Space Combat Game Soars to Life with Starlight Inception

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Hi - this is Melissa, VP at Escape Hatch Entertainment, the company behind Starlight Inception. We have launched a campaign on Kickstarter and would love for you to stop by! We truly appreciate any support and invite all questions.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/732317316/starlight-inceptiontm?ref=live

 

[sgc_meltdown]

What are your influences with this game, and what makes yours different from theirs?

 

[Nex]

Have you played Freespace 2? Is it similar?

 

[zeitgeist]

Special Edition of Starlight Inception, including digital game soundtrack, all launch DLC, and all previous reward tiers.

Really now? Also, instead of doing this:

Dramatic and realistic storyline:

With that said, if the pledges exceed what we're asking for, the extra funding will go straight back into the game. Better voice actors, better cinematics, more art and more artists to create better levels and set pieces. A bigger, better game.

How about a story that the player is able to create himself? How about a character that isn't set in stone for a change? How about an X3 that doesn't suck?

I'm seriously disappointed that yet another team will go through all the trouble of creating an engine, models, flight physics, combat system, and so on, only to have it wasted on something that looks like a set of linear "cinematic" missions.

 

[Data4]

Obligatory TITS OR GTFO post.

 

[potatojohn]

Melissa, "gaming experience," "gritty," "reaching out," "leveraging" etc probably aren't the right phrases to use when pitching a game to gamers that have been buttfucked by management and marketing for well over a decade now.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Hi -

My name is Garry Gaber, the president of Escape Hatch Entertainment. I saw this thread and wanted to come out and introduce myself, and let you know that I'll be checking periodically to answer questions and give updates, if you guys are cool with that.

sgc_meltdown - my influences for this game were Wing Commander and the X-wing series, as well as lot of other space combat games over the years. But Starlight Inception is neither game, while incorporating elements of both.

Nex - I played a lot of Descent, but was deep into production on Force Commander at LucasArts at the time Freespace 2 came out. I checked out the wiki page - it looks like it might be worth a look again.

zeltgeist - we have two game modes in Starlight Inception that accommodate both approaches, to a degree. You can play through the linear missions, and have that experience, but you also have the option of playing from planet to planet in the Solar System, and protecting your ship from incoming marauders. Both will affect your prestige and both will award achievements in the game. As far as a dynamic storyline, we are making every effort to make NPC's count in the game (for instance a wingman gets killed, which means you need to be assigned a new one in the future or go solo) and to make your actions count. We are even looking at multiple branches and incorporating world building into our scenarios. This is definitely something that I love in games- (I was involved with Jedi Knight, which had a wicked cool branch at the end).

Data4 - I have no idea what you're talking about, but it sounds dirty.

potatojohn - we're just trying to communicate with the fans of the genre, and gamers in general what this game is about. The times are changing - Kickstarter is leading to more independent games being made by small studios that are outside the publisher system, and speaking as the head of a small studio, I'm stoked by this opportunity. Being able to communicate directly with the fans was something that was verboten while at LucasArts. Everything was strictly monitored by marketing and managing, and I guess I can understand that - they have an image to protect and an intellectual property. But as long as you cut us slack on things that might seem like marketing catchphrases, I'd rather keep communicating this way, and maybe even misspeaking or saying something that will piss people off every now and then. And please don't feel like we're trying to do anything inappropriate to people's posteriors though...

Kindest Regards,
Garry

 

[Dexter]

A few things, just like the Shadowrun game that mention "Tablets" a lot, your project seems rather set on the "Vita", it's important to know which is the main development platform though and which is the port, as that determines large parts of the game design, and I know you might say you'll take features from both and all that, but which is lead? Also, some screenshots or similar would help :p

What'll make your project special and different to stand out from other similar games? For instance a few Modders have been working ~10 years on Wing Commander Saga based on the Freespace 2 Engine, and released it for free recently: http://wcsaga.com/

Also as has been said, there's a lot of focus on Marketing Speak and your career at Lucas Arts in the pitch, try describing better what the game will be like and your visions for it or / where they come from as well as the basic design of it...

 

[Trash]

As a giant tie fighter, freelancer and wing commander fan I was going to pledge. Then I got weary because of the whole Vita thing. Reading a little further there was also mention of launch dlc. Interest gone. Launch DLC is one of the most cynical aspects of the whole publisher power aspect in gaming. I sure as hell am not going to endorse that through crowdfunding.

All that pales however at Gaber (the space fighter game lover) himself showing up and bluntly stating he doesn't know the slightest thing about Freespace 2. Dude.

 

[Spectacle]

I have to say that the Vita thing is putting me off. Space sims (sims in general) are one genre where CPU power is really useful for creating a more complex environment with a lot going on, not just for eye candy. The game will essentially have to be designed for the Vita then ported to the PC, that's going to limit things hard. Well, at least it should run smooth on the pc :D

 

[Data4]

You guys do realize that this thread exists only because of the publicity of the $10K pledge for Wasteland 2, right? Expect more people with their brilliant new game idea to come here and try to pitch for Kickstarter funds because the Codex is now viewed as a fount of cash. It's like lottery winners getting bombarded by people with their hands out.

 

[Jaesun]

You guys do realize that this thread exists only because of the publicity of the $10K pledge for Wasteland 2, right? Expect more people with their brilliant new game idea to come here and try to pitch for Kickstarter funds because the Codex is now viewed as a fount of cash. It's like lottery winners getting bombarded by people with their hands out.

Except advertising here is stupid. We will see though a get rich quick game project too easily.

Failing to do your research on what the codex stands for and likes is FAIL #1.

 

[Destroid]

You guys do realize that this thread exists only because of the publicity of the $10K pledge for Wasteland 2, right? Expect more people with their brilliant new game idea to come here and try to pitch for Kickstarter funds because the Codex is now viewed as a fount of cash. It's like lottery winners getting bombarded by people with their hands out.

How would devs find out about that?

 

[Angelo85]

The game sounds interesting, the beginning of the pitch video intrigued me. A couple of questions arose though after viewing the whole pitch video on Kickstarter:

First and foremost: After reading that the game is going to be released on the portable console Vita as well, the question to me immediately was if this title will be focusing more on being a console "arcade-ish" space shooter or in fact a "real" space combat simulation.

Is Starlight Inception going to be developed mainly with the PC or Vita in mind?
I ask this question not only because of my concern regarding the actual gameplay, but also because PC and Vita seem to me, as a non developer, pretty far apart. I would imagine you would have to either focus on utilizing the capabilities of a modern gaming PC to it's fullest with all the possibilities for controls and graphic power - streamlining graphics and control schemes to be able to run and play it properly on the Vita device - or develop the whole game with the Vita in focus from the get-go and port it as it is to the PC afterwards.

Also of interest to me would be if you already have set your minds on the flight physics that are going to be used. As in Newtonian, Newtonian "inspired", arcade or something entirely different?

Marketing wise I have to agree with my fellow brothers: "Launch DLC", which has basically already been announced through the reward tiers, is frowned upon by some people in the gaming community who think games nowadays should not hold back content that has been developed along with the main game in exchange for additional charges on launch if you want to have the "full experience" as a customer. They feel somehow entitled to everything that has been developed, even if it was by another, separate development team. I am one of this people by the way. This behavior is the same as say you walking into a bakery and ordering a cake. When you pick it up, you are informed that you would have to pay extra for the top layer because it was baked by another baker. But hey, you don't have to buy it if you don't want to, you can eat the cake as it is - it will be delicious no matter if you decide to purchase the optional top layer or not.

If you introduce DLC or expansions that have been developed after the initial release of the main game and these DLCs/expansions actually add something of value, and not only something trivial as say a couple new skins, I think it is more than reasonable to charge something for it, but if some developers intentionally leave parts of their main game out of the actual full priced package or develop DLCs/expansions with the sole purpose of selling it in the same week as the main game gets released, I think lowly of the developer.

I can understand Publishers wanting to grab as much money as they can. But seeing independent developers - who ask the gamers directly for the funds needed to produce the full game - engaging in this behavior, frankly I don't understand this.

And as Trash rightfully said before me: If you are into Space Fighter games you should definitely have played Freespace 2, it is considered the best of the Genre by many players. And to this day the modding community is still active. In fact, the engine is so popular that it has been chosen by many mod teams to realize their dream about a proper space fighting game in their favorite setting. There are games based on the Freespace 2 engine for Babylon 5, Wing Commander, Battlestar Galactica and many more!

/e: Destroid Twitter and all that other modern communications stuff

 

[Mangoose]

You guys do realize that this thread exists only because of the publicity of the $10K pledge for Wasteland 2, right? Expect more people with their brilliant new game idea to come here and try to pitch for Kickstarter funds because the Codex is now viewed as a fount of cash. It's like lottery winners getting bombarded by people with their hands out.

Perfect, I love trolling advertising plants.

 

[Marobug]

I have a feeling this is not going to end well. ie with a pizza at the op's doorstep.

 

[Jaesun]

I have a feeling this is not going to end well. ie with a pizza at the op's doorstep.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Wow, this is a tough crowd. But I'm happy to throw more meat into the grinder...

One thing before I answer...I'm not a marketing guy or a pitch man..I make video games. It's also impossible to play every game out there, but I am looking at Freespace...carefully...sort of with one eye closed...because I also want our game to be fresh and unique, not derivative. Can't be a freespace or WC clone...what's the point in that? Also, I debated whether I should answer that question to avoid just what happened, but I'm an honest guy, I don't like marketeers who exaggerate or tell stories to make themselves seem like some Gaming God. I tend to always err on the side of honesty. That way, I can sleep at night. Don't you think that I can read a wikipedia and sound like I know everything there is to know about a game? But that's not what matters - you have to know that I've logged enough hours with these games to know what game I want to build, and that it hopefully will be a game that you guys love. If it helps, I was good friends and offered lots of feedback to the guys making Rogue Squadron while I was LucasArts...

Sorry for the novelette there...onto questions:

The PC / Vita / Mac/Linux thang - I know you're going to hate this answer, but we are not leading on Vita or PC. Our engine doesn't work that way, nor is that our aim. Control scheme is completely different, so take that out of the argument. Games start with assets - art assets, sound assets, etc. Our art assets first at a high resolution so that we can shoot normal maps off of them for use with the lower polygon assets. Then we have to decide what resolution to show the texture at, depending on platform and about twenty other factors connected to memory usage. Music, the same thing - recorded at a high nitrate then down sampled depending on lots of factors. But gameplay is built the same for both platforms. Levels are the same. Triggers and state machines and AI and all the things that make it a game are all built the same, at least in our engine. Except for controls - and there's no real leading here, just compatibility and tuning. BTW, we have the opportunity to add an export module and go to PS3 or XBOX, but it isn't currently in the plans. If the kickstarter campaign goes well, that comes into consideration. And very important to understand - we are NOT leading on the iPad! We are looking at Mac/Linux, either through the use of WINE or a port, but that can only happen if we go over 100%. We're hoping, because I'm typing this on a Mac and love the platform.

There are a few interviews with me starting to pop up on the web - if you google it over the next couple days, you'll find lots of specific details about the game and gameplay.

Marketing speech is kind of addressed above, but the LucasArts stuff was to show that I'm a real person who works in the industry, cares about games enough to devote my life to building them, and has done something commercial that shipped and did well. GB sold over 1 million copies and still carries a fan base today. And even back then, we included fans of Age of Empires and other RTS' as beta testers of the final product, and I posted on forums, which at the time was not something developers like LucasArts were doing, but I thought it important to connect with the fans and supporters, as I do now.

Trash - the DLC was something we promised to Sony when we were pledging to self-publish on the Vita. I see it more as adding value and life to the game, and as a marketing tool again to help the give the game better legs. I love it in Forza 4 - it's nice to be getting more cars every few months.

I agree with Jaesun - advertising here would be counterproductive. You guys are way too savvy for that to work. I'm here because I love the feedback (even negative) and use ti to make a better game that you guys will love more.

More later.

Thanks for discussing this.

Kindest Regards,
Garry

 

[Metro]

Wow, this is a tough crowd.

Bro, you should have browsed through some of the threads here first. This is that dark sordid corner of the internet few dare to go to.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Wow, this is a tough crowd.

Bro, you should have browsed through some of the threads here first. This is that dark sordid corner of the internet few dare to go to.

That description sounds like...ewwww.

Haha - this is where I want to be, and where I'll continue to be through development, and I hope at least some of you guys will be involved in the discussions. Who else is going to set me straight if something is wrong with the game? Who else is going to force me to become addicted to Freespace so that I can wipe the egg off of my bald head?

 

[Jaesun]

I agree with Jaesun - advertising here would be counterproductive. You guys are way too savvy for that to work. I'm here because I love the feedback (even negative) and use ti to make a better game that you guys will love more.

More later.

Thanks for discussing this.

Kindest Regards,
Garry

To be honest, if you want brutal but true feedback. We won't hold back anything. You aren't going to find that anywhere else. We won't kiss your ass. You have to earn our respect.

That said, it's usually too much from some developers. As we like ro say here:

If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Good luck on your project however.

 

[Stabwound]

Except advertising here is stupid. We will see though a get rich quick game project too easily.

Failing to do your research on what the codex stands for and likes is FAIL #1.

Why, it worked perfectly well for The Banner Saga.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

The game sounds interesting, the beginning of the pitch video intrigued me. A couple of questions arose though after viewing the whole pitch video on Kickstarter:

First and foremost: After reading that the game is going to be released on the portable console Vita as well, the question to me immediately was if this title will be focusing more on being a console "arcade-ish" space shooter or in fact a "real" space combat simulation.

It will have two modes, one geared toward the hardcore player, and one for a more casual player who doesn't care about story, deep game mechanics, configuration and combat management. Both wil be made for players who like to blow things up, both in space and on the ground.

Also of interest to me would be if you already have set your minds on the flight physics that are going to be used. As in Newtonian, Newtonian "inspired", arcade or something entirely different?

I'm not a big fan of doing things that don't feel real in some sense of the word - are physics won't be quite real, but they won't be arcade-y either. Somewhere in the middle, but it will definitely feel different when you are in a planet's atmosphere, than when you are in orbit or space.

Marketing wise I have to agree with my fellow brothers: "Launch DLC", which has basically already been announced through the reward tiers, is frowned upon by some people in the gaming community who think games nowadays should not hold back content that has been developed along with the main game in exchange for additional charges on launch if you want to have the "full experience" as a customer. They feel somehow entitled to everything that has been developed, even if it was by another, separate development team. I am one of this people by the way. This behavior is the same as say you walking into a bakery and ordering a cake. When you pick it up, you are informed that you would have to pay extra for the top layer because it was baked by another baker. But hey, you don't have to buy it if you don't want to, you can eat the cake as it is - it will be delicious no matter if you decide to purchase the optional top layer or not.

Our DLC falls into the category of "nice to have and more goodies for fans of the games, but not necessary to winning the game or the storyline". I agree that DLC can be crass at commercialistic, but I think of it more like a "Special Edition" or "Deleted Scenes" - some players are completists, some only want the basic game. It accommodates those players who just can't get enough, but is not meant in any way to punish players who don't give a rat's ass beyond the core game experience. I loved the game "Pain" on PS3, but I was just fine not buying the Hasselhoff and Movie Studio add-ons. In my mind, it was probably just more of the same hamburger, but many of my friends disagreed.

And as Trash rightfully said before me: If you are into Space Fighter games you should definitely have played Freespace 2, it is considered the best of the Genre by many players. And to this day the modding community is still active. In fact, the engine is so popular that it has been chosen by many mod teams to realize their dream about a proper space fighting game in their favorite setting. There are games based on the Freespace 2 engine for Babylon 5, Wing Commander, Battlestar Galactica and many more!

[Jedi mind trick enabled] What do you mean, never played? It's one of my favorite games! Who told you I never played it??? My two kids are named Petrarch and Bosch (Bosch is the black sheep) (Gaber secretly hits button to begin downloading Freespace 2)

Kindest Regards,
Garry

 

[Jaesun]

Except advertising here is stupid. We will see though a get rich quick game project too easily.

Failing to do your research on what the codex stands for and likes is FAIL #1.

Why, it worked perfectly well for The Banner Saga.

They knew enough to say the ONE MAGIC WORD™ at the codex.

Turn-based.

 

[Trash]

Trash - the DLC was something we promised to Sony when we were pledging to self-publish on the Vita. I see it more as adding value and life to the game, and as a marketing tool again to help the give the game better legs. I love it in Forza 4 - it's nice to be getting more cars every few months.

I really dislike DLC though I see its positive side. However I specifically mentioned that it was the launch DLC which turned me off. Adding extra content at extra cost at launch does not add value or life to a game.

Do play Freespace 1 and 2 though. They really fit next to the wing commander, xwing and tie fighter space fighter games as all-time classics. Good luck with the project.