Interview: PT-Boats: Knights of the Sea

Gamezine had the privilege of talking to Akella, developers of PT-Boats: Knights of the Sea. It is their entry into the tumultuous waters of the PC naval combat simulator market. Here is what they had to say:

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What made you decide upon a naval scenario for the game?

There are a lot of games that feature, or at least relate to, World War II. Few of them use naval historical settings, though. That's why we decided to develop a game that would create entirely new dimensions of gameplay - referring to naval combat, large-scope battlefields and military campaigns at sea. These combat-themed missions offer a player the chance to try his hand at attacking his foes, intercepting enemy cruisers and other vessels, identifying targets in the fog, escorting convoys to safe areas, and many other objectives that will make you feel you're there. You can choose to join the Russian, German or Allied navies and control every aspect of your boat's defensive and offensive capabilities as you navigate the sea.

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How does your game compare with other games in the genre, such as the Silent Hunter series and Battlestations: Midway?

We believe there are several features that make the game unique, making it stand out from its competitors:

• - Historical authenticity and detailed presentation of all the models featured in the game. All the ships, planes and submarines are being developed based on true historical documents, archived materials, photos and wartime documentary shots.
• - Unique opportunities to complete any mission from the point of view of any faction involved, thus being able to see what it is like to, for example, intercept one's opponent and, on the other hand, do everything to avoid being intercepted.
• - Complete freedom to conduct a mission how the player sees fit.
• - Players can control both the boat as a whole or switch to controlling specific weapons, in order to manually fire at the enemy.
• - A mix of grand strategy with detailed simulation. For example, the gamer can choose to take command of the entire fleet, as well as zooming in to take control of a single vessel.

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What sort of scenarios are available to the player in PT-Boats?

The gamer will be offered a wide range of missions, all grouped together to form separate episodes. Each one will feature a specific theatre of naval operations at a certain period in the war. For example, one scenario in PT Boats: Knights of the Sea features a military operation called "Unternehmen Weserubung", which involves attempting to capture Norway.

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Will casual gamers be catered for in PT-Boats: Knights of the Sea, or will this be a strictly hardcore simulation?

When we started developing the game we planned to make it a more hardcore experience, but we eventually decided against this. We felt it would have been too in-depth, putting off players that might otherwise enjoy the game. We've added some casual elements, mostly referring to ship control. Also, players can adjust some difficulty parameters: add endless shells, switch off weapon over-heat functions, etc.

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What sort of multiplayer modes will be featured? Will players be able to co-operate and play the single-player campaign together?

At this point in the development cycle, we'll have only deathmatch modes in multiplayer. No co-operative mode will be available.

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As PC players become more aware of their systems and what they need to run games, how does PT-Boats address the concerns of gamers with slower machines?

We have worked hard to make sure the game has sensible system requirements and that it will run smoothly on most PCs:

Minimum System Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP2


• 1GB RAM System RAM


• 2.5 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor


• 8x DVD-ROM Drive


• 1,5 GB free hard disk space


• DirectX 9.0c (included in installer package)


• 64MB Direct3D Compatible Video card and DirectX 9.0 compatible driver


• DirectX 8.1 Compatible Sound Card

Recommended System Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows Vista


• 3.0 Ghz Intel Pentium 4 QuadCore or equivalent processor


• 2 GB System RAM


• DirectX 10.0 (included in installer package)


• Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX series, ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT series or higher video card

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Are there any plans to continue the series or will you be working on new projects after PT-Boats has been released?

We are planning to release an add-on with some tweaks and additions that were not included in the original game. After that, we would love to make a sequel.

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Finally, what would you say inspired you most during the making of the game?

The stories of World War II are very impressive and compelling. Creating a realistic simulation of fast-paced, maneuverable boats makes these tales even more exciting for us and, we hope, the players.