Lesta Studios & Pacific Storm Interview
ACG: Would you please take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers?
Sergei: My name is Sergei Titarenko, I am the project manager for Pacific Storm.
ACG: Brief us on Pacific Storm and it’s gameplay.
Sergei: Pacific Storm is mixture of RTS, war-game and simulator. All major Pacific Ocean battles of World War II are included and you can play either for the USA or Japan. There is a strategic level in the game with Pacific Ocean map divided into zones with metropolises where necessary units are produced and fleets and divisions are formed. For the successful warfare you also need to develop military technologies including the option of producing nuclear or bacteriological weapons. On this level of the game you move your counters representing military, naval and aircraft divisions and carry out your strategic warfare schemes. When your counters encounter enemy units, you can proceed to the tactical level of the game and switch to a first-person action flying a plane. You can enter your units at any time and when you get hit you can switch to another unit. Among the key features are detailed 3D models of battleships, aircraft-carriers, destroyers, cruisers, submarines, torpedo boats, tankers, cargo ships and transports, fighters, attack planes, torpedo-bombers, strategic bombers, reconnaissance planes, land cannons and antiaircraft guns ? all designed according to authentic historical references. You can fly legendary Zero fighters or B17 flying fortress, and all your actions can lead to victory or defeat of your army.
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ACG: Pacific Storm is described as an RTS, a tactical war game, and a simulator, all in one. Why the mix of gaming genres versus sticking to one?
Sergei: Today RTS game genre is undergoing changes. It is becoming more action-oriented. The player is no longer satisfied with just being a spectator selecting and sending units on a map and watching unit AI in action. I think what we did is a very cool blend of genres, it is not just another archade or an RTS. This multi-level game structure allows the player more gaming freedom. Besides, every player can find something in the game he likes more.
ACG: I hear that all the units are 3D modeled, and are all designed according to authentic historical references. What references were used, and why?
Sergei: Well, during Pacific Storm pre-production we’ve collected a lot of historical graphical and textual information. Without that making a game based on the events of the past would be senseless. We wanted to be as close to "history" as possible and keep the atmosphere of that time. Among the sources used were the Internet, memoirs of the Japanese and the Americans and history books.
ACG: Could you tell us about the game engine used?
Sergei: It is a pretty swift 3D game engine that we are working on. It is very flexible and we can use it both for the simulator part and strategy. To make the landscapes in Pacific Storm more convincing to the player, and still retain the frame rate required to enjoy the playing experience, we’ve had to develop several new techniques to achieve the end result you will see on screen. All of these features allow artists and designers to put an enormous amount of detail into the game models and environments achieving new levels of realism in games.
ACG: Tell us about resource gathering in Pacific Storm, and how will it add to the combat feel of the game overall?
Sergei: All strategic map of Pacific Storm is divided into zones. Zones with land have natural resources. We have only the major resources such as money, iron, aluminum, and oil. Resources harvested need to be delivered to metropolises otherwise they cannot be used. To simplify the task of resource transportation we bring in the game such feature as automatic convoy formation and travel. Using your seaborne aircraft you can destroy enemy cargoes and you should also protect yours ? this is also a very important strategic element.
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