EXCLUSIVE - Never before seen units interview
独家报道——关于从未见过的单位的采访
The units in Red Alert 3 bring back a ton of nostalgic history, from the Kirov to the IFV, to the Tesla Trooper and Conscripts, and of course Tanya. There are also quite a few never-before-seen units for the Red Alert universe like the Bullfrog, Sickle, King Oni, and the entire Empire of the Rising Sun faction. But what about the units that didn't make the art and design cut? You'd want to know, right?
在《红色警戒3》中，不少经典单位得以回归——从基洛夫到多功能步兵车、再到磁爆步兵和征召兵，当然还有谭雅。也有很多新面孔出现在红警宇宙里，像是牛蛙、镰刀、鬼王，还有整个升阳帝国阵营。但您肯定也想知道那些被遗忘在美工和设计角落的单位，对吧？
We discovered some very confidential info regarding this, and went straight to our Lead Art Director Matt Britton and Designer Jason Torres for answers. Now it's time to unleash this intelligence to you, Comrade!
我们发现了一些相关的绝密情报，并直接找到了我们的首席艺术总监马特．布里顿以及设计师杰森．托里斯寻求答案。是时候为您揭开神秘面纱了，同志！

How many people contribute to the production of a single unit? How long does it take to complete?
有多少人参与设计一个单位？需要多长时间才能完成呢？
[MB] Like most things in game development, the creation of an in game unit is very much a group effort. It all starts in the mind of the game's Designers. I'll then discuss the design for a particular unit with the Lead Designer or Unit/Structure Designer to establish a visual direction. From there the unit makes its way through the hands of a Concept Artist, Modeler, Animator, Effects Artist, and finally a Technical Artist who gets the unit functioning correctly in the game. Along the way, I'm working with the Artists as well as our Senior Producer who gives a unit final approval. If all goes perfectly, I imagine we can get from concept to in-game with a unit in about four weeks time. However, things rarely proceed quite that smoothly. Usually there are some missteps, redirections, and changes along the way. But great units and structures are the core of great RTS games. It's worth taking the necessary time to get them just right.
MB：与游戏开发中的绝大多数事情一样，游戏内单位的创建很大程度上要靠团队的努力，这一切从游戏设计师的想法开始。然后我会和首席设计师或者单位/建筑设计师讨论特定单位的设计，以确定视觉传达方向。从那里开始，这个单位会经过概念艺术家、建模师、动画师、效果艺术家的手中，最后是技术美工，让这个单位在游戏能正常运作。在这过程中，我除了和美工之外，还会和我们的高级制作人合作，他们会对单位进行最终的批准。如果一切顺利的话，我觉得我们大概四个星期之内就可以把概念实装到游戏单位。不过事情进展很少会这么顺利，在过程中通常会出现一些失误、重新定向修改之类的。但是出色的单位和建筑是出色的RTS核心，所以花必要的时间精力让它们变得靠谱是值得的。

What decisions go into cutting a unit from the game? How much of it ends up being art related and how much is design related?
在游戏里砍掉一个单位需要做哪些决定？其中有多少是和美工相关，又有多少和设计相关呢？
[MB] Usually, cutting a unit from the game is more about balance and game design than it is art and aesthetics. That said, if a particular unit is being considered as a cut candidate, its artistic merit or failure can definitely save it from the cutting room floor or push it over the edge.
MB：通常来说，从游戏里砍掉一个单位更多的是跟平衡和游戏设计有关，而不是因为艺术美学。也就是说，如果一个单位到了要不要砍掉的关头，那它的美术功底好坏可能会救它一命。
[JT] For the most part a unit is cut for one of two reasons: 1) it's role is redundant / not needed or 2) we change our minds about what we want for that unit role. As we go from paper design to getting something in the game and playing with it, we generally move to a process of finding the fun in the game. The things that aren't working well are deemphasized or go back to the drawing board, and the elements that are working well get put in the spotlight. When it comes time to cut a unit, however, we do have some options. Sometimes we try to salvage it by making it what we want, or we can just include it as a fun unit in the single player campaign, where we don't have to worry as much about the combat chain redundancy or role.
JT：大多数情况下，一个被砍掉的单位有两个「死因」：1.它的角色是多余的。或者2.我们改变了对这个单位角色的想法。当我们从纸面设计过渡到游戏实装阶段进行体验时，我们通常会进入一个寻找游戏乐趣的过程。那些效果不好的单位会被淡化，或者重回到画板上。而那些效果很好的元素就会闪亮登场。不过，当需要砍掉一个单位的时候，我们确实也有一些选择余地。有的时候我们尝试通过创造出我们想要的内容去挽救它，或者我们可以把它当作一个有趣的单位放在单人战役里，这样我们就不用太担心它在战斗中是多余的。

THE CHRONO TANK
超时空坦克

Nearly resurrected from Red Alert: Aftermath, what was the original purpose of the Chrono Tank for Red Alert 3? What was the original design and directive?
它差点就从《红色警戒：余波》中复活了，《红色警戒3》的超时空坦克最初的用途是什么？它最初的设计和定位又是什么呢？
[MB] The Chrono Tank idea was pretty straightforward. On the art side it came together easily - it's just a slightly futuristic tank with a chronosphere mounted on it.
MB：超时空坦克的想法非常简单。从艺术的角度上说，它就是一台非常未来风的坦克，上面装了一个超时空传送仪。
[JT] The original design was to utilize a unique movement mechanic (teleportation) on the Allied Faction's special tank. We thought it would be fun to teleport Chrono Tanks and surprise the enemy, but we didn't want that ability on the main battle tank (the Guardian Tank) for balance and faction asymmetry reasons (the Rising Sun already had a unique, fast traveling main battle tank in the Tsunami).
JT：原本的设计打算在盟军的特殊坦克上安排独特的移动机制（也就是传送）。我们觉得超时空传送坦克给敌人一个惊喜会很有趣，但出于平衡和阵营不对称的原因，我们不希望主战坦克（守护者坦克）拥有这种能力（升阳帝国已经有独特快速移动机制的海啸主战坦克了）。
What power was the chronosphere effect going to have. Was that intended to be a secondary ability?
超时空传送太厉害了，这是打算作为F技能吗？
[MB] The intent was that the tank would have a teleportation ability by virtue of the onboard chronosphere.
MB：我们打算让坦克凭借车载超时空传送仪而拥有隐形的传送能力。
[JT] Actually, I don't think we came up with a secondary ability. Or at least I don't remember it. The teleportation was its primary method of travel, so I don't think that was its secondary.
JT：实际上，我不认为我们想出了（超时空坦克的）F技能。或者说，至少我不记得（有没有这回事）。传送是它的主要移动方式，所以我不觉得这个是F技能。
Why was this unit ultimately cut from the game?
为什么这个单位最终从游戏里删掉了？
[MB] I think our Designers felt that a teleporting tank was going to be very difficult to counter.
MB：我觉得我们的设计师应该是认为会传送的坦克很难对付。
[JT] One major reason was that we wanted to emphasize Navy with RA3, and thus we came up with the amphibious Assault Destroyer playing the role of the tough tank on the Allies. Then it came down to the Chrono Tank and the Mirage Tank for the unique tank. All of the designers loved them both, but we knew we couldn't have too many units from past games, and we knew their roles were pretty similar, so one of them had to go. It was like a cage match to the death (actually, to the cutting room floor). Eventually, I think the gameplay advantage of the Mirage Tank's spreading Prism Beam weapon eventually won people over. I can assure everyone that there were absolutely no coins flipped in this decision.
JT：主要原因是我们想用红警3强调海军，所以我们想出了两栖的突袭驱逐舰来扮演盟军的肉盾坦克，然后超时空坦克和幻影坦克就是（盟军）特色的坦克单位，所有的设计师都喜欢它们，但是我们知道不能有太多以前游戏的单位，而且我们也清楚它们的定位有点类似，所以必须砍掉其中一个，这就像是一场生死攸关的笼中格斗一样。最终，我觉得幻影坦克的折射棱镜光束武器在游戏里的优势最终赢得了人们的青睐。我可以向大家保证，这个决定绝对不是意外。

EMPIRE of the RISING SUN MECHS
升阳帝国的机甲
What was the inspiration behind this deep exploration of mechs for the Japanese side? What were you looking for here?
在帝国系机甲的深度构思背后，您有何灵感？您又想寻找什么东西呢？
[MB] As we started dreaming up the look of the Empire's robotic units, we wanted to create something which was both original and yet recognizable from Japan's long history of heroic robots in anime and manga. This proved to be quite a challenge and was made even more complex by the need to have units transform in a mechanically convincing fashion.
MB：当我们开始构思帝国机器人的外观时，我们想要一些既原创，又能看出日本机战英雄动漫元素的东西。事实证明这是一个很大的挑战，而且由于需要让单位在机械层面上以令人信服的方式的变形，所以变得更加复杂了。

Is this a set of robotic units which were cut, or was this an exploration of a single mech unit? Is this the original King Oni?
这是被砍掉的一组机器人单位，还是对单一机器人单位的构思？这个就是原来的鬼王吗？
[MB] These are actually early designs for the VX Striker. The design of this unit called for it to have both a VTOL form and a humanoid one. Our early explorations on this unit were almost apelike. Later it became more akin to a robotic insect. In the end, we settled on something more like a prehistoric bird. I think it's one of our game's more original units, and I really love the way it looks in our opening cinematic sequence.
MB：这个实际上是VX打击者的早期设计。这个装置的设计要求它同时具有垂直起降模式和人形模式。我们对这个单位的早期构思就是类似猿一样，后来它变的更像是机械昆虫。最后我们选择了更像史前鸟类的东西。我觉得这个是我们在游戏里比较有原创性的单位之一，而且我很喜欢它在我们游戏开场动画里边的样子。

Why was this set of units cut from the Empire?
为什么这个单位被剔出帝国了？
[MB] Technically, they weren't cut. The gameplay design for this unit didn't really change, but its visual development went in a number of different directions before reaching the final form. This set of sketches is a great documentation of that visual development process.
MB：从技术层面上说，它们没有被砍，这个单位的游戏设计并没有真正改变。但在达到最终形式之前，它的视觉开发朝着多个不同的方向发展，这个草图就是视觉开发过程中的一个很好的文件。

THE MANY FACES OF SHINOBI
忍者的千张面孔
The Ninja is in game and is bad-ass, but it looks like you took a deep exploration on a pretty simple unit. Why?
忍者实装进了游戏，而且非常邪恶，但看起来您对这样一个非常简单的单位进行了深度的构思，这是为什么呢？
[MB] The art team played with some far-reaching ideas for the look of the Ninja unit, but ultimately our Producers wanted something more conventional.
MB：美术团队对忍者单位外观提出了一些很有影响力的想法，但最终我们的制作人还是想要一些更传统的东西。
Was the Ninja originally going to be able to change face through a series of masks?
忍者原本可以通过一些面具来改变面部特征吗？
[MB] No. At our game's scale I imagine that would be somewhat difficult for the player to see. That's a fun idea for a different game, however.
MB：不是，以我们游戏的（画面）尺寸来说，玩家也很难看出有什么改变，不过这对别的游戏可能会是一个好主意。

Was the original intent of Shinobi to be robotic as these concepts suggest?
忍者最初是像这些概念图所展示的那样，是机器人吗？
[MB] We explored the idea of a robotic Shinobi and a female Shinobi. If we're lucky, perhaps one of them will come to life in another future game of ours.
MB：我们探讨过机器人忍者或者女性忍者的想法。如果幸运的话，也许其中一个（方案）会在我们未来的另一款游戏里复活。