Terraform Land, Build New Structures and Transform Attack Units in “Perimeter”

by Louis Bedigian

“With Perimeter we wanted to establish a new branch in [the] RTS genre.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use all of the energy this planet has to offer?  We could do more than power our homes and vehicles – we could use it to deconstruct land, create new buildings, design force fields to protect homeland security, etc.  We could even use the energy to open the fridge for us, transfer food to our bedrooms and never have to put down the mouse.  Heck, I’m sure there’s a way that Earth’s energy could be used to evolve the human species.  We could grow a third hand!  Just think of the gaming possibilities that would give us!

If only such a dream were true…  At this point it never will be outside of a new real-time strategy game called Perimeter.

Perimeter lets you manipulate the world by using its energy to “terraform” the environment.  You can transform vehicles as well.  What’s the purpose?  How does it work?  And how does it differ from other real-time strategy games?  K-D Labs explains. 

First off, introduce Perimeter to our readers.  Is this solely an online RTS, or does it have a single-player campaign as well?

Elena Khudenko, PR Manager: Our current project – Perimeter – is a real-time strategy game based on the concept of non-stop terraforming. The game combines all the best features of past and modern RTS games and gives player many new options and strategies. With Perimeter we wanted to establish a new branch in [the] RTS genre.

The game has a single-player campaign and battle mode, but it also can be played via LAN and, off course, online (including via GameSpy Arcade).

Evgeny Novikov, Managing Director: As you know Perimeter introduces some quite new features. It could require some time to get in to the new game basics and single-player campaign helps a lot in this way. So do not skip the campaign, you will enjoy it and it will definitely help you to reach master degree in Perimeter.

Describe the terraform feature in the game.  How does it work?  How easy will it be for players to grasp?

EK: Real-time terraforming influenced by special units, explosions and geological processes is one of the game's main features. For the first time in RTS history landscape becomes an active participant in combat, and not just a static background.

As the player builds his base, he must capture and flatten land - terraform it. Player can destroy mountains or create plateaus, etc… Construction of Frames or any other buildings is only possible on prepared (terraformed) land.

There are special units - Brigadiers that perform terraforming. The Brigadiers work all by themselves, and all the player has to do is mark out the zone for terraforming using the Zero-level tool. So there are absolutely no complications with this feature, and any player should easily learn how to use it.

Looks like a field of force.  A force field, if you will.

Are there any limits to how much you can terraform a part of the world?  Any barriers that hold you back, or make it more difficult to terraform?

EK: Yes, there is a certain limit - the player must flatten the ground to a certain level, called the Zero-level. This level is different for each world and is usually close to the average landscape height. 

When using the Zero-level tool, numbers that show the distance to the Zero-level in this point of the map appear. The bigger the numbers are - the longer will Brigadiers have to work. So, smoothing out high hills or deep hollows will certainly take more time. Some maps also feature special spots, which cannot be terraformed.

Explosions or geological processes can damage terraformed land.  To construct any building on damaged land, the player will have to terraform it again.

You can also transform units on the battlefield.  How does that work?  Can morphed units be changed back to their original form?

EK: Transformation of units is possible due to another unique Perimeter feature – nanotechnology. Unit Plants produce three types of basic units - Nano-Solders, Nano-Officers and Nano-Technicians. These basic units can be morphed into advanced units. Advanced unit requires certain number of basic units, for example, 1 soldier, 12 officers and 7 technicians can combine to make one Leamo assault tank. There are "recipes" like that for each advanced unit. New and more powerful units can also require creation and upgrade of certain Laboratories.  Information on required Laboratories is also included in these "recipes."

The transformation is reversible – you can morph basic units into advanced units and change them back to their original form. All you need is enough energy for transformation.

Crop circles are a sign of aliens.

Or a sign of farmers with way too much time on their hands.

With the various transformations included, how many different types of units will Perimeter have?

EK: There are about 25 different types of units – from simplest Nano-Soldiers to special advanced units. There are several types of units specified with different engine (ground/flying/underground), mass (light/medium/heavy) and weapon (gun/laser/rocket/bomb/special). So combination of these three properties give us good variety of units.

Perimeter also features 19 different types of buildings (Energy Cores, Energy Retransmitters and Energy Collectors, Plants, Laboratories, Portals etc.) and 7 different types of static weapons (including static super weapons - Ballistic Guns, Filth Navigators and Scum Disruptors).

One of the goals in Perimeter is to draw energy from the planet.  Does that relate to the game's story?

EK: The scene of the game is laid in an original sci-fi universe in not very distant future. So, Perimeter is in some way our vision of the future.  And in our vision due to technological progress energy can become the main (or even the only one) recourse, that's why we've chosen energy as the lone recourse for the game.

So in that sense this goal is related to the Perimeter's story.

How is the story presented in the game -- via movie sequences in between missions, or by some other means?

EK: Yes, the game features movie sequences in between missions, but that is not all. The story is also represented in briefings in the beginning of each mission, and the Frames' current positions are shown on The Chain of the Psycho-sphere Worlds.  The visualization of the Psycho-sphere's Chain development also helps to realize what's really going on in the back-story.

Perimeter's graphics are nothing short of breathtaking.  How were you able to achieve the visual quality that you have, and how long did it take?

EN: It took us quite a long time to find a golden mean between sci-fi abstraction and casual vision. We have made many experiments, but it gave us invaluable experience. So at the end we have made something special from one side and pretty good looking from other side.

Perimeter is one colorful RTS.

Was it difficult to make the game look as good as it does and still keep the frame rate at an acceptable pace?

EN: Yes, we have spent a lot of time in fighting for "frame rate." Code optimization was one of the central problems on the final stage of the project.

Also we were always keeping an eye on all latest hardware features that could open interesting ways to a new visual effects implementation, and already implemented code optimization.

Were any new tools or graphic techniques designed for Perimeter?

EN: Sure. During the game development we have build up some very important tools that gave us real possibility to build up high quality product.

First of all it's Map Editor – unique tools for high detailed landscape creation.

Another important tool is Visual Trigger Editor that gave us possibility to design all missions and AI behavior by using meta-design methods, without handwritten scripts.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about your highly anticipated RTS?

EK: Perimeter is truly a revolutionary game for the genre – first of all, it is the first-ever Real Terraforming Strategy (the first strategy, where the landscape is an important part of the gameplay). Then there is the unique unit system – morphing abilities is also an innovation for the RTS genre.

And last but not the least - the ability to attack with your own base (using the Perimeter force shield, for example), which makes Perimeter a territorial game.

Perimeter is also full of other nice features – unique and detailed universe, the story, which leaves no sci-fi admirer indifferent, beautiful graphics and original soundtrack, perfectly reflecting the unforgettable atmosphere of the game universe.  With all that, Perimeter should attract all categories of gamers, not only RTS fans.

We tried a different approach to an old genre, and now we are offering it to gamers.  Give it a try!

Thank you for your time.