Read what lead engineer Claude Langlais has to say about the upcoming revamp to this classic license.
Q&A with Lead Engineer Claude Langlais
Q: What engine are you using? A: We’re using an evolution of the JADE engine, which was originally built by Ubi Soft’s Project BG&E team - it wowed everyone during E3 2002. After seeing what JADE could do, we knew it was the right engine to use to achieve what we wanted for the game.
Q: Tell me about its capabilities and how you take advantage of it. A: JADE gives us intuitive, easy-to-use content authoring tools. We were able to start with a strong basis in miscellaneous fields and concentrate on integrating a lot of elements very quickly. Basically, it allows us to do short development test cycles for optimal tweaking.
Q: Did you improve the engine to adapt it to the development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time? A: We improved the existing animation system by developing animation blending (and partial asynchronous blending) to make the Prince’s movements smooth and realistic. We also adapted the animation authoring tools to ensure optimal quality, and created new special effects that made possible some of the main features related to the Sands of Time.
Q: What kind of specific features were you able to develop thanks to this engine? A: One of the biggest features of the game, which is the core of the design, was developed very early in the project. We needed to make sure we could validate and fully test it in the game. I can’t talk about it yet, but rest assured that this feature will make the game a worthy addition to the Prince of Persia series.
We also developed a number of features to enhance the player’s immersion in the game. For instance, we’ve included transparent dynamic loading, so there’s no more separate loading time in the middle of the action! And we added lightmaps to enhance the visual quality and ambience of the environments.
We wanted to create a dynamic environment in which a player would evolve, so the Prince’s clothes and hair react dynamically to his movements and surroundings, and a wind simulation system affects characters, drapes, bridges, etc.
In terms of AI, characters’ AI can be tuned thanks to the real-time behavior modification and tweaking capability of our content authoring tools - yet another feature that showcases the power of the JADE engine.
Q: The former Prince of Persia games were developed mostly on PC: why did you choose to work on consoles first? A: This game will appeal to a lot of different players, so developing for consoles felt like the right choice. We think it will reach players who love the original series, as well as a vast new audience who will encounter the game through next-gen consoles. And with consoles, every unit shipped has the same specifications, so we were able to focus on developing a single configuration as opposed to the range of PC possibilities - so we know that every player will experience the incredible level of immersion that a Prince of Persia game promises.
Q: As part of Ubi Soft’s Montreal studio, do you collaborate with the Splinter Cell team? How? A: While the two games don’t use the same engine, we definitely exchange ideas and concepts with the Splinter Cell team. For instance, we developed our environment interaction system based on something done in Splinter Cell, and the drapes in Splinter Cell were based on a constraint system originally developed for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. We all exchange ideas so we can develop new features based on previous successes.
Thanks to Ubisoft for providing us with this interview
