Here is where you will find all the latest info on Uprising 2.
Main-News-Q&A-Media-Units-Weapons-Structures-Story-Synopsis-Interact
Here is where you will find all the latest
info on Uprising 2.
Main-News-Q&A-Media-Units-Weapons-Structures-Story-Synopsis-Interact
Updated 5/31/98
My trip to E3...
This weekend I traveled to Atlanta for the Electronic Entertainment Expo in search of the latest in gaming news. I found it. I was impressed throughout the show by advances in technology, graphics and gameplay seen in the games shown. During the show I had the chance to check out many booths and specifically the 3do booth. There I found exactly what I was looking for, Uprising 2! I was introduced to the game by John Eberhardt, the producer from Cyclone Studios.
Plot
We began the tour with a quick plot overview. It appears that the alien enemies from the original Uprising known as the Kri'isaran Horde were being held off by the Imperium the whole time your uprising was taking place. Through your diligent work you have managed to rid yourself of the Imperium thus removing the thing holding the aliens back (Doh!). Now you are up against them and they aren't very friendly. He explained all this while whizzing through the demo level as if he had an extra arm. He barely had to watch the screen. It was pretty amazing. I think it might be fun to take him on in multiplayer sometime.
Weapons
Next, we began a tour of the new weapons! As I watched he teleported in about 30 soldiers, each very detailed and deadly, he ran up to them and lay what looked like a large gray box. Then he drove back a little and after a second or two there was a large explosion and a lot of flying guts. He explained that what he had just dropped was a nuke. He said it was his favorite weapon and I could see why. :) Next we wandered around a bit showing off various classic weapons such as hive missiles, indirect firing missiles, which have new smoke trails; Mole mines, which are now more like spiked balls which roll in the ground and can roll through metal; and regular missiles which look basically the same as the originals, but with new smoke trails.
Structures
Then, we took a look at the new structures. They were very hard for me to recognize since the art was completely rehauled. He started with the citadel. I was surprised to see what I had labeled as a turret was the new citadel (I need to fix that). Next we checked out the various turrets and talked about a new structure which allows you to produce turrets for more protection in tough situations. There was also talk of the replacement of the K-sat with a new ballistic missile system which, unlike the K-sat, will hit a large area making it more useful against troops yet still deadly against hotzones. The K-sat will be saved for an Easter egg. In response to the ballistic missiles you can build a sam site which has the ability to destroy the missiles, thus saving you the pain of rebuilding. We also saw the alien power transfer facility, a stubby building with a small drilling device that undulates as it works, which is helped by an underground creature much like the worms in Dune. It would come plunging out of the ground right in front of you and then disappear back into the ground. It has a back covered in a row of spines which look dangerous but it is actually harmless unless you run into it. John said that if you destroyed the creature, it would hamper the aliens’ power collecting abilities. Although very hard to do, it is an important advantage you might need. We continued our tour by taking out the alien base as he showed me the buildings, each impressive in its own right.
Units
Now to real treats, your new units. One of the first things I asked was whether or not you got any new units. To my pleasure the response was yes. The units have been redesigned completely and this time there are 5 types. The newest addition is the separation of the tanks into light and heavy versions, each having its advantages. The heavy tanks lumber across the battlefield with heavier armor at a slower pace than the light version but with great potency, while the light tanks speed along with little armor or fire power.. Also, they are able to work together. For example, a heavy tank will bait an enemy and then the light tanks swarm and destroy it. The enemy also has the new light and heavy tanks but their heavy tanks feature a special ability to take control of your units. When shot they will turn on you and attack both your men and structures. In the version we were playing it was hard to tell who was brain-washed and who wasn't, but John said in the final version they would feature an aura around them showing they have been effected. He also said they were thinking of giving this ability to the players’ tanks but have yet to decide. The AAV's and bombers look very different than the originals with new, more complex AI to create more interesting combat. The soldiers have shrunk a little (not as much as I had thought) but are more detailed than ever. They no longer pixelate as badly as before and have the ability to carry multiple satchel charges. How many has yet to be decided, but it was infinite in the demo. It doesn't affect the game much since they rarely last long enough to attack 2 structures. Most enemy units I didn't get to see, but they generally had a more alien architecture to them.
New features
John next explained a new feature called command points. You gain points as you travel through the levels depending on how well you fight and your overall effectiveness. These points define how many units you can have in the field of battle at a time. Each unit you place costs a certain number of points while it is alive. When it dies the points are returned to you to be used to place another unit with. What this does is limit you, depending on your ability, to how many units you can have on the field of battle. Thus, a very good person will end up with the ability to control a ton of units while the poorer gamers end up with fewer. This replaces the unit limits of the old game. It is a very interesting and unique system to use.
Interface
To go along with the new command points you have a new interface. It removes the dashboard of the Wraith and replaces it with a more streamlined method of interpreting information. It superimposes the info over the battle screen. This allows for more of the battle to be in view while still providing the needed information. It has a map, the units you have produced, your money, how many command points you have, a targeting device, and all the weapons you have on one screen.
Missions
After seeing all the interesting stuff in the demo John told me about the new missions. He said they were going to implement rescue missions, in which you need to save a unit, and survival missions, in which you have to last a certain time before you can be teleported out. They even had missions in which you had to steal technology to allow you to have a chance against the aliens. The demo mission was a survival mission in which you are originally sent in to protect 2 other Wraiths doing there business, but once teleported in you witness the destruction of your allies and are forced to survive 30 minutes of battle before you can escape. All of these were pretty innovative for this genre and with 60 missions to be packed into the game I am sure there will be plenty of chances for variation. The 60 missions are split into 3 separate campaigns. The first and second are immediately accessible while the third is a treat for the diligent. Each campaign gets harder but the learning curve has been toned down a bit for the meek and the game now features 3 difficulty levels to make it easier to finish. The final campaign is a secret so he could only tell me that it involves being pulled through a worm hole or something like it and the game is changed in many ways.
Multiplayer
Cyclone is also adding a couple versions of multiplayer something that was a little rough in the original. Things such as race modes, battles, cooperative battles. They will most likely provide a simple game linking feature and a commercial server such as Heat or Ten for you to play on. So far they are in talks with a couple companies for servers.
Graphics
Last, the graphics. I saw the game running on multiple machines of varying power but in both cases it ran well. The frame rate was high with no noticeable slow-down. The terrains are much like the original but with more variation and cleaner textures. The buildings now animate when placed in the hotzone. An impressive detail. The aliens’ structures and units feature very different style than the player’s units. They are rather sharp cornered and have a most outlandish look. On the other hand the player’s units appear to be more Terran in construction with smoother structures. These varying styles make identifying which team a unit belongs to easier than before. All these things make a much cleaner, beautiful Uprising than ever before.
A special thanks to John Eberhardt for taking the time to answer my questions and having patience with me. He was very friendly and helpful in every way I could possibly ask. I wish him the best with Uprising 2.
OGR's First Look at Uprising 2...
Uprising 2: First Look
by Chris Jensen
May 29, 1998
The sequel to OGR's "Sleeper Hit of 1997" is almost
upon us, titled, strangely enough, Uprising 2.
Cyclone Studios has beefed up their TerraTech engine
to a new level, incorporated a whole host of new
artwork and high resolution textures, weather effects,
an intuitive level editor, and even a customizable
Wraith. With over 60 new missions spread over 3
campaigns, a new alien race, and a nicer mix of
mission objectives, Uprising 2 takes the original solid
gameplay and simply beefs everything up, introducing
a slew of new weapons and unit types...and even
colored-lighting (you can't be a somebody these days
without colored-lighting).
Where the original Uprising found you in a struggle to
escape oppression, this time around you're in a battle
for your survival. As the young empire begins to
rebuild their forces, a new threat arrives in the guise
of the Kri'isaran Horde, a race of lizard like beings
that take great joy in harvesting the DNA of their
enemies.
Cyclone has programmed a whole new system for
enemy AI that should keep the most hardened
Uprising pro well on their toes. The inclusion of a very
sweet looking mission editor is sure to be a bonus, as
is the overhaul the multiplayer component has
received. Though Cyclone is still in discussions, you
can be rest assured that an internet gaming service
will be supporting this title when it's released, so
finding opposition to slaughter should be an easy task
now.
For you lucky folks that have two Voodoo2's sleeping
on your motherboard, expect them to be awoken by
Uprising II's SLI support. Yes, Uprising running at
1024x768 is beyond sweet, especially when you see
the accomplished weather effects and numerous
terrain types.
Expect Uprising II to ship in the Fall of 1998.
Updated 5/28/98
A lot of new stuff coming from Cyclone off the Next-Generation website. Here it is:
E3: Cyclone Prepares New Uprising
The sequel to probably the best game of 1997 is coming from
Cyclone Studios in the form of Uprising 2. (Exclusive
interview and screen-shots included.)
May 27, 1998
Uprising was Next Generation Online's favorite game of 1997 and the
prospect of a sequel has the editors very excited. IGN spent some time with
John Eberhardt, the game's producer and Evan Margolis, Cyclone's director
of development, to find out what's new in the game.
Margolis first provided some background on the series: "It was two years
ago, just before we were purchased by 3DO and we were all sitting around
trying to think of what to do after Battlesport. We needed to come up with
something really big. We came up with this idea of "total war". Putting
yourself onto a battlefield. Every game gives you a tank or some weapon and
says 'It's you against the masses… go to it.' You are going to defeat an entire
army by yourself. We didn't want to do that. We wanted to give you the
feeling that you are not alone. We wanted to give you allies and this idea
metamorphosed into Uprising 1."
"We didn't want to lose the action orientation either. Every second your life
was in the balance so we put you in a tank right along side your allies… and
you could be killed. We also didn't want it to be like 'you set up a barracks
and you call your guys in and you wait 25 minutes for them to scale the
mountain range to get to the front lines'. So the idea was in this futuristic war,
you could teleport units to the battlefield with you. This kept the action
element really high. We gave the players the ability to think strategically on
the spot and act, not forcing them to think 16 steps ahead of where they
really are."
"With Uprising 2 we're picking off where the first one left off. We've come up
with a few new core elements we needed to hit based upon our feelings about
the game and from feedback garnered from consumers, editors, etc. The first
things asked was for more variety. Instead of a civil war where both sides
have the same units, we've created a new enemy and of course a new epic
storyline that goes with it. In addition, the game has had a complete graphical
overhaul. The detail of the landscapes have been dramatically updated."
"As one would expect, there's new weapons and allied forces to aid in your
battle against the new enemy. In addition, we've revisited the multiplayer
mode. The first Uprising supported four players but Uprising 2 will support
up to eight. It's an important gameplay feature for all games and we had
adequate networking in the first, but now we're a year later and we're going to
raise the bar with new features."
Eberhardt expanded upon the multiplayer additions: "We're going to have
new deathmatch and capture the flag scenarios as well as a new racing
combat racing mode. As players race past the stands, instead of the crowd
cheering, they throw grenades."
"The new enemies have some really interesting abilities. The first of which is
the ability to turn your troops against you with the 'Brain burster tanks' [the
tank name is going to be changed]. It basically shoots this shockwave at
your troops and then suddenly, they begin shooting at you. It's a nice little
feature [laughing]."
"One of the parts of the graphical overhaul will be dynamic lighting. Troops
that have been "bursted" will have a glowing aura associated with them so
you can tell them from your friendly troops. It should be really nice looking."
The new interface for the game is vastly improved. It provides a wider field of
view and obscures less of the screen. The map view has also been redone
and is more functional. Another new addition is an improved physics model.
The wraith now has far more momentum given that it is now truly a hover
vehicle. All existing models have been overhauled and given more polygons
and detailed textures.
Players are still restricted in the number of factories they can build, but those
locations aren't directly necessarily tied to the locations of the Citadels. "You
might have a citadel on top of a nearby mountain, but the building locations
may be at the foot of the mountain," explains Eberhardt. "One of the levels
we have in the second campaign called, Platea, is going to be a nightmare
trying to play as the human player because there's so many things going on.
For example, you've been transported into an area where there are five enemy
citadels. There are building sites around the mountains, but only if the player
is able to figure out the right spots."
The team is considering allowing humans to play the enemy race. It's not in
the final plans but if they have enough time to work out a new HUD and
properly balance the races it is a possibility.
The game is currently on track for a Q4 '98 release.
Updated 5/19/98
The interviews have been moved to the news section for your reading pleasure. :)
Updated 5/18/98
Jedi, being the good man he is, has provided us with another set of juicy questions!
Q: Are the missions the same as in Uprising I?
A: No- Uprising 2 features lots of different styles of
missions- more
variety and more specific mission objectives than the original. Also,
more of an unfolding story in the campiaign, with more cinematics
between levels and more surprise twists and turns as the campaign game
progresses. Revealing more details would be blowing the plot surprises.
I'm sure you can respect that.
(editor's note: If you didn't play the original then you
probably don't know that nearly all the missions consisted of capturing all the citadels.
Which although fun was kinda repetitive. This news is very refreshing and
only makes me anxious to see what else they have done.)
Q: Are the maps larger than in Uprising I?
A: No. Same size. But totally new terrains, new skies, and
new world
objects. Oh yeah, and customized DeathMatch maps for multi-player
action, as well.
Q: Are there more weapons and units than in Uprising I?
A: Yes, but can't comment on either of these items
until E3. (end of May).
Got to keep some surprises to unfold over the next 5 or so months until
the game ships! :)
Q: Are there any new abilities for the Wraith?
A: Yes- tons of new abilities. Even a new physics
model for Wraith tank
movement. The Wraith has an entirely new graphic design as well.
Sleeker, stronger, faster, more powerful.
Q: Have the soldiers been replaced by polygons or are
they still bitmaps?
A: Still bitmaps. Entirely new look for allied and enemy
foot soldiers will
be revealed, and well as new death animations and audio.
(Another quick note: It may sound really stupid to have
bitmap soldiers, but in fact they have done an amazing job. Also, if the soldiers were
polygonal you would be forced to have a monster comp to be able to handle swarms of
soldiers surrounding you and blowing away everything in sight.)
Q: Would you say it is better than the original?
A: Yes!!! I've personally played Uprising 2 a lot,
and it simply rocks. We
did a lot of gamer research with Uprising 1, and got a ton of good
feedback from our beta-testing last year. Some key press editors also
made some really good suggestions on how to make a great game even
better. Uprising 2 is the fun time, when we get to implement all the
"wish list" items we didn't have time to incorporate in the original!
(Sorry, one last note! I know this sounds like just another hunk of advertising thrown out by 3do to make us salivate, but I trust Jedi in his judgement, and doubt that he is not one to lie outright to a group of loyal fans.)
Updated 5/16/98
Here is a quick Q&A session I had with Jedi from 3do. Thanks Jedi.
Q: What is the Uprising 2 like?
A: It has new terrains, new Wraith design, new units, new alien enemy, new HUD, new OHM.. a lot has changed-- for the better!!
Q: Will it be playable at E3 or only in video format?
A: One demo level of U2 will be fully playable at E3.
Q: When is it expected to release?
A: Expected release is this Fall. Can't tell you any more specific dates-legal constraints and all. If I told you October, and then we didn't make it, you could sue us or something. :)
Q: When will beta-testing begin?
A: Post-E3. Probably July or August- when we reach beta.
Q: Has the multi-player been changed, from the original Uprising, so it actually playable?
A: Yup, up to 8 people now, and we're working to have a host server, to guarantee low lag Internet play.
Q: How has the strategy aspect been more involved in the game?
A: You'll have to play it yourself to find out, my friend. Too hard to put into words. Simplified and streamlined. Easier to control your troops. New HUD and OHM.
Q: What are the new enemies in Uprising 2 like?
A: Aliens. Evil aliens.
Q: Has the plot realism gone down due to the introduction of the alien enemies?
A: Hopefully not! The campaign/storytelling of U2 will actually be more robust than the original. More drama, suspense, surprises... hopefully no cheese!
Q: What are the new units like?
A: Can't tell you about the new units. I have to tell the magazines first,or else they won't run the stories. They like to be the news breakers!