1 free read left. Create a free account for unlimited reading + AI research.
Create free account
Broken Lines developer interview at GDC 2019
Key insights
6 takeaways- 01PortaPlay, a 15-person development team, is creating Broken Lines, a World War II tactical survival game centered on the moral conflict between soldier self-preservation and mission objectives.
- 02The game utilizes a simultaneous turn-based 'we-go' mechanic, allowing players to plan moves before executing them alongside enemy actions.
- 03The title features realistic tactical elements including authentic ballistics, environmental cover, suppression mechanics, and squad-based commands like smoke grenades.
- 04The design philosophy prioritizes a grounded, realistic combat experience by balancing deep micro-management with an accessible, streamlined user interface.
- 05Broken Lines is designed for a six to ten-hour completion time per playthrough and is slated for release on both PC and Nintendo Switch.
- 06Development has spanned approximately two years, with a recent publishing partnership providing the necessary resources to transition the project into full production.
Ask AI about this video
Transcript
on the game well I'm looking director so I'm the one well I just don't know what I do but I'm very busy doing it how big is your team we're 15 guys at Porter plays Wow Wow it's super calm we've done games with publishers before but this is our first like bigger publishers so we are very much looking forward to the partnership and has been the general reception so far today you're appreciating the fans or how are we doing yeah I mean general we get very positive reactions of course there's always improvement so we are working hard to bring the game up to really top-notch but so far everybody loves it so for our audience who's gonna be watching through the camera can you describe the game a little bit for us most certainly well problem lines this game about eight soldiers eight British soldiers from World War two lost behind enemy lines then a mission for the Krantz land and everybody dies and they're like what is our purpose where's our officers what should we do and throw
of them they're veterans they're like well we should run away and save ourselves and for them a ruckus they're like no that's got to be a mission and we need to find it and solve it for Anna and fight mortality so you're kind of the the person the faith that directs we shove these two fractions they're gonna win the argument and what is a game gonna end up with I was demoing the game of beer you guys were kind of what kind of changes are you introducing in the turn-based strategy one of the things that you were demonstrating or at least telling me about was you're able to make all the moves and then press yeah exactly what we're doing is we learned it's called we go turn-based tactics you go it's we go at the same time so basically you have all the time in the world to plan your moves you can really micro what you're gonna do then you press execute and you and the enemy move at the same time some games have done this before us but what we're really doing is we're really optimizing it to
be user friendly so it's very quickly to do your turn you can do very fine-tuned things but it's a few click to do it but I kind of kind of changing it like that like what kind of new strategies are you introducing that people are used to to other strategy games well I mean we are not reinventing the wheel in God's to mechanics but we are doing it more realistically so we have realistic ballistics we have cava which only workers cover if it actually stopped enemy bullets we have bullets which missiles use and hit somebody behind you we have explosive damage which is reduced if you're behind different kinds of cava we have higher advantages we have suppression meaning you will hit worse if everybody shoots at you we have a lot of commands which are kind of makes you squat work in an organized fashion you can do smoke grenades you can do covering fire so it's more about a realistic approach than then about
some totally new mechanics and you guys actually put a lot into this then so would you let me know how long would it take like an average user to do a playthrough the full experience well the game is not easy so you what game over the first time you play it but then you try again and then you are better and you have unlocked some things and then you can complete it we're not totally sure but it will be around six to ten hours and what consoles are PC mobile was our target platforms well we're looking at all target platforms so first we're not gonna be PC and switch switches getting a lot of good games that we've seen at this show so another one from super common what's the working relationship been like between you and publishing everything great it's been excellent it's it's it's a new company but it's a lot of old experience so to speak so we are really looking forward so far looking very good yeah we've seen a lot of promising things come out so
we're looking forward to yours as well and how long has the game been in development one more time around two years to you yeah and we've been a kind of a small team working on it but just keep working on it while we did all things to survive and now final we got this publishing deal which allows us to put the whole team in on it and really grind away so like you guys were kind of moonlighting on a couple other things while getting this you know officially signed and then now that it is be able to carry it all the way through so that must have been a good feeling for the team to like alright we got support we're taking it all the way so I'm sure everyone's really happy about that over there right yeah exactly and as you say moonlighting is not the wrong phrase because we've kind of been under the radar B we wanted to do a splash and to tell about it until we signed with a publisher so here we are congratulations thanks a lot is there anything cool you want to say to the team or to the fans will be watching this online and one last thing you want to get to like get some height for your game or to get people to go check it out well I just want to say if you really like realistic tactical games which are
easy to play then program lines those totals for you you're the first thank you thank you yes [Music] [Music]
[Music] yes yes sir ouch yes yes [Music] yes sir [Music]
[Music] ready
Summary
Broken Lines is an action-strategy game developed by the 15-person team at PortaPlay, focusing on the tactical survival of a British squad stranded behind enemy lines during World War II. The core narrative revolves around the internal conflict between soldiers who prioritize self-preservation and those committed to completing their mission, with the player acting as the decision-maker who dictates the squad's moral and tactical direction. The game is designed to offer a challenging experience, with an estimated completion time of six to ten hours per playthrough.
The gameplay utilizes a simultaneous turn-based system, often referred to as a we-go mechanic, which allows players to plan their moves meticulously before executing them alongside enemy actions. This approach emphasizes user-friendly controls while maintaining a focus on realistic combat simulation. Key tactical elements include authentic ballistics, environmental cover that provides genuine protection, suppression mechanics, and squad-based commands such as smoke grenades and covering fire. These features prioritize a grounded, realistic tactical experience over the introduction of entirely novel game mechanics.
Development of the project has spanned approximately two years, transitioning from a period of under-the-radar development to a fully supported production following a recent publishing partnership. This deal has allowed the team to dedicate their full resources to the game’s completion. The title is slated for release on PC and the Nintendo Switch, reflecting a broader industry trend of bringing tactical strategy games to diverse platforms. The project aims to appeal to fans of realistic tactical combat by balancing deep, fine-tuned micro-management with an accessible, streamlined interface.
Comments