Recently Luckee and Frag-girlie were able to catch up with Sergey Zabaryansky, from the Venom development team, to ask him some questions about this game. 

** Editor's note: this game is currently known as Venom, but will be released as "Codename: Outbreak"**

(PCShooter.com) How many people are on the development team?  What do you do?

The story of “Codename: Outbreak” took its root when I made friends with Roman Lout. As we both were crazy about making computer graphics (by that time I had a completed software engine prototype, and Roman’s demo placed first at the “Enlgiht 97” demo-party), we decided we were up to creating our own 3D-action game. To make this come true we got down to developing a universal engine supporting both outdoor and indoor spaces, basing on powerful network technology and advanced AI library. At a certain stage, though, we realized that despite of a long way passed, we are unable to make a cool game on our own, for a great artist and a soundman are needed. In 1999 we sold the license on use of Vital Engine ZL in the framework of Venom project to GSC Game World and started developing the game within the company. There, by quirk of fate we came across with an outstanding artist Andrew Prokhorov and sound engineer Ilya Ivashchenko. Codename: Outbreak is the first title for us, and the second one for GSC Game World. 

(PCShooter.com) Give us a detailed overview of the 3D technology powering Venom. Tell us a bit more about the engine in relation to how it handles indoor and outdoor environments.

The major challenge was not to invent algorithms (nowadays there are plenty of algorithms for drawing both indoor and outdoor levels), but to choose the best ones and combine them in the way to make the engine a unique one. Most of existing algorithms are focused either on indoor or outdoor levels. Some algorithms for indoor levels are really feeble in outdoor spaces or even refuse to work at all. We had rejected such algorithms at once. Our engine combines several algorithms: where one is ineffective, another carries the burden. In the long run the engine finds no difference between indoor and outdoor levels. The problem of a great number of visible triangles was solved owing to LOD (Level of detail) objects. This algorithm yields fantastic results -- for instance, a tree of 100 triangles can be depicted with just two triangles the observer faces. Thus, you can increase the number of trees visible per 30-50 times!

One more issue is to have a lot of textures on a level. Outdoors, there may be a multitude of visible objects, each one having its own unique texture. The aggregate volume of level textures goes up to 20-30 MB. We have implemented a manager that carries out background loading of textures from the disk.

But Vital Engine ZL is not just a graphical library. It contains also powerful sound, physics, AI, animation and network libraries. Each of them is based on cutting edge technologies. More detailed information may be found on http://www.nephilims.com.

(PCShooter.com) Were there any games that inspired you to make Venom? What games do you and your team enjoy playing?

There are so many games, movies and books which influenced our artworks and code that I am a bit at a loss to answer these questions. Probably Duke, Counter-Strike, Delta Force, Hidden & Dangerous, Rainbow Six, Half Life have been more of influence on Venom than other games. We   tried to follow the best technical and scenario decisions existing nowadays and introduce something new at the same time.

(PCShooter.com) How much of a realism factor are you aiming for with Venom?

Yes, the game was originally created with a slant to realism. This approach got reflected through many aspects, such as hit system, artificial intelligence, graphics etc. For instance, realism in AI is when your enemies can surround, call for backup, hide, arrange ambushes. And at the same time they are not without faults – the accuracy of their fire is not absolute. Playing Venom you win, of course, but you preserve an impression of having fought with a smart enemy, and not an arcade character, who finds the reason of his life in a showy death. Realism is when you cannot pick up 5 different submachine guns and a hundred of rockets. In Venom you can carry only a certain weight, and owing to this such oddities are impossible. When you lie in grass you can be spotted only from a really close distance, but if you lie on asphalt – you are visible from much further. Everything in the game is subjected to a certain logic and this makes Venom realistic.

(PCShooter.com) Will Venom be expandable at all?  Will you be making the tools available so that people can make mods for it?

Yes. We plan making Venom expandable. The necessary editors and mod-making docs will be available sometime after publication.

(PCShooter.com) Tell us a bit more about the Venom multiplayer maps, and what you think Venom's multiplayer strong points are.

First of all, a bit about technologies. We stepped on a route different from such games as Quake and Unreal and attained quite good results. Certainly, you can play over a LAN, and also over the Internet. And you can find quite a comfortable playing enviroment even with a ping ofz sdtr 600ms! Those who possess modems 38800 and poor lines stand a real chance to get a satisfaction of playing. The maximum number of players possible is 16. There are four modes of multiplayer: ‘cooperative’, ‘capture the flag’, ‘crystal’ and ‘black box’. We focused on team playing games and consider them the most interesting. Besides, all the games, except for ‘cooperative’, take place amid vast outdoor levels – it’s our zest. That’s why even the hackneyed ‘capture the flag’ creates a gameplay much different  than what you already know.     

(PCShooter.com) Do you plan on licensing the Vital Engine ZL?

Yes, Vital Engine ZL is already available for licensing. You can obtain additional information on the engine at www.nephilims.com. E-mail for contacts:  sergey@nephilims.com

(PCShooter.com) Is there anything else you can tell us about Venom? When we can expect to see it in stores, will there be another demo released, etc

Venom will be published worldwide this fall by Virgin Interactive under the name "Codename: Outbreak". We plan to release a new demo online in August.

(PCShooter.com) Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us today.  We look forward to the release of this game.