ACIII Director: Naval Warfare Was A Big Part Of The Revolution
See Full ImageUbisoft has often said they treated Assassin's Creed III like a brand new IP and to the fans, that philosophy is evident in much of the footage we've seen.
One of the most significant additions involves naval warfare; as many saw during E3, the developers have implemented story-driven sections that involve piloting a massive ship and engaging in intense sea confrontations. This represents a departure from the standard AC gameplay, but Ubisoft felt it was critical; as creative director Alex Hutchinson told OPM UK:
"We thought, ‘What is it about this period that makes it special?’ And it just came up again and again in the history that the navy was such a big part of it. It’s how you got to America. It’s how imported goods got to America. It was a key factor in dictating the outcome of the Revolution itself. All of these things kept telling us that this was a big deal, and you couldn’t do the Revolution justice without the sea."
Being a fan of the franchise, I only wonder exactly how these segments will play out. There's no doubt it'll be amazingly intense from all aspects, but it appears to be a combination of action and strategy that may or may not appeal to the long-time fans of the franchise. It's just so different. But Alex is right: You really can't do justice to the period without the Navy. It's just stuff like this that puts me on edge:
"No one had really done a third-person action-adventure sailing game before. You’re controlling navigation and combat at the same time. You can walk around your boat, but once you take the wheel you’re steering the boat almost the same as you would in any vehicle in the game. At the same time, you’re ordering your crew to fire different weapons – whether it’s round shot to sink the boats or chain shot to take out masts. The fun of it is juggling those things."
I've never been a fan of "juggling." But hey, I'm sure Ubisoft will do it well.
Tags: assassins creed iii, assassins creed 3, assassins creed iii naval warfare
9/14/2012 10:22:35 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (19 posts)
telly
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 10:54:43 AM
2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:26:09 AM
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PoopsMcGee
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 10:59:03 AM
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This is one reason why I'm pissed they took the series to the Revolution dammit. They only "HAD" to include naval battles because they CHOSE to take the series in this direction.
The main reason I'm pissed is because of the lack of dizzyingly tall and beautiful architecture that is a hallmark of the series (and one of the biggest selling points as far as I'm concerned).
Yeah, the story is all right and I expect this one to shine in that regard but it's pretty convoluted and the only characters I care about really are the actual historical figures.
This entry seems to want to cash in on the American Revolution at the expense of what I found compelling about the game. I hope I'm wrong.
0 up, 5 down
PoopsMcGee
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:13:30 AM
Once again, boo.
0 up, 2 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:28:09 AM
4 up, 0 down
Comic Shaman
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:30:37 AM
1 up, 0 down
PoopsMcGee
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:32:03 AM
AC sold very well with even lesser known times and settings so that point is somewhat moot.
Last edited by PoopsMcGee on 9/14/2012 11:34:56 AM
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enjoi
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:11:27 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Comic Shaman
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:20:58 AM
In real life, those battles took a LONG time to complete. A lot of it was technical positioning with the wind and trying to set up a good run at one another. Ships could pound the hell out of each other for extended periods of time and still do no substantial damage. And if one ship didn't want to fight, she could refuse the engagement entirely or turn tail and flee, leading to a chase that could last days on end.
I think the Ubisoft guys did a lot more research than you give them credit, but ultimately decided to have a sped-up timeframe for the unfolding of the battles to keep with the pace of the action game. A full-scale frigate simulator might be very cool, but a really tough sell as a part of an Assassin's Creed game.
3 up, 0 down
Comic Shaman
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:15:17 AM
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The idea of having a ship is one of those deep triggers for me.
Which... can I break off and mention Mass Effect here? This is the thing that disappointed me most about Mass Effect. Not the ending or whatever most folks complain about, but the fact that you couldn't actually do much with Normandy. She had all her action in cutscenes. Beyond that, she was just another sort of level hub.
It's a space game. I want to fly my ship, damn it.
Or hell, I want to be able to call in air support once and a while. Reinforcements, supply drops... something that makes me feel like I've got this incredible starship up there as a resource.
The 4-minute naval combat trailer for ACIII looks like you have more actual fun with your ship than you do with Normandy in the entire Mass Effect series. I am so looking forward to taking the wheel and hitting the high seas.
2 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 11:31:13 AM
1 up, 0 down
DrRockso87
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 12:14:33 PM
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First his comment on this game being "sort of a new IP" (no, it's not), then his comment on turning Assassin's Creed into "an annual series like Mario" is "healthy" and his comment on Japanese games.
You would think by now Ubisoft would tell him to shut up already.
But whatever. Game looks and sounds great. Naval warfare though still irks me. I just hope it's not as gimmicky as tower defense in Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
Then again, if it's anything like naval warfare in Sly 3, I'll be interested. hehe
Last edited by DrRockso87 on 9/14/2012 12:15:29 PM
3 up, 0 down
cLoudou
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 12:26:26 PM
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0 up, 0 down
La_Bete12
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 6:20:09 PM
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1 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 6:27:37 PM
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0 up, 0 down
___________
Saturday, September 15, 2012 @ 5:09:21 AM
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fans did not want a new IP, THEY WANT ANOTHER ASSASSINS CREED GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what is it with developers obsession lately with treating sequels as new IPs!?
next were going to have Ferrari come out and say we treated our next supercar as if it was a train!
if i wanted a new IP, why would i go buy a sequel?
just like if i wanted a sequel why would i go buy a new IP?
as for the naval battles im worried its going to be allot of effort and cost for nothing!
first off they dont look much fun, and secondly is that what you really want in a AC title?
i want to be leaping across rooftops chasing thieves and sneaking up on unsuspecting victims thrusting my hidden blade into the back of their head!
not manning a cannon and riding the waves......
is this assassins creed, or sid mires civilization?
1 up, 1 down
RICHIECOQUI
Saturday, September 15, 2012 @ 8:48:59 AM
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0 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Reply
Friday, September 14, 2012 @ 10:46:54 AM