TorchShips - Real 3-D Space Combat

[Trash]

Or, this is one for DraQ. Or actually anyone who grew up on and loved games like Frontier, Homeworld and Rules of Engagement 2. Why? Well...

This isn't your grandpa's space fighter. You're not looking out a grimy cockpit window using a joystick to kill an enemy a kilometer away who flies like they're an airplane in an atmosphere.
You are the captain of a TorchShip - powered by a Gaseous core fission / nuclear thermal reaction drive and armed with nuclear missiles, laser cannons, and a kinetic lance. You will maneuver in 3-D space in a crowded gravity well and engage hostiles at ranges of up to 20,000 kilometers.

• 3-D combat & UI - space is not flat, and neither is TorchShips.
• Newtonian physics - your ship maneuvers in 3-D space using a reaction drive.
• Damage & Systems control - detailed damage model and systems control - you'll have to manage heat build up, fuel, and reaction mass levels.
• Weapons include your own reaction drive, kinetic lance, missiles/mines, and laser cannons.
• Procedurally generated single and multi-player campaigns against human and non-human opponents.
• Fast set up skirmish modes.
• Crew development
• Customize your ship, name and weapon/system load-out.
• FTL is used to link scenarios and battles. (yes... we know Faster Than Light travel is handwavium - but it allows us to add many more masspoint systems and environments to the combat scenarios without bogging down in multi-year transit times...)
• A rich background with hundreds of human cultures and dozens of alien races.

Check it out.

 

[MetalCraze]

I was interested until I saw the kickstarter link and realized that the game does not exist.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Sounds like something I want to play... unfortunately they won't make it.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

That's fucking sad. Too bad I don't have any moneys. Could you put it as a news on Tacticular Cancer?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Another fucking Kickstarter. And what are they gonna make with $40k? Don't be ridiculous. We need a real space sim and/or Homeworld clone with a real budget and real publisher backing. I'm getting a bit sick of these Kick "bread crumbs" Starter projects. Half of them are probably never gonna be finished anyway.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

TC is Trash's bailiwick.

 

[Kz3r0]

Another fucking Kickstarter. And what are they gonna make with $40k? Don't be ridiculous. We need a real space sim and/or Homeworld clone with a real budget and real publisher backing.

While you wait for that here some game that you can play with your high standards:

 

[potatojohn]

Idea seems great, but the camera is bad. IMHO it should be from the bridge of the ship and this overview camera could be like I-War's weapon station.

Even better would be if you could walk around your spaceship (the bridge at least) and interact with the crew like in Silent Hunter.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Another fucking Kickstarter. And what are they gonna make with $40k? Don't be ridiculous. We need a real space sim and/or Homeworld clone with a real budget and real publisher backing. I'm getting a bit sick of these Kick "bread crumbs" Starter projects. Half of them are probably never gonna be finished anyway.

You won't get a *real* space sim from a "real publisher" and it won't sell enough to warrant a "real budget".

As for why such a sum:

Why Kickstarter

We're using Kickstarter to fund the following items

Server and hosting fees for multi-player portion of the game during the beta test and initial launch
Unity Pro & Team License
Professional 3-D art & models
Additional sounds and music created for the game
Development of additional levels, systems, and features.
Polish, fine-tuning, and game-play balance.

 

[DraQ]

Idea seems great, but the camera is bad. IMHO it should be from the bridge of the ship and this overview camera could be like I-War's weapon station.

Even better would be if you could walk around your spaceship (the bridge at least) and interact with the crew like in Silent Hunter.

Agreed, but mind the limitations.

I think that instead of TPP and exaggerated sizes in crisp 3D the game should use freely rotable, non-realistic 3D orbital *diagrams* and FPP views from various cams, maybe with some overlaid distorting filter, especially if it's zoomed in view from your ship's telescope and the target is good part of an AU away. Would help the feeling of authenticity and you won't grab shinybloomtards with such project anyway. Might be good to add some different filters as well, for example IR view.

Also, modular ships.


Seriously considering pitching in, BTW.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Agreed, but mind the limitations.

I think that instead of TPP and exaggerated sizes in crisp 3D the game should use freely rotable, non-realistic 3D orbital *diagrams* and FPP views from various cams, maybe with some overlaid distorting filter, especially if it's zoomed in view from your ship's telescope and the target is good part of an AU away. Would help the feeling of authenticity and you won't grab shinybloomtards with such project anyway. Might be good to add some different filters as well, for example IR view..

A simple system map with in-scale planets and space and ships and asteroids being simply marked as differently coloured dots would do for me.

Seriously considering pitching in, BTW.

And most importantly if you know any realismfags and places for realism fags do let them know about that game.

 

[DraQ]

Agreed, but mind the limitations.

I think that instead of TPP and exaggerated sizes in crisp 3D the game should use freely rotable, non-realistic 3D orbital *diagrams* and FPP views from various cams, maybe with some overlaid distorting filter, especially if it's zoomed in view from your ship's telescope and the target is good part of an AU away. Would help the feeling of authenticity and you won't grab shinybloomtards with such project anyway. Might be good to add some different filters as well, for example IR view..

A simple system map with in-scale planets and space and ships and asteroids being simply marked as differently coloured dots would do for me.

Thinking the same thing except maybe with labels and icons to help show what is what, perhaps showing the models when zoomed in far enough, like system map in Frontier: Elite 2.

FPP telescope view would be neat for immersionfag reasons and to help provide limited information to the player.

Seriously considering pitching in, BTW.

And most importantly if you know any realismfags and places for realism fags do let them know about that game.

Already posted the news on official Frontier forums.

Anyone with an account on spacesim central should post there as well.

 

[Suchy]

Procedurally generated single and multi-player campaigns

This is where I lost interest.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

I was interested until I saw the kickstarter link and realized that the game does not exist.

It exists. They have a gameplay video on Jewtube. They need money to make a polished version of it, buy artwork and extensively test multiplayer.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Procedurally generated single and multi-player campaigns

This is where I lost interest.

If they have scripted campaign with story line I would buy it.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

So, you're basically not interested in a realistic space combat game?