NFS Underground 2 -- Chat with Producers

[Remko]

(directly copied from http://www.nd4spdworld.com/#497 - newspost written by KonArtis ):

[i]The community from www.nd4spd.de and www.nfsu.de arranged a private chat today with EA producers Scott Nielsen and Justin Weibe from EA Canada (EAC). They answered questions from community members concerning the upcoming NFS8. Need for Speed: Underground 2 is the title of NFS8, being mentioned a couple of times by the producers. Questions varied from multiplayer support and EA's involvment in community modding.

Edit: Full transcript link removed for the time being by request of Electronic Arts. - WCOutlaw/Phil

So, the next NFS is going to be Underground 2... :sofa: (hides from obvious cynical responses)

[jtace]

Interesting...

I'm betting UG was hot enough that they want to expand upon it sooner then later, probably contrary to popular belief. heh..

I wonder what happened to the one that was supposed to go in between the UG's... I'll have to poke around. :)

[Sepecat]

<Warper_> Whats about lan support and hot pursuit mode(police) in nfs underground 2?

<redpants> I think I just answered that one above. :-)

No he didn't, He did answer about LAN, but not about a Pursuit Mode... Err...

I guess NFS: Most Wanted will not be coming out after all... Hmm


Here is what I got from the Chat Log:

• There won't be a track editor...

• You will get realistic Physics in U2

• Bigger Car List

• Will have peer to peer play

• Screenshots should come out in May

• Don't look for any Mods

• No PC- Game Counsel Play*

• Will have more Damage than current one

That pretty much is it....

[jtace]

couple good points couple bad points in the chat, but wayyyy too early to say anything. heh.. Interesting that UG2 is next... but I knew UG2 was coming, just not this soon! heh..

[jtace]

Yes, U2 is the next game in the series.
Yes, there will be a google more cars
Yes, there is peer-to-peer and LAN for this game is also planned
No mods this time around; same for a track editor
Same racing modes as U1, with a few more to be revealed later
Still arcade style, but more detail to the physics than before too.
Correct that PS2 and PC are no longer compatible. This time they'll be
separate racing environments, but no difference in features. Games will
be the same regardless of platform.


Here's what I've been able to dig up. :D Sounds like odds are against mods this time and a few other items. But good that they've learned from UG's mistakes online with PS2/PC stuff and other things. :) Physics sounds like it's going in the right direction, we'll never get a real sim, that's not what NFS is about though, so that's expected.

:beer:

[nighttraveler]

car list. finally we're getting some real car selection, but from what i deducted from the text, no muscle cars or exotics, just more cars. i just hope they introduce sport compact cars from europe like audis, porsches and vw's...

for the rest of it, good phisics, no mods, good damage, but what about customization? will it be the same as U1, or is that the catch...

and thank God (not that i am religious, but...) they removed PS2/PC online play, that will make things so much easier...

oh, and we're getting pics on may, but what about the release date? will it be this year, next year or in 2010??

but well, as Josh said, too soon and too many questions for U2...

[Radical-Al]

i probably won't get this one, i was hoping for all 3 categories of cars and with editbility, (muscle cars, imports, european) but this isn't probably going to be the case. I haven't really played any games that much anyway since PU.

[Creamer]

I am very surprised nobody here mentioned this exchange:

<[SOC]Marc> we had lots of problems with lag due to the fact that there was no option to turn off collisions.. will you change that?

<redpants> turning off collisions is a hot topic of conversation amongst the development team. there will be an option to turn off collisions
in Underground 2. we've also taken steps to prioritize the list of created games based on connection speed: next one.



Personally, I am turned off by the "customization with standardized parts" concept of Underground, so I have not bought it. Either you can mod, or not. EA seems to think that they can satisfy the modders by integrating an extremely limited modding feature in the game, but try to shut down any true design creativity on the part of "simple players" like us.

I also found it interesting that the 4-player limit comes from the high polygon count of the cars. Looks over substance. And it sounds like that story continues to a large extent...

[bogs]

Passed on the last one , will most likely continue that trend and pass on the next one as well .

[Sepecat]

I’ll take a wait and see approach to the game… So until then I’m not going to say flat out, “I aint gonna buy the game!”

George`

[jtace]

Yeah that's a good aproach, I do feel like they've done some good listening about their mistakes in UG1. So we'll see I guess...

[bogs]

Just lucky enough to be secure in my close mindedness I suppose :)

[WCOutlaw]

I think they might surprise us with UG2, all of the requests even here at RP were forwarded off to EA (and it was noted that it'd be unlikely to go into Underground 1) so I think that holds promise, I still believe EA are an extraordinary company for even bothering to ask us for opinions, sadly we are a minority in the vast customer base it has - but that speaks volumes, for me.

Too bad about editing, though understanble reasoning - if they can't get permission from the licensees, then what can ya do. I'm interested to see how the damage model will come out... Sounds good though...

I'll probably keep an open mind about it and see how it seems to be looking, etc. once we know more actual details - so far it sounds great, but it's a very vague outline.

PS. Thanks Josh for the new forum :)

[VQ]

I don't get it, MBWR, the developing team relsed "add-on" cars by "users" because MB wouldn't support addon cars offically, but the developing team still did it, albeit as modders, so why can't the developing team for UG2 do the same thing? like make it easy for us to work it out ourselves even if they don't offically support it.

IMHO UG's biggest mistake was to have cars with capacity's less then 3 litres and FWD based on basically shopping trolleys, but then again you copuld say the same thing about muscle cars, they are based on shopping trolley cars as well, but the base models are still RWD and don't need massive wings as a whole extra drivetrain to make em go fast, just re tune the motor, or stroke it or what ever.

[Moe Faster]

I feel like I've been treated poorly by this publisher . . .

ea, who ?? . . .

u2, what ?? . . .

So there.

8)~

[Radical-Al]

VQ, not all the cars on Underground are FWD, some are AWD and RWD ;)

[spazzass13]

Originally posted by Vqcapricedude
IMHO UG's biggest mistake was to have cars with capacity's less then 3 litres and FWD based on basically shopping trolleys, but then again you copuld say the same thing about muscle cars, they are based on shopping trolley cars as well, but the base models are still RWD and don't need massive wings as a whole extra drivetrain to make em go fast, just re tune the motor, or stroke it or what ever. but they also scraped the doorhandles on the road when going around bends.

[VQ]

Yer but u don't start with them cars and the biggest capcity is on a skyline! OMG that Skyline is so fully sick bro, NOT same with the 240sx.

[Radical-Al]

skyline isn't the best in UG, everyone knows that, the RX7 is the best

[VQ]

Well u tell the people at school and most d/h I have talked to about NFS, reckon their Skyline is the best, like one guy my sis knows, his nickname is somethign do to with NFs and I asked about it and he said abut NFS and that he clocked it really quickly, and you should see his skyline.

Most other people I know of are like that too, specially the Greeks at school, it is because skylines are seen as a sexy car down here, bloody idiots.

[Avro707C]

I think this is actually supposed to be about Undergound 2.

I personally will take a wait and see approach with this.

The original Underground wasn't so bad, except for what I thought was some cars having the wrong sounds, the catch-up feature for opponents (irritating) and I personally disliked the circuits.

Hopefully the next one will have some more variety in the circuits, and a bit less city streets with traffic lights everywhere sort of circuits.

[Sepecat]

Just a few details, I don’t think has been posted before:

•There will be Replay’s

•Also in Online Mode, You will have more than 4 opponents..

[Smokey!]

Hmm think I can sum up my opinion on this game:

I don´t care

Yep so I am not going to get in here again :rolleyes: . But nice to have a seperate forum for those who do.

[Strobe]

U2? I couldn't care less.

By fall, I plan on being knee deep in Gran Tourismo 4 online and loving every minute of it!

As far as EA taking suggestions, the only reason they take them is to do the EXACT opposite of what the majority (seemingly) of players want.

No, I'm not bitter... :rolleyes:

[Flashblue]

When is EA going to realize that online gaming is where it's at? Look at all the RPG's that are taking off right now? MotorCity Online was an RPG for gearheads, and EA killed it. Now they are sticking us with this 2 Fast 2 Furious bling and no real substance.

I would love to see Need For Speed created as on online community, where you earn money, buy cars and parts, and go race people...real people, not AI.

EA should buy a clue on how to design a game from the guys who wrote "Live for Speed". This simulation (note: I did not call it a game) was written by three programmers and outperforms any EA game I have ever played. Check it out at http://lfs.racesimcentral.com/. I am blown away at thier ability to easily link 15 people over the internet and race with NO LAG. It is a true design accomplishment.

And yes, I am bitter...hehe.

[rkaida]

hey were did u get the desighns for the body kits do they exist and who sells them cuase im tryin to pimp my car and i want to do it to the same looking body kits on nfsu2 plz plz plz tell me were i can get them or give me a list of model names