Brink is one of the most exciting and ambitious first-person shooters on the horizon, on any platform. Splash Damage have a track record of making first-rate multi-player FPSs (Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars) and with Brink they’re looking to take the genre further than anyone else.

Splash Damage have given Brink a dynamic edge unheard of in any other FPS titles, literally taking the player to higher platforms. They have also found a formula that is accessible to the softcore without losing that gruelling experience that the hardcore user demands. Underlying its solid gameplay is also a very strong and thoughtful story.

PS3 Attitude were fortunate enough to meet up with Splash Damage’s Richard ‘Rahdo’ Ham (Creative Director) and Edward ‘BongoBoy’ Stern (Lead Writer) at the Eurogamer Expo. In an epic two hour interview they covered everything you could possibly need to know about Brink. We’re not kidding. They gave us so much information, we’ve had to split this into a series of developer diaries which we’ve entitled, the Brink diaries.

This Brink diary covers the game’s fireteam squads. Fireteam squads have been introduced to guarantee that users across all three platforms can experience excellent party support. It’s an area where the PSN and even Steam are behind Xbox Live. Here Richard Ham explains how fireteams work:

“We want to make sure that you don’t get in any way, in any way, an inferior [product], we want you to get everything – across all three platforms. So we implemented fireteams. What that means is that when you’re in a match you can look at the scoreboard at any given time and you can see either your friend or that player who is really good, and you can click on them and issue them an invite into your fireteam. If they accept, we’re now in fireteam alpha; there are four fireteams: alpha, bravo, charlie and delta. Because we’re in a fireteam we immediately see each other’s colours differently, so I can always spot you amongst everyone else.”

Being in a fireteam automatically opens the voice chat channel. This is set to closed on default for a couple of reasons: Splash Damage would rather not have new players exposed to some of the more unsavoury personalities dwelling online unless they want to. Secondly, by having voice chat turned off as the default mode it gets rid of the confusion that arises from having half the players playing with voice chat turned off while the other half have it on. In those situations you find that those with chat turned on get frustrated at the others because they’re not listening to their requests for more ammo – they can’t hear them. However, by agreeing to join a fireteam, you’re agreeing to have voice chat turned on because communication is essential. You will want to share tactics and instructions.

Once you’re in a fireteam you cannot get split up. You’re tied to the hip. The system is always looking behind the scenes for a map which has two slots, so when you complete a map with your fireteam buddy you will always go to the next map together. This means that you can enjoy playing Brink all night with your mate(s) without the servers ever getting in your way.

Brink is on course for a Spring 2011 release. Remember to check back to PS3 Attitude regularly because we have lots more to say on this very exciting game.

Related Posts:

• BAFTA Writers Panel: The challenges of storytelling
• Free Brink ‘Agents of Change’ DLC launches today
• Brink DLC and stats site on the way
• Brink – the PS3 Attitude review
• Brink launch trailer shows the advent of civil war