Ground Branch Synopsis

Ground Branch is the premiere title from Blackfoot Studios. The term Ground Branch is a little known Military and Intelligence reference phrase for the paramilitary wing of the CIA. Ground Branch is composed of a Command that oversees operational teams which conduct military and intelligence actions in support of the goals specified by the National Command Authority.

These teams are not constrained by the law of land warfare that applies to military units. They operate under the radar and outside public knowledge, often conducting operations in conjunction with Special Operations Forces. Their members are drawn from the best former SOF operators from around the world including US Army Special Forces, British SAS, Australian SAS, Navy SEALs, Delta Force, and GSG9 just to name a few.

Ground Branch often operates in an area where there is no official or allowed military presence and utilizes the most advanced weaponry, intelligence and support mechanisms.

The story in Ground Branch opens with the expanding Chinese oil companies backing a guerrilla leader in Sumatra. The goal is the over throw of the West Sumatran government in order to allow China easier access to the massive oil strata discovered to the west of the country in Sumatran waters. Loss of communication with an advance Intel gathering team along with Guerrilla seizure of oil platforms and a bold move toward the capital of West Sumatra result in the CIA deployment of a Ground Branch 6 man team to gather intelligence and assess the situation in preparation for possible US Military intervention.

The Ground Branch Team enters the fray and the player begins a whirlwind experience where the battlefield evolves and the morality of right and wrong become a matter of choice. The gamer will chase a warlord and an elusive truth across a country while employing advanced techniques such as covert underwater scuba operations and high altitude parachuting techniques known as HALO to surprise a vastly superior enemy.

The basis for the Ground Branch game experience is, like everything else in the title, realism. There are legions of FPS fans that are constantly saying, ?I wish there was a game where I could do such and such just like the real world.? With Ground Branch, they will. All the while getting their hands "dirty" and experiencing the visceral consequences of hard decisions made during desperate situations.

1. When will this title be released?
It is planned to be released "Holiday" 2008.

2. Which version of Direct X will this title require?
This title will require DX9. Please note, some DX10 features will be available as well, the exact ones are not known at this time.

3. What platforms will it be for?
The primary platform for the title is PC. A console version of GB is entirely dependent on signing with a publisher that wants to do a console version. That goes for both the 360 and PS3 (no Wii). If we sign with a publisher that wants to do it then there will be a 360 and a PS3 version of the game.

4. What are the system requirements?
At this point in time it is not realistic to set system requirements. When it is appropriate they will be announced.

5. What engine is the game utilizing?
We are currently restricted from saying what engine license we are using per the licensing agreement. At some point we will announce it, but not for the foreseeable future. With that said, rest assured, the engine is "next-gen".

6. What about modding?
A mod system is there from the start, not just tacked on at the end. We will support mods very well. As we approach the later stages of development we will definitely be talking more about it.

7. Will there be a standalone dedicated server?
Yes, with a Linux server also currently planned.

8. I see this term NORG being used frequently on the forum, what does it mean?
For a description of the term please refer to this thread: "NORG Explained"

9. Will this title offer a 3rd person viewpoint?
No, Ground Branch will be first person only, with a "real" weapon view.

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