
– What are the main differences between the versions of Paladins for different platforms?
Rory Newbro
We already had the experience of porting on the console, we did it with Smite. We planned to transfer Paladins to the console at the stage of early closed alpha. Creating from scratch the design of buttons, menu and other things, we took into account and option for the console. The video from our exhibitions shows that Paladins still supported the gamepad at the alpha stage and had dynamically customizable control for it.
We wanted to make a console game process as close to computer as possible. Both platforms have their own characteristics, and we must make sure that they will all be supported. We have a separate team that helps optimize the console version of Paladins. They communicate with Sony And Microsoft and test each character for the convenience of managing him on the console.
– Will there be breaks between the releases of patches for PC and console, as, for example, in the case of SMITE?
Rory Newbro
Yes. We are trying to make them shorter and achieve a weekly difference both in the case of SMITE and in the case of Paladins. The reason is that Sony and Microsoft certification is required for each patch, and this takes time. They need to check everything that enters the console, make sure that all the highest quality and works well. We understand the importance of this process and hope to quickly go through all its stages and present at the exit what will be beneficial to both sides. That is why console updates come out later.
– Will there be separate competitions for the consoles or are common with a PC? What future in the field of e -sports do you see for Paladins?
Rory Newbro
We believe that the e -sports component entirely depends on the community. At our disposal there are a lot of means and ideas in order to make the game more competitive, but we understand that the last word for players. If they do not want to play a specific game professionally, there will be no e -sports component. We release a game with fairly thoughtful elements of strategy and rivalry and look at whether players want to watch championships on it.
The same story with Paladins. Soon after the release, last summer, we held a Dreamhack tournament, as well as a closed competition on Hi-Rezexpo. After that, many wanted to play Paladins at a high level, and we began to develop a professional arena. We will have events at the future Dreamhack. The qualifying matches of the PC tournament are currently underway-it will be held in the Hi-Rez studio next month in Georgia. I do not think that there will be inter -platform tournaments, but we plan to experiment with matches between Xbox and PS4 consoles.
– How often the seasons in the game will change: once a year or depending on the content?
Rory Newbro
If you have been playing Paladins for a long time, you will be pleased to get something new every year. New cards, characters and modes will be introduced. It is important for us to maintain interest in the game. I, as a designer, was always afraid to make a game that no one would play, but the game is boring.
The game should be fascinating. Every year we will make small changes to the game process, we will experiment with different game styles in the middle or quarter of the season to see how this will affect. With a developed customization system, we will be able to add many new cards, including legendary ones, and observe how the system of objects works. We have a lot of opportunities to expand the game, based on players' reviews and how tournaments are held, and we are able to maintain diversity.
– Will it be possible to change the configuration settings on the gamepad?
Rory Newbro
Not yet, but we would like to make a deep system of settings of buttons for each character so that the player feels better the game. Now we are just doing this. We were also advised from the alpha how best to calibrate the buttons for each character, and we are aimed at ensuring that the configurations of the buttons for each champion appear as soon as possible.
– Whether players will be able to create their servers and whether the clans system will be?
Rory Newbro
We would very much like to make a clans system. So far, this task is not in the first place, since we are busy with optimization and new characters. As for the servers, the game already has user matches: players can create their own lobby and play with friends and relatives, and streamers can play with their fans. There are no permanent servers, but you can create a user mode for playing with friends.
– Is it possible to purchase all the content for game gold, or are some things bought only for real money?
Rory Newbro
There is not a single thing in the store that improves the gameplay. Everything that affects the effectiveness, strength and skill remains to the player. We offer only visual additions: skins, emotions, etc. This helps to personalize the game, amuses, but does not give advantages. No "pay and win".
At the console start in the game, there are twenty -three champions.
– Is it possible to play on PC and consoles through one account?
Rory Newbro
There are Hi-Rez Master accounts suitable for a PC, you can bind the Xbox Live or PSN account for another version of the console game. But on different consoles there are different accounts.
Paladins vs. Overwatch
– Often players compare Paladins. What can you say to it?
Rory Newbro
Among the "colleagues" Paladins highlights a more thoughtful system of strategy and configuration. If in most other shooters the main thing is a well -aimed shooting, then Paladins have a system “calibration” of the character using cards, which helps to develop its own strategy. There are legendary cards that strongly affect the style of playing a specific hero. During the match, the characters cannot be changed, but there are objects that help to resist the opponent’s strategies, whether it be a team of “tanks” or simply very strong heroes who are difficult to kill. Under these conditions, the player can develop his own style of play with each character and try out many other options.
– In your Poost on Reddit, you tried to dispel rumors that Paladins is just an overwatch clone. Will you continue to develop this thought?
Rory Newbro
We noticed that those who played both projects say they are very similar. With this post we wanted to show that we have our own opinion on this subject. Now Paladins plays several hundred thousand people a day, and the total number of players is almost ten million. If you play Paladins, you will understand that it is very different from Overwatch , And vice versa. I wanted to say that you can’t interfere with people to play those games that they want. Paladins and Overwatch – two very different projects.
– In Overwatch, you can change the character during the match, and why in Paladins you can’t?
Rory Newbro
At the early stage of development, we investigated this opportunity, and worked out a lot of types of interaction. We drew inspiration to Team Fortress Classic And Team Fortress 2 And they watched the mechanics of the character’s quick change, but realized that we were more impressed by the option where the player chooses the character at the beginning of the game and immediately becomes clear what the team looks like and what to expect from each other.
This becomes the foundation for a good strategy. We wanted the player to adapt his strategy, which will push us to the introduction of objects and maps systems. When the characters are chosen, the player already knows what abilities will be used in the match and what is the composition of the team, but he has freedom in choosing cards, objects and strategy.
He knows how many loans will receive during the game and which legendary card is better to choose. You can radically change your hero, making a “tank” similar to a warrior or support fighter to the inflicting more damage. The versatility of each class is manifested here, and this is better than changing one class to another. This allows you to better understand the game and give the player more freedom.
Improve good – do not spoil
– Once you said you want to release new characters every three weeks. But how will you cope with the balance with this approach?
Rory Newbro
Now the game has twenty -three characters, and soon another will appear. Our goal is to provide players with thirty characters as fast as possible, preserving the variety of combinations. At the same time, we globally we want to slow down the rhythm of the characters – but we need to make sure that there are a sufficient number of heroes for any role, that for each role there are different options for combinations, that even unexpected combinations are possible, and so on.
We want to make variety to the game so that the heroes do not repeat in every match. We worked a lot on the balance, and Smite helped us as a larger project in this. Players can leave comments and wishes about the balance. We look at all aspects: for example, at the comments or wishes of the players regarding the gameplay, on the statistics of matches, the percentage of victories and the KDD (the ratio of the “Murder-Merty-Uron”).
We pay attention to tournaments: which characters and combinations are most and least popular. A separate studio dealt with e -sports: she monitors the professional arena and reports to the main studio, for example, which character is too strong, which strategy prevents the game from making the game more interesting and everything is in this spirit.
We follow the opinions of players of all levels, and if most indicates to us the problem, we study it. Personally, I like to manage a balance on a platinum rank, it is slightly higher than average. On bronze, silver and gold ranks, players can make technical mistakes, for example, miss the ability or basic attack. Platinum players definitely aim and use a well -thought -out strategy, but they are not as experienced as players of diamond and masterful ranks. They spend ten hours a day in the game, play flawlessly and have excellent reflexes.
The average rank has knowledge of the game and technical skill, and it is here that I like to make changes to the balance. Then we can make sure that we adjust all the levels of the game so that the players are interested and fun fighting. We try to create all the conditions so that no one has difficulties and discontent.
We recently released a patch that adjusts the champion Mayv. Her damage was not very high, but the players got the impression that it was boring to play against her. We listen to the comments from the community and add new characters not only in the name of the balance, but also to play it was fun and exciting.
Pink -haired major recently "pumped".
– It turns out that, Before releasing a new hero, you pay close attention to professional players and championships?
Rory Newbro
We use these observations along with other factors. Usually we have e -sports workers: they can play with us and leave reviews about new characters. At our local events, professional players can test new cards, champions and the like, as well as comment on what they tested. We watch how the game looks now and what should be added when a new character comes out.
– You said that the PVE mode has surpassed all expectations. How many people play in this mode and what do you think about his success?
Rory Newbro
This was a big surprise. Only one designer worked on the regime. We wanted to make a set of adventure – with a variety of battles, large -scale interaction and a growing level of complexity. Or, for example, battles with bosses.
I wanted to start with something uncomplicated to see if the players of the battle against bots will be interested in and whether they can win at a high level of complexity. This mode is more like a competition. We update it once a week on Wednesdays. Only one adventure was extremely difficult, but the others were not easy. They are difficult to go through, it is often necessary to combine efforts. The high status of achievements prompts the player to gather friends and develop a strategy to overcome difficulties. When we update the mode, at least a quarter of players are fond of him for the whole day. And although most plays the “siege” mode, the lion's share of the players uses PVE.
– Can you tell more about the tasks in PVE? These are just battles with bosses, or there will be a storyline?
Rory Newbro
We love to try some unexpected, even crazy options. If it works, leave, if not, we remove. We are very flexible in this regard. I think it is quite possible to create a lot of interesting events in the style of adventure, but I suspect that the emergence of the regime of history is unlikely.
– Thank you very much for the conversation!