It was just about this time last year that we took you inside UFO: Aftershock with an interview with Robert Hoffmann over at ALTAR Interactive. Another year has passed and the game has changed so much that we though we should take a second look and get a fresh interview. Check it out...

The year is 2054. Fifty years ago, something terrible happened and the surface of Earth became uninhabitable. The remnants of humankind escaped to an immense flying island, the Laputa. However a revolt against increasingly rigid and corrupt human leadership of the island escalated into a conflict that eventually destroyed it. The survivors of the survivors flee once again. Can they reclaim the Earth from the unknown forces now holding her in their grasp?

Features:

• Global strategy and small scale tactical missions intertwined
• Sequel to the successful UFO: Aftermath
• New amazing technologies and items to be researched and developed
• New enemies and allies
• Resource and base management in the strategic game
• Improved SAS and RPG systems in the tactical game
• Strong story
• ...and many other new features

GCM:	Thank you for your time! Please get us started by telling our readers about the team that is working on UFO: Aftershock. How many actually worked on Aftermath?
Robert Hoffmann:	Robert Hoffmann: The team has around 30 members by now and most of them worked on UFO Aftermath. All the key personnel are the same.

GCM:

Can you give us a bit of the backstory or setting for UFO: Aftershock and how it relates to the previous game?

Robert Hoffmann:

The game starts 50 years after the UFO Aftermath ended. One of possible endings (a losing one ;-)) of the game was truce with the enemy. As a result, the remains of humankind were moved to a flying island they named Laputa and lived happily ever after. But 50 years have passed and the island started to fall apart. So was the society. A couple of young and progressive men and women took their fate into their hands and after short fight escaped the island just in the nick of time. The player is a leader of this bunch, which soon sets to conquer the blue globe underneath and a great story begins to unfold.

GCM:	What are some significant features or improvements in Aftershock that you’ve been able to add since Aftermath?
Robert Hoffmann:	Basically it is; base building, resource management, diplomacy, ability to enter the buildings in the tactical game and multiple levels of terrain.

GCM:

How are the tactical and strategic elements of Aftershock combined in the same game, and what is the balance between the two?

Robert Hoffmann:

The player manages his research, base building, new territories gaining and manufacturing in what we call “strategic” view of the game. However, many situations require on-site intervention and then a tactical mission pops up, player chooses his/her troops, equip them with all sorts of different weaponry, gadgets and augmentations and sends them into the mission. Missions have different goals (protect territory/base, capture aliens, eliminate opponents, acquire an artifact/technology/weapon and many more). After the mission ends, the experience is awarded and player can level up his troops just like in an RPG.

GCM:	What is the balance between actual gameplay (action) and all of the resource management and unit construction (work) in the game?
Robert Hoffmann:	Player spends most of the time fighting aliens in the tactical missions. Lets say that usually it could be 20 % in strategic part and 80 % in tactical missions.

GCM:

How is Aftershock structured as far as missions and campaigns and what steps are being taken to give the game some added replayability?

Robert Hoffmann:

Each mission is different but the campaign is just one – with one ultimate goal – recapture the Earth. RPG elements, moddable weapons and branched research will add to replayability immensely. We also plan on releasing modding tools for our fans who did great work on UFO Aftermath (THANK YOU ALL, GUYS, WE KNOW EACH OF YOU AND YOUR WORK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!) The fan made mods are played today and are great fun.

GCM:	How large can the battles actually get in Aftershock and what kind of units will be available to the player? Any air or ground vehicles?
Robert Hoffmann:	Player can take up to 7 highly trained special ops into the mission. In general the mission will be smaller than in the Aftermath, but terrain levels and floors will make them actually bigger. No air units but later in the game you will be able to create droids and equip them as scouts or tanks.

GCM:

Aftershock promises some unique RPG-like abilities and stats for the soldiers. Explain how this works as far as training and whether these stats are attached to a class of soldier or an individual unit?

Robert Hoffmann:

We have introduced factions (races) into the game, so now we have three types of basic units – Cyborgs (warriors), Psionics (wizards) and Humans (rogues). Each faction has special abilities – Cyborgs can use implants, Psionics can wear enhancing bracers, collars and necklaces and Humans are most versatile units of them all. Furthermore we have enhanced trainings, which now work more naturally and have significant impact on the gameplay, but we would like to let the gamers find the change for themselves.

GCM:	Will Aftershock feature any type of tech-tree for researching new units or technology?
Robert Hoffmann:	Yes, of course. Player will be able to research new weapons, new buildings, new power ups (silencers, gyros, laser sights to name just few of them), droids, implants, drugs etc.

GCM:

Aftershock looks like it will be blending turn-based and real-time action. Explain how the Simultaneous Action System (SAS) works?

Robert Hoffmann:

Your units don’t have any volition (and inteligence) whatsoever. You have to plan everything for them, just like in turnbased games. But both sides play simultaneously. You carefully plan your actions and then you hit the button play and the action unfolds itself. You can stop it at any time, you can add or remove triggers which will stop the game for you, if the unit is hit, spotted something, its plan ended and many more.

GCM:	How will terrain affect the gameplay in Aftershock as far as LOS or any advantages for occupying high terrain, etc.?
Robert Hoffmann:	The LOS works like it works in your favorite mountains – the higher you are the further you see and of course you should make the best of it.

GCM:	Will the player be able to occupy vacant structures or setup defense positions?
Robert Hoffmann:	Yes, the player will be able to occupy vacant structures and setup defense positions there, but the enemy action will depend on the level of theirs intelligence. Some might blindly rush the defending units, some might think better of it :-)

GCM:	Will the interface be primarily mouse-driven or will there be user-definable keyboard commands and shortcuts?
Robert Hoffmann:	The interface is primarily mouse-driven, but all commands can be user-defined on the keyboard.

GCM:	Will there be any type of sandbox construction kit so gamers can create their own maps, missions, or campaigns?
Robert Hoffmann:	We plan on releasing the modding tools sometime after the release date. Check our website regularly.

GCM:	What kind of multiplayer options will Aftershock offer?
Robert Hoffmann:	None.

GCM:	Thank you again for your time! Do you have any last impressions or thoughts for our readers?
Robert Hoffmann:	I want to thank all the players of UFO Aftermath, who decided to tell us theirs ideas, thoughts, who wrote fanfiction stories and generally made us to make a better game. I would also like to thank your readers, who made it thus far, for their patience.

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