First off let me thank you for giving your time to this interview. We honor the opportunity to submit an interview to our readers to give them insight into the world of simulation motorsports.

BHMS: Your company isn't really known by our visitors so I think it would be best to start with an introduction. What are your backgrounds, on which games have you worked before, etc.

Techland: TECHLAND is present on the market since 1991. The company deals in development and distribution of software. The most recognizable products by TECHLAND are our Translators and high quality computer games based on CHROME graphics engine. Although the company was created 12 years ago, it started dealing with the game development 5 years ago. At the beginning our products were released on the Polish market only, but due to their great playability and high quality some of our titles hit the international markets as well. For example Crime Cities, Extermination (also known as Mission Humanity), several titles for younger players like Pet Soccer and Pet Racer, or our latest development: Speedway Grand Prix. Some of the readers might have heard about some of our current projects - Xpand Rally, The Day of The Mutants, or Chrome.

BHMS: What made you decide to do a Speedway game and not, lest say a Motocross game?

Techland: We based our choice on the fact that speedway is a very popular sport in Poland, far more popular than Motocross. This sport is also very spectacular and brutal, and that�s perfect material for a computer game.

BHMS: When have you started working on Speedway Grand Prix? I think our readers would also enjoy reading a bit about stages of development. How does one start? What gets done first?

Techland: We started working on the game in September 2002 by preparing the game specification, which was used to get the official license form BSI. The next step was gathering data about particular stadiums (technical data, appearance) and the riders. After gathering all the data the programmers and the graphics artists started working simultaneously. The graphics artists took care of preparing the racers� models, the stadiums and the user interface. The programmers dealt with the driving physics and the game logic. During that stage we had a lot of ideas and different driving models were created, so we could choose the best solution. In mid October we began working on the most crucial programming assignments. As you know, the final stage of the project is the test stage, when we could make the final corrections of the driving physics parameters, AI logic, and the game itself.

BHMS: In relation to the physics, a Speedway bike actually accelerates in a corner by backing off the throttle. How close are the SGP physics compared to the real life physics?

Techland: When working on the steering and driving physics in the game, we tried to find a compromise between the game�s realism and playability. That was a huge problem, because the rider not only uses the throttle, but also his body to keep the motorcycle stable. As you can imagine, the simulation of such process is very difficult, especially when you can only use your keyboard. The next problem we faced was to force the player to make some effort in order to keep the motorcycle stable during the turn. We succeeded in doing that, but in order to get better playability we had to loose some realism. Certain parts of the game, due to their complexity, are slightly different than in real racing, but the overall driving impression is a very good imitation of a real race.

BHMS: Were there any FIM Speedway Grand Prix drivers/teams who helped you develop the game/physics?

Techland: Tomasz Lorek helped us out a lot. He is one of the most famous Polish sports commentators. His tips and suggestions were very useful during the game development. He shared his opinions about the game during an interview, which can be found on the game�s website www.sgp.techland.pl Unfortunately the interview is available only in Polish.

BHMS: Getting the balance of the throttle right for the start is a very fine line. Too little and the engine will bog down, too much and you'll loop over. The best result is achieved by lifting the front wheel a few centimetres in the air. How did you approach the starts?

Techland: The start of the race is simplified. The computer controls the throttle and the player doesn�t have much control over it. You can start with or without the clutch. What matters the most during the start are your reflexes.

BHMS: A track changes constantly. Sometimes the fast line is right against the fence, next lap, it's close in to the pole line. How dynamic are track conditions in the game?

Techland: FIM Speedway Grand Prix accurately depicts the dynamic changes of the track�s surface. As the competition advances, the condition of the track changes, just like in real speedway races. What actually happens is the cinder gets out from under the wheels and moves to the outside of the track, that way the places with less cinder have better traction.

BHMS: Adjust the position of the back wheel in the frame makes a huge difference in how a bike turns and slides and the angle and bend of the handle bars makes a difference in how tight you can slide. What kind of setup options are available and how do they affect the driving.

Techland: We can tune up the engine and change other settings of the machine. In case of the gears, the player can choose different cogwheel settings depending on the current track parameters. During the course of the game, you have to take care of the wheels, engine, and the chassis, because these parts are wearing out and might cause problems. When your parts are defective, the motorcycle�s performance will be lower.

BHMS: How closely does the game follow the FIA rules. We all know about the 2 minute warning. The signal for a rider who's not at the tapes when the other three are ready, is disqualified.

Techland: The game is based on the Grand Prix rules and these rules are clearly visible in the Grand Prix series and the heat table. We had to give up several things, which were hard to implement in the game. For example we had to give up the 2-minute warning you mentioned, because that way the game would be just too slow. We had to simplify certain things in order to maintain playability.