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Messages - Dai

#1
General / Local news write-up on Rogue Trooper game
24 August, 2006, 01:20:55 AM
Reading a local newspaper in Vancouver, Canada, today and I came across the following article, courtesy of the Canadian Press:

British developer mines comic book to tell story of Rogue Trooper

By: NEIL DAVIDSON

(CP) - Roaming a chemical wasteland has never been as much fun as it is in Rogue Trooper, from England's Rebellion development studio.

The video game, available for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC from Eidos, is a spinoff from the British 2000 AD comic, which dates back to 1977. Judge Dredd is perhaps the comic's biggest name, but for those who only know the character via the Sylvester Stallone film, don't hold that against it.

Rogue is one of the GIs (Genetic Infantrymen) employed by the Southers in their war against the Norts on the poisoned planet of Nu Earth. Betrayed by one of their own generals, the GIs with their protective blue skin are wiped out - all but Rogue - in the Quartz Zone Massacre.

Rogue salvages the silicon chips of three of his fellow troopers. With the chips downloaded into Rogue's gun, helmet and backpack, they are able to help the lone soldier on his mission of revenge until they can be transplanted into a new body.

Two years in the making, Rogue Trooper is Rebellion's second attempt at a 2000 AD property, following Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death.

"We felt we didn't do Dredd quite the justice that we could've done," Alex Moore, lead designer on Rogue Trooper, said from Rebellion's Oxford offices. "And it was a big aim right from the (start), to make sure that Rogue was much closer to the licence and please the fans a lot more. And in that respect, fans have loved it. It's been great.

"The only real negative feedback that we've had is that it's too short, which in a respect is good feedback because it means people enjoyed it."

The majority of the Rogue Trooper story was written in the early 1980s in the 2000 AD comic, before Rogue finally completed his revenge mission.

Rebellion bought 2000 AD about five years ago and started mining it for video games. It has since started reissuing Rogue Trooper comic books and launched several Rogue Trooper novels.

"We've just been building the licence back up, but sort of retelling the original story, the one that everyone knows and is familiar with and loves. Because it is such a simple emotion. Everyone understands the concept of revenge," Moore said.

The game is a third-person action adventure that gives the gamer plenty to do - from run-and-gun ground challenges to stages in the air and on supply trains.

Rogue's bio-chip buddies (Helm, Gunnar and Bagman) help the gamer along the way. Helm, for example, can be used as a holo-decoy, while Gunnar can be deployed as an automated stand-alone gun. Bagman manufactures ammo and health packs.

Together they offer gamers plenty of ways to negotiate levels.

"It's quite rewarding to be able to set up a level, an environment, almost in a sandbox manner, and basically say to a player 'Right, get from here to here and figure out how to do it,' " said Moore. "And see three different people approach it in three completely different ways."

While you can run-and-gun your way through much of the game, Moore says experimenting with some of the features adds to the Rogue Trooper experience.

"Just take your time going into new situations," he counsels. "Look at the way things have been set up. Quite often we tried to make sure there was sort of a vantage point that players could get to, without actually being threatened, from where they can actually observe the enemies.

"Just play, try using the features. ... If you just take your time and have fun, it can be very very rewarding - making mockery almost of these stupid Norts."

Equipment and weaponry can be upgraded along the way.

"It was tricky at the start because we had so much reference material available," said Moore. "It was a matter of picking and choosing, going for the things that we thought would work well in the game, things that we though the fans would be mortified not to see in the game."

Rebellion got Gordon Rennie, who spent five years writing the Rogue Trooper comic book, to help with the game's script.

Despite the fact that the British comic is not as well known in North America, Moore says the game has done well on this side of the Atlantic - helped in part to a reduced price.

Rebellion is on a bit of a roll these days. It just released the Miami Vice game for the PSP and was recently voted most improved studio in the United Kingdom. It has also purchased Core Design, the original Tomb Raider developer.

That has pushed Rebellion's staff up to some 200.

#2
News / Re: NEW AND IMPROVED FUTURE SHOP I...
27 July, 2006, 05:12:41 AM
No Rogue Trooper GN's....
#3
General / Re: 'South-er' or 'suther'...........
17 May, 2006, 11:35:17 PM
I always read it as suther...

If it was south-er, why would the nort be nicknaming them 'suds'??  Or did i just imagine reading that somewhere??
#4
Help! / Re: Ebay help
02 May, 2006, 01:33:08 AM
I normally check ebay.co.uk to see if there's stuff that I want and if there is, I would email the seller if they'll ship to Canada.

It's just common courtesy, at least I think so, to do this.....I've only been turned down a couple of times.
#5
Games / Re: Rogue Trooper review thread......
25 April, 2006, 04:20:19 AM
Just reading all of this and I can't wait!!!!!

Damn the North American release date...maybe I can get a PC copy off of fleabay??
#6
News / Re: Rogue Trooper: Launch date 21s...
20 April, 2006, 02:35:14 AM
That's just the UK release date, right?

What about North America?  I can't check the Eidos website as my internet at work has it blocked
#7
General / Re: Rogue Hollywood
01 April, 2006, 01:46:25 AM
It was called 'Soldier'
#8
I'm in for the Rogue Trooper...but I may start buying the Dredd Case files as it'd be nice to have everything all in once place...

Any idea on how far they're planning on printing up to??
#9
Help! / Re: rogue trooper
24 March, 2006, 01:59:51 AM
When the US came up with the brilliant idea of re-doing Coupling and airing it over here, I just happened to buy the S2 DVD of the UK version.

A sticker on the cover said:

'The Original version of the #1 US comedy of the year'

....and we all know how that went...
#10
Help! / Re: rogue trooper
23 March, 2006, 03:05:22 AM
EE 1.5 isn't available in the shop yet...

Once it is, i'll probably order from there...along with Eye of the Traitor...
#11
Help! / Re: rogue trooper
23 March, 2006, 01:21:24 AM
I recently ordered RT: Future of War, Fort Neuro and two of the novels...

Now, I have to find a way to get my hands on EE 1.5....not even Ebay has that...
#12
News / Re: Re:
23 March, 2006, 01:19:01 AM
That would be a good scenario to play.....
#13
News / Re: Re:
22 March, 2006, 11:30:18 PM
If there is a PC version, I hope there's some sort of multi-player online version....

But I'm probably sadly wrong....
#14
Film & TV / Re: Sapphire & Steel
21 March, 2006, 11:31:53 PM
Got my wife hooked first on the BF audios, then just started to watch the DVD's....just in the middle of the first disc and she's really into it!!
#15
General / Re: Can you defeat the Rogue Troop...
21 March, 2006, 02:47:33 AM
Given the amount of GI's supposedly dropped into the Quartz Zone, you would think that there would be more than 4 Bio-Chips out there....

They could do a story about how a Nort/Souther Antique collector manages to get theirs hands on some GI equipment and finds out there's a (couple?) biochips attached!!

Imagine that.....Nu Earth Antique Roadshow...