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