I recently talked with Ben Goldberg, point man on the Resistance and Liberation mod team about their upcoming WW2 shooter. RnL is being built on the HL2 engine and plans to take realism to the next level: the creators of RnL are calling the mod a “world war two infantry simulation”.

TR: Why make Resistance and Liberation?
Ben Goldberg: Well firstly we are making RnL because it is the game that we have all wanted to see. The team is striving to make RnL the most realistic experience possible because it is the game that we have all envisioned and want to play.

TR: Why focus on the 82nd airborne in Normandy?
Ben Goldberg: At the time the team started development there were several other mods basing their gameplay around the Army, so naturally we choose to do the airborne. In addition using the 82nd airborne also opened up possibilities of using the 101st as well, this allows us to look at some of the other areas of the war that have not been touched or not been done realistically.

TR: What modding experience does the RnL team have, and what are some games or mods that have influenced them?
Ben Goldberg: Our development team as a whole has been modding for years on many different engines, several of the team actually do their respective jobs full time. As for influences RnL will be a game unlike any other, we are not aiming to be like any other game out there. However the team has been influenced by games such as Day of Defeat, World War 2 Online, and Brothers in Arms just to name a few.

TR: There’s a line that every player draws between realism and fun. How has the RnL team decided where to draw that line when deciding on the scope of realism features?
Ben Goldberg: Well in RnL there is no line, we are attempting to make the gameplay as realistic as possible on the engine. Some people may worry that this simply wont be fun, however from our early play tests I can give you my guarantee that the gameplay is most certainly fun. We play test and will continue to as long as we are in development and if we find something that just flat out kills the gameplay we will remove it. RnL is aiming to be the thinking man’s game, not just another run and gun shooter.

TR: What features will RnL have that push the gameplay beyond that of previous WW2 realism mods?
Ben Goldberg: Well firstly RnL is going to include realistic ballistics, if you get hit by a high caliber round you are either going to be dead or incapacitated. Our NCO system is also a major point of difference from other similar mods. The NCO is the only member of a squad with a map of objectives and provides a moral boost for any soldier sticking near him; the NCO is a crucial person in the heat of battle. RnL will also have no HUD whatsoever, we wont be displaying scores so the focus is more on helping your team to win, not personal scores. We’ve also got quite a few more things that we aren’t ready to let out yet as well.

TR: How many players will the RnL maps support?
Ben Goldberg: Ideally our maps support 32 players, however they can support more.

TR: Compared to other current generation engines, is the HL2 engine providing any advantages for implementing RnLs aggressive gameplay goals?
Ben Goldberg: The main reason we chose the Source engine was the easy access tools and the support we constantly get from Valve. In addition its a great engine to work with.

TR: Will the NCO system play a role in spawning?
Ben Goldberg: We are currently testing several options, but at this time we cant answer that question.

TR: How will morale be implemented in RnL?
Ben Goldberg: Morale will play a couple of key factors, both positive and negative. Anytime a machine gun goes off around you it will affect your stamina and aim, it is more of a suppression system than morale. Positively the system allows for more than just gaining bonuses such as better aim or stamina for being around an NCO. It means it is more practical to be with an NCO so you can see his map, use the radio, among other things.

TR: RnL is described as an Infantry Simulator. Does this mean there will be no vehicles in RnL?
Ben Goldberg: No there will not be vehicles in the initial versions of the mod. We feel that until we are able to do vehicles realisticly and give them the ability to be player manned, that we can do without. This isnt ruling out the possibility of vehicles in the long term, however they won’t be in the first versions.

TR: Will there be artillery or other forms of fire support available in RnL?
Ben Goldberg: We are planning on fire support in the form of light mortars used as an item, not a spawnable class. However it is not clear at this time whether or not it will make it into the initial release.

TR: How will heavy weapons, like the .30 cal be implemented?
Ben Goldberg: We plan on giving machine gunners the ability to deploy their bi-pods on most surfaces as well as use of an assistant gunner who will carry extra ammo and give certain bonuses for his services. However at this moment it is still open for change and a work in progress.

TR: Is there anything more you’d like to share with TR fans about Resistance and Liberation?
Ben Goldberg: We are currently looking for a player animator and anyone with any interest please go to resistanceandliberation.com and fill out an application. Also our irc channel #resistancemod on the Gamesurge network is the best place for all your RnL info as well as some exclusive screens.

For more information on the Resistance and Liberation mod please visit their home page. My experience with the team so far is they are very receptive to feedback and comments on features so if you got ideas post them on their forums.

RnL promises to be one of the most beautiful WW2 shooters yet.