The Tribes 2 Beacon came in the mail today and from it we snipped out the regulatory FAQ for those of you who do not subscribe to it. Enjoy!
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MONTHLY FAQ
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Q: I read that when a new player joins a game with a new map, the server will automatically download the new map to your hard drive. Will this slow down the server every time someone without the map joins the game?
A: This shouldn't significantly affect the server. T2 maps areactually MUCH smaller than maps in the original Tribes.
Q: I know there are a lot of mods that are being for the Tribes 2 engine, so here's my question. Are these mods going to be add-ons to the game or are they going to be games all themselves?
A: These modifications to the game are add-ons that will be completed once the game has been shipped. The mods use the Tribes 2 engine and are not separate games.
Q: Can the ground vehicles be driven underwater?
A: On maps with water, you will not be able to buy the Jericho Forward Base since it's a wheeled vehicle. On these maps you'll still be able to purchase hover vehicles that ride across the surface of water, such as the Wildcat and the Beowulf.
Q: Will the weapons in Tribes 2 be like the original that did not require the reloading of ammunition? If there is reloading, how much ammo will one clip hold?
A: Three weapons in Tribes 2 are energy based and don't need reloads, though they draw from your armor's available energy. All other weapons are ammo-based and you will have to find reloads when you run out. Reloading is accomplished just like in the original Tribes, either from Inventory or scavenging from fallen enemies. Some maps that lack inventory stations have hidden weapons caches. Clips hold different amounts depending on the weapon and whether you have an Ammunition Pack.
Q: Will Tribes 2 ship with mods like Renegades and Shifter?
A: Tribes 2 will ship without mods. However, development has already begun on several mods including the Strike Force Mod, the Global Conflict Mod, the Toothless, Stumpjumpin, Roadkill Rally Mod, and the Army Mod.
Q: Will we be able to create custom AI opponents and distribute the min a manner similar to Quake III: Team Arena? This is a nice way tomake memorable enemies and allies and share them with friends.
A: Yes! You can set your AI behavior and skill level in script,though the ease of doing so will depend on how complex you want toget. You'll have to get your hands into the script itself andexperiment. Once you've set things up, you can distribute the scriptlike any other mod. It's server-side only, nothing client-side, soyou can craft your AI and then run 'em on your server, so anyone whoplays on your server benefits.
Q: Will Tribes 2 basically REQUIRE teamwork to succeed?
A: For most gametypes, it will. Tribes never requires you to workas a team, but it will always reward you when you do. You are goingto see a greater reward for deeper teamplay in Tribes 2, as the mapsare composed of huge worlds, and many objectives can't be defendedor taken successfully by a single cowboy. Moreover, many of thevehicles need more than just a pilot to be effective. You won't beable to use the bomber well unless you have a crew of three.
Q: You have mentioned that Tribes 2 will use strong copy protection. If I run a dedicated server on one machine and play with a secondmachine will I have to have a second copy of the game?
A: No.
Q: When can we expect skinning/modeling tools?
A: We're going to put out some templates, and the exporter we usewill be in the game, but there won't be any tools. You'll have touse your painting and editing tools, such as Photoshop, if you want to make your own custom models and skins.
Q: I've heard rumors that it should be very possible to code boats into Tribes 2 easily, is this still true?
A: No. We've put in physics for hover vehicles and flyers, the latter group also able to double as submersibles. However, floatation physics per se aren't in and probably won't be in. We may revisit this aspect at a later date.
Q: If you're driving an APC, will there be a way to tell who'son your APC?
A: Absolutely! When you hop into a vehicle, a vehicle HUD will beon the bottom of the screen, and you will be able to tell whichseats are empty and which seats are full.
Q: I am part of the Mod team M41, http://www.planetstarsiege.com/m41/index.html, and I am wonderingwhat the polygon counts are for weapons and player models?
A: Weapons average about 650 polygons apiece. Player and vehiclemodels about 1,500 polygons
Want to ask the Tribes 2 team a question? Send your questions to tribes2questions@sierra.com and watch for the answers in the next issue of the Tribes Beacon.
