Myscha: Scale and proportion becomes one of the primary and stringent visual requirements when designing levels to be played from a chase camera or dynamic camera that is outside the player. The size and visual correctness of the player/character meshes in relation to the environment is what the player is looking at 90% of the time they play the game, so therefore much more attention must be paid to be absoluetly sure this look as outstanding as possible. All of the levels in Deep Space 9 The Fallen, whether they be actual set based locations from the television series or new and unique settings based upon DS9 mythology are designed from the ground up with specific scale and proportion and lighting styles in mind. Whether that be a dismal swamp, an exact replica of Operations, or a Secret Obsidian Order Ice Island base, the visual integration of the player model and the environment is absolute.

PU: What would you say sets apart the levels in DS9 - The Fallen from other Unreal-engine games?

 Mick: The Collective designed them ;o) Apart from that we have first rate reference material to work from and some exceptionally talented concept artists (right Bob? ) to guide us in the right direction. All this makes our levels totally believable and immersive. I mean who better to help you design a level than a qualified architect.

PU: While designing levels, what are you doing to help make DS9 - The Fallen appealing to non-Trekkers?

 Kevin: While this was not a factor in designing levels in locales that were never or partially presented in the show it was an obstacle that factored into the design of pre-existing show environments (like Terok Nor itself...aka DS9). When we approached these environments we knew two things from the outset. 1) We had to make these environments look extremely close to the sets in the show. 2) We had to come up with unique ways to make these environments fun to an average gamer. Keeping these two aspects in mind allowed us to creatively work around what would otherwise be boring locations. In general though we always approach a level first from the angle of "will this be fun to play", even at the early stages of design. As a result, we often used show locations as a spring board for an environment, using the existing show set as a basis for generating new architecture. This really opened up the door for designing exciting environments with lots of things to do within them. No matter what though, gameplay has driven all the maps within the game. While Trekkers may come for the story, or the chance to play the show's characters, hardcore gamers and Trekkers alike will be able to enjoy the diverse locales and solid gameplay. So even if the person playing the game doesn't know the difference between a Cardassian and a Bajoran, they will no doubt have fun finding out by actually playing the game!

PU: What would you say are the major differences between designing levels for Unreal and designing levels for DS9 - The Fallen?

 Myscha: DS9's entire design model has years of professional production design behind it. The entire technology, style, flair, and even ethics of the characters are all pre-determined for us. Our job is to take you as one of the characters and present you with both recognizable scenarios and many new and unique ones and twist those into challenges that you have never faced before. You become the main actor in your own episode. How many times have you said, "Worf just yank out that bat'leth and take those jokers out" :) The beauty of Star Trek Deep Space 9 as a game in the manner we are developing is you will be making those decisions and if that's something you want to try out, you are encouraged to do so. Designing levels for DS9 has a strong emphasis on navigation of 3d space, combat, and exploration. Many of the missions will require you to overcome difficult objectives where you may be saving lives rather than just mindlessly blasting anything that moves. When I was working on Unreal, we were less focussed on a mythology, primarily because there wasn't one in a concrete form. With DS9 there are thousands of hours of design work put into the mythology of the series and the game's look and feel exemplifies this..

PU: Are the levels in DS9 - The Fallen being designed with the stock UnrealEd program?

 Kevin: The levels are built almost exclusively in UnrealEd, with the occasional custom brush work done by the art department in 3Dstudio Max. During the development process our design team has become extremely adept at using the editor (thanks Myscha!) and the levels themselves are some of the most detailed architecture ever created with the editor. As a result of this adeptness we rarely come across something that we cannot build in the editor. When the last "Apply Lights" button is pushed these environments will take the Unreal community by storm.

PU: For the Star Trek purists out there (yes, the Trekkers), are the levels being designed to recognized 'accurate' specifications?

 Myscha: Absolutely. Every single pixel in this game is evaluated for it's correctness. From artwork, to brush configurations, to lighting, to even morals! We aren't freelancing here or winging it. We're bringing the universe that was DS9 to life, throwing you in there in real time and letting you, using your skill as a gamer and a player, resolve the challenges that impact the flow of the universe. It's a pretty big responsibility for a gamer. :)

PU: One of the best features of Unreal levels is the 'immersiveness' the player experiences while going through the levels, feeling as though they are actually part of the action on-screen. Is DS9 - The Fallen similar in that regard?

 Tony: The Star Trek/ DS9 universe is very robust, so in that respect, one of our goals with the level design is convey a feeling of actually being in this living universe. Locations such as the Promenade, Hass'terral, and the Monastery on Bajor really feel like breathing, dynamic environments. We are also going for a much more dynamic world simulation than your standard third person action game due to the fact that there will be a fair amount of NPC interaction that really drives the story forward, there by really bringing the player into the game. Beyond the NPC interaction, the player can expect to utilize the same sort of gadgets and devices that are seen on the television program like tricorders and such. Hardcore Trekkers know their stuff and we really want to give them something they can instantly recognize and at the same time give the hardcore gamer (like myself) a game they would really enjoy.

Jonas A. asks Myscha: We all know that you are a great level designer, and basically it shows in the great level of Bluff Eversmoking. Now you are doing a game for Star Trek; how will you be able to do great large areas and great Architecture for a game like this? Should we expect a ship to fall on an undiscovered planet and have to find your way to a ship to get out? :)

 Myscha: What have you been doing... peeking on my hard-drive again? I have always had an enormous liking to what I call "really there". "Really there" means the level isn't a maze of weird corridors buried 45 feet under ground. It means the location has a setting, an approach, a presentation of the realm, then you step inside and explore it. In DS9 one of the First missions I took on for myself involves Worf and Sisko travelling to a dismal and murky swamp planet called SR-III. Here we'll find the enormous and disturbing crash site of the USS Ulysses. You see the crash site from afar, approach it by travelling the terrain, then actually climb on top of the hull of the ship and work your way inside! I love that kind of stuff. Federations ships are HUGE!!! Taking the player inside and outside at realistic locations where he or she can get visual bearings as to where they are promotes a more memorable experience. As the Level Design Director on for the Collective, I have been passing my philosophies and experience down to each of our designers. They have each taken these and developed absolutely breath taking work with their own style and flair but at the same time perfectly integrated into the Star Trek Universe of DS9. The attention to detail and stunning visual scenes these guys have done is inspirational.

Creeker: For those that were part of Internet groups prior to working at Collective.....what is the major difference working on project in-house as opposed to over the Internet?

 Mick: Rather than just building maps and sending them off to some remote FTP I can now see the actual game unfolding on a daily basis. To be able to have Level Design meetings where we can thrash out design and gameplay ideas is just the coolest thing. Another huge plus for a newbie to the industry like myself, is the fact that there is always someone to help out if I run in an editing problem. Of course getting thrashed deathmatching after work is also a requirement and its supposed to be "Character Building", but I find that hard to imagine when I hear the taunts and twisted laughter echoing from the other side of the office.

 Crista: Well there are a few advantages and disadvantages to both working at home and in-house. Efficient and effective communication is the most obvious benefit to working in the same office with the other team mates. Communication was the primary cause of frustration, misunderstandings, and delays when working over the Internet. It's so much nicer to be able to turn around and throw my Power BallR at the back of the texture artist's head to get his attention (since his headphones are usually glued to his ears calling his name is not an option) and point to the area in my level that needs a new texture. Feedback from other level designers is so much quicker too. I've never been so promptly criticized and degraded for my work before. It sure is nice to get it over with right away and not have that deal with the tension that comes from hours of anticipating your daily beatings. (Kidding, of course. Everyone here is very nice.) There are other benefits too outside the actual development. It's nice to actually know the team I work with as real people with faces and names instead of just ICQ numbers and email addresses. Having all these game developers as friends is educational too. For one thing, I have had the opportunity to try and learn about many more kinds of imported beers than I would probably have ever tried on my own. :) There are, of course, also disadvantages to working in an office. For example, I wish the chains from the keyboard to my wrists were just a bit longer. And the electrical shock received for dozing off after 27 hours of continuous work is a bit stronger a jolt than necessary. I wish they'd turn the voltage down just a notch or two. But fortunately, the tubes running directly from the coffee bean liquefier into my arms usually prevents frequent nodding off.

ADecay: Originally, Unreal was a bit limited as to the number of polys that could be used to render a scene. With the new LOD added (as well as the fact that the average machine has become faster since the Unreal's release), do you find that poly budgets for scenes have increased? Or have you developed different and innovative ways to obtain the intricate details necessary in ST:DS9?

 Myscha: The Unreal Engine is much faster now than it was when the game Unreal shipped. You'll notice this right away when Unreal Tournament ships Tim Sweeney and Erik have really jacked up the juice on the engine. For Deep Space 9, we'll be using the Unreal Tournament code base, but have added lots of our own in house specialization to get even more out of the engine. As far as actual Poly limits, yes they are higher, plus with my optimization experience we can get lower than 1.5:1 poly node ratios all the time. What that means to you is you have scenes with tons of polys that totally flies because of hardly any unnecessary nodes. I use every trick in the book and more to bleed more detail out of this engine.

KRYPTYK: How many different species (lifeforms) will be portrayed in the game?

 Kevin: Our talented Character modeling staff has generated a huge cast for the game, around 74 NPC or Enemies along with a host of ambient and environmental creatures. Races of note that will make appearances within the game are: Cardassians, Vorta, Jem'Hadar, a Founder, Bajorans, a Pa Wraith, and the list goes on. All of the game meshes were built using real show reference images and the result is photo realistic quality NPCs that will be readily recognizable by fans of the show! In addition we've had the fortune of being able to design a new race of creatures for the Star Trek Universe.....The Grigari. These terrifying creatures will play an important role in the games story.

Adam Wright: Are we going to see a real, morphing Odo in there?

 Kevin: Odo, along with the rest of the Crew aboard DS9 (yes...including Nog and Morn) will make appearances in the game.

Tom "Blitz" Conder - Programmer, SleepWalker: Which recognizable parts of the deep space station will we have a chance to explore? Quark's bar? Odo's security office? the bridge? Sisko's office? Medibay?

 Myscha: Every location you've seen on the show is there and in the right location. We've not emphasizing small little places like every single crewman's quarters, but all the spaces you've named and more are there! But better than this are some of the sections that are documented but the show never takes us there. You'll get to go to these locations under high pressure circumstances as well. There is definitely more Space Station accurately depicted based upon our reference material than seen in all the episodes put together! But beyond the space station there are missions that take you all over the Alpha Quadrant.

Traurig asks Myscha: How HowHhas the new environment- coworkers, office, responsibilities, etc- influenced your level designing, if at all? And, along those lines, what sort of contributions or influences do you make to each other's work?

 Myscha: The Collective environment is pretty damn rocking. First of all, our ART folks are absolutely professionals with supreme talent. I drool every day I see anything they do. Whether that be a skin, a mesh for a character, facial animations, or a freehand doodle, everything about the artists here is amazing. Take all that jewel encrusted talent and place them together and the results are amazing. The level designers that I direct are also top notch. Each of them (Mick Beard, Crista Forest, Tony Giovannini, and Lead Designer Kevin Deadrick) are all super talented and have unique individual strengths built from their diverse backgrounds. I have light years more input and responsibility here than I did at Epic and I love every moment of it. I am enjoying leading this group, sharing my knowledge with them about level design and gameplay and how to make it happen, of course mixed in with my architectural background we emphasize a rockful total package. I personally take on missions as well. I have a strong philosophy about ownership of work. When a man or a woman has ownership of their work the results have more passion. This team is the probably one of the strongest I have ever met. I am a hands on leader when it comes to the level designers. I am 8 feet away from them in plain sight and very accessible. We meet as a close knit group all the time and think and plan out the gameplay for every moment in the game weeks before we even start brush work. It's a great process. Since I know the engine and editor so well, I can fix and head off any problems that arise (no matter how obscure) that keeps them doing what they do best, cranking out these incredible missions for the game. It's a professional work environment in the sense that we have an office and have a chain of command for big decisions, but in the trenches, the actual folks making these worlds come alive are absolutely incredible and their work shows.

Ihr Name and -AtmaWeapon: Will you be able to use Quark's holodecks? Perhaps even one of his 'special' programs?

 Mick: Quark's Holosuites WILL be included in the multiplayer section of the game. The Holosuites will provide the gateway to the multiplayer arenas we will be including.

Matthew Bradley: How much mountain dew must the level designer consume to produce a great map? ;)

 Crista: Mountain Dew? I don't think I've ever seen a can of Mountain Dew around this office. We prefer stronger stuff. Although crack and crystal would probably be the preferred "creativity stimulants" around here in actuality we, through our deep concern for helping out Latin American countries in more legitimate ways, are primarily responsible for the robust health of Brazil's coffee bean industry. Brazil produces about 3.6 billion lbs. of coffee beans each year, 1.4 billion of which are delivered directly to The Collective kitchen.

Christopher Fong asks: Since the Defiant isn't very big, will there be a level that is the complete Defiant with everything from the Mess hall, to Engineering, to the Jeffries tubes?

 Mick: Yes Christopher there is indeed a Defiant level in the game. All the major areas have been included. For obvious reasons i didn't recreate every single crew quarter but places such as the Shuttle bays, Mess hall, Medical center are all in there, modeled accurately from the actual Paramount sets-- even down to the stripes in the carpet, (in joke ;o)

Christopher Fong asks: Because DS9: The Fallen is set in many locales that we have seen on the show before, do you feel that this has limited the level designing process for the game?

 Tony: The main thing to understand about DS9 is the fact that it is a television program, the locations are small sets on a sound stage. For DS9: The Fallen, we have a lot of breathing room to design levels that are a part of a location that you would not normally see on the show. There have been thousands of people hours put into creating the DS9 mythos; we look at this reference material very seriously so we can truly capture the essence and look of the universe. So, if anything, we as designers have been really able to create epic levels which enhance the DS9 universe.

game portal: Will there be a nude code when you're playing Kira? (ed. - inquiring minds want to know ;-) have some fun with the answer)

 Crista: Since there are no nude photos of Kira for the artists to use as reference I suppose we could have a nude version of her if I was willing to model for them. ;)

Jeremy Haynes: Concerning the deathmatch levels, can we expect the same type of high quality maps from VerMoorD or will we be seeing a new style, perhaps many theme based levels?

 Mick: Jeremy,I will be creating the majority of the Multiplayer arenas and yes they will all be theme based or rather "race" based. Each level will have its own unique features and with the new navigation system we are including, deathmatching will be a totally unique and exhilarating experience. Can you imagine swinging across pipes on the ceiling then dropping down on top of an unsuspecting opponent and shoving a Jem Hadar cattle prod where the sun doesn't shine ;o)

Llama: The weapons in Klingon Honour Guard were a pile of turd, quite frankly, because they all had the same energy beam or pulse feel to them. Will the DS9 game have greater variation in its weaponry? i.e. not all energy weapons.

 Kevin: Thankfully we've been allotted a great degree of freedom by Simon and Schuster and Paramount with regards to weaponry. As with the levels we have approached the weapons with the chief concern of "will this be fun to use", and establishing a diverse range of weapons is certainly a part of the answer. To this end we have put a lot of effort and creativity into coming up with a balanced weaponry. Essentially that means having each weapon behave in a unique way and have it's own set of pros and cons. This approach ensures that each weapon is distinct and cool to use rather than just shooting out a beam of energy. Rest assured we are aggressively tackling this issue. Towards this goal we've come up with several weapons that will provide a unique "non-energy" based experience for the player. For instance the game contains a Jem'Hadar Battle Prod, (one of the game's several hand held combat weapons...yes there is a bat'leth for Worf). This high damage weapon is essentially a staff that delivers a charge to the enemy when it comes into contact with them. The balancing con however is that the player must risk engaging the enemy at close range in order to actually strike them. Weapons like this will ensure that the weaponry strays away from leaning to heavily on beam or pulse weaponry.

Thanks to Richard, Myscha, Mick, Crista, Kevin and Tony for taking the time to answer these questions!