Answer Thread with Deep Silver and 4A!

The big answer thread. Please keep questions in the Questions Thread so we can keep all posts in this thread dedicated to answers. Discuss answers in the Answer thread discussion thread. We've tried to find answers for almost all the questions so far, but stay tuned for subsequent posts!

Here we go!

cerberus, DarkOne, and Bamul asked:
Q: Will the hitmarkers & damage indicators be removed?

4A answers: As of now, there’s no option to turn these off in Original Mode. This was probably an oversight on our part and something we may be able to address post launch.

They are, of course, absent in Ranger Mode.


Q: Can the size of HUD icons be adjusted as well?

4A answers: Nope, not individually on in the options.

Q: What are the chances of Metro: Last Light (or even Metro 2033) getting a gamer-friendly DRM-free release on GoodOldGames.com?

Deep Silver answers: A GOG.com release is not currently planned. Maybe one day? We can’t rule anything out indefinitely but if you want to play it any time soon on PC, you’ll have to play the Steamworks version of the game.


majnu asked:
Q: Joe (THQ) mentioned that 4A are working on making the journal more interactive, can you share what has changed

4A answers: We experimented with a number of ideas, but sadly nothing made the cut into the final game. The lighter / journal functions as it did in Metro 2033.


Q: A pet peeve of mine is that in 2033 whilst my xbox controller was plugged in it would over ride my keyboard and mouse controls on the PC. In order to use my keyboard and mouse I had to unplug the controller from the usb port. Will this be addressed in Last Light?

4A answers: If you have both mouse / keyboard and controller plugged into your PC, the game will respond to both. No need to unplug.


Q: Now that multiplayer has been put on hold from LL and will "probably" be released at a later date, what will the LL single player campaign offer in terms of replay value?
My concern is that if it's a 8 hour campaign that after a few playtroughs in the various difficulty modes that there will be no reason to play the game again.

4A answers:
‘Replayablity’ – that’s a big topic! I’d suggest there are two kinds of ‘replay’ value…

Most important is inherent replayablity. Metro: Last Light features more sophisticated, robust gameplay mechanics that create more emergent gameplay, particularly in our human combat levels. We believe the game offers significantly higher 'replay value' than 2033 in this regard – not because of some arbitrary achievement goal you’re trying to get, but because the game is just ‘fun’ to replay, pure and simple. Then there’s a wealth of secret areas, Easter eggs etc…

The other kind refers to the challenge element – how many times will you need to replay the game to clock all the difficulty settings, get all the achievements? You will need at least to playthroughs, once in Original Mode and once in Ranger Hardcore to collect the game completion achievements. You then have a large number of additional achievements and of course the ‘Karma’ system to contend with. We think it will take multiple playthroughs to clock the game 100%


Q: Will LL have Windows 8 support?

4A answers: Yes!


Q: Is there any chance that you (or if you know the THQ/DS marketing team will) show the reveal trailer that was shown at the "HMV" Golden Joystick Awards?

I missed the show otherwise I would have recorded it from the live stream.

Deep Silver answers: That was actually the first of the 'Survivor Stories' – The Preacher. So you’ve hopefully already seen it!


Q: Can you make sure that Journalists (IGN) get the name of the game right?

Deep Silver answers: Despite our best efforts, we can’t always mitigate for human error. We will point out any and all inaccuracies wherever we see them… It’s as frustrating for us as it is for you!


Q: How closely are you working with NVIDIA and AMD to ensure that drivers will be utalising our hardware properly (including xfire and sli profiles) from day 1 of release?

4A answers: We’re doing everything we can to ensure Metro works as well as it possibly can across a wide range of hardware profiles. In addition, we’ve been chosen as an Nvidia 'Platinum Partner' which means we get unprecedented support from their engineers. We're still confident you'll see great performance on AMD card as well!


Q: In the Genesis trailer at 1:31-1:33 the female character's hand is clipping into the gun.

Will these bugs be fixed for the final release?


4A answers: All our trailers and gameplay walkthroughs are created using unfinished code and assets. We hope to eradicate the vast majority of minor technical issues of his nature.

The final game will look far superior to any previously shown footage – when you see the final versions of our E3 2011 and 2012 demos, you will see exactly what we mean! We have used no 'smoke and mirrors' to make the game demos look better than the final product… We feel that s the most honest approach…


Q: Will guns sway whilst Arytom is running, walking or jumping? In 2033 he had the same posture which for a modern game is very odd.

4A answers: We have incorporated some subtle gun sway in Metro: Last Light – noticeable in both free look and ADS. And of course we have separate animation for walking and running.


Q: Will Origin India have the game for download as it is not on their store, but Origin UK/US seem to have it available?

Deep Silver answers: It should be on Origin India unless Origin doesn’t want it there. We have no restrictions on Origin.


Q: How much realism is being focussed on little details?

4A answers: 4A strives to inject realism at every opportunity where this makes the game more immersive and has a tangible gameplay benefit. Pursuing realism for its own sake is not necessarily good game design, or an effective use of development resource! All ‘realistic’ features have to pass the gameplay test first.


Q: Can you change the language and subtitles during mid game without having to restart from the beginning? I can't remember if Metro 2033 let you do this.

4A answers: Subtitles yes. For audio you have to go back to the menu. There are checkpoints to make sure you don’t lose too much time if for whatever reason you end up playing in the wrong language for 3 hours, though


shurfire also asked this:
Q: Is there anyway you could give some hardware info on the next update? Things like this would be very useful for us PC players.

4A answers: We expect to confirm final PC specs in two weeks’ time. Hold on!



More to come on Monday

 

Continued!

TotalAaron asked:
Q: Will there be different types of ammunition such as Dum Dums and hollow points?

4A answers: No, just Military Grade Rounds and regular filthy rounds. But if you are a good shot, you won’t need many bullets when targeting heads!

Shurfire asked:
Q: Is it possible that the chaingun will be removed?

4A answers: The chaingun is still in the game. It totally makes sense to keep it - we do understand your concerns, you need to trust us! Come back and tell us what you think when you’ve played it…

Q: Also I forgot what the answer to this was but what ever: With the delay will there be a collectors edition?

Deep Silver answers: There were originally plans at THQ to make one, but creating a CE involves a lot of time and up-front costs that didn’t really work out for them, so it was dropped in the end. Sadly Deep Silver didn’t have time to make one by the time the game changed publishers. You can't release a CE separately from the launch of the game, so we went with a May release instead.

SagaZelda and rolfwar asked:
Q: Will we see more exploration than Metro 2033 or less? And is there any percentage of free-roaming in the game?

4A answers: There are some more exploration parts than in Metro 2033, but it’s not an open world game. We have no ‘free roam’ mode, the level design just does not support it. But exploration will yield many rewards, both in terms of items and weapons, and…. other things.

Q: Will we find little details like those flash lights (that modify the history) when you touch a guitar, speak with someone,take a postal or cassette or enter in a mysterious room like Metro 2033?

4A answers: Oh yes.

Q: If we didn't play to Metro 2033 (or read the book), can we follow the Last Light history? (I played Metro 2033, of course.)

Deep Silver answers: That won’t be a problem, the game will introduce new players to the story of Metro 2033. The canon ending is

Spoiler

that Artyom lets the missiles land on the Dark Ones.

If you did play Metro 2033 (or finished it multiple times), you’ll recognize some old friends and be more immersed in the Metro universe, though. But you won't be lost in the story if you didn’t play it.

Thestalker asked:

Q: In the original trailer Artyom would reach over and turn off lights. Will this still be a feature on max or an optional setting?

4A answers: This feature is still in there, but we don’t run an animation all the time for all lights. Again, gameplay / fun factor reasons dictated this.

GoodLordApollo asked:

Q: What are Deep Silver's current plans to making more people know about Last Light and turning them into Hardcore Fans?

Deep Silver answers: We’ll do our best to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the game, and we'll let the game speak for itself once it's released. We’re confident players will share their stories and spread the word!

rolfwar asked:
Q: What are Deep Silver's plans for an eventual multiplayer?

4A answers: Right now, Metro multiplayer is tucked away in a secret drawer at 4A games. It would require a lot of work to get it to the kind of standard we would be happy with. We have no immediate plans to re-commence development, so don’t expect it as DLC. We'll figure out what to do with once Metro: Last Light has shipped.

Q: What is Deepsilver's policies regarding DLCs? Do we have to expect updates and new content releasing after the launch?

Deep Silver answers: Where it makes sense to have it, we're not opposed to post-launch DLC in principle.

Q: Is there an editor mode?

4A answers: No. All the levels and environments were hand-crafted so an editor mode for things like making your own levels won’t be available.

Q: Are there any side missions?

4A answers: Metro: Last Light won’t throw side quests in your lap. There will be optional side paths where the universe is fleshed out if you choose to explore, though. It's up to the player to decide how they want to play the game.



More answers later! Discuss these answers in the Answers thread and not in the comments below, please

 

Chewy asked:
Q: How do RPG elements present themselves in LL?

4A answers: If you mean traditional RPG elements like inventory/equipment and weaponry: weapons can be customized with different stocks, barrels, and scopes/sights. If you mean role-playing in general, the game does a great job at making you feel like you are Artyom: often alone in the desolate darkness.


Bamul asked a bunch of very long questions:
Q: Will female characters play more important roles in the story of the game? In Metro 2033, most female NPCs were seen looking after children, preparing food or just doing any other ordinary everyday actions like most other non-playable characters.

It would be really nice to see some female characters carrying weapons as guards on different stations; even better: a female companion who can fight and plays a significant part in the plot of Last Light.

If any of these has been put in the game (or is going to be included at a later stage in development), then I would really like to know. I don't want any spoilers, so I will gladly accept a simple "yes" or "no".

4A answers: Female characters will play a more important role in Metro: Last Light. There may be a few major hints in some of the trailers we’ve released…

Q: Will the HUD be changed and/or customizeable? Will there be an option to completely remove it, like in Metro 2033?

4A answers: You can remove the entire HUD through Ranger Mode. Crosshairs are an option in the menu in Normal Mode.

Q: Will the player be able to purchase and/or find different gas masks in Last Light? With different visors that affect the first person perspective accordingly, different extents of durability etc.

4A answers: This is an idea we considered, but it didn’t make the final game.

Q: Will we see more levels in Last Light that allow the amazing open-ended gameplay of the "Frontline" mission in Metro: 2033? This was something that appealed to many players (including myself) in the original game. I'm aware that, in a story-heavy series like Metro, some sections must be very linear in order to push the narrative along in the right direction - but many people would love to see more non-linear, larger and open-ended sections of gameplay like in Frontline.

4A answers: Yes, there are more sections like this. Sometimes they are segmented into different sections, but that type of gameplay is back and better than ever.

Q: Will the new digital watch of Metro: Last Light be available as an option in one of the in-game shops, to be purchased for bullets, or will we start the game already with it as part of Artyom's advanced ranger equipment?

4A answers: You start with the new watch.

Q: Will there be a V-Sync for the PC version of Metro: Last Light? There was some very slight screen-tearing in Metro 2033 on the PC and it would be awesome if that minor annoyance could be corrected in the sequel.

4A answers: Yes, V-Sync is an option in settings.

Q: As you may know, the PlayStation 3 is capable of better graphics than the Xbox 360 (but still quite low when compared to high-end computers) but it is harder to develop games for Sony's console. Assuming you have the experience, development time and additional resources required, perhaps the PS3 version of Metro: Last Light could be developed further to the extent of the console's own hardware capabilities, as opposed to that of the Xbox 360 (which is how most multi-platform games are made).

Also, the huge size of the Blu-ray format allows for a lot more higher-resolution textures than what we can achieve on Microsoft's console, as was seen in God of War III or the PS3 version of BioShock. So, my question is this: will you take your time with the PS3 version to make it as good as you can and with the best graphics available on Sony's console, or will it be just a simple port with the graphics of an Xbox 360 title?

4A answers: There will actually be subtle differences in different areas of the graphics between the Xbox 360 and PS3. They will both look great for a console game, though. If you want to know if it’s just a straight port from one to the other: it’s not.

Q: Will the player be able to see Artyom's feet when looking down at the ground from the first-person perspective? I know that this is something you have been asked by an editor of IGN before and the answer was "no" back then, but have you added it since then or are you planning to?

4A answers: You’ll see Artyom’s feet at times, but not when running around and looking down.

Q: Will the animation for Artyom changing his filters be redone to look more realistic?

4A answers: Yes, he screws them in this time around. What you saw was a very early implementation of this feature.


Komodo Saurian asked:
Q: Will Russian Federation get shafted again with a region-locked russian-only version?

Deep Silver answers: The Russian Federation version, distributed by Buka, will feature the same languages for audio and subtitles as the other Western versions.


Remer asked:
Q: Did you delay the launch of Last Light a couple months solely so that you could spend more time marketing it even though it may have been finished?

Deep Silver answers: Moving from one publisher to another is a complex process – the publisher handles things like Microsoft and Sony submissions, QA, localization and a huge range of administrative tasks. The transfer to Deep Silver cost those two months. The process was also disruptive on the studio – the game was not finished when Deep Silver acquired the rights, and in light of the above, they needed the extra time.

In all honesty – even if the game was ready to release, Deep Silver needed some time to pull marketing plans together. Marketing a game is a hugely complex process – releasing a game with no PR or advertising to support it would be a tragedy. So that extra two months helped everyone.

Q: Do you plan to exploit the Metro IP in the future? (ex. Call of Duty franchise)

Deep Silver answers: 'Exploit' is the wrong word… We’ll see where the future brings us when it comes to future Metro games. Luckily the Metro universe is huge, and Dmitry Glukhovsky will probably have some ideas of his own. There are no plans for yearly iterations or anything like that.

Q: Does 4A plan to do any non Metro-related projects/IP's in the future? I'd love to see them do their own thing instead of beating this awesome series to death.

Deep Silver answers: That will be entirely up to them! Deep Silver only bought the rights to publish the Metro games, not 4A Games. If it turns out we both want to make another one, that isn’t out of the question. If 4A wants to do something else, they are free to do so.


Krapster asked:
Q: Will Metro 2033/Metro: Last Light Soundtrack ever be released(for purchase/for free)?

Deep Silver answers: The Soundtrack for both games is licensed to Sumthing Else Music Works, who also released the OST for Gears of War: Judgment and Tomb Raider recently. Maybe you'll spot it in a few contests in the future

Q: Also I hope I'm not wrong but I think a movie studio some time ago bought up the rights to make an Metro movie, do you guys have any information on that?

Deep Silver answers: Deep Silver doesn’t own the rights to Metro as a franchise/IP in general. Dmitry Glukhovsky owns the Metro IP. So the movie studio who bought up the rights will have to decide what they want to do with it. We won't be involved in that project.

Q: To what extent will Advanced Physx be used on Metro Last Light?

4A answers: We’ll have more to say about PhysX features soon.


Yeahbrah asked:
Q: I ask one thing. Will we on steam have a global release date?

It's really annoying to be in Australia waiting 2 days when American steam players are already playing a game, for example dead island. It's silly, and all it does is annoy other digital users and upset them. So please can we have a global release date / time. There's no reason not to have it on a digital distribution service.


Deep Silver answers: Games on Steam have a different release date when there is a different release date at physical retail. This is something Retailers insist on, it’s not a publisher choice.

This is something that might change in the future as the market evolves. But for the moment whenever there is a physical retail version of a game, the digital version has to be released at the same time. If not, retail will probably not want to stock your game, and nobody will be able to buy it in stores if they want to. In some countries this is more important than others, but that’s the situation right now. As impatient Europeans ourselves, we can definitely empathize with the difference in release dates between regions, though!


Jsto779 asked:
Q: My question, and maybe it was answered before but I'm raging trying to do ranger hardcore playthrough, can you aim down the sights with shotguns. I'm losing my mind fighting through the khan chapter. I can't aim my shotgun for crap.

4A answers: Depends on the shotgun. With the double barreled ‘Duplet’ the aiming key/button is a double shot. With the ‘Shambler’ (the auto shotgun) you can aim down the sights.


Криотч asked:
Q: Will the US version have the option for Russian language settings for voice like in Metro 2033? And how about Russian language subtitles this time too?

4A answers: Yes.