A squad-based tactical combat game set in the Fallout universe. This means you get to put together a squad of characters and go on missions against other squads, mutants and enemies. It's both a single-player and a multiplayer game. It's not an RPG like the other Fallout games, but it has a lot of RPG qualities.

Who is this game being developed for?

People who like Fallout, Jagged Alliance and X-com games and/or two-headed cows. We're not sure about that last part.

How different will Fallout Tactics be from the previous incarnation?

Pretty different and strikingly similar. You now have full control over everyone in your party, plus you can control vehicles in actual combat in addition to some other combat improvements. The difference is that it is mission-based instead of being completely open-ended and the dialogue system is streamlined.

How much of the original game is incorporated in this latest version?

The SPECIAL system is there, giving you complete control over your characters. Your character actually matters in gameplay. The sense of humor and the style and the look of Fallout are still there.

I understand that two different development teams are developing this title? How does that work?

The developer is Micro-Forté, the division is 14° East and the publisher is Interplay Entertainment Corp. The utensil is a spoon.

Micro-Forté is doing the actual programming and art, and the majority of the design. 14° is doing the audio and works with MF on the design. Interplay is making the box and putting it into the hands of our fans!

Tell us more about the latest engine on which Fallout Tactics is based. What are its capabilities and how has it allowed you to expand the game beyond the scope of the original title?

For starters, it's a completely new engine. It supports higher resolutions and higher bit depth, making the screen look that much cooler. It also supports multiplayer, as previously mentioned. We've added a semi-real-time mode, called Continuous Turn-Based (CTB), in addition to the Fallout turn-based system, in order to make multiplayer play a little faster. There are elevations, so you can climb buildings and drop grenades down on people, or shoot over their cover. You can crouch and go prone. The interface is getting some revamping as well.

What is the design philosophy behind this game?

Guns, big guns and small guns. To combine some of the best strategy gaming with the Fallout world and provide an experience that would be difficult to do with a pure RPG.

What is the objective of the game? What are players trying to accomplish?

Guns, big guns and small guns. The player is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a techno-religious organization that is taking some responsibility for the actions of the player character from Fallout 1. The BoS (as compared to that singer from Jersey) has sent some people to track a large super mutant army that has gone from California to the radioactive hell known as Back East.

Who are your enemy this time around?

That would be spoiling the adventure, now wouldn't it?

How many scenarios and missions will Fallout Tactics offer? How will progress be made through Fallout Tactics?

We are planning on over 30 missions, some of which are required to advance the storyline and some of which are optional. The player moves through the game in a series of chapters, wherein he has some control over the mission selection within each chapter.

What do you consider to be the main factors of Fallout Tactics that will make it stand above other strategy titles? Where do you see the genre moving in the coming years in terms of innovation?

Certainly the character generation system and the affects that characters have on gameplay is a huge deal for us. The story and setting of Fallout are also unique. We have a nice mix of RPG-goodness, which is always nifty.

I think that most of the innovation of this genre will revolve around accessibility and expansion. The games will get a little easier to pick up and they will be more easily modified by players.

For gamers who have already played the previous version, what do you think will attract them back to this latest version?

Guns, big guns and small guns. Honestly, I think they will be attracted to the setting. Fallout fans are rabid (and that's a good thing). We are treating this game very seriously, especially the Fallout humor. How long has this game been in development? How's it coming along?

Since late last year (1999, in case you are reading this in 2001). We are scheduled for a Q1, 2001 release. It's already very fun to play.

Besides Fallout Tactics what other project are you guys currently working on?

14° East is working on several nifty titles. Other than that, I can't tell you...