The Specialists mod interview feature

[page=The Specialists mod interview]
Moddb.com: State your real name, job, place where you are from and age!

I'm Lorenzo "John_Matrix" Pasini, i'm a student and a future modeller for pc games. I'm 19 and I come from Milan, Italy.

Moddb.com: The Specialists mod was thought up when? Why The Specialists mod? Is the mod like another game or mod in your opinion?

John_Matrix: We thought about TS a couple of years ago on vacation, trying to make a funny game for our personal interests, we always used to play many games and mods in lan partys but none really was the "One". For this we started TS... then a public release was undermeant. We might say that we've mixed mods like counter-strike with action-halflife as well as some thoughts from Soldier of Fortune, everything suited up with a good action film knownledge (Matrix, John Woo's films like Face off and so on). Why "The Specialists"? I think that this fits with the mod =)

Moddb.com: How long have you been working on The Specialists mod?

John_Matrix: Lots of time, a couple of years at least.

Moddb.com: Describe the best feature in the mod in your opinion? What should the person look for that they might miss?

John_Matrix: Personally i do like realistic damage and the shotguns we've implemented. We always have been bored by games in which you need to empty an entire magazine over your enemy from 2 meters of distance without obtaining any effect. The same for shotguns, i think that in this game they have been really evaluated, since in the most mods or fps they've always been considered weapons "good for really really close combat" in the real life shotguns are used for longer ranges!

Another feauture is the slowmotion... I think nobody have never added it in a multiplayer contest.

Moddb.com: Describe the weapons and what the weapon you will use the most and why?

John_Matrix: As I said i personally like shotguns, but actually i use every sinlge weapon of TS when i play.

Moddb.com: How is the damage system in The Specialists mod?

John_Matrix: An headshot kills almost every time, at least 3-4 9mm are needed to frag somebody. Larger calibers do obviously higher damage.

Moddb.com: Gameplays whats your favorite? Explain them all please.

John_Matrix: I do prefer Teamplay, but it's not well supported by the game since there is a single map (tm_skycraper) and it neither is so good. During teamplays all weapons are extremely dangerous (more than during DM sessions) but there is the kevlar that can be bought. Players have to defuse or acrtivate a bomb placed in the level to gain more credits to be spent in the next round.

TeamRound (tr_stormshield) similar to Teamplay, but there is no bomb in the level. Wins the team with more kills. Who wins gets more credits to gain heavier equipment.

Deathmatch... It's simple, spawn in with your equipment and try to obtain as many frags as possible. There are various powerups and many spectacular moves to perform.

Moddb.com: Describe the players/classes for the mod! Explain them if you can?

John_Matrix: There are no classes, in deathmatch you just choose a player model and spawn into game setting your best equipment. I may say that the equipment you choose sets you over a specific class: use of assault rifles will not allow to move fastly and to perform spectacular stunts, but gives lots of firepower. Use of a handgun allows to perform moves, to obtain many frags but obviously with less firepower.

Moddb.com: Explain a neat feature in the mod that someone might not know about the mod! Also talk about the buy system and how it works!

John_Matrix: Nothing really more to say.. there will be more
teamplay/teamround options and maps. The buysystem is already well explained in the manual, in the TS folder under "TSmanual" folder. I know that I should explain it again here, but everybody asks us about this... READ the manual, it's clear and simple! I take this interview to underline that we did it to help everybody to play TS.

Moddb.com: What mods do you like in Half Life?

Now that there is TS i do like it only =), anyway Dod, CS and ActionHL are the best mods ever.