Maybe there is hope for "unpopular" game genres?

[PortoFerro]

Hey guys,

I don't know if any of you was into Chris Roberts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Roberts_(game_developer)) Games in the 90's (Wing Commander, Privateer, Strike Commander, Freelancer)
To me, they where as fascinating as my first Silent Service on the Amiga.

Well, Chris is back with a new title called "Star Citizen", that combines Wing Commander with Privateer in an open Universe. If he can pull it off, we get the space sim beyond our wildest dreams. EA wanted him to do another Wing Commander as a console game, he turned them down, as he does not want to code for "7 year old hardware" and firmly believes in the PC as the premium gaming platform. In SC you're not a ship, but a person flying it, heck, you can even pilot a cap ship, with your friends manning turrets and others scrambling out fighters from your hangar deck. Single Player, Multiplayer, Trading and Exploring in one package, fully modable, private server option, with cry-engine 3 :D

And he does it without publishers or kickstarter, just direct crowd-funding through his website. After 2 days, they're at 450k, the goal is to reach 2m within 30 days. There are private investors ready to shell out a lot more, if the community proves enough interest.

Go and check out http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/ (The main site is down because there are so many people in "shut up and take my money" mode)

I can't wait for the alpha in 2013...

[CaptainHaplo]

Count me in the crowd throwing money at this one! Thanks for pointing it out!

[Aramike]

Oh man, I LOVED the original Wing Commander. Thanks for the link! :salute:

[Catfish]

Have played the Wing commander series, and Privateer (settled in the WC universe) - still one of the best SciFi games in my book, with a very good storyline, mystic, uncharted areas in space and this alien derelict ship - i loved it !!
If he comes out with someting like that, i'm in :up:

[SgtPotato]

How can he pull it off that he quit during the development of Freelancer and went to become a movie producer? Then 8 or 9 years later, he came back and decided to make the ultimate PC space sim. I'm quite impressed with the in-game footages that he showed, but I'm not quite sure to make a pledge if he can make it work. :hmmm:

[Rilder]

There is always hope for "unpopular" game genres these days. Its called called Indie games. Where developers make the game they want instead of what the shareholders want. :yep:

[joea]

Very interesting, I might pitch in but will wait a little bit. I too liked Wing Commander-one of my first PC games back in my student days. Sigh.

[McBeck]

Saw this the other day and I'm looking forward to this!

[McBeck]

OK, pledged and now looking forward to getting access to the alpha and beta versions :D

[Spoon 11th]

They have raised: $3,176,905 now. Still 9 more days to go.

[troopie]

Awesome news.

[CaptainMattJ.]

Sounds amazing. I have been waiting for something like this. There are already quite enough FPS space shooters out there, where's a good ship v ship? Sins of a solar empire is RTS, even though space battles can be quite epic in that game. Star trek is mediocre for me, honestly. there really hasnt been a very good one produced for a long time. Nor has there been any good open world true-survival games other than DayZ, where food, water, ect. come into play and you truly fight for survival.

There aren't that many GOOD Naval combat games that encompass everything like Battlestations: pacific does either, where you have Surface, air, underwater, and even land defense control all rolled into one. Navyfield became outrageous, it was a terrible grind most of the time, then the game capped your possible level and became more and more premium. Battlestations Pacific, both on Xbox and Windows, requires subscription for multiplayer, and is pretty arcade and not all that challenging. So there hasn't been an all around Naval combat game that has lived up to the idea's potential.


If i had money i'd absolutely donate. It's developers like these that the gaming industry needs alot more of. People who can create something original, balanced, one-time payment, and generally awesome. Hopefully that is what this game will turn out to be.

[PortoFerro]

Just a quick bump, it's the end phase, lot's of new pledge options and we're at 4.5M!
Boarding Parties, Zero-G and Spacewalks are unlocked, if we hit 5.5M there will be a flyable carrier...
They're currently pumping out hourly updates and a live cast in the final 24hours. Time to secure your ships, as they come with live time insurance. In this game you actually loose your ship when you die...
And they look good:
http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/CUTLASS-03-Black-Martin.jpg.jpg?1a897f

[Hottentot]

And they look good:
[Picture]

Am I the only one to whom they rather look like two giant flies making millions of giant baby flies. :hmmm:

Sounds interesting otherwise, though.

[Catfish]

Hi,
i think this ship looks much better ...

http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Image02.jpg

Looking forward, also donated some money .. :D

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Hi,
i think this ship looks much better ...

http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Image02.jpg

Looking forward, also donated some money .. :D:up: That ship looks cool!

I also donated some money into it and I'm excited to see* what the final product will be.

*assuming my illness doesn't progress to blindness before release

[Catfish]

Huh, what is with your eyes ? :huh:

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Huh, what is with your eyes ? :huh:I have Usher syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usher_syndrome) which affects both seeing and hearing. Its progressive although with varying speed. For example my eyesight may remain same as its now until my death or I maybe blind when I wake up in tomorrow morning.

Hearing side is not major issue as there are Cochlear implants for that but seeing is much bigger problem. That is because technology in that side is still in prototype phase. Last time I heard electronic systems which are installed into eye are expected to come in use within 20 years and technology for repairing retina itself is coming somewhere after that.

For now I can live quite independently although I need assistant for some routine things like cleaning. Unfortunately this disease has meant that I'm unable to play many of my favourite computer games like SimCity 4, Silent Hunter series :wah: and EVE Online because text in those games is too small for my eyes and/or font is not suitable. Font issue is that for me light coloured text (in bold if possible) in dark background is much easier to read than otherway around. For example I can read size 12 Times New Roman font if its white in black but not if its black on white then it has to be atleast size 16 and bolded.

[Catfish]

Phew, thanks for the explanation :o
Like, can be ok until 100 years of age or blind tomorrow ?
And one cannot do anything against it, god ..

Wish you all the best !


Would a real big screen or a beamer-wall combo help ?

Thanks and best wishes,
Catfish

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Phew, thanks for the explanation :o
Like, can be ok until 100 years of age or blind tomorrow ?
And one cannot do anything against it, god ..Most extreme case I know personally is one of my friends who has same disease. Three years ago he was acting as guide for me. Two months later he used white cane and braille writing. His vision is now even worse than mine.

Wish you all the best !Thank you! :salute:


Would a real big screen or a beamer-wall combo help ?

Thanks and best wishes,
CatfishWell there comes into play second nice feature of Usher syndrome. Disease affects two things: accuracy of vision and field of view. Normally humans field of view is about 180 degrees of which 120 is usable for range/depth measurement. In my case it is about 2 degrees (two, no typo here). Outside that area I sense (or then not, can't be relied on) only motion except in peripherals in left and right where I sometimes also sense light and colour. For example when I look person standing two metres from me directly into tip of nose that is what I see. I don't see eyes or lips just that nose. This makes playing games or watching TV challenging because when I'm far way from screen to see everything at once I'm too far to see details. :damn:

Still I have spent this evening enjoying (and often cursing) Fallout 3. VATS makes playing it possible (helps in finding enemy). Its still fun despite extra challenges! :DL