outcastii.net : Can you introduce yourself briefly and tell us how you happen to work with Appeal?

  P.Z. : I am 30 years old and I have a Masters degree in computer science. Seven years ago Yann Robert in Art & Magic hired me: after answering to an ad, there was a recruitment examination to decide between the candidates (around thirty). A year ago, I took contact again with Appeal and they were looking for someone to develop tools. Now I am the person in charge for the tools and the technological part of Outcast 2.


  outcastii.net : What tools do you use actually (standards, special)?

  P.Z. : Maya with some plug-ins developed inside the company. Photoshop and a plug-in for quantization (reduction of colors).


  outcastii.net : Did you adapt some tools from Outcast 1 or did you have to develop new ones?

  P.Z. : The technology is very different; voxel for OC 1 and 3D for OC2, the tools couldn’t be adapted.


  outcastii.net : How does Everest manage the transition between the indoor and outdoor environments? How the polygon-based 3D engine Himalaya will be able to bring the pictures the same warm rendering than the voxel engine of OC 1?

  P.Z. : It is the same engine: the indoor and the outdoors are unified in the same structure but there are specific optimisations. The look will be different, but we succeeded to create a universe distinct from what you can currently see on PC and PS2.


  outcastii.net : How do you think that Lothse engine will generate personalities for the NPCs ? Will they be able to « learn » in order to react during the game in accordance with Cutter’s actions? (For example: the player/Cutter killed some Twon-Ha, the NPCs are mad at him)

  P.Z. : I am not the most qualified person to give you a complete answer but the NPCs will have a behaviour and a memory but saying that it won’t affect the game enough to block you or to prevent you from completing the game.


  outcastii.net : Will the engine manage day/night cycles as well as the weather? What about the management of the time? De même que la gestion du temps (qui s'écoule) ?

  P.Z. : Some levels will be played at different moments of the day and the night or with particular weather conditions.


  outcastii.net : How will Cutter interact with his environment? Will the primary/secondary action system be kept? If yes any improvements?

  P.Z. : We keep the same base (primary action) but we still must evaluate the extensions we want to implement to adapt it on the console.


  outcastii.net : Which 3D effects will OC2 use: T&L, Bump Mapping, FSAA, Environmental Bump Mapping, HSR, etc. At which resolutions?

  P.Z. : For the PC T&L is used, on PS2 we use specialised units for vector calculation. OC 2 will use the effects that you mention.