Howdy All,
    Here is some info on 3d Realms' new game, "Prey". I found it on
  the internet at http://cnet.com and give them full credit for it's
  contents.
by Lee Hamrick
  Graphing the evolution of the first-person shooter is not too tough
a task. Measuring only the peaks (when it comes to this genre, the
high points are few and far between), you'd start out with Wolfenstein
3D, go up to Doom, and then maybe skip over to Dark Forces. Next,
you'd rocket to Duke Nukem 3D, rumble with Quake, and then...what?
The folks at 3D Realms, the little ol' company in Garland, Texas, that
brought us Duke Nukem 3D, think they have the answer. Their next-
next-generation 3D game, Prey, has been hot on the lips of gamers the
world over. Even before Quake's hefty release, dozens of "Preywatch"
Web sites were eagerly dispensing the meager rumors and tidbits about
this would-be Quake killer. And Prey's release is still way off.
Originally scheduled to be out this winter, Prey was pushed back to
spring '97, and then pushed back even farther to late '97/early '98.
All the anticipatory hullabaloo and the lengthy delays have created
quite a buzz about this seemingly shy up-and-comer. What exactly is
going on over there at 3D Realms?
For a rundown of the recent shake-ups at 3D Realms, be sure to check
out gamecenter's news coverage.
Gamecenter's exclusive chat with Tom Hall, former creative director of
the Prey project, helped us shed some light on the whole matter.
on the warpath
First, there was a story line. And the 3D Realms designers saw that it
was good. And then they changed their mind...
Call it an evolutionary process. Or a hyperactive imagination. The
truth is, authors alter their plot lines all the time. So it goes
with game creators. New stuff is added, details are fine-tuned, and
you readjust. The weirdest thing about 3D Realms' games, in direct
contrast to id Software's abstract approach, is that the story matters
in a first-person shooter.
In Prey's original story line, you were a human being who was
kidnapped from Earth by aliens, taken to their home planet, and
studied as a representative of human fighting techniques. Placed in a
combat arena and armed with a bionic power suit (or biosuit as it's
called), you had only one goal: to survive battle after battle against
alien warriors. All the while, your extraterrestrial abductors studied
each captive in preparation for their own upcoming war. Key to the
plot was a Warrior Wheel, the alien abductors' six-category approach
to combat. In the original plot, every captive would have a particular
forte--stealth or strength, for example--that was representative of
one of the Wheel's categories.
Prey's plot has matured and changed a bit over the last year or so.
The character you will now play is très '90s, in an X-Files
kind of way. Your Native American protagonist is no ordinary Joe--he's
an investigator of all things creepy and paranormal. While checking
out some strange goings-on, he is kidnapped and taken to another
planet. After being placed in an arena with "a huge alien warrior,"
you must kill your opponent, escape, and then somehow find your way
home. The biosuit is gone; Hall felt it would block the view of the
character. In its place are two wrist bracers: one shields you, and
the other is a universal translator, so you can understand the heathen
insults sure to be thrown your way.
stalker
For the most part, your otherworldly enemies are still in development.
While 3D Realms is keeping uncharacteristically quiet about what it
has up its sleeve, some preliminary sketches are available. Your foes
will each have their own special skills (kind of like the Warrior
Wheel, although the designers aren't sure whether they'll keep that
terminology), and they'll boast artificial-intelligence logic that
will rival that of a good strategy game. In fact, 3D Realms is
promising a level of AI so sophisticated that you'll think you're in a
deathmatch against another human.
And for a great change of pace, you'll have the option of leaving your
humanity behind and playing one of the mysterious alien characters
when you go into a real deathmatch against your friends.
The 3D Realms designers are creating weapons that will challenge your
force-using and deciphering skills. Remember, this is an alien world--
there probably won't be any standard shotguns hanging in the rear
window of a pick-up truck. Before you start blasting, you'll have to
first figure out the gizmo and then decide how best to use it.
Described as "insane" by the developers, these weapons are intended to
dazzle, befuddle, and eventually bepuddle your enemies into bloody
gobbets of flesh.
Prey to the 3D gods
Technology problems have been cited as the reason behind Prey's
unusual delay. So what's so special about it? Plenty.
William Scarboro, a key programmer for Apogee's Rise of the Triad, is
handling Prey's special effects. Precomputed colored lights and
shadows are only the beginning. As with Quake, Prey's completely
rendered, true 3D world features six degrees of freedom. Unlike Quake,
however, Prey's play environment will be completely interactive.
Early in the game's development, for example, 3D Realms commented
about ropes throughout Prey's environment that would allow players to
swing from place to place. Although the ropes have gone the way of
the biosuit (it seems that using them made players too open to enemy
fire), this "see it, use it" philosophy still pervades. Hall states
that a spaceship in the distance won't be there for visual splendor
alone. It will be possible to actually enter the ship and--once you
figure out the alien workings--pilot it throughout the game. And you
can use Prey's computer monitors to gather information. (But don't
forget, of course, that your AI foes will have the same advantages...)
join the hunt
Mark Dochtermann was the programmer heading up Prey's networking code.
His recent departure from 3D Realms (along with several other
employees) has cast a cloud over development. While his replacement
has not yet been named, based on Dochtermann's past success with Duke
Nukem, we can only look forward to the results of his formative work
with Prey. We've been promised the new title will take multiplayer
gaming way beyond anything now available. Also in the works: LAN and
Internet play, with the number of players limited only by the server
size and bandwidth; gamers will be able to join or exit at any time
(as with Quake) without disrupting gameplay. Imagine 25 gamers
battling it out over a workstation server. Aye, Carumba!
And in keeping with the trend of open-ended architecture started by
Doom, if the finished Prey doesn't live up to your standards, you'll
be able to take matters into your own hands. The company plans to
release a full-blown level editor simultaneously, which will make the
creation of new levels easier than ever before.
Preyers and Quakers
Will Prey overtake Quake as gaming's next religious experience? It's
hard to tell. Both id Software and 3D Realms are pushing and
advancing state-of-the-art technology all the time. What's the
difference? For one thing, 3D Realms claims that its injection of
character and rich experiences makes for a more immersive gaming
experience. With its emphasis on strategy and interactive environment,
Prey should fill the content void common to other titles in the genre.
Q&A with Tom Hall
Tom Hall is a true gaming mover and shaker. After cofounding id
Software, where he worked on games such as Commander Keen,
Wolfenstien 3-D, and Doom, Hall moved to 3D Realms. There, Hall
spearheaded in-house development and was instrumental in the creation
of Rise of the Triad, Terminal Velocity, and most recently, Prey.
Hall's latest move is to the newly formed Dream Design, where he is to
be reunited with his former id Software buddy, John Romero.
August 1, 1996
GAMECENTER: I've read that the human character in Prey is still in
development. Can you tell us which decisions have been made so far?
Tom Hall: He's a Native American. His job: a special investigator of
strange phenomena. While investigating one of these phenomena, he's
teleported to an alien planet. He's captured and thrown into an arena
with a gigantic alien warrior. If he survives the battle and escapes,
he must find his way back home. To do that, he's going to have to be
tough and resourceful.
GAMECENTER: Are there any more details available about the story line?
T. H.: The arena concept is from the early stages of Prey's
development. The story starts this way; then events in the story bring
about other reasons that everyone else is hunting him. But his main
desire is to make it home in one piece.
GAMECENTER: How would you, as Prey's creative director, describe the
feel of the game?
T. H.: The overall tone of the game will be alien and technological.
It will be very alive and dynamic, with large things moving in rooms,
the ability to control and change things with real effects in your
environment, the ability to pilot small ships and platforms. You can
mess around in the Prey environment with consequences and purpose.
GAMECENTER: How many alien opponents will there be to choose from, and
what are they like? Can the player alter the aliens?
T. H.: This is unknown at this time, but each [alien] will have one
special ability that makes them stand out from each other. In terms of
who you control, you might be limited to creatures that can use the
weapons you do, or, as a novelty, we could leave it open. Most matches
will likely consist of player characters, though, as this is a more
equal test of skills. Of course, everything in the game should be
alterable. There should be an ability to compile scripts, link in
code, or even interpret code compiled to assembly.
GAMECENTER: There is a relationship between each alien's race and
their skill levels. What ability is the human known for? Will players
be able to acquire and develop skills, depending on which character
they choose? What kind of advantages will they be able to gain? 
T. H.: This isn't [a role-playing game]--the human protagonist is the
focus of Prey. Playing as aliens will be a novelty in deathmatch. It
is always better in action games to have the advantages be the literal
skill improvements of the real-life player. In other words, the more
you play, the better shot you become. Or the easier it is to evade
enemy fire. Of course, you'll get new items to play with, and the
action and puzzles will get more difficult as you go on, but by the
time you get to them you should be able to handle them. There's more
pure accomplishment for players this way. Their success isn't the luck
of the dice--they did it themselves. Not that I don't like RPGs--
they're cool. Prey just isn't one, that's all.
GAMECENTER: Is the main character's biosuit still part of the game?
T. H.: The biosuit is an idea from the early stages of Prey's
development. We've been open about our concepts, just because when we
were getting into the industry, we loved to hear about how other
people develop games. We're still sharing our process--that's why
everyone knows about the biosuit. The big problem with the biosuit,
although it is cool, is that it totally obscures the character, who is
the real focus of the game. So the hero now wears two wrist bracers:
one that shields him, and one that's a universal translator. Everyone
will use the same weapons system, except for those creatures that have
built-in weapons. Say a snake spits as you. You can't expect to kill
it and use its venom glands or whatever. (Actually, you kind of do
that in our other game, Shadow Warrior, but...)
GAMECENTER: It has been reported that due to Prey's advanced graphics
technology fewer monsters will exist on each level. How will that
affect gameplay?
T. H.: There are going to be plenty of monsters.
GAMECENTER: Will it be possible to have a straight slugfest and still
come out the victor, or will we have to get used to planning more
tactical attacks? 
T. H.: All sorts of tactics will be necessary to defeat your foes. You
won't be able to simply wade into every battle. You'll be using your
wits quite a bit.
GAMECENTER: How many levels will Prey have?
T. H.: That will depend on development, but there will be more than
enough to really enjoy the game.
GAMECENTER: What kind of weapons will be in Prey?
T. H.: The weapons are going to be very interesting. I'd rather not go
into specifics--sorry--but they will all be very impressive visually
and will take weapons beyond what you're used to. Heh heh...
GAMECENTER: Strategy seems to be key to victory. What other items in
the world besides the much-talked-about ropes, weapons, and opponents
will be interactive?
T. H.: Ropes, again, may or may not be in there. We can do them, but
their physics--unless you use unrealistic swinging ropes--doesn't
actually lend itself to getting places fast, especially in deathmatch.
Gee, you wouldn't be too vulnerable hanging up in the air on a rope,
would you now? But virtually everything in the game will be
interactive. There won't just be a graphic of a computer over there.
It will be a real computer; you can go up to it, read its monitor, and
use it to control the environment or gain information. If you see a
spaceship, you can get in it and pilot it. The interactivity is going
to be wonderful. People will probably just sit around levels and
fiddle with things at first.
GAMECENTER: What sets the Prey engine apart?
T. H.: We are making an engine that is truly dynamic. Things will move
on a scale you haven't seen before. And lights are used impressively.
Plus, there are ways to use the full six degrees of freedom that will
be both fun and nauseating.
GAMECENTER: We've all heard about the lava glow and the shadows. What
else can you tell us about the lighting in the game? How do you
achieve these effects?
T. H.: We'll have dynamic lights, fuzzy shadows, and other lighting
effects to really give Prey's environment a sense of realism. The
effects are programmed by William Scarboro, who has a grand affinity
for cool-looking stuff. The levels will have precomputed lighting, and
dynamic lights will be all over. You'll even have dynamic lighting in
the editor, so you'll have a decent idea of what things will look like
as you edit. Jim Dose's DOS/Windows 95 editor destroys all editors
I've used before.
GAMECENTER: The final version of Quake has been released. After seeing
it, what do you feel will be the gaming features that take Prey a step
beyond? Quake has been hailed as "true 3D." How will Prey's 3D be
different?
T. H.: Quake is awesome, with fast technology, impressive art, cool
architecture, and awesome control. What it lacks is content. It is
just bare experience--the amazingness of being in a fast six-degrees-
of-freedom environment. Our game will have real places that function
like you'd think they would, and your actions will have logical
consequences. And what you're doing will have a purpose. It is much
more enriching to do something with a point than to "get key X, get
key Y, and get to door Z" at every level. You'll be an everyday guy
thrown into extreme circumstances, using both your physical and mental
abilities to get out of the situation. You'll know what you have to do
and where you have to go. And you'll get a real reward for getting
there. Apart from slightly different approaches to the technology, how
can real six-degrees-of-freedom 3D be so different? So we have some
more flashing lights. So Quake has particles. What is important is the
gameplay, the experience, the revelation of the new, and the reward
for a job well done. We'll have bells and whistles, but we're not
really a bells-and-whistles company. We don't want you to go "Wow!"
and stumble around some hallways. We want you to say, "Whoa! How can I
accomplish my goal? This device probably works like the way I've
learned that similar things do...Maybe this will work. No way--cool!"
We don't want to sell you empty experience. We want to run you through
the wringer, make you think on your feet, and finally prove to
yourself that you were actually good enough to make it. It's sort of
like life--if you don't have a personal reason for what you're doing,
why are you doing it? Life shouldn't be just a series of paychecks;
and games, now that they've grown up, shouldn't be just a series of
rooms.
--- FMail/386 1.02
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