Kenn Hoekstra : We took a look at the Quake III engine while Elite Force was in its early stages and just sort of ran with it. We're always looking at the latest engine technologies, but ultimately we're extremely happy with our relationship with Id Software. The Quake III engine seemed to be ideal for the type of architecture and gameplay we were striving for, so we jumped at the chance to use it. Our extensive familiarity with their past engines was a major contributing factor in our decision as well.

Sharky Extreme: Elite Force seems to be an action shooter game, rich in character and story. Most shooter games are very light in character/story. Do you think this game will still appeal to FPS gamers?

Kenn Hoekstra: FPS gamers are at heart like all gamers; they generally just want good games that are fun to play. In that sense, I think they'll be very happy with Elite Force. There's a good mix of combat and exploration to go along with a strong, overarching storyline. Recently, the shooter genre has moved a bit closer to the story driven/adventure side of things. Elite Force is right on target with these genre changes.

Sharky Extreme: Can you tell us a bit about the NPC character AI and how much interaction we'll have with the NPCs in the game?

Kenn Hoekstra: Elite Force has a rather complex scripting and AI system that controls much of the Hazard Team and NPC crewmembers. The goal of the system is to make the NPCs as helpful and lifelike as possible without getting in your way.

There is a lot of interaction with the NPCs of the game since many of your missions are team-based and you spend a fair amount of time on the Voyager with plenty of opportunities to talk to other crewmen. It really gives you the sense of being part of the team and the crew and moves away from the "it's me against the world" attitude present in most FPS games.

Sharky Extreme: What type of weapons will we see in Elite Force?

Kenn Hoekstra: There is a wide variety of weapons from the Starfleet arsenal in addition to several weapons designed by Raven and approved by Paramount. You'll see a hand Phaser and a Phaser Rifle as well as a weapon designed by 7 of 9 to combat the Borg. Each of the alien races you encounter has a unique arsenal of weapons as well...most of which you'll be able to acquire and put to good use. Damn the Prime Directive anyway! :)