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FAQ (v1.92)
PBW's Black & White FAQ. The choice of Newbies since 1999TM.
Important Notice
Since its original time of writing this FAQ has now taken a large change in direction. I, (FAQ's
author) Scrozzy have since visited Lionhead and seen that this FAQ
and a lot of the so called 'common knowledge' is actually incorrect.
Unfortunately when visiting I signed a form saying
I'd keep my trap shut. This of course means I can't update this FAQ with the correct details, but what I will do is
tell you what is wrong, but not why it's wrong.
Along with any incorrect part of this FAQ I'll add the following icons:
 Minor issue
Moderate issue
Major issue
Contents
Brief overview
Eden and the tribes
Creatures (AKA Titans)
The interface
The Temple (AKA Citadel)
Miracles
Single player
Multiplayer
Black & White engine
Miscellaneous
Brief overview
- What is Black & White?
It's a ground breaking new god sim that's being spearheaded by the genius that is Peter Molyneux. The
game promises a huge amount of diversity and slick graphics. The game combines a Tamagotchi/Pok�mon element with
that of a traditional god sim plus more besides. The game is also a personality test, the game's environment and aspects
change accordingly in appearance depending on whether you are, to put it mildly, an evil bastard or a sickly good
person. There are also shades in between so you don't have to play at an extreme, hence the name 'Black & White'.
To find out more keep reading.
- Who is that Peter Molyneux guy?
He is the man of Bullfrog fame. He was at the helm when Bullfrog created classics such as Magic Carpet,
Syndicate, Populous, Theme Park and his last Bullfrog game, Dungeon Keeper. Wanting a fresh break and a new
challenge, he started up Lionhead based in Surrey, England. Not far from Bullfrog he established a team of
people who he believed were some of the most talented in the industry. It is himself and this team who currently
have their noses to the grindstone developing Black & White, which will be their first release.
- When and with who was Lionhead founded?
Lionhead Studios was founded way back in July 1997 by not only Peter Molyneux, but with Steve Jackson, Mark Webley and
Tim Rance.
- Who did their logo and came up with the name 'Lionhead'?
 The logo was one of many proposed logos, and was done by Evie McLaughlin, wife of Paul McLaughlin who's Lionhead's
head of art. The name 'Lionhead' was from Mark Webley's hampster who sadly died a week before Lionhead's birth.
Eden and the tribes
- What will be my role when I enter Eden?
Simply put, you will be a god. You will have complete control over the land that is Eden. It is in this land
that you will rise to the challenge and take on other gods who will stop at nothing to control Eden.
- What is that place?
Prior to the arrival of the overly-ambitious gods, Eden was a peaceful and idyllic land with inhabitants that
merrily went about their business, and co-existed with various animals and nature's other offerings.
- Who lives there?
Besides various animals, there are tribes of people who share common characteristics with those that
inhabited Earth. For example, there are Greeks and Celts. Each tribe is unique and has its own abilities. There are
also creatures on Eden who have the potential to become 'creatures'. They are a key element in Black & White, so keep reading.
- How many different tribes are there?
There are 8 altogether. Celts, Greeks, Egyptians, Norse, Tibetans, Aztecs, Japanese and America Indians.
Each one has it's own little offering or gift to its God, a bit like a McDonald's Happy Meal. They are as follows:
Celts: Weather based miracles.
Greeks: Poor sods, they're the average peeps with no special strengths. Definitely not a Happy Meal. Incidentally, they're the first tribes you'll come across in the single player game.
Egyptians: They love their big structures and can give you a protective wall miracle.
Norse: These are the warmongers of Eden. They grant the highly anticipated skeleton army miracle.
Tibetans: They're the mystical type folk.
Aztecs: They enjoy the odd sacrificial ceremony, so expect some fearsome and blood thirsty miracles.
Japanese: They the dig the illusionary side of miracles. Bless 'em.
American Indians: These are the most peaceful and calm of the bunch, which is hardly surprising when you consider
some of the substances they probably smoke. Expect some highly positive miracles.
We've got a pretty nifty tribes page with details like above but with added kinky pictures.
- Can they fight and have wars?
No. In fact the little blighters are total pacifists. They don't know about the art of war or bare any grudges
to anyone. Just yet, anyway.
- Why are these tribesmen useful?
As a god, you thrive on other people's belief in you. So by making the people of Eden believe and worship in
you, the more powerful you will become. You receive mana or 'lifeforce' from them which you can use to cast
powerful and immense miracles or miracles upon your enemies. You cannot survive without their belief in you, so the more tribes
folk you get to worship you, the stronger you shall become. To gain the following, you must convince them that you
are worth it. You can be nice to them so they worship you out of love, or you can be cruel and wicked so they
worship you out of fear. Either way you do it, you must convince them that you are the god for them, and not any
rival god.
- Are these tribes just static entities or do they have proper lives?
Proper lives. They are not just statistics upon the screen. They are real 3D people milling about on the screen,
going about their jobs, playing games, farming, dancing and more besides. If you give them a ball they will even
have a game of football (or soccer, for our American chums), they'll come running out of their homes, set up the goal posts and the
playing field. That is an excellent example of the artificial intelligence or 'AI' involved in the game.
- Which tribe do you start off with?
It is believed that as the all-round and not particularly special tribe, it would be the Greeks. That fact has also been mentioned in magazines.
- Can I control more than one at a time?
Absolutely. That's more or less the whole idea. The more that worship you, the stronger you'll become.
- What is the landscape like?
Huge rolling hills and vast valleys that go on as far as the eye can see. There are rocks, trees, bushes, lakes
and wildlife all brought to life in one of the most amazing and powerful 3D engines there is around.
- What about the weather?
Indeedy. You've got to have weather. Rain, snow, lightning, sunshine and clouds, they are all there in a glorious
3D world. The snow will eventually settle on the grass and the roof tops, and the clouds will cast real time shadows
on the landscape. And when the sun comes out again, it slowly melts the snow to reveal the lush fields of Eden once more.
- Will there be mornings and afternoons etc.?
You bet. You'll see stars and the moon at night, and sunrise in the morning. The sun and moon move steadily across the sky, casting their light between the clouds and the landscape turns into a deep red by evening or morning. There was even mention of having the proper phases of the moon.
- Can I micro-manage the tribes?
Yes, this feature adds more depth to the game, and it's really easy to manage. If you want a guy to cut down trees for job, just pick him up, and drop him next to a tree. He'll then keep chopping and chopping until he dies. It's not just trees, you can have people farm, fish and even breed. That's right, just find a male villager and drop him next to a woman, and they'll literally have sex until they die. "Better to burn out than fade away", as Neil Young once said. Now I know what he means.
- Am I restricted as to what tribesmen I can manage?
There is a Sphere of Influence. What this means is, that you can only control the land that's within your range. This is determined by your power, and the land your villages are built upon. Anything out side is untouchable by yourself, except for your creature, as he can go anywhere and do anything.
- What are these fire flies?
These are cute little flies that buzz around at night giving off a nice warm and blue glow. If you watch their activity, you can gain bonuses. You see, just before day break, they'll hide under rocks and trees, and if you lift up those rocks and trees you'll find little miracle powerups and such.
- How long is the day/night cycle?
A day lasts 170 seconds. If you're wondering how that's going to appear, fire up your B&W WinAmp plug-in. It uses the same scale. Although the villagers see things differently. Although it takes 170 seconds for a day cycle, a day to them equals 11 seconds. This is particularly useful for them, because it also takes them 9 of their own months to give birth, which is roughly 50 minutes for a new villager. It's horribly confusing, especially when it's just 8� game months for a Japanese villager to give birth. Those Lionhead types seem to have thought of everything.
Creatures (AKA Titans)
- What can you tell me about these creatures?
Where should I begin ... They are perhaps the most important element in Black & White's gameplay. A creature is a 'special' creature
that swears allegiance and his undying love to you, his parent. They take the form of a common animal, such as a
ape or a tiger and are always quadrupeds (they possess four limbs), yet walk on two. So before you ask, my newbie chums,
there will be no 'Worm' creatures and definitely no 'Apple' creatures. Now where was I? Ah yes, the creatures are awesome
in every respect. They are animated flawlessly and have good enough AI to put a real human to shame. They start off
small, so small in fact that they can even have a game of footie with your villagers. But they do grow, in fact 'grow'
is an understatement. Eventually your cute little chimp will grow into a towering 500 foot monstrosity who only ends
up crushing your villagers as he goes in for the sliding tackle on the opposing footie team's defender. You can also
interact with them via your 'hand' (more about the hand in the 'Interface' section). Whether it's slapping them
for doing something bad, or stroking them for being good. You can educate them like this, and they will learn right
from wrong according to your beliefs and principals.
e.g.
Your juvenile monkey creature is very new to being a magical creature, so naturally he wants to explore and
examine his surroundings. He spots a villager staring up at him, so he picks up the little villager and sniffs him. The
other villagers will look up in awe and think what great fun it must be to be sniffed by gigantic primate. Only then
does your creature open his mouth and swallow the villager whole. The other villagers scream hysterically and leg it in
all directions. Naturally you don't want your creature to munch on your villagers (or maybe you do, but we're not here to judge), so you give him a good slap. In fact
you beat him so hard that he falls over. However, give him enough hints and you might persuade him to toddle off to
and enemy god's village where he can then feast on the enemy's villagers. You can them praise him, by gently moving
the hand over him instead of quick aggressive strokes (which will smack him up). Et voila! You have given him a
basic lesson on your intentions.
Your creatures live to please you, they change physically depending on your 'alignment'. If you are a kind god,
your creature will reflect this by being tall and upright with a golden mane (if he's a lion), or will be slouching with
red eyes and a hunch back if he's evil. There are all the variations in between too, so he could be slightly good, or
slightly evil.
- Can I have more than one at a time?
In a word, no. Black & White isn't a zoo simulation. The idea behind having one is that you will care for it as if it's truly
yours and not just one of many that is expendable. Don't worry if that's disappointing to you, the boys at Lionhead
know what they're doing. If you haven't seen a creature in action, then let me assure that having just one is more than
enough. You'll be laughing until milk comes out of your nose (providing you are drinking milk at the time) as you see
the facial expressions on your creature's face as he goes to relieve himself ... Oh, and did i mention the grunting
noises? ...
- What can they do?
How long is a piece of string? They have a learning ability, they will watch you cast miracles and try to copy you,
they have all the usual bodily functions. They like to experiment with objects, e.g. they'll be throwing trees and
rocks around in no time. Their abilities are limitless. Their thoughts are worked out on the fly and not pre-set. A
example of this was a fairly long time ago when Lionhead discovered a bug with a creature. It was hungry and couldn't
find anything tasty in sight, except it's own body. Without prompting the creature began to munch away on its own arm. It
wasn't programmed to do that, it just used it's own brain, albeit a little buggy.
- Do they have dangly bits?
Lionhead did experiment with them, but found it added an unwanted slant to the game that seemed a little distasteful
and crude. Black & White would have been banned from many countries had it have carried that 'feature'. As it is, all creatures are presumed to be male, and feature no visible genitalia. That doesn't mean you can't touch them down there, if you feel the need.
- Is it just animals, or can I have a human too?
Like having nads, this topic is also quite a sensitive issue when given proper thought. Slapping a woman or a child
just didn't feel the same or seem proper when compared to the slapping of a funny looking monkey. However, there still
might be a chance that there will be computer controlled human creatures, but don't hold your breath.
- What different types of creatures are there?
There are 18 in total, and here they are:
- Ape
- Chimp
- Gorilla
- Mandrill
- Tiger
- Leopard
- Lion
- Horse
- Zebra
- Brown bear
- Polar bear
- Cow
- Sheep
- Rhino
- Wolf
- Ogre
- Crocodile
- Tortoise
Check out our creatures page for pictures.
- Is it true they build their own web sites!?
Yes! This has to be one of the better concepts to have been revealed by Lionhead lately. Just like in 'The Sims', your
creature will build up his web page with the story of his life. There will be screenshots of when he first went to the toilet
etc. Eventually there will be a whole album of his life. Could make for some good nostalgia at a later date.
- Can they die?
Nope, they are immortal. Beta testers became very emotional when their
creatures died. It is very possible to get highly attached to your creature (that is because you only have one), and they are
very unique, so a dead creature is irreplaceable. It would also prove too much of a headache to Lionhead when they have to
decide what happens to the landscape when a 10,000 lbs turtle is rotting away.
- Can they cast miracles?
Yes. They learn miracles just like you do. They also don't have to rely on the villagers for their power like the gods,
which makes them very useful indeed.
- What about when they get into fights?
They'll get scars, sustain bruises and bleed just like in real life. Blood will trickle down their bodies, and
they'll get black eyes just like you and me. It will last as well, too much of a battering in the legs for example, will
result in them walking with a limp. All these afflictions will stay with them forever.
- Will I be able to exchange my creature for a new one?
Yes. It won't be wise to keep doing it as your new snappy crocodile creature will be tiny and no match for a strong and mature
cow that can kick box. In the single player game, you will be given opportunities to swap. When you do swap, your old creature's
conscience will be transferred into it's new body. Battle scars will also be transferred as will his mind, even if it has been
mentally tormented by huge grizzly bear called 'Yogi'.
- Surely they don't dance to music, it's a lie, right?
You mean you suspect we are living in a society that has liars? Perish the thought. The creatures are superior dancers and often
like to 'get jiggy with it' on the dance floor. The wolf creature has some quality break dancing manoeuvres as does the tiger. You see,
providing you are hooked up to the net at the time, Black & White will look up the information about the song you are listening to
(whether it's an MP3, or whatever) and find out what sort of music it is. Your creature will then analyse the beat and dance
accordingly. You can discipline them about music too. For example, you can slap them about if they dance to the Spice Girls or
praise your creature if he starts head banging to Metallica. Eventually your creature will figure out what you like, and behave
accordingly such as covering his ears when the Back Street Boys come on, or getting out his air guitar when it's Nirvana.
- Do they need to sleep?
Does mouse shit roll? The answer, of course, is yes.
- Can they lose limbs?
Contrary to popular the belief, the answer is no. You may have heard from sources that may seem reliable that they can, but
they are wrong. Okay, I'm getting too smug for my own good now, but before my head just gets too big, you can relax safe in the
knowledge that I was informed about this fact by a Lionhead employee. So fear not, that over-grown sheep you call Flossie won't
be having his legs munched off by Felix the local tiger when he's feeling overly-horny. (Why a tiger would bite your
legs off when it's feeling horny is unknown to me).
- How does one creature defeat another?
Some folks have this idea that when a creature becomes victorious, it's because the other one will run away. While this isn't
entirely impossible, the typical outcome of a creature battle is that one will become unconscious and fall to the ground.
What will also happen, is that the defeated creature will have to return to his room inside the temple to heal himself up and regain his strength.
- Bird creatures?
Nope, sorry. Birds can fly and all creatures are strictly bipedal. Who knows though, maybe in some sort of mod ... ?
- Can I tattoo my creature?
Yes. You can import 64x64 bitmap images into the game and stick them all over your creature. You can use several tattoos at
once and in different places. So you could have one tattoo to signify your clan, and a tattoo on your creatures arm to signify
its rank or something. Lots of possibilities, and it enhances a creature's personality. Incidentally, if you've got the game
Half-Life then you'll know how it all works. The supplied tattoos (or decals) that come with Half-Life will work fine.
We've got some pictures of the tattooing process in action on page 4 of our screenshot archive.
- What is this I keep hearing about leashes?
You can attach a leash to your creature as you would do to a dog. There are three different ones, there's a pink and fluffy type rainbow one, a normal one and one that's studded. Depending on which is attached to your creature determines how he will behave. Let's say for example you attach the pink one to him and the other end to a village house. When the house gets attacked by the enemy he'll try and protect it by casting a shield miracle. Let's say you attach the studded one, he'll basically then just smash the house up. You see, each leash can determine how your creature will behave, he can be compassionate, or he can be aggressive. They can be attached to anything, from buildings to trees and even individual villagers.
They're useful for things like hinting to your creature as to what you want him to do, disciplining him or even just taking him for a walk.
- How are fights controlled?
When two creatures enter a combat situation, a circle is drawn up around them on the ground. This acts of a boundary for their movement. It is then down to you, the god, to tell the titan where to attack. This is done by clicking on the enemy creature will tells you creature where to punch or kick. It's almost like a beat 'em up style fight.
- What do they eat?
Your creature can munch on anything. You can feed him on villagers, cattle, pigs, fish or even trees. Not every object in the game world will have a desirable affect on your creature's bowel movements, though. Bear that in mind when you force him to eat his own poo.
- Can I give my creature a name?
Yes, you can. There will be a field that you fill in giving your creature a name. This will appear on things like their web page that they make. You can also enhance their identity with a name tattoo. The possibilites are quite endless.
- Can they swim?
They won't get out their swimming costume and start trying to get their 25 metres distance badge, but they will go in the water to about shin depth. This means they can cross shallow lakes and rivers easily, but won't go scuba diving. I think you get the idea.
Interface
- Is it going to be a mass of icons and status bars?
Would you believe me if I said the interface didn't use icons? It's a fact, you see. Black & White will have NO, repeat NO icons.
Peter Molyneux is making a point of stamping out icons especially as his last creation had over 190 different icons! If your
creature is hungry, there won't be a bubble above his head with a picture in it, his face well reflect that of a hungry animal
and he'll rub his stomach. The whole interface is managed with gestures via use of the hand (learn more about it in the 'miracles'
part of this FAQ).
- So this hand does everything?
It certainly does. You use the hand to pull yourself around the screen, pick up objects, cast miracles and even play ten pin
bowling with a bunch of villagers and a hefty looking rock.
- Can I kill villagers with the hand?
Yep. How would you like your villagers? Crushed or dropped?
- Can I use the hand to interact with my creature?
Absolutely. Please him, tease him, pleasure him or hurt him. All of that is determined using a thing called 'Gesture Recognition'
By moving the hand around different regions and at different speeds determines what will happen. Let's say you move the hand far
away from your creature and to one side of his head, a fast movement across his face will result in a slap. The faster you do it,
the more painful it will be. Or perhaps a small gentle rubbing motion under the armpits will result in a more pleasurable
experience. Anything is possible from leg sweeps to doing you know what ...
- What about ripping trees out of the ground and throwing rocks with my hand?
You can, as can your creature. In fact showing your creature how to throw rocks is quite handy because if he gets into a fight, he'll
have the upper hand if he's pelting the enemy with boulders and tree trunks. Don't let your creature catch you throwing his poo
around though, otherwise things could get messy.
- So how do I move about the world?
Grab on to the landscape and pull yourself along. The aim is to get people used to just using the mouse, but you can still
use the arrow keys if you like. Zooming can also be accomplished with the scroll wheel, if you're mouse has one. Don't forget you
can double click a location to move there precisely.
- Will the hand morph to signify my alignment?
Naturally.
The Temple (AKA Citadel)
- What is this I keep hearing about a temple?
This is like your house. The villages will build you one when they believe in you. You will be able to enter and explore its
many rooms.
- Does it change and morph just like the creatures?
Yes, from the tall, white, elegant and thoroughly stereotypical Disney castle to the spooky Count Dracula-esque castle with en suite
gargoyles.
- Can you tell me more about these rooms?
There will be galleries of your achievements as a god. Such as the time you defeated an enemy god or completed a certain part
in the single player game. You'll be able to select these images and revisit that time and space. There is also a World room displaying a live map of the world and a Challenge room, where all your divine business is logged and recorded.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how does the temple look inside?
You can't quantify it. It does actually use a different engine to that of the outside world. Expect to see reflections, ray
tracing and other jaw-dropping effects. Given the nature of the inside, there's no need to show huge distances, so all the
rendering time seems to have been put into churning out high polygon objects and other niceties. Very impressive indeed.
Miracles
- How many are there?
40 plus power-ups seems to be the number that gets thrown around the most with this topic.
- So I just select the miracle icon and then click my target, yeah?
Actually no. That would involve icons, and we don't like icons around these parts. You can be anywhere in the world, and you just gesture a symbol on the ground. Just by waving the mouse around, B&W will pick up what shape you're drawing and unlock that miracle for you to use. The spells are organised in a sort of tree structure. By that I mean you do one gesture to unlock one set of miracles, and by doing that, you can then specify what miracle you want from that group with another gesture.
Actually using the miracle is another thing entirely. You don't just point and click, you have to gesture with that too. Let's say you've conjured up a fireball, to use it, you have to rock the mouse and have it facing the direction you want to throw it. The faster you move the mouse, the harder the fireball will be thrown. That way you could have fireball that simple rolls over the ground, or one that's practically launched into space.
Another good example is shield miracles. Once you've called it up, you draw a circle one the ground and the shield will follow that path and erect itself where you told it to. This is what they call gesture recognition.
- Are there any powerups?
Yes, these are done by painting certain symbols on the ground such as pentagrams. The path you painted would then light
up with a flash showing you that you got the miracle right, and then your miracle will be turbo charged.
- How do I get new ones?
Each tribes offers different miracles of a different nature e.g. offensive or curative etc. You can get them by making your
villagers worship you more at your temple, or by achieving certain goals.
- Can they be cast anywhere I like?
No, however your creature can. Your miracle range in limited by your territory which is signified by a red line that zooms
across your land.
Single player
- Do I just progress from one level to the next?
Due to the single player player missions being heavily story orientated, there will be levels, or lands that you move between. This is all handled by vortexes that you enter to move between levels. They open up at certain times during the game to allow the story to progress. The beauty is that you don't have to enter them straight away. You can just bum around the current land and enter in your own time.
- What are my goals?
I think it's safe to assume that it's to beat the enemy gods to a bloody, metaphysical pulp.
- What other events will crop up?
There are lots of mini-scenarios (over 400 altogether) that typically involve your villagers and other Eden related aspects. One of these I witnessed at a BAFTA
presentation, it was the time that Peter Molyneux proved how evil he could be ...
A woman came out of her house and started to pray to her god (Peter M.), her brother was dying and had been lost in the
forest, and she wanted Peter to rescue him. Peter didn't consider himself to be a charity, so Peter picked up this woman and
chucked her around a lot until she died. That was a fairly evil thing to do, and Peter could have just left the corpse. However,
in the spirit of being truly evil, he took the woman's corpse and went looking her dying brother. He found this guy who was on
his last few breaths, and dropped his dead sister right in front of him. The shock of seeing and her gave him a heart attack, and
he died. The audience (at the venue where this was taking place) let out a cheer, I didn't because I am pro-good, and I will
crush you evil sadists when the game is released ... One good thing that did happen, is because Peter played the scenario to the
extreme, so he was rewarded with a miracle, which incidentally was the shield miracle. So much for protection, eh? :)
- How do you know what to do to carry on the story?
There will be scrolls floating around the land that upon finding, you can click them and they'll give you quests and stuff. You get bronze scrolls that are just little missions that aren't very important. Silver scrolls which are quite important and, as you probably guessed, gold scrolls which have vital quests and missions. Completing the quest gives you a reward depending on how important the quest was and how well you accomplished it.
- What's that little devil man and angel guy for that I keep seeing in screenshots?
Those boys are like advisors. They give conflicting advice and humour the player. They're generally very useful and help to nudge you in the right direction and show you things. Kind of like mentors, an evil one and a good one, it's up to you which one you listen to.
- Does the single player game have a name?
Due do it's storyline dependant gameplay, it's know as Black & White Tales.
- Can I take my single player creature online?
Yes, and it's so easy to do. You basically just bring up a menu and click Enter Multiplayer (or words to that affect), and then you're in. You can then bring your creature back into single player and carry on as normal, only with knowledge he may have gained from multiplayer.
Multiplayer
- How many people can I fight against?
So far it is believed to be 8 people in a straight forward RTS bash, just like the old days when people played C&C: Red Alert. Strange as that may seem now. This particular multiplayer mode in known as Black & White Worlds
- I've heard of this thing called 'Black & White: The Gathering', can you enlighten me please?
It will sort of be a retreat from the main game for players to chill out and chat with each other. A text bubble will appear above each creature's head when the players talk to each other and players can use B&W: TG to train their creatures, practice miracles and play games. Apparently the creatures will even lip-sync to what you type.
- When will I be able to play it?
It will be released after B&W hits the shelves. It was originally scheduled to come out before Black & White as a sort of a demo. This has since been changed to come out after in order not to lessen the impact of Black & White when it becomes available in the shops.
- Can you tell me how many creatures it comes with?
Nein! Sorry, let me rephrase that ... 9.
- So it's just a fancy chat client?
Not at all. There will be zones where you can take your creature, such as a game zone where you can play chess etc., a fighting zone
where you can throw rocks at each other, a training zone and a magic zone. Unlike in the full release, each creature will have its
own pre-set personality, and you'll lose your creature when you leave the server.
- Are the rumours true about the ICQ feature?
If the rumour you heard is about ICQ being able to spy on its users, and send back information to the big corporations about
your activity on the net, then you've probably been watching the X-Files too much. If on the other hand you heard Black & White: TG
integrates quite nicely with ICQ, and you can call up your friends and get them to join you on the server, then you heard right.
- How much will it cost me?
It's FREE.
- It'll be a big download though?
If you consider 10MB to be a fairly hefty amount to download, which is what the first indications were. That seems pretty small to me,
so it came as shock when at the BAFTA, Peter Molyneux said "5MB, or less". Yet he also said Black & White will be out on the 23rd of
September, and he was wrong there. I'm not trying to slate the guy or anything, but as a fellow human he does make mistakes. The prior is true, providing of course, that B&W: TG isn't released in the same box as Black & White.
- What will 'Black & White: The Gathering' do for servers?
This is a quote from the Edge Magazine, January 2000 edition:
Launching with two servers, one in the UK and one at Origin in the US, it will allow users to go into a cut-down Black & White
environment. Each landscape will support up to 32 users and will remain persistent as long as one person remains logged on.
Nice.
- I keep hearing people ramble on about something called 'Black & White Universe'. What is it?
That is supposed to be the next step in Black & White. It will be in an environment that's huge and of proportions similar to Ultima Online.
Masses of people and clans will be able to do battle on a huge scale, and not just some 8 player setup.
- What about Black & White over a LAN and all those protocol things?
You can bet there will be all the essentials just like any modern game. Expect to see IPX and TCP/IP support for your
peer-to-peer and client-server arrangements.
- Where does Lionhead stand with regards to PowerPlay?
Nothing has been stated yet. Given that it's an American based initiative, it's hardly surprising.
- Is there a spectator mode?
Yep.
- What sort of things are there for clan wars?
There are things like where a clan can share just one creature. There's also the option where different people can do different things, e.g. one person can take care of the villagers, another person does the miracles (miracles) and some guy does the creature etc. Not to mention all the other things like powering up miracles, for example, one guy can summon a fireball, throw it to another guy, he catches it and the firball becomes 15% more powerful, so it then gets passed again and getting more powerful each time until someone decides to throw the thing.
- How are other gods represented?
There will be a glowing orb type thing buzzing around.
Black & White engine
- What sort of stunts can this engine manage?
Like most engines, the user can set the level of detail e.g. low, medium and high. The rumour that the engine keeps a constant frame rate is false. Screenshots have shown this not to be the case with manual detail level options. You'll be able to see
for miles and miles, and places won't just disappear because they're too far away like in Half-Life, so none of that 'popup'
nonsense. The engine does reflections, transparencies, ray-tracing and a whole lot more.
- Does the engine deal with real time physics?
Yes. See how the hair on your creature's head sways in the wind and bobs up and down convincingly. Then there's the swaying trees
and the smoke stacks coming from the village.
- So I'm going to need a monster PC?
These are the minimum specifications required:
- Windows� 95/98/ME/2000
- 350 MHz Intel� Pentium� II processor
- 64MB RAM
- 600MB hard disk (plus extra room for saved games)
- 4x CD-ROM drive
- 8MB PCI or AGP 3D accelerator card compatible with DirectX7.0a
- Compatible soundcard
- Keyboard, Mouse
As for the recommended specs, well they go a little something like this:
- 500 MHz Pentium III processor of faster
- 128MB RAM
- 750MB hard disk space
- 16MB 3D Hardware Accelerator Card with full Direct3D driver
As you can see, they're not that high at all.
- EMBM is a nice feature to have, so how about it?
Lionhead would agree with you on that one, that's why they are implementing it.
- Is hardware Transform & Lighting supported?
After many "Hmms" and "Dunno yets" and lots of other half hearted answers, the final answer is YES. Black & White's graphics engine will support T&L as used by nVIDIA's GeForce series of cards.
- What about the API, and is there a software mode?
OpenGL and Glide are NOT supported. Direct3D IS supported, so people with cards optimised for that (G400/TNT/GeForce) should expect
the best performance. There is no software engine, because A) Your CPU will be far too busy with the AI, and B) Software engines
always look crap.
- What about zooming in and out?
This is very well implemented. For those of you who don't know, there's an infamous demo that Peter Molyneux likes to show
that is of the camera positioned on an apple that's on a barrel. You can see a worm munching away at the apple, and then the
camera zooms out and in about a second you can see the whole world from above the clouds. It's one seamless zoom, it's not
like in games like SimCity 3000 where there is different levels of zoom e.g. x2, x3 etc., in Black & White there is no transition between
zoom levels. So you can view from any distance in one smooth move. It's yummy.
- Does it run on Windows 2000?
Yes, in fact at a BAFTA presentation Peter Molyneux was using Windoze 2000 in preference to Windoze 98.
- Woohoo! Will my funky dual processor setup give me better performance?
Gee, I wish I could answer that one properly. Given that games like Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament do, it'd be a shame if
Black & White doesn't. Keep your fingers crossed though. I've heard a Lionhead guy natter on about this 'multi-threaded' business, but he
didn't seem too sure.
- Is EAX or A3D supported?
Neither are supported. Black & White uses its own propriety sound system for music and atmospherics. This gives Russell Shaw (Lionhead's sound guy) the flexibility and freedom of using a custom audio engine to get the best results. It's also supposed to be faster and more CPU friendly. The actual 3D positioning is handled by QSound Labs' propriety 3D audio engine which is implemented using the QMixer SDK (Software Developer's Kit). More information about this technology can be found here.
- What is Immersion technology?
With the right kind of mouse you can feel what goes on in the game. Fish nibbling at your fingers and various other sensations which added more depth and realism to the game. You can find out more in an interview PBW carried out with Lionhead's Jonty Barnes on this page.
Miscellaneous
- When will Black & White be released?
This is a bit like asking your mother what she wants for her birthday; you might find out, but whatever you get will still be wrong.
Last time Peter Molyneux attended the BAFTA theatre to strut Black & White's funky stuff, he said as clear as crystal that it'd be on the
23rd of September 2000, he even said it'd be @ 11am too. That soon turned out not to be the case, and now the game is destined (for a variety of reasons) to be released February 2001 ... Or later ... Now it's scheduled for late March to early April.
- Who will be publishing Black & White?
Electronic Arts for Black & White, but then Lionhead will be switching to a new publisher that is yet to be disclosed/arranged.
- Where can I chat to like minded Black & White fans?
The Lionhead web site has the best forum around. Don't accept cheap imitations. The Lionhead board has been around since day 1
so there are plenty of Black & White gurus to talk to, as well as plenty of newbies to bash. If you do get newbie bashed, just remember,
the oldies love you really.
- Something I want to know isn't mentioned in this FAQ, what should I do now?
You can mail me with your questions and
I'll try to get you an answer. Please check to see if it has already been mentioned, if not, then fire away. If you're feeling
really nice you can let me know where those miracleing/grammar mistakes are. I've seen the blighters somewhere, I've just forgotten
where they are. Cretins.
- How will Lionhead combat piracy?
The multiplayer game will be protected by a CD-Key. Half-Life fans will know what I mean, this won't stop people using a
copied game to play the single player part, but then they'll be missing out, because the most fun is to be had online.
Black & White will be using SafeDisc 2, which uses a digital fingerprint on each CD that cannot be copied by a home CD Writer. The game will not run without the fingerprint being present. Unlike its predecessor, this version of SafeDisc isn't just coded into the game's main executable, it's actually coded into the source code of the game, which should, at least in theory, prevent the use of a patch, generic or otherwise. SafeDisc is also notorious for filling up the excess space of a CD with unreadable sectors, which slows down the copying process and makes a copier's life a bit more difficult.
- Where can I find an FAQ about Black & White?
You're looking at one.
- What's this e-mail POP3 malarky?
Glad you asked. Black & White acts as an e-mail client, and using the POP3 standard it can connect to a mail server just like your own e-mail cleint (e.g. MS Outlook or NS Messenger), and if you get an e-mail Black & White will alert you about it. How does it alert you? This is the cool bit, one of the little villagers will have a little text bubble above their head saying who the e-mail is from and what the subject is. You won't get the body of the message because then you could get spammed more than a Spam Show spectator watching a spam contest with "SPAM ME" written across his spam-like forehead. Presumably there will be some option built into Black & White for you to configure the e-mail server. At least I presume so. Don't you?
- Can I be a tester for Black & White?
You can, but not from home. For security reasons all testing is done in-house at Lionhead's studios, the waiting list is very long, and you'd have to pay for your own travel and accommodation expenses, you won't get paid either. Click here for more information.
- What other platforms will Black & White be released on?
So far Black & White is not only being released on the PC, a developer for the Apple Mac has been arranged, but so far it hasn't been disclosed as to who that developer is. The Dreamcast version is well under way and is of course being published by Sega, a PlayStation version is also being done and will be published by Midas and ported by Krisalis. Black & White is also rumoured to appear on Microsoft's X-Box. A PlayStation 2 version seems doubtful as all signs point towards X-Box, and I don't think Microsoft would allow it. There's also going to be a Linux version and a BeOS version, as well as ... Wait for it ... A Gameboy color version. The last three have all been announced by Lionhead, but so far no further steps have been taken.
- Can a Dreamcast owner battle a PC owner etc.?
This is what Georg Backer, Lionhead's "Internet/Network/Special Programmer" had to say on the matter:
Georg Backer: Unfortunatley its not possible due different hardware and memory settings of PC/PSII/DC and the way multiplayer games work (and its the only way to process the huge amount of data). But if we do find a nice solution to link up different plattforms I'll let you know :)
I think that's a no.
- Gimme a demo!
No, piss off. There actually hasn't been an official announcement about a demo, but expect something to be announced closer to Black & White's release.
- What are these 'Lionhead satellites'?
Lionhead have these small developers that they support and provide resources for, here's a quote from their web site:
Lionhead Studios are creating a 'family' of independent teams bound into a mutually beneficial relationship, with Lionhead at its centre. Our philosophy is to keep each team small and independent - individuals in control of their own destinies. Lionhead�s reputation, experience, expertise, contacts and facilities are freely available to be exploited by each team.
So far there's a developer called Big Blue Box who are developing a game code named Wishworld which is rumoured to be based on Black & White's engine. There's also another developer called Intrepid, but nothing is known about them yet. There's more info to be found on Lionhead's site.
- Will B&W be open source or customisable?
B&W won't be open source when it's released, however, sufficient demand will lead to Lionhead, or Black & White Studios to open it up for everyone. The game will come with no editors, but they will come later on, with players being able to vote for what they want, e.g. map editors, creature modellers and skin makers etc.
- When will B&W go gold?
It's already gone gold. The date was the 16th of March, 2001. Oh what a happy day it was.
- Will B&W perform a system check when it installs?
No it won't. This means that you can have an under-powered system and still have B&W running. Don't let this make you cut corners, though. B&W has very intensive artificial intelligence and that requires a good processor. If your machine is under-powered in the processor sense, then probably a grahpics card like a GeForce or a Radeon would be a good idea. They can do this thing called Hardware Transform & Lighting. This means that these graphics cards free up a lot processor time by doing the tasks that the processor would ordinarily do, leaving the processor to concentrate on the artificial intelligence.
- Can you have multiple users on one computer?
Yes. So your little bother can have a saved game, and so can you. This also opens up possibilities of owning multiple creatures and playing the game as both evil or good.
- What languages will it be released in?
The game will have 11 translations, they are:
- Brazilian/Portuguese
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Dutch
- English (UK)
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Polish
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Thai
- English (US)
- How many CDs does it come on, and what about the packaging?
The game will come on one CD, not a DVD. For Europeans it will come in a DVD style case, for everyone else there will be a proper box that most people are used to.
- Is there a spoon?
There is no spoon.
Quick Notice
This FAQ was made by Steve 'Scrozzy' Crossan for PBW and all newbiekind. All
omissions and alterations hatefully accepted.
FAQ word count: 8,091!
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