1. Interview with the Game Creator
Interviewer: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today Mr. Wolfe. You have just completed work on MGS FIVE and it will be released in the near future. Our first question is, what drove you to create MGS FIVE in the first place?
Mr. Wolfe: No problem, I enjoy discussing my work. As for the reason, I simply wanted to show that it's not difficult to make a good Metal Gear game with new ideas and characters. Many people complain about a videogame or movie, but the response is always "Do you think you could do better?" And my answer was "yes". From there it was just a matter of fleshing it out.
Interviewer: Why did you change the format of the way the title is written?
Mr. Wolfe: It's the beginning of a new saga; I wanted the title to reflect a major change. Plus I didn't want to get sued for saying that I was making "Metal Gear Solid 5", since that's not what I'm doing. It began as work of fan fiction.
Interviewer: Were you at all worried about the fan reaction to an all new cast of characters and a return to a jungle setting?
Mr. Wolfe: Well, I think that despite what fans seem to always demand, what they really want is a bold vision from a single creative mind. The reaction will be good as long as it's self-confident, and the half-hearted reaction to Metal Gear Solid 4 proves this to me. But you mentioned a jungle setting... I think players will be very happy that the outdoor environments are totally seamless and even randomized in this game.
Interviewer: Speaking of the randomization, that was a new concept to the series. Could you talk a little more about it?
Mr. Wolfe: Many parts of the game are "semi-randomized", meaning that the layout and placement of things are different every time you start a new game, but there will be the same objects and enemies in it. So you don't know whether an item will be in Location X, but you know it's there somewhere. This makes exploring and planning more important than when you know the area beforehand.
GAMEPLAY DECISIONS
Interviewer: Another important addition was the "Concentration" meter and "Telepathic Assistance". Why did you move in this direction?
Mr. Wolfe: Every Metal Gear game needs a support team, but I thought that having a telepath as your commander would be an interesting twist on this. Then when I thought about the low level of technology I wanted to have, things like Soliton Radar were problematic. I've always imagined that a HUD (Heads Up Display) was in the main character's head, so finding an excuse for it by introducing a telepath who can project information was a perfect fit. The character is being constantly told about his situation by someone who can read his mind.
As for Concentration, that was my way of encouraging a more careful style of play, and rewarding those who use stealth. Just running in and shooting has never been the Metal Gear style, so I wanted to punish that by taking away special benefits. Since this isn't a warzone like MGS4, I thought that Concentration would be a better fit than Psyche or Stress. The effect is that players will want to take it slowly and think about what they do.
Interviewer: What about "disguises"? MGS4 had something like this, but it wasn't as in-depth as what you used.
Mr. Wolfe: Traditionally, the main character is given a special "Sneaking Suit", which is why he doesn't want to change his outfit, but I thought that taking the enemy's uniform should always be an option for a spy, so that's why I used it. But there are several restrictions, such as the fact that it must be the same size as the character, and it becomes less effective the more damaged or dirty it becomes. Plus changing clothes is done in almost real time, so it requires a safe place and can't be changed rapidly.
The disguise system in Hitman series, for example, was funny because of how fast and impossible it was, but I wanted something more serious and limited, so it felt more rewarding to use it well. Players don't want to get their disguise damaged, however, so it should only be used with a plan in mind.
Interviewer: In MGS FIVE, the game is not paused during "codec" conversations, or communication with the support team. Is this also done out of a concern for realism?
Mr. Wolfe: Exactly. The series has always been designed to provide the thrill of hiding, but yet you can have half-hour conversations in the middle of a gunfight. I know this was done for several practical reasons, but I wanted to force players to think like a real operative, finding a safe place to hide before calling headquarters, and being able to get interrupted.
2. Important Codec Conversations
(will be updated after complete script release)
3. Alternate Paths and Endings
(will be updated after complete script release)
