SSX Community Question Blog #3
dmcdonagh
2011-09-30
With a lot of very passionate SSX fans eagerly awaiting the rebirth of the franchise, we know fans are always looking for new information as we’ve seen a ton of questions being asked. Taken directly from the questions you ask us on Facebook, we’ll select a set of questions each week and the SSX development team will answer them. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the SSX Community Question Session!
Remember you may see some questions you already know the answers to, but for every person who knows the answer, there are probably five or ten that don’t. That being said, here are this week’s questions:
1. Is there going to be a first person camera?
No, there is no first-person camera in SSX. However, there is an option to zoom in or out on the fly for different views, including a very tight 3rd person view. This view is especially cool in racing events, intensifying the feeling of speed as you make your way down the mountain. We actually prototyped a first-person camera but quickly realised that it didn’t present the characters and reality-defying tricks in a way that was true to the SSX franchise. For example, what does a first-person camera do when you execute a 2160 spinning triple flip? If the camera actually looks where the character is looking, the effect is nauseating and insanely disorienting. If it stays clamped and simply looking ahead, it’s perfectly boring. And either way it takes all the skill out of landing since you can’t see your board or character. We’re confident that omitting it from the final product and focusing our efforts on the various 3rd person cameras was the right decision.
2. What other gear is there past wing suits and ice picks?
Although we can’t detail all the gear right now, we’re able to say that there will be a lot of different gear that will have a specific function or purpose within the game. Specifically, gear will play a huge role in the ‘Survive it’ aspect of the game as you battle the elements and try to make it down each of the nine deadly descents, but it will also have an effect on speed and tricks for “Race it” and “Trick it”. Every piece of gear in the game has a gameplay-affecting element to it, so it is a very rich system overall.
3. When do you plan to show user created snowboard designs? How often... and how many at one time?
We’ve already started to show some user-created snowboards, highlighting a few of our favourite designs in a blog and we’ll be doing a few more blogs throughout the campaign highlighting some of the coolest designs submitted to us.
4. Which mountain ranges are included in the game?
We’ve included 9 mountain ranges in the game that are found in the following regions: Alaska; Patagonia; New Zealand; Siberia; Antarctica; the Alps; the Himalayas; the Rockies; and Africa. Within each mountain range there are multiple peaks and those peaks include multiple drop points. This translates into a massive-open world with a ton of drops for you to enjoy as you attempt to own the planet.
5. How similar is the rewind system in SSX to the marker/session system in Skate?
The two systems are similar only in the sense that they are both set up to give you another shot at nailing a line that you just missed. The SSX rewind system allows you to rewind back a set amount of time and we’re exploring how we’re going to implement penalties for using it. The Skate marker/session system uses an instantaneous restart and allows you to set a marker to reset to at any point and can be used without penalty. That being said, the SSX rewind system will also have a special use in online play. More details to come!
