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Interview by Patrick 'twisted' Hardy
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Continuing my latest stint on interviewing Raven Software employees,
I talked to the one and only Gil Gribb.
For those who don't know, Mr. Gribb is the creator of the GHOUL engine,
a component in SoF that enabled the 26 gore zones!
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twisted: Why do you think Soldier of Fortune has
been such a success?
Gil Gribb: I think the concept of the game, present day realistic
combat, was really what the consumer was looking for. But a concept is not
enough, the team also had to deliver a great game, which we did.
twisted: For those who don't know, what was your role in
the creation of the game?
Gil Gribb: I wrote ghoul, plus a lot of work on performance of the
engine as a whole. Ghoul gets a lot of coverage in the press, so I think
it is important to point out that the artists and other programmers who
used ghoul are what really made it shine.
twisted: Are there any shortcomings to SoF? How
would you correct them?
Gil Gribb: We should have added skeletal animation which would have
permitted even more animations. The story and especially the ending could
have been better. And even the things where we really raised the bar, such
as gore could be even better. There are plenty of things to keep us busy
with SOF2.
twisted: Some people say the game is too violent, what
is your reaction?
Gil Gribb: I think the violence is the best part of the game. Some
people can't seem to understand game violence and gore is unrelated to violence
and gore in the real world. The violence can be toned down in SOF,
but I would think most people adverse to violence in games should just pick
one of the many fine titles that don't feature violence.
twisted: What's it like working with SoF Operation's IcePick
editing tutorials, etc.?
Gil Gribb: I think it was mutually successful. I greatly appreciated
her help clarifying and extending the information, not to mention the fact
that I can't make decent skins anyway.
twisted: Can you tell us what you are currently working
on?
Gil Gribb: Ghoul2 for the Playstation2. It is going to be leaner
and meaner, but also include many new features, especially in the gore department.
twisted: Are there any SoF modifications that you
are looking forward to? If so, why?
Gil Gribb: I really like variations on team deathmatch and I am excited
to see several promising mods in the works.
twisted: Some have said that Raven Software gives false
promises regarding the release dates of the upcoming patch and the newest
version of the SoF SDK. How do you feel about these reactions?
Gil Gribb: This has been a dismal situation. We are working very
hard to provide everything the mod community needs, but I admit we have
fallen short. Hopefully everything will be resolved soon, but I can't give
out specific dates, as missed dates have been mostly responsible for the
frustration of the community.
twisted: How would you describe the Soldier of Fortune
team and their achievements?
Gil Gribb: The SOF team was truly awesome. Everyone
worked well together with very little fighting or upheaval. As to the achievements
I think we really raised the bar with our gore and animations. I fully expect
our innovations to be widely emulated. |
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