[page=Introduction]
There are many modifications that we overlook every day. There's many we don't know even exist. The modification community can become quickly biased before we know it. Suddenly those who have higher contacts are the ones that succeed. Most modifications it seems succeed before they even start.
I have taken the chance to interview a modification that is still very young, but very promising. A team that has been at this project for a long time, and a team that wants to do one thing and that is succeed. I have taken the liberty and honor to interview Terranova
[page=The Interview]
Bryan(modDB): Welcome DesolatorDan and thanks for letting us here at modDB interview you.
Bryan(modDB): Alright to start things off, explain to me the transformation from Rock 4 to Terranova. Most importantly why?
DesolatorDan: We started out making the Rock 4 mod which was combat on Mars. Further into development, we found the planet Mars a very inflexible location to base the mod on. It’s flat, red, and has no oxygen. And we were trying to make it semi realistic as what it’d be like if humans really did go there. So, we created our own fictional planet called Terranova which comes from “Terra” (Earth in Latin) and “novus” (New in Latin). It doesn’t limit us like Mars did.
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Bryan(modDB): Explain to us the exact storyline for Terranova.
DesolatorDan: It takes place 2 centuries in the future on the planet Terranova. Humans had exhausted Earth’s resources and a virus was spreading that mutated beings. So, they built a giant ship and about half of Earth left to find a new planet. A few years later, they find the planet, Terranova, and colonize it. Meanwhile, humans left on Earth have been mutated by the virus and evolve very rapidly. They become even more detached from the label “Humans” and become known as Kreons. The Kreons had changed into a more advanced species and build a ship to find and destroy the humans that had left decades before and take their planet from them.
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Bryan(modDB): Terrannova is a planet that the humans depart to. How do they find it? And how does it differ from Earth?
DesolatorDan: The humans left Earth and spent many years in the giant ship searching for a suitable planet. When they found it, they started a new civilization. It’s very similar to Earth. The atmosphere, sea, and land are pretty much the same. But there are some differences such as the kinds of vegetation, the terrain colors and shape. It will look similar to Earth, but be different.
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Bryan(modDB): You seem to have a team of guys that date back to the Command and Conquer: Renegade days. Are you and most of the staff friends since those days?
DesolatorDan: Yes, 3 of us worked on the Star Wars C&C Renegade mod, me, Cheeto, and Legoalert. That was when I started my modding as a modeler for maps.
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Bryan(modDB): You seem to have a pretty good plateau when it comes to creativity and creating anything you want with this storyline. What are some interesting features you plan on implementing?
DesolatorDan: We do plan on having some interesting weapons for engineers and medics such as deployable tools for repair and medical aid. Drones for spying and other things may be included as well as beacons for large superweapons.
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Bryan(modDB): In this modification you have the two sides. Humans and Kreons. What are the major differences between both? When it comes to technology who reigns supreme?
DesolatorDan: The Kreons have the more advanced technology such as anti-gravity and bio-ammo. But the humans have their trusty advanced tech from Earth that’s just as good as the Kreons’.
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Bryan(modDB): What made the team choose to leave Battlefield: Vietnam and pursue the unreleased Battlefield 2?
DesolatorDan: When we switched, Battlefield 2 was scheduled to be released late March. Plus, the Mod Dev Kit was going to be released earlier. Modding in BF2 would be a ton easier than in BFV and the engine was superior to BFV. Now, BF2 has been delayed until sometime in June. We’re just continuing work and waiting it out.
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Bryan(modDB): Has your team produced anything ingame, even if it would be on other engines?
DesolatorDan: Yes, we did have a small alpha for BFV, mostly with content that will not be included in the BF2 version or that has been drastically changed. It only had a few vehicles and maps with nothing but terrain. But it gave us an insight of how we should continue work on the mod.
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Bryan(modDB): What sets this modification apart from other Futuristic modifications?
DesolatorDan: Many futuristic modifications are set way into the future when everyone uses anti-gravity spacecraft and plasma weapons. While the Kreons in our mod will hold those technologies, the humans will have weapons such as tanks and weapons that are similar in style to today’s.
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Bryan(modDB): You’re a bunch of Star Wars fans aren’t you?
DesolatorDan: Sort of, but not really. You could say that any futuristic mod is a fan of Star Wars. I’d be more of a fan of Tiberian Sun and the Command & Conquer series. But we’re making something unique with its own feel of science fiction.
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Bryan(modDB): What are you exactly planning for the first release, in terms of weapons, features and such?
DesolatorDan: We plan to have a beta with a few maps, weapons for each class, and a few vehicles for each team. Later, we may decide to add a 3rd army after the mod starts taking form.
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Bryan(modDB): Terranova is slowly shaping up to be a promising hit. How long do you and your team spend producing for this modification?
DesolatorDan: I spend a lot of my time talking with the team, coming up with ideas, managing things, and then modeling and texturing. We are progressing nicely right now but the real work will start when the BF2 Mod Dev Kit is released and we can start producing some real results.
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Bryan(modDB): What makes you think Battlefield 2 is best suited for this modification?
DesolatorDan: Games like Half-life 2 are designed for closer combat without a huge battlefield environment. Battlefield 2 really does have a huge battlefield environment that takes huge advantage of vehicles and aircraft which can be really fun.
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Bryan(modDB): Any plans for Single Player or is this strictly going be a multiplayer modification?
DesolatorDan: Plans are for multiplayer only, but we will be adding bot support for the maps for offline play. Depending on the single player campaign support that BF2 may or may not have, we will still most likely stick with multiplayer only.
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Bryan(modDB): Let’s state the obvious; heading a project is no easy task. So many projects fail and disappear. What are some of your horror stories of keeping the team together?
DesolatorDan: The biggest task is keeping everyone together and in contact. Some people stick like super glue at the start and start to fall off later and you’ve got you hold them up. Prioritizing the management of a mod can get difficult and sometimes discouraging. But there’s always an uplifting and as Terranova progresses things just get better.
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Bryan(modDB): Is the idea of this project to leap into the gaming community or is it just to create something that relates to a dream of yours?
DesolatorDan: Both sort of. A science fiction mod set in a made up world would just be really cool if it was done right. The gaming industry is a tough place to work in and working on a mod is a great way to experience that.
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Bryan(modDB): So, recently you were denied of being able to attend the Battlefield 2 Mod Conference because you’re under 18. Comments? :)
DesolatorDan: Oh, there are so many words I’d like to use, but I’ll keep it clean. It’s a huge disappointment. It’s one of those things you dream about. You get upset when you can’t go simply because of a thing like your age. But, there will be other opportunities in the future for me, and I can still get most of the information about BF2 modding I need from EA. The best part about the conference is that I’d get to play BF2.
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Bryan(modDB): Are there any modifications for Battlefield 2 you currently look up to? Or you really looking forward to?
DesolatorDan: For BF2 mods currently in progress I think there are some with really good potential if done right. Verge of Armegedon, Battlefield Apocalypse, Flashpoint Balkans and Renalert all look like they’ll be successful. Pretty much all of the BF2 mods right now have potential, only time can tell if they have the dedication to produce a Battlefield mod.
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Bryan(modDB): What about past work? What other projects have you worked on that other people might know of?
DesolatorDan: I worked on the StarWars C&C Renegade mod as a map modeler and textures. Previous to that I did websites and a lot of work with 2D graphics. Some of the Terranova mod staff are new to mods, but have been doing modeling or mapping for a while. Others have even been with me on past mods or projects.
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Bryan(modDB): Can we expect to see vehicles of any sort? If so explain them a bit.
DesolatorDan: Of course there will be vehicles. That’s what half of Battlefield is all about. VTOL, tanks, jeeps, jets, spacecraft, and some other very large vehicles such as a battle train may be in the mod.
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Bryan(modDB): What about the gravity on Terranova. Is it like earths?
DesolatorDan: Yes, it’s going to be slightly less than that of Earth’s but nothing too light. You’ll be able to jump higher than you would on Earth, but not over even one story buildings or anything like that.
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Bryan(modDB): Well that concludes our interview. Thank you for your time. If you have any closing comments for your fans, fire away.
DesolatorDan: The best way to see a mod released is to support it. And a great way to support it is to join it if you have some modding skills or to become an active member of it’s community in the forums and such. We’ll be making sure the Terranova mod is a great sci-fi experience for all Battlefield fans.
View Terranova on modDB!
