Space Combat Game Soars to Life with Starlight Inception

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

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.

Thanks, Trash - let me see what I can do about not doing launch DLC, but changing it to something down the line. No guarantees, but I agree with you guys.

 

[Jaesun]

Rule Number 2 at the codex. Don't give them any ideas.

And glad to see you are staying around. I think a few of us had our rabies shot recently, so you should be OK. For the most part.....

 

[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.

Thanks, Trash - let me see what I can do about not doing launch DLC, but changing it to something down the line. No guarantees, but I agree with you guys.

Awesome. This is going to hurt my wallet. :D

As long as you guys (and I mean you potato john) refrain from using my wife's name and 'buttfucking' in the same post, I should be ok.

I really wouldn't have posted that if I were you.

 

[Kz3r0]

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.

In short the essential aspects of the game are tailored around Vita specifics, this is the same as saying that's there is no difference between games developed for Xbox and PC.

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.

So, why exactly are you posting here, to tell us to read other websites?

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.

Atomic Facepalm, DLC is the best thing ever, got it, ask Sony to fund the game then considering that you are acting after their directives, so much for the whole concept of crowdfunding.

I addition I will quote myself from the other thread:

Why is this project getting the cold shoulder from everyone? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/732317316/starlight-inceptiontm/
Is it cause of the Space Combat Sim genre or is it the Vita thing?

Probably the mention of Star Wars Battlegrounds scared away everyone, the fact that the basic concept resembles COD Future Modern Warfare doesn't help either, that crowd is already swimming in the games they like, with higher production values too.
Besides the presentation is just lame CGI without any clear explanation on what kind of game he want to do, I just assume that it would be a first person space shooter with RTS elements, but this is just a wild guess on my part.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Looks like I'll be playing Freespace 2 in the time-out corner tonight.

 

[EscapeHatchEntertainment]

Too many quotes here, so I'll just answer Kz3r0 - about the other websites, no, I'm glad to answer specific questions, just letting you know there are nuggets to be had out there.

As far as our relationship with Sony, you misunderstand - Sony is giving us absolutely no funding for this game. It is entirely self-funded by Escape Hatch Entertainment and what Kickstarter provides. This is a self-published game, and so we do have some leeway with things like whether launch or later DLC, but I'm not sure how much leeway, and that's why I can't commit yet.

Kindest Regards,
Garry

 

[Kz3r0]

Too many quotes here, so I'll just answer Kz3r0 - about the other websites, no, I'm glad to answer specific questions, just letting you know there are nuggets to be had out there.

As far as our relationship with Sony, you misunderstand - Sony is giving us absolutely no funding for this game. It is entirely self-funded by Escape Hatch Entertainment and what Kickstarter provides. This is a self-published game, and so we do have some leeway with things like whether launch or later DLC, but I'm not sure how much leeway, and that's why I can't commit yet.

Tell me again that you are not a marketing guy, twisting my words and practically calling me stupid implicitly, I never said that Sony is funding you, but that it should, because you are acting as they wish, and you confirmed that with this post.
You are asking players to fund your game so you will do what Sony and Microsoft will ask you to do, great, this is one of the reasons consoles are loathed around here.

 

[Kz3r0]

Will the graphics be shiny?

What are Vita graphics capabilities?

 

[hello friend]

Too many quotes here, so I'll just answer Kz3r0 - about the other websites, no, I'm glad to answer specific questions, just letting you know there are nuggets to be had out there.

As far as our relationship with Sony, you misunderstand - Sony is giving us absolutely no funding for this game. It is entirely self-funded by Escape Hatch Entertainment and what Kickstarter provides. This is a self-published game, and so we do have some leeway with things like whether launch or later DLC, but I'm not sure how much leeway, and that's why I can't commit yet.

Kindest Regards,
Garry

So... what exactly is limiting your leeway, seeing as you're self-publishing?

 

[GreyViper]

Hello Garry, its nice you trying to revive the space sim genre, but I have to say after reading your pitch I'm not interested and same goes for a lot of people.
Why you ask, well its the pitch you see.
- Dramatic and realistic storyline: Players will experience an enveloping space saga with a deep and involving story that spans the solar system.
Overused and as sad as it is you will be competing Wing Commander, FreeSpace and other space sagas with a deep and involving story that spans the solar systems. My point your timing,in that are not so good with WC4 just releasing and WC Saga before that. Besides there ARE russian made space sims that also with a deep and involving story that spans the solar systems.
Advice start small, use lots of intrigue. I mean has anyone ever though of doing space trading sim that borrows elements from crusader kings 2 for example? A space trading merchant dynasty game?

- Richly detailed: Rich detail will show from the capital ships, environments, space fighters, transports to explosions.
And again id like to point out just because its pretty it wont make a best seller. Case in point try out Space Rangers 2, its not the graphics that make it addictive, and cause people to return to play it time over time again. Its how its done and how the planet missions are well solved by just text quests, no bloom needed. Another example Star Wolves series, nothing fancy in their engine, yet it works well and has ardent following.

- Space action: Action in space and over the surface of planets and moons. Fly over a planet’s atmosphere then swoop down over surface vehicles and troops for a visceral experience both at high and low altitudes.
It all sounds nice and all, but I think its wasted on us. This is something EVE Online is aiming for and you want to have the game ready how soon? What we are interested is how the flight engine works. Since you trying out FreeSpace 2, might I suggest playing, watching videos of I-War 2 and try to understand what we want.
- Camera perspective: Switchable 1st and 3rd person cameras let the player tailor the game experience to their own liking.
No issues here.
- Lots of stuff to do: Blow up stuff with the most advanced fighters known to man, salvage destroyed vessels for cool stuff, defend your ship against incoming marauders, locate and destroy ground targets, blow up more stuff...
*sigh* What can I say, this pitch is just not working, since well most of the other games have the same thing. As to "locate and destroy ground targets, blow up more stuff...", you do know Derek Smart is looking for people to finish his Battle cruiser game. Actually why not contact Derrek Smart and work something out, he has mostly done half the work anyway, you can pitch in the parts you want and maybe even get support for this unusual move. And most cases that did have atmosphere combat were not as fun as space on due to gravity(im looking at you WC4).

So there, think what you want, but honestly don't expect to get rich fast. The thing for you going for now, is the worked Lucas pitch, good remind people why X-Wing and TIE fighter were so popular at 90s. Other then that, you really should rethink you strategy, or are you going to spend 10 years making this game?

Edit: this I have to know, have you finished Knights Of Old Republic 2 and did you love the ending?

 

[xemous]

id rather loan that give away money

 

[Quilty]

Make a space sim which takes its approach to writing and visuals from Freespace 2 and slap it onto some open-world gameplay unhampered by a linear storyline.

Don't throw money at voice actors. Don't spend it on intricate cinematics of interspecies sex. Basically forget everything you think you know about what gamerzz want.

Don't focus on other platforms. They do not offer you the freedom that PC does. Do not listen to Sony or whatever shit company you mentioned. Stop throwing the name of Lucasarts around. It doesn't mean shit. They haven't made a good game in years and have been shitting on their old games in the meantime.

Don't be afraid to copy Freespace 2 because no one's done it well yet. A good copy is better than a fucking turd, and that's just true.

If you don't do the above and try to make a game that pleases everyone or covers multiple platfroms or panders to the casual market in any way, you will definitely fail.

Oh and

Kindest regards,

Quinns

 

[Spectacle]

the thing that pisses me off is they're not asking for free loans, but free money instead with no shame at all. how about you offer to pay me back my money after the games released, asshole? and how about you guarantee that by putting up the family farm as collateral.

Um no, that's not how kickstarter works. He's offering a product for sale at a low pre-order price, with the caveat that the product will only be made if there are enough pre-orders. The price is low because there is always a risk that the product won't fully deliver on all that is promised.

 

[Marobug]

The difference is that when pre-orders are available you usually have something to see, screenshots, videos whatever, there's a game already. With kickstarter you are pre ordering an idea at most, with no guarantees whatsoever you'll ever see the game you pre-ordered.
What disgusts me is seeing everyone jump in the kickstarter bandwagon because that's where the money is. And it's damn easy too. They get the funding, plus 100% of the profits when it's released.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

And it's damn easy too.

All it needs is a few failures like Takedown's imminent transformation into cover based shooter with non-regenerating health to add some healthy skepticism
successes are required of course so those can be pointed to as a further example of how you need to use your brian and not go 'OOOH, UNDERDOG DEVELOPER I'LL FUND THE SHIT OUT OF YA HIHIHIHIHIHIHI'

and anyone who backs that JRPG deluxe thing deserves to lose their money.

 

[Jaesun]

what's the JRPG deluxe thing?

 

[sgc_meltdown]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1272149684/class-of-heroes-2-deluxe-for-the-psp-system
http://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.ph...r-yet-psp-jrpg-by-victor-ireland.70750/unread

It's not for the game but the physical deluxe version of the game.
20 dollars gets you a printed thank you, downloadable soundtrack+poster. Game only at 59 dollars.

 

[Jaesun]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1272149684/class-of-heroes-2-deluxe-for-the-psp-system
http://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.ph...r-yet-psp-jrpg-by-victor-ireland.70750/unread

It's not for the game but the physical deluxe version of the game.
20 dollars gets you a printed thank you, downloadable soundtrack+poster. Game only at 59 dollars.

lol Thanks.

 

[DraQ]

EscapeHatchEntertainment

The problem with your project here is that I'm rather uninterested.

Cinematic, extremely linear experience is the dominant fad now and it sucks.

Another thing is that I think that spasims died for a reason and I'm pretty sure the reason was trying to appeal to the people who play other kinds of action games, except instead of running around gritty environments and brutally slaughtering people with *BUDABUDA* machineguns they offered flying around in impersonal space fighters against impersonal colourful backgrounds made from heavily photoshopped Hubble shots and blowing up other impersonal ships with *pewpew* lasers.

In other words spasims tried to be action games, only unexciting, while leaving proper simulation elements and stuff that actually made the stand out behind.



Now, I'll tell you what kind of spacesim I would really like seeing:

Detailed physical engine, say, Orbiter's. It wouldn't have to be as pedantically realistic, after all it would be a game where you shoot stuff in space, but the engine like that would work well for the purpose of the game I'd want to see.

Full Newtonian mechanics, no ifs, no buts. It could be alleviated by all kinds of toggleable helpers, autopilots and such, but it should be rigorously Newtonian.

Full scale planetary systems, adjustable time compression to make it workable.

Working gravity and orbital motion.

Seamless atmospheric entry and planetary landings.

Sandbox gameplay.

Modular ships with a lot of customizability, ideally with ability to create new designs from scratch and with actual physical layout affecting how the ship would handle based on physical engine. Same modular system could be used to help handle damage model.

Well simulated living universe, with many different career opportunities.

Ever played Frontier: Elite 2? It had many features I would like to see and it was released in 1993. It was also a bestseller, but for some reason wasn't cloned or expanded upon.

P.S. Since the things that needed to be facepalmed at were covered by the others I will not go there.

 

[Jashiin]

And frontier did all that in 1993 on ONE 3.5 inch disk on the amiga 500. Would love to know what their budget was.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

Space combat games are an area in which I'm easily pleased, I find myself loving everything from Rogue Squadron to Freespace to Frontier. Given that, if you can pull through on half of what you promise, I reckon I'll be a happy customer. Good luck with the project.

 

[Renegen]

Hey Draqs, the game Terminus has full Newtonian physics. It's interesting... but it also kind of sucks when it comes to the combat. The game itself is great though. I like the theory that space sims died trying to compete against more visceral FPS. I would prefer for that reason any future space sims to be more like Freelancer, they should be less linear and have heavy RPG elements.

 

[Destroid]

Why did you decide to develop for the Vita, as opposed to tablets?

 

[BLOBERT]

POPAMOLE SHIT

BRO I WANT RELATIVISTIC PHYSICS FORGET YOUR SEVENTEENTH CENTURY DUMBED DOWN SHIT

 

[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.

How would devs find out about that?

Fargo tweeted a shoutout to the Codex for the $10K. Shit like that gets around.