Mission statement - what are the intentions behind this mod?

Transformers Crank Shaft/CS is a total conversion modification which provides new game materials for Transformers The Game through the use of Crytek's Crysis which is powered by the CryEngine2. If you are not familiar with Crysis, it is a PC Game which is largely speculated as having the best Directx10 graphics to date.  The reason we started the CS mod was because we wish to bring together aspects of a first person shooter, robotic simulation, and some good old fashion automobile racing. Transformers CS combines elements from all three genres using the 'Sandbox' approach which allows players to do what they want when they want using the powerful CryEngine2 API to expand Transformers The Game to what we've all been waiting for. In this non-profit project we will be bringing aspects of the Transformers franchise back to life which are not seen in recent Hollywood movies.

Why create a PC mod of Transformers when one PC game was officially released last year and another PC game is planned this year?

Despite the release of a very successful Transformers Movie last year, the release of the video game follow up was a bit disappointing for the PC gaming community because it lacked certain elements that gamers were hoping for. There was no multiplayer aspect, and despite modern graphics, the gameplay was dull. We hope that the second release of the Transformers official video game is more successful this year but we are rather skeptical considering the release of last year's product. We doubt the developers will have enough time to consider elements from great First Person Shooters such as Half Life, great Robotic Simulations such as Mechwarrior, and really cool racing games such as Need For Speed. This is where we come in here at Transformers CS. We are planning to take all of these elements into consideration while building a really cool new game materials for Transformers The Game which will have a little something for everyone.

 

What's different between this mod and current Transformers games on the market?

The current Transformers game on the market "Transformers: The Game" has very little replay value. There is no multiplayer aspect. And there is little attention given to the concept of the 'Sandbox' approach which could have opened up an entirely new world of gameplay value. Many players also found the game frustrating to play. Here's what IGN had to say about Transformers: The Game:

Across each of the available platforms, Tranformers: The Game has some serious issues. Combat is too one-dimensional, focusing mainly on melee, as your firearms do nothing against enemy shields. As an "open world" game, Tranformers can also feel fairly closed off because each area dispenses only one mission at a time, making for an entirely linear experience wrapped in a relatively void and underwhelming world. IR isn’t perfect, causing quirky camera issues and annoying lock-on problems.

Here's what GameSpy had to say:

I also found myself getting constantly irritated by the game's combat, due mostly to the awful lock-on system that only seems to function properly when it wants to. When you're fighting just one enemy it's not really a problem, but when you're facing off against multiple foes in addition to attacking humans, the battles degenerate into chaos. You'll also end up fighting the camera during these fights. When there's a lot of action on the screen, it seems to have a hard time focusing on where it should be.

It's also odd how all the characters have a couple different laser weapons, but they're rendered virtually useless thanks to the shields that most enemies can generate. Because of this, most fights consist of simply walking up to a foe and repeatedly punching them. Sure, you might have to toss the occasional object at someone to throw them off balance, but pounding on the punch button is usually enough to get the job done.

Our mod adopts concepts which have been burrowed from the Battlefield series and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. These concepts have proven very successful in a game where so many elements are available to the player. Our mod has a non-linear approach which means you do not have to follow a specific set of rules in order to meet objectives and defeat the enemy. One of the striking aspects of our mod is the ability to load up your Transformer and vehicle with the necessary equipment to meet your objective. Each vehicle will be completely customizable similar to what has been seen in the Need For Speed series. Simply, you will be able to upgrade performance, suspension, interior, exterior, as well as onboard vehicle weapons. Each Transformer will also be customizable via critical slots, a concept burrowed from Mechwarrior. In the Transformers Garage (similar to the MechLab in Mechwarrior) you will be able to load out your Transformer with multiple weapons such as missiles, lasers, anti-missile systems, energy weapons, as well equipment. When you first load our mod there will be a number of stock Transformers already linked to vehicles, however, there will be many more vehicles available than Transformers. If you choose to load a vehicle then you will be forced to join the game as a human, if you choose to load the game as a Transformer then you will start the game as the stock vehicle designated for that Transformer. And yes, a Transformer can jump to another vehicle being driven by a Human. For this concept we will refer you to the Transformers Movie!

 

Is there a release date for the mod already?

At our current rate, we can envision the release of this mod happening sometime in late 2010 to early 2011. Bare in mind that this year is speculative until we manage to recruit more volunteers. Like any great PC Game mod developed by volunteers, things can go sour, however, we are lucky because we have the guidance of our sponsor MekTek.net which have released several successful Mechwarrior4 mods to their community.

 

Where does the game take place?

Transformers CS timeline is set for 2010 when many Transformers invade planet Earth. Autobots led by Optimus Prime fight to save the Planet, mankind, and themselves from the evil Decepticons led by Megatron. In 2008 the Autobots found themselves on Planet Earth after Cybertron was allegedly destroyed. Skyfire is followed back to Earth by an even greater foe forcing Autobots and Decepticons to rage a war while a mysterious evil force works against both factions. On Earth our mod starts off somewhere in the South Pacific when Decepticons attack a Wasp class amphibious assault ship, attacks are then launched around the world, including on the continental United States, Canada, former Soviet Russia, Egypt, China, Japan, and Australia. Mankind attempts to use all weapons in our arsnel to defend our planet from this unknown Alien race. But only the Autobots are truely capable of defending our planet against the Decepticons led by the evil Megatron.

 

Will Crysis and Transformers The Game be required to run Transformers CS? Will Transformers CS be available for free?

Yes, Crysis AND Transformers The Game will be required to run Transformers CS and yes, Transformers CS will be made available free of charge. Certainly free of download via our sponsor MekTek.net as well as other community sponsors and we hope via PC game magazine DVDs as well.

 

Will Transformers CS only include vehicles seen in the movie? Only GM/domestics?

No. We will be including as many vehicles as feasibly possible in this mod. Since the timeline is set in recent times (2010), we are asking all gear heads to submit their cars, any mods done to the car, and an email address to reach the owner, on our sponsor's forum at MekTek.net following some simple criteria. If your car is chosen, we will model the car to spec, you will recieve the model and all subsequent materials to the car being used in our mod.

 

What benefit is of someone to have their car included in this mod?

If you are like me, you labour over your car, you spend hours waxing and cleaning, hours detailing, and hours fixing. We are gear heads ourselves at Transformers CS and we recognize the amount of effort it takes to have a car that earns respect on the street. If you have an awesome car, whether its muscle, antique, domestic, import, or foreign we'd love for you to support our mod and submit your vehicle. That's not all though, if we have many vehicles submitted, we of course won't be able to model them all, so its up to you to spread the word regarding our mod and send people to vote for your car on our sponsor's forums. Like we said, you will receive a completely detailed model of your car, all materials and textures pertaining to the car being used in our mod. And your car will also be worth something, the more popular our mod becomes, the more value your car will have because it was featured in electronic entertainment.

 

Will Transformers CS feature military vehicles? Jets? Tanks?

Yes. Transformers CS will feature almost every element seen in modern warfare. We will be featuring many armored combat vehicles, fighter jets, and of course armored tanks. Thanks to the Cry2Engine API we already have access to the logic neccessary to build fighter jets and other combat vehicles into our mod. The real challenge is building a transformation animation that allows us to turn these artillery into a Transformer before your very eyes. Back in the late 80s and early 90s there was a 'crossover' product from Hasbro which saw Transformers and GI Joe action combined. We are exploring the crossover aspects and seeing some of these old concepts reborn in Transformers CS.

 

You mentioned the South Pacific. Does that mean we are going to see some aquatic warefare?

You guessed right. Ontop of including terrestrial vehicles, we will be including at least one or more oceanic scenes from somewhere in the South Pacific. This scene will allow players to fight as humans on a freighter carrier as well as aquatic Transformers showing up on the scene.

Will there be a single player component?

Due to our small team a single player component is not planned at this time. Transformers The Game already features a single player campaign. We plan to release a multiplayer mod first and then think about single player. However, we welcome the idea of bringing in additional staff to help build a single player component into Transformers CS.

How can I get involved in Transformers CS?

Simple. Send us an email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

On the email please state your name, contact information (such as MSN), your tools of choice, modding/Crysis experience, and we will get back to you promptly.