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This will be the official discussion thread for all of the Socom Blog information and comments. Do not make any more threads relating to this subject, as they will be deleted upon creation. Keep all Blog related questions and comments in this Blog Discussion Thread. Thank you.


Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 10/07/05

SOCOM 3 Development Team Answers G.A.P. Questions
The PlayStation® Gamer Advisory Panel, or G.A.P., is the trusted team that PlayStation turns to in order to take the pulse of the gaming industry. These gamers have earned status and station in the PlayStation universe through avid gaming and forward thinking, and their ranks include the biggest SOCOM fans in existence. Recently, they were given the opportunity to fire questions at the Zipper Development team—and have them answered. Read on to see what everyone had to say.

Q. I've read from various sources about SOCOM 3 possibly using what was termed "islands" to help improve online server processes. Is that still what is planned for use and how exactly will it work? And would/could/should it become a "standard" for multi-player shooters such as SOCOM? Submitted by DaSaintFan

A. For SOCOM 3, we used steaming technology to basically break up our levels into smaller chunks (which we call ‘islands’). Instead of having the whole level loaded at a time, we only load specific islands that are relevant to you. This breaks up the network load because you don’t need the details of what is happening on an island that you don’t have loaded, you just need summary. For example, in an online game, if you’re on island A with 16 people and there are 16 people on island B, all the gunfire and activity that is happening on island B is irrelevant to you so we just send you the basics like who’s alive and who’s dead. So, in this example, the streaming technology has reduced your network load by about 50%. Who can know whether it will become a standard, but we will certainly be using this technology for future games.

Q. I'm really looking forward to SOCOM 3 and SOCOM Fire Team Bravo, and are you planning on any sort of connectivity between the two games? Submitted by Cow Tipper

A. Yes, in addition to having a shared storyline and fiction, you will be able to sync game states between the two platforms. By completing special “Crosstalk” objectives in the Campaign games, you will unlock rewards in the other game. In addition to the specific mission rewards, your campaign progress can also unlock weapons, attachments, and character skins that you can use in both offline and online modes of each game.

Q. Why did you pull down the strength of sniper rifles? By the time you hit someone with an M87/M82 and you can hit again, they had enough time to flee, and it's just not realistic either...?

A. We apologize; the previous blog answer was inaccurate. A .50 Cal sniper rifle will kill with one hit if you hit them in the torso, but will not if you hit them in an arm or leg. We want players to be accurate with their shots in order to be most effective.

Q. I've heard rumors that you can "injure" members of the opposite team, for instance... If you shoot somebody in the leg their movement will become slower, also that if you hit them in the arm/hand they will have a harder time aiming...I was hoping this is true because that would be a major + for this series =) Submitted by DeCaDeNcE

A. There are no injury effects. Players are just as effective at 1% health as they are at 100% health. However, being shot will have a “temporary” effect on your mobility. When you get shot you will be slowed down for a short period of time.

Q. Can we have a little more explanation on how will the player will be able to log in their name from a website to check their messages, rank, setup clan rosters, etc? Thank you for your time and great job. Submitted by sk8er1412

A. It is pretty simple. You go to a web page, log in, and start browsing. The web pages will support message boards and player mail functionality as well as display the current ranked leader boards, clan ladders, and player stats. Other information such as daily SOCOM 3 news and a FAQ will also be available. Clan management will not be available via the web page.

Q. I love 3rd person shooters, especially tactical ones, but they tend to be hard (i.e. you spend an hour doing a mission only to die and have to start over) and little on the linear side. I heard that SOCOM 3 had some game play changes to make the game less frustrating, and to make the levels more open ended. Is this true, and if so what specific changes did you make? Submitted by Jim Hawking

A. Game difficulty has not been an isolated complaint about previous versions of SOCOM, so we’ve approached it in two ways. First we reduced the penalty for failure by adding checkpoints into the game. As you progress through a mission, you can checkpoint or save your progress at key points. If you subsequently die, you now restart from that checkpoint rather than starting from the beginning of the mission. This should greatly reduce the frustration and penalty of failure. Secondly, we’ve adjusted the difficulty parameters so that the game is significantly easier on the lower (ENSIGN and LIEUTENANT) difficulty levels. The SOCOM series has always supported open-ended game play. In SOCOM 3, you will continue to face challenges and objectives that you can approach and complete in a variety of different ways. New features such as vehicles and single button press team commands will increase the tools at your disposal to overcome those challenges.

Q. Hi, I was a leader of my SOCOM II clan for about eight months and I was wondering if there would be an option to add internal ranks. For example, the leader can assign certain ranks to his/her clan mates that would give them a special ability. I heard that there is an option in the clan menu called "Badges", so I wondered if that's what the internal ranks will be. If you could, can you explain to us confused fans about the badges system? Thanks! Proud G.A.P. member since 9/26/2005. Submitted by Philz20

A. Neither of these features (leader assigned ranks and clan badges) made it into the game.

Q. I haven’t seen much information about this so I was wondering if you could get a bit more in-depth to what the new clan settings and features will be. , as clans are a high priority in SOCOM. Submitted by SOTG Demon

A. We added lots of new clan functionality including the ability to see who in your clan is online, expanded rosters that allow 32 players maximum, an integrated clan challenge system, a revamped clan ladder, a way to quickly join into fellow clan members’ games and easy invites so that clan leaders can invite players into their clan from in-game.

Q. What is the (SOCOM 3 development teams) favorite???

Specific item:

Map (the name of the map)

Gun Combo (name of the combo)

Vehicle (name of the vehicle)

Team (SEAL or Terrorist)

Submitted by Tsiphon

Here are some of the current favorites:
Map: Killing Fields – big desert map, crazy close in fighting in the middle ruins, tank vs. tank action.
Gun combo: the good old M4A1 with suppressor and scope attached. A very versatile weapon.
Vehicle: Pickup Technical – civilian pickup truck, big gun attached to it.
Team: SEALs, they’re bad-*censored*.

Q. Will there be some new dances added or other ways to taunt the loosing team? (Would love to do the river dance on a terrorist or even better moonwalk circles around them). Thanks again Zipper Interactive for giving us couch warriors the chance to live out our seal/terrorist fantasies without being shot at for real. Submitted by SF Sniper 650

A. Yes, we have added more new dances. Look for new favorites like ‘the robot’.

Q. Vehicles are a new addition to SOCOM 3. Why add them in now when the first two were immensely successful without. What type of game play enhancements do you hope to achieve with the vehicle addition? Submitted by guruguy9

A. We are always looking forward and are actively trying to evolve and improve upon the franchise. We also don’t look at features in isolation, but look at things from a more symbiotic approach. With SOCOM 3, we felt that we had that the right mix of features (vehicles, large mission environments, and 32-player multiplayer) that mutually supported each other, thus making vehicles the right fit for this project and a good way to broaden the SOCOM experience. More specifically, vehicles are yet another tool in the player’s repertoire that will help them meet and overcome challenges. The presence of vehicles presents interesting tactical choices. On-foot/vehicle interactions provide interesting and compelling combat situations. The use of vehicles requires teamwork and communication, which has always been a focus of SOCOM games. The vehicles themselves can be used as mobile objectives and allow for the larger mission spaces without bogging down the pace of the game play.

Q. Well as many know, lag contributes to certain glitches and the use of "switches" worsens it. Will there be a new way such as when your Internet is cut off, you automatically disconnect? It would greatly halt the use of "switches" and glitches. Submitted by FYREWOLF86

A. We are always evaluating and continually improving our cheat and exploit detection. This is an arc of ongoing development even after SOCOM 3 will be released.

Q. What steps have you taken in SOCOM 3 to address existing issues of people cheating in the online play modes? Submitted by csealy

A. Cheating is hard to stop because it is a moving target. Nevertheless, we have a three-pronged approach towards cheating. First of all, we ban people for cheating. Secondly, we provide voting tools in the game so that players like yourself can self-police your own games and kick out cheaters. Lastly, we fix the exploits. We’ve fixed known exploits from SOCOM 2. And, no doubt, cheaters will continue to find exploits after we ship, so we will listen to feedback and monitor the servers in order to find issues that need to be fixed via patching.

Q. What was the most significant improvement made based on the beta feedback? Submitted by Jk1ller

A. The Beta process helped us to identify many issues. One important issue was the impact that adding attachments has to the weapons. Players in the beta felt that the attachment bonuses were much too subtle. We’ve ramped up the attachment bonuses to weapon performance so that now it is much more noticeable. Another significant improvement was to increase the swimming speed.


And don’t forget, for those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, plan to meet us at the PlayStation store at Metreon on Monday, October 10 from 8-12 a.m. PT. The first copies of SOCOM 3 will go on sale at 12:01 PT, Tuesday, Oct 11th. The blog team will be on-site snapping some digital pictures, talking to fans and (wireless internet permitting) doing some real-time blog posts/updates

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 10/06/05

Tips from the Developers
After his insightful and, in some spots, hilarious post from yesterday, Travis Steiner, lead designer of SOCOM 3 is back with a few tips for you all before you embark on the S3 adventure.

Since you’ll be playing the game in no time, here are a few tips I’ll throw out there. Some of them may be obvious to the veterans, but you may find most of them useful.

1. Check out all of the alternate controller setups when you first play. Fans who are used to SOCOM I and SOCOM II style controls will be happy to know that we went with a nearly identical setup as our default scheme. We also support some other good ones such as “Frogman,” which supports chatting on the triggers and removes the need for anything to be mapped to L3. We unfortunately weren’t able to get SureShot in due to the addition of some new features that require button real estate. However, a variation on the old “Scout” controls will give players a similar analog stick setup.

2. TCA commands are one of the most useful new features. In single player, these commands allow you to press just one button (tapping or press and hold) to get your teammates to “Move To”, “Follow”, “Get Down”, and/or execute other context sensitive commands. In multiplayer, this allows you to quickly tell your teammates to “Cover” (tap) or “Follow” you (press and hold).

3. Try out many weapon configurations with our new gun customization in the armory. One of the best new setups is possible with the M-8 assault rifle, which supports the ZM25 airburst grenade launcher as an attachment. Equipping that will allow you to lock in a range, then detonate a grenade in the air just above the head of an enemy hiding behind cover!

4. If you play through the entire singleplayer campaign on the various difficulty settings, you’ll unlock cool Extras for multiplayer. SOCOM II veterans are obviously familiar with that, but new to the series will be the “Crosstalk” unlockable content. If you have a PSP and a copy of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo when it comes out, you’ll be able to connect the two and unlock more goodness.

Hooya!

Travis Steiner
Lead Designer, Zipper Interactive, Inc.
SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 10/05/05

October 05, 2005
Are We There Yet?
With the launch of SOCOM 3 only six days away, we thought some insight into the life of the development teams would be appropriate. We now have a nice contributed post from SOCOM 3's lead designer, Travis Steiner, on life after going gold.

Developing SOCOM 3 was much more grueling than SOCOM II. Due to the gargantuan amount of content we were intent on cramming into the development cycle, it resulted in an extraordinarily tough push to get it all in. It was like being at boot camp, but instead of getting in shape, we sat in our office chairs for twelve hours a day eating pizza and staring into a monitor. Many on the team would get home each night just hours before their spouse was about to wake and leave for work. Pretty soon, SOCOM started finding its way into our dreams. Going into public is no longer about shopping or socializing but rather about looking for good textures, scenario ideas and level layouts. “This shopping mall doesn’t have enough cover objects - bad design!” Social lives, exercise, and non-SOCOM gaming had almost entirely vacated our lives. We were living and breathing the game around the clock until something strange happened; it went Gold.

With the game now completed and on the verge of shipping, it’s strange to enter the world of the living once again. We’ve had to re-introduce ourselves to our families, learn how to talk in non-gaming terms, and become accustomed to natural food products. After spending much of the last year of your life at work, you sort of become institutionalized. I was near Zipper last weekend on a Saturday helping a friend move and afterwards I felt compelled to go to work for no good reason. It just seemed like I should. There must be something I need to get done! I played a few games then realized I could be doing that at home.

Having had some time to escape from it all, we now have a pretty good perspective on the last year of that development cycle. With any game you create as a developer, it’s easy to look back and wish you’d had more time to add or tweak this or that. Tuning knows no end other than the schedule. One can get caught up on the little details, but when I step back and see just how much content and effort we crammed into our development cycle, I think it is something we can all be very proud of in the end. The team members at both Zipper and Sony poured everything they had into taking the SOCOM series to the next level and we are super excited for the fans to get their hands on it!

Check back soon for some SOCOM 3 gaming tips straight from the developers!

Travis Steiner
Lead Designer, Zipper Interactive, Inc.
SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 10/04/05

October 04, 2005
7 DAYS UNTIL LAUNCH!
As of today, we are one week out from the launch of SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs! By this time next week, the stores will be stocked with the most exciting combat game available. We are planning some fun activities for next week to help welcome SOCOM 3 to the PlayStation family. For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, plan to meet us at the PlayStation store at Metreon on Monday, October 10 from 8-12amPT. The first copies of SOCOM 3 will go on sale at 12:01PT, Tuesday Oct 11th while supplies last. We look forward to seeing you there!

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/30/05

VH1 SOCOM Top 20 Video Countdown

Attention SOCOM gamers: Watch Vh1's Top 20 Video Countdown on Friday, October 7th at 6 p.m. ET to see your favorite videos counted down SOCOM style. Check out VH1 host Aamer Haleem as he visits Navy bases and aircraft carriers in San Diego. But most importantly, get the real 411 on SOCOM 3 from real Navy SEALs.

Also, lets not forget that we're now only 11 days away from the launch of the game. Let the countdown begin!

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/28/05

Spike TV's The Ultimate Gamer: SOCOM 3

All right SOCOMers, Spike TV has stepped up huge and filmed what looks to be an excellent version of their Ultimate Gamer show on one of our very own loyal SOCOM fans. So, tune into Spike TV on Tuesday, October 4 at 10 p.m. to catch The Ultimate Gamer: SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs. Watch the ultimate gamer on his SOCOM journey as he is plucked out of obscurity, sent to visit Zipper Interactive studios, lives through Navy SEAL missions in deserts and swamps and is finally given the ultimate SOCOM living room. It's a can't miss for any SOCOM fan!

Also, check out this nice promotional video they put together for the show: Download the_ultimate_gamer_socom_promo.mov

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/27/05

SEAL History: Korean War to Present
As the countdown to the launch of SOCOM 3 breaks the two week barrier, we thought we would round-out our discussion of the steady evolution of the Navy SEALs as a part of the military. Our last history of the SEALs post took us to the time immediately following the Korean War and today's will take us to present day.

In January of 1962, in response to President John F. Kennedy's desire for the military to develop an Unconventional Warfare (UW) capability, the Navy established SEAL Teams ONE and TWO. The vast majority of the two teams were made up of members from the previously formed Underwater Demolition Teams who were already experienced with explosives and diving. The new teams also received training in safecracking, foreign languages, special weapons and tactics, martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. Under the new team structure, the SEALs were charged with executing counter guerilla warfare and other operations under cover in maritime and river environments.

Within four years, the newly formed SEAL teams saw their first combat action in Vietnam when a portion of SEAL Team ONE arrived to conduct their first mission. Overall, eight total SEAL platoons would take part in missions in Vietnam and, additionally, served as advisors for Provincial Reconnaissance Units and the Lien Doc Nguoi Nhia (LDNN), the Vietnamese version of SEALs.

SEAL teams would go on to see action in a plethora of other military movements over the years and, in 1983, all UDT Underwater Demolition Teams were re-designated as SEAL Teams or Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Teams (SDVT). SDVTs have since been re-designated SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams.


Some quick SEAL facts:

SEAL combat effectiveness during the Vietnam War led them to be feared as "Devils with Green Faces" by the Viet Cong, spurning the often mythical seeming reputation they have to this day. SEALs also had a 250:1 kill ration during the Vietnam War.

By 2000, there were approximately 2,500 SEAL personnel actively assigned to units. SEALs have operated in Pakistanand Afghanistan as part of various missions including "Task Force 11" -- the tracking and hopeful capture of members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership.

Approximately 250 SEALs were also active in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

SEALs captured and held the Mukarayin Dam, about 57 miles from Baghdad, for five days in order to prevent the dam's destruction by forces loyal to Saddam Hussein, which would have flooded much of the city.

SEALs were also part of the group that helped rescue Private Jessica Lynch.

Pretty impressive if you ask us. We understand that you all want new information on SOCOM 3, and we're trying to deliver, but we still feel it is important to tip our hat to this amazingly unique and heroic portion of the U.S. Navy that has inspired a franchise that we all love.

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/23/05

Latest news on the SOCOM franchise
For those of you that may not be eSEALs, we wanted to post some of the information included in the latest eSEALs newsletter just to make sure everyone has the most up-to-date information on SOCOM happenings as possible.

There were a few minor updates/reminders embedded in the last newsletter that we'd like to highlight quickly:
SCEA will not be allowing players to reserve their online game name through a Web site as was done with previous SOCOM releases. All player names will be reserved through the online game only and all names will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. So, in our humble opinion, the best advice is to purchase the game early and get online to setup your account to ensure you get the name you most desire.
The next SOCOM Boot Camp that SCEA and the U.S. Navy are hosting near San Diego, CA will begin THIS weekend. Sixteen contestants have been selected and the preparations are being made to commence the competition which everyone else can view on their computers. SCEA will be filming the entire competition and will air webisodes of the camp on www.SOCOMHellWeek.com (which is not yet functional) beginning in late October.
For interested parties, the SOCOM eSEALs Web site has received a makeover. The new site will include a larger amount of downloads, more consistent updates, the continued offering of special missions, and hosting of clan tourneys. The new site should be accessible just before SOCOM 3 launches the second week of October.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo for PSP will support Infrastructure and Ad Hoc mode for great multiplayer action. It will also feature over 35 authentic weapons and accessories. Possibly the coolest FTB feature is its connectivity to SOCOM 3 missions -- missions occur in the same timeframe and Areas of Operation. Certain mission objectives completed in one game can and will affect mission specifics and unlock special items in the other.

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/23/05

SOCOM 3 Goes Gold

With the launch of SOCOM 3 still a little more than two weeks away, the game has gone gold! Manufacturing has begun, which is good news for all involved because it means that October 11 is definitely the day the game will be available at stores nationwide.

So, THANK YOU to all that have already placed their orders for SOCOM 3 and to those planning on picking up on launch day. We can't wait to hear what you think and see you online soon!

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/21/05

Additional SOCOM 3 screens you may not have seen

Well, instead of writing up some long text-filled post today, we've decided to just give you all a few screenshots that may not have made their way out there yet. And, as a reminder, yesterday marked three weeks until the launch of SOCOM 3. We hope you all are as excited as we are!

Recent Update:

Originally Posted by Socom3 BLOG 9/19/05

Like we mentioned last week, we're trying to get to some of the questions we've received from comments left on some of the post to the blog answered. We do have more questions that need to be addressed, but we can shed a little light on a few more things right now.

We appreciate the patience and are working on getting more information, so keep checking back for updates!

Q: Will SOCOM 3 offer different scope reticule options?

A: Every scope has a different reticule, so the reticule you use will depend on which scope attachment you have equipped on your gun.

Q: What are the different sizes for the maps? What is the smallest size, and how could it compare to a specific map from S2?

A: Maps are of all different sizes. The biggest map is about five times the size of Foxhunt while the smallest is about the size of Blizzard. However, nearly all maps can be played using a smaller play area and some of these partitioned play areas equate to the size of Frostfire.

Q: How will the new encumbrance system work?

A: Each weapon, attachment and equipment item has an encumbrance load associated with it. When your encumbrance passes a minimum threshold point, your top speed will degrade. At maximum load, you can only move 50% of your top speed. Better equipment has a higher load so you will have to make strategic choices about which items you want to equip if you want to avoid encumbrance movement penalties.

Q: What about strafing momentum and bullet damage affecting the victim?

A: Every time a bullet hits you it will slow you down. This simulates the stopping power of the weapon being used. Higher-power weapons will slow you down more than a low-powered pistol.

Q: How effective is the public beta? Have there been drastic improvements to the game already?

A: The public beta process reveals bugs and server issues, which improves the quality of the game. As a result, the game has improved by leaps and bounds since the public beta was released.

That's all for now, but keep a lookout for the next round of answers, and keep those comments coming! We are listening.