Introduction
Originally announced back in the beginning of October, the modding team Frontline 1918 is currently in the process of creating a total conversion mod, entitled Battlefield 1918/2 for the popular first person shooter, Battlefield 2. The Wargamer was lucky enough to snag an interview with lead modder and project coordinator of this comprehensive mod to get a more detailed look at Battefield 1918/2.
Structural Realism and the Causes of War Great Powers or 'Poles' A classic debate over what kind of international system has a greater propensity toward war took shape over thirty years ago (Deutsch and Singer, 1964; Waltz, 1964) and persists to this day. The debate has generally been cast as a confrontation. Realism: A Greater Explanation for World War I Realism, by definition, is the study and practice of international relations; focusing on the nation-state, and that all nation-states are motivated by self-interest (Ferraro on Realism). The first two interests a state looks to fulfill are obtaining self-governance and defining borders. About the Mod. This is a total Overhaul Mod for the game Gates of Hell and Men of War Assault Squad 2 (until Gates of Hell is released). This mod will bring World War 1 to the world of Men of War, maybe there are mods like World War 1 Realism or All Quiet on the Western Front, yet my mod will cover the entire World, each front and i will try to represent the smallest detail in the most.
The Interview
The Wargamer (WG): Andreas, could you describe your role with the Frontline 1918 team (FL 1918)? How did you become involved with this project? What?s your background?
Andreas Koch: I am known as Andreas ?Gamma? Koch. I am 33 years old, married, and have a little boy. At the moment, I am the leader of Frontline 18, responsible for coordination of the project and public relations. I am working for the whole project, especially for the further development for BF1918/2.
WG: What can you tell us about the previous projects the Frontline 1918 team has worked on? I understand that first person shooting isn?t the only modding your team has been doing.
AK: We started BF1918 in summer 2003, as a mod for BF1942. As the name suggests, the central topic was the Great War. Quite quickly, we developed our historical database, which now has more than 400 articles. In late summer 2004, Leonidas? mod ?The Great Trench War? for Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour was incorporated into the team. After seeing how impressive Battlefield 2 was, we agreed to start work on a mod called BF1918/2. Also, we are currently working on ideas for a mod for the upcoming Civilization IV. So we are currently working on six projects: BF1918, the History Database, The Great Trench War, BF1918/2, the Frontline 18 Website itself and the Civilization IV mod. WG: Can you give us an overview of your current project, Battlefield 1918/2? How will the Battlefield 2 version of Battlefield 1918 compare to its original: What will we recognize from the Battlefield 1942 version, what will be changed?
AK: In September 2005, we released a proof of concept version of BF1918/2. This version marks the starting point for all further developments of the mod on BF2. The so-called ?Airshow? was the first ?real? (ie including custom content) mod for BF2. With more than 50,000 downloads and 1500 players (in the first month alone) we are the number one mod for BF2.
Based on the already released proof of concept, we will make more and more content and gradually move to a total conversion. While we work towards this goal, we will release several more versions of the mod to keep the public up to date. The early versions of the mod will be similar to the original BF1918 on BF1942, but we have some big plans for the future. The central topic for the upcoming versions will be the bitter trench warfare of the Great War. We will try and retain the good features of BF2 and BF1918, but at the same time add our own fresh ideas, like the recently announced flare guns.
WG: Could you describe how the game compares historically to Frontline 1918s other projects? How does it compare to other historical shooters in terms of accuracy, realism, etc.?
AK: Within the limits of making the game gun, we are trying to keep the mod as historically correct as we can. Fun and teamwork have always been central considerations in our concept. All weapons, vehicles and planes will be historically correct, but we will not forget that we are making a game. Battlefield was and is a tactical arcade shooter, and it will not loose this touch.
WG: Will Battlefield 1918/2 include the same emphasis on teamwork as Battlefield 2 has? Can we expect the same style of game play as Battlefield 2 but with World War I weapons/technology?
AK: As I said above, teamwork has always been an important consideration in BF1918. Many of our maps can be played in different ways, but the easiest way to win is to use teamwork. Canon clear the way, tanks attack with air cover, and infantry take and hold positions. Rambos will enjoy themselves, but overall victory can only be achieved with teamwork. Personally, I like the squad system of BF2. We will have something similar, later on. Also, a modified commander mode will be a part of BF1918/2.
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