Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War is a first-person shooter game produced by Treyarch. It was announced on December 2, 2007, and on June 6th 2008; the anniversary of D-Day, Treyarch announced it would be named as such and it would take place in the Pacific theater of war as well as the Eastern Front. It is set to be released for all seventh-gen consoles as well as PC. It is the first Treyarch game to be released on the PC and it has a double development cycle of Treyarch's previous game, Call of Duty 3 and has been in development since late 2006. . The game's first trailer was released on June 21st, and can be viewed here.

Multiplayer
Call of Duty: World at War will have the same multiplayer features as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (i.e. Kill Streaks, Ranks, Perks). It also uses the same engine as Call of Duty 4. For prestiging you will be rewarded with extra create-a-class slots, gamerpictures and achievements, according to David Vahn Vondehaar.

Beta
A Beta release was announced for PC and Xbox 360 users and came in October. There were only two ways into the beta; by signing up at Call Of Duty.com or pre-ordering the game at Gamestop and at Game.co.uk in the UK. The Xbox 360 BETA was released to VIPs (users who signed up a month or less after the site was made) of Call of Duty.com on October 10, 2008 and was available to all users on November 4, 2008. The PC BETA was released to all users on October 28, 2008. The beta had 3 maps; Castle, Makin, and Roundhouse. A fourth map, Airfield, was available in the Xbox 360 beta, however, it was unplayable. On the 17th October a update was made to the Xbox 360 beta, implementing a Level cap to 24, and adding guns, challenges and perks, a Search and Destroy playlist and a Hardcore version of Search and Destroy and Team Deathmatch. On the 24th October, the level cap was raised to 44 and yet more guns, challenges and perks became available. The PC beta did not recieve any updates, and the level cap was always at 40, unlike the Xbox 360 verson. Many bugs, glitches, and general fixes were carried over from the Xbox 360 beta to the PC beta. There has been much controversy in regards to the PC beta's late release date in comparison to the Xbox 360 beta.

Weapons and Explosives
The attachments for an SMG are; Marksman I awards the player with a Supressor. Marksman II awards the player with a Aperture Sight (Red Dot Sight) while Marksman III awards the player with a drum magazine. The challenges for a Bolt Action Rifle are, Marksman I which rewards the player with a Sniper Scope, Marksman II awards the player with bayonet, Marksman III awards the player with a rifle grenade, similar to the M203. For regular rifles, Marksman I awards the player with a flash hider, Marksman II awards the player with a Aperture Sight, Marksman III with a telescopic sight (a WW2-era ACOG scope). For Shotguns, the awards are a grip and a bayonet for the Trench Gun, and a grip and a sawed off barrel for the Double Barreled Shotgun. For Machine Guns, the attachments are a bayonet (only for the Type 99) and a bipod (for all), although the FG42's Marksman II awards the player with a telescopic sight. Several new grenades have been added, including a Molotov Cocktail.. In the retail game there will be no headshot rewards, apart from XP. "It took a lot of memory to add weapon camos and in most cases didn't look good on WWII guns. The memory was used to add/upgrade other gameplay features. We will never update the game to include weapon skins and it is unlikely we will do anything other than give XP for completing those Challenges."

- David Vahn Vonderhaar

Launch trailer
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Q&A
Questions answered by Call of Duty: World at War Developer - David "Vahn" Vanderhaar.

Question 1: The Molotov cocktails are weak, will this be fixed?

Vahn's Response: I increased the damage radius of the Molotov.

Question 2: When will the Roundhouse glitch be fixed?

Vahn's Response: We have fixed that glitch for the first title update to the retail game.

Question 3: Will there be any maps larger than Makin, Roundhouse, and Castle?

Vahn's Response: We have some bigger maps in the retail game. Downfall and Seelow in particular.

Question 4: Bolt-action rifles suck, Tommy gun rocks. Any plans on fixing that?

Vahn's Response: Yes. I tweaked the bolt actions already. I have not tweaked the SMGs.

I am not convinced the SMGs are over powered. Yes, it is true they are high-damage, but only if the fire rate is slow (like the MP40).

After the update, if you want a one-shot kill with bolt-action rifles then it's going to have to be a precision shot (neck and above). A shot in the foot will NOT be a one-hit kill.

So everyone knows where I am with this:

(1) I did a tuning pass LAST week that significantly increases the range and damage of the bolt action rifles.

(2) I posted my opinion about how the gun should be. I said I don't like it as a 1-shot kill weapon unless it was a precision shot. I said I have concerns about making it too powerful. These concerns are reasonable, because I've seen what happens to the game when it is a 1-shot kill weapon.

I cited the head and neck as an example of a precision shot.

(3) The community has argued that a precision shot should include the upper torso.

Some of you have also argued very intelligently and politely other considerations for why it should include the upper torso. Thank you to those of you who cited your considerations without the drama. You know who you are.

(4) I said that I would consider a 1-shot kill to the upper torso if you have Stopping Power and/or are at close range. I called for feedback on that idea.

(5) Many, but not all, users responded favorably that they would be just fine with it being a 1-shot kill to the chest with Stopping Power.

Others, of course, expect the gun to all but kill someone if you even remotely point it in someone's general direction.

(6) I said that I would re-look at this gun on Friday (this coming Friday) and figure out where we left it.

That should now bring everyone up to speed, I think.

Question 5: Will there be a higher level cap/new playlists in the Beta?

Vahn's Response: We will most certainly increase the level cap again. Probably as early as next Friday. I won't know if we will put HQ in the beta, but it's not out of the realm of possibility

Question 6: Will there be anything like Old-School from CoD4?

Vahn's Response: I won't promise you that we will do that; but it is feasible and very likely that will do lots of playlist experimentation (double XP, no XP, Longer game timers, No Perks, etc., all) based on community input.

Question 7: The bipod is useless, will we be able to deploy it while prone?

Vahn's Response: We are trying very hard to put the feature where you go prone it deploys a gun with a bipod back in the game. It's very difficult to make work right and it was not ready for the beta or the retail game. I have seen it working and if we can make it fun, we will bring that feature back.

Question 8: Are the "Monkey" and "Play Dead" perks just 'hidden' in the Beta?

Vahn's Response: When you guys read about rumors like climbing trees and playing dead, many (but not all) of those things we talked about doing (some we even prototyped) and (some) turned out not to be fun. For example: Playing dead was not much fun. The game is too fast-paced and deadly. What ended up happening was people just walking around shooting bodies. That is not the game we wanted to make.

Question 9: Will there be rewards for head-shots other than XP?

Vahn's Response: No. XP only, it took a lot of memory to add weapon camos and in most cases didn't look good on WWII guns. The memory was used to add/upgrade other gameplay features.

Question 10: Will Beta stats/XP carry over to the retail game?

Vahn's Response: No.

Question 11: Will the PC version be as 'moddable' as CoD4?

Vahn's Response: Yes. Indeed. The PC team would probably just flat out murder me if I told you what sorts of mods have already been made. (The did some simple moding to make sure it was working ok, it is).

Consider that we have some AI path finding in the MP executable because of the dogs, I am pretty sure we are going to see some real insanity from the mod community!

Question 12: The tanks are overpowered!

Vahn's Response: We didn't want a tank to be able to be taken out with just 1 player by himself.

That didn't feel right at all. We tried it.

However, if 2 players work together and concentrate on the armor weak spot, destroying a tank is not difficult at all.

Question 13: Juggernaut-Overpowered, Stopping Power-Underpowered, Flak Jacket-Worthless.

Vahn's Response: I wanted to reply to this specific point because it's a common misconception. Whenever we see something like the above post, we are baffled by it.

Stopping Power is ignored when it's runs into someone with Juggernaught. In that situation, it's like neither of you have the perk.

To be super clear about this, I am not saying that Juggernaught does +10 and Stopping Power does -10. It's not balanced that way. At all.

But, I am saying that in-game logic the "benefit" of having the Perk is completely and totally ignored.

As to your complaint about the grenades and flak jacket?

We will have to agree to disagree here. Many community members complained that COD4's grenades were too powerful and spammy.

In a game mode like War and HQ, you will be thinking about that Flak Jacket.

If you are very used to the grenade splash damage (really the range because the damage is very similar) in COD4, this will feel a bit different.

Question 14: Will there be a swear filter?

Vahn's Response: We don't currently have any plans to implement a swear filter. The game is rated 'M' for Mature and is very violent. Swearing and gibs are a part of the game.

Question 15: Will there be in-game host migration?

Vahn's Response: No. COD3 had host migration because COD3 was a peer to peer game, where COD:WaW is a client-server game. We have always said that this game was built on the COD4 engine. This is one of the trade-offs you make.

Question 16: I'm worried everyone will use the flamethrower and it will be VERY overpowered.

Vahn's Response: The Flamethrower unlocks at a very high level. So, people will have to decide if they want the Flamethrower or they want to Prestige and unlock more Create a Class slots.

I don't think you will see large numbers of games with large numbers of people camping out at level 64 with the Flamethrower.

It's a short range weapon that also says, "Shoot me, I have a Flamethrower."

It's DEADLY. Don't get me wrong. It's BRUTAL. But, it's not worse than any other weapon in the game.

Until we have enough data that says we botched up the Flamethrower and it's over powered and the entire community has leveled up to 64 and does not want to Prestige so they can keep their flamethrower – I’ll take a wait and see attitude.

We almost made it a kill streak item, which would allow us to limit the number in the world. However, in the end we didn’t need to. It’s just like any other Perk weapon. It has advantages and disadvantages. It will work for some play styles and not work for others. I’ve wracked up huge kill streaks with it and I’ve been knifed in the face by the guy I was trying to kill.

Question 17: Why can't my gun turn any farther when mounted on a bipod? Is this supposed to happen?

Vahn's Response: It depends on what you are mounting against.

All COD games normally take a lot of creative liberty with what happens in first person vs third person.

Some examples:

-notice how you always have to look up at everyone even though you are the same height (camera placement for the guns).

-notice how you can walk up right to the wall and you don't have to lower your gun?

With the bipod mounting feature, it was a lot tougher.

While it feels to you that you should be able to move around in 1st person, if you looked at yourself in 3rd person, something is in your way. It could be something small, it could be something large.

We had it the way you suggested for about a week, but then guys would "float" in air or their legs would be inside a wall, etc., all. We had to change it.

Unfortunately, it meant restricting the player movements which is never an easy decision for us.

Am I 100% happy with the bipod attachment right now? No. It would be a lie to tell you that I think this feature is perfect, because I don't. We are working on feature enhancements.

Please don't ask me for a timeline, because I'd be making it up.

Question 18: Will prestige icons be the same as CoD4?

Vahn's Response: No.

Question 19: Will the fire on the ground from cocktails/flamethrowers cause any damage?

Vahn's Response: Not in MP.

The fires on the ground will burn out very quickly. This was by design. Their were tuning and performance issues any other way.

Question 20: Bouncing Betties are hard to avoid, any tips?

Vahn's Response: There are two defenses against them. Bomb Squad and Flak Jacket, one for the careful or sneaky player and one for the run and gun player.

Question 21: Will there be a Team Tactical?

Vahn's Response: Can, and probably will, be done. In general, I think we want to do a lot of playlist variations.

Question 22: Will we be able to turn off the auto-aim?

Vahn's Response: Yes.

Question 23: What will I get for prestige-ing?

Vahn's Response: Create-a-Class slots, Achievements, and Gamerpics.

Question 24: The spawn system sucks.

Vahn's Response: We made A LOT of changes to the spawning system.

Question 25: I've noticed some hit-detection problems, what's going on?

Vahn's Response: I am personally not aware of any known, substantiated, issue with the hit detection.

Question 26: Would it be possible to make it so satchel charges can't be thrown and have to be placed on surfaces?

Vahn's Response: Yes. It is possible to do this. However, I imagine that this would upset a lot of Satchel Charge users who think that it might make them ... "worthless if we can't toss them?"

Question 27: If I have two of the same gun, when I shoot, it drains ammo from the CLIP of the other gun. Will this be fixed?

Vahn's Response: We fixed the "same gun, same ammo" problem. It was a bug.

Question 28: Why are the dogs so hard to kill?

Vahn's Response: We had the health higher, and we had the health lower. It felt best with the numbers you see in the demo in play testing.

Question 29: What will the level cap be increased to?

Vahn's Response: I don't know yet for sure. I haven't discussed it with the team. We usually make the decision Thursday or Friday morning and I've been out of the office. Probably somewhere in the high 30's or low 40's.

Question 30: Will there be playlists with more than 12 players?

Vahn's Response: Yes. Absolutely.

Question 31: Will there be more hardcore playlists?

Vahn's Response: Yes. We will see how these work out (and we need need to make adjustments) but you can play War in Hardcore on Day 1.

A lot of the MP developers are huge "hardcore" fans.

Question 32: Will there be a hardcore CTF

Vahn's Response: We were discussing the option of a Hardcore CTF. No promises, but if it's fun we will do it. I need to spend more time playing Hardcore CTF to see how well it works (or doesn't).

Question 33: Will we get an option to kick players in hardcore modes, rather than the game auto-kicking them? Sometimes it's not actually the teamkillers fault. (Friendly Bouncing Betty set off)

Vahn's Response: I think we already changed the fact that death by a friendly Bouncing Betty was counting against the kick limit.

I don't like a "Vote to Kick" system on the 360 and PS3. It interferes with the game pacing and requires people to come out of the moment in order to make a vote, head into a menu... press some buttons. I've done that system on COD3 and regretted it.

I feel differently about it on the PC, because you can bind keys (F1- Yes; F2- No) and that action is a lot quicker and you don't have to leave the screen.

What we need is feedback on the system, so adjustments can be made. Thanks.

Question 34: Will there be more maps added to the Beta?

Vahn's Response: We don't currently have any plans to release any new maps for the beta.

Question 35: Why is there no respawn timer in Hardcore TDM? Are you guys aware of this and is it being fixed?

Vahn's Response: Yes. I finally had a chance to look into it. It was a mistake. It was my mistake. I fixed it locally. It will go into QA tomorrow for testing and if it checks out, it will be in the next update.

Question 36: Will an unscoped Springfield be as effective as an unscoped bolt-action of a higher unlock level?

Vahn's Response: Yes, for sure.

The guns are not tuned in some way that something like the Springfield is somehow way better than the Kar98k, for example.

One, or the other, might be better for your play style and that is all.

Question 37: Why is the grease gun, or any other gun for that matter, not in the game?

Vahn's Response: Oh, easy answer to this question. Simply, it didn't make the cut.

Here is the abbreviated inside story:

When I got involved with COD multiplayer, more than a few of the guns you will have were not even planned at that time.

The MP team aggressively lobbied for them. (Dare I say sold our proverbial souls?)

The art department and the animation department really came through for us (the collective us, MP game developers and MP players) even though something like the PTRS-41 and Double Barreled Shotgun wasn't even scheduled to be made.

Those guns turned out great so the designers of the SP/COOP ended up putting them in as well.

I am thankful every day that we were able to make as many guns and attachments as have. Could you make more guns and attachments? Sure, but we'd most certainly have to give something up for it.

Life is a little easier on the single-player/co-op designers when it comes to weapons. They only have to load a half dozen or so different guns depending on the level. They will never have to load the Arisaka, for example, in the German campaign part of the game.

In MP, we have to load EVERY SINGLE GUN because any player can have any gun (and any attachment variation) at any point.

Deciding which guns get made, and which go into the game, is never an easy thing.

Question 38: World at War has been in development for 2 years, why are there still glitches and bugs?

Vahn's Response: The game was made in a (not over a) 2 year time frame. That is true. Different parts of the game were made at different times. Most of the early work on the game was getting COOP up and running.

This doesn't mean some huge team of MP people did nothing but make MP for 2 years. I wish that was true, but it's not.

More importantly, this is a BETA. I would encourage you to look at the definition of a beta and don't confuse it for a demo.

Even the final game may have bugs, but it will certainly have fewer bugs than it would of had if we had not created a beta. The real consideration is if you believe that we will continue to work with the community to fix issues in the game, or not.

Question 39: Do you have any updates planned for the retail game?

Vahn's Response: We have at least 2 major, and unlimited minor, updates planned to retail game.

Question 40: Will there be any modding tools to work with the fast file format?

Vahn's Response: I don't know for sure, but given that the developers don't directly work with the fast files (other than generating them) it seems unlikely.

Question 41: How many hours of gameplay will there be?

Differences From Previous Call Of Duty Games

 * World At War is a much more 'scarier' game, in the manner that there is no humour in the game, and that it has a very dark and depressing feel to it. Even the menu music is quite unsettling.
 * World At War is the most violent Call Of Duty game to date. It is possible to mutilate and rip apart Nazis and Japanese soldiers, and it is possible to tear off enemy heads, arms and legs. Ripping open the torso is also possible with high-power weapons like the MG42. Also, blood splatters are more realistic, and it is common to see the enemy in large pools of red blood splattered everywhere. Some fans though that World At War deserved an 18 from the BBFC instead of 15.
 * Bad language is much more frequent in World At War. People use much more profanity, and words like f*** are much more common in the American campaign of the game.