THE TRENCH FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) news

WHAT IS THE TRENCH ?

The Trench is a single player FPS with a hint of RPG. It takes place during the First World War at the battle of Verdun. You play as a French soldier mobilized on the Verdun front February 18, 1916 or three days before the German attack.

WHO DEVELOPS THE TRENCH ?

We are a small independent studio located in the French region of Seine et Marne, consisting of two friends who had the ambitious idea of creating a video game. In 2011 we faced the challenge of creating a FPS on the theme of the First World War: "The Trench".

HOW IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRENCH BEING FUNDED ?

It is funded by us; you can still support our war effort by pre-ordering THE TRENCH on our official website. Your support will give you access to the Alpha and Beta which should see the light in 2013.

ON WHICH PLATFORM WILL THE TRENCH COME OUT ?

Only on PCs running Windows. THE TRENCH is not available on any other platforms or operating systems.

WHAT GAME ENGINE IS USED IN THE TRENCH ?

We use the T3D engine version 1.2 of the company GarageGames.

WHAT ARE THE HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS ?

Currently we expect the following configuration:

Operating System: Windows XP SP3/Vista/7,8
Processor: 2 GHz or higher
RAM: 2GB
Graphics card: ATI, NVIDIA 512mb
DirectX ®: 9.0c or higher
Hard Disk Space: 8 GB

Note that the configuration can still be modified, the development is not finished, however these prerequisites should no longer vary too much.

HOW IS THE TRENCH TO BE DISTRIBUTED ?

Firstly it will be available on the official website. Finally, in the coming months we will be submitting the game to Steam Greenlight.

IN WHAT LANGUAGE WILL IT BE AVAILABLE ?

The game is entirely in French (text and voice), for the international market the text will be translated to English and the dialogue will be subtitled.

A VIDEO GAME IN THE TRENCHES, MIGHTN'T IT BE REPETITIVE AND BORING ?

The main objective is to repel the German attack using the resources made available for 3 days called "preparation". This is the basic storyline on which quests come to be added and in some cases completely alter the outcome of the game.

In THE TRENCH, the goal is not necessarily to take the opposing trench, but experience new opportunities and explore the environment.

WHAT DO WE FIND ON THE ONE MAP IN THE GAME ?

The game takes place on the field of "Hill 304" in VERDUN. For obvious reasons of gameplay we took some geographical freedom. The French and German trenches are separated by a large "No Man's Land", they are both composed of three lines each connected by communication trenches. You will find aid stations, observation posts, a command post and shelters. This area covers approximately 50% of the map. And behind the lines you will find a forested area, vast plains and the village of Esnes-en-Argonne.

HAVE YOU PLANNED TO DO A DEMO ?

No, for the simple reason that it would not show a significant amount of THE TRENCH, it would also oblige us to focus on only one aspect of the game

WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES ?

- An open world, dynamic environments, start the game 3 days before the Battle of Verdun and prepare your defences.
- A system of dynamic deformation of the ground.
- A system of combat, stealth and cover.
- An inventory system and a scenario with multiple outcomes.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE THREE DAYS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF VERDUN ?

On the first day the player will be hosted by Corporal Ferrec who will teach you the basics of gameplay and give you some information on the site. After this step, which will serve as a tutorial, you'll be quickly briefed on the situation and your first task will be to join a group of soldiers to organize offensive preparations. It is with this mission that the game will branch out by offering several choices. At the end of three days February 21, 1916, the French lines will be under fire for a good part of the day.

This sequence of intensive bombardment is also one of the key elements of THE TRENCH because it randomly changes the configuration of the French trench as well as No Man's Land. Once the bombing ends the first wave of enemies will sweep the French position and test your strategic choices made during the 3 days of preparation.

DO YOU HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF MISSION AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COURSE
OF THE GAME ?

During the three days, you can help deserters so that they give you valuable information about the organization of the German attack and therefore better organize your defence. For example, sabotaging an enemy communication installation or neutralizing a listening post will reduce their reinforcement capacity.

For the more adventurous, make raids at night into the enemy lines to assassinate officers, discover the locations of artillery or simply reduce the number of soldiers in a certain position.

WHAT IS THE DYNAMIC DEFORMATION OF THE GROUND ?

Artillery and mortars change the landscape of the battlefield. Dynamic deformation affects only the No Man's Land as well as some areas of the map. The shells create craters that form cover during attacks but they can just as well represent a mortal danger, some contain layers of stagnant gas.

HOW DOES THE COVER SYSTEM WORK ?

The cover system is supported primarily by 'Leaning' also predetermined objects allow you to take cover from enemy fire.

HOW DOES THE INFILTRATION SYSTEM WORK ?

Automatically, as soon as you enter this your character will crouch leading to quieter movements. In this mode you will be able to approach an enemy and put them out of harm's way without sounding the alarm.

WHAT ARE THE RPG ELEMENTS IN THE TRENCH ?

The RPG aspects of THE TRENCH are manifested through:

- A story with many branches.
- NPCs.
- A system of dialogue and bargaining.
- An inventory system with limited equipment which can be used to store a maximum load of 50 kg.
- Weapons in THE TRENCH all have specific characteristics: recoil, range, accuracy, durability, containment factor.
- The ability to upgrade weapons such as the addition of a scope or the use of a stock on a Luger to improve accuracy.
- The manufacture and customization of Trench Clubs.

WHAT WEAPONS WILL BE AVAILABLE ?

All weapons in use during the year 1916 will be available:

French side:

- Bolt action Rifles: M93 Lebel Mle 1886 Berthier 07-15, Berthier Mle 1892
- Handguns: Revolver Mle 1892, Ruby
- Melee weapons: Trench clubs, Rosalie bayonet, Avenger dagger, various type of knives ...
- Explosives: F1 Grenade, Firework Racket.
- Mortars (trench mortars): Cellerier, 58 # 1, 58 Bis No. 1, No. 2 58T, Aasen, Louis-Philippe
- Light machine guns: CSRG 15 - Chauchat
- Artillery: Canon 75.
- Flamethrowers: Schilt
- Machine Guns: Hotchkiss Model 1914, Model 1907 Saint-Etienne

German side:

- Bolt action rifles: Gewehr 98, Gewehr 98 Scharfschutzen
- Handguns: Mauser 1916, Luger P08, Luger P08 Artillery Revolver Reich
- Melee weapons: Trench clubs, bayonets
- Explosives: Stick Hand Grenades.
- Mortars: Granatenwerfer 1916
- Light machine guns: /
- Artillery: Canon 77, Minenwerfers
- Flamethrowers: Wex
- Machine Guns: Maxim MG08

The mortars are made possible in conjunction with the use of a trench periscope. For heavy artillery and air support, bombing orders will be given by designating your target with binoculars or rocket launchers. Obviously it will deal with the fact that the bombing accuracy will largely depend on the measures you have deployed.

WHAT IS THE DIFFICULTY OF THE GAME ?

There are three levels of difficulty:

- An easy mode: Automatic health regeneration, resurgence of player at aid station after his death, can sustain significant damage, etc ...
- A normal mode: Once the player has suffered too many injuries they cannot be rescued and must return to the first aid station for treatment otherwise they will die.
- A customizable mode: You have the choice to lower weapon damage, damage taken, disable automatic health regeneration etc. ...

CAN I CHANGE THE CONTROL SCHEME ?

The controls are customizable in the configuration menu, they are classed by weapon type eg Rifles, handguns, melee.

CAN YOU PLAY AS THE GERMANS ?

At the moment only the French side will be playable.

DO YOU PLAN TO INCLUDE A MULTIPLAYER MODE ?

Not currently, THE TRENCH is a single player experience only.