Game News Stargate: Timekeepers is Commandos with Jaffa

[Darth Roxor]

Tags: CreativeForge Games; Slitherine; Stargate: Timekeepers

In case you missed the news earlier this year, Slitherine announced they'd be publishing a game in the Stargate universe, namely Stargate: Timekeepers, to be developed by CreativeForge Games (Hard West, Phantom Doctrine).

Everyone who's ever watched Stargate SG-1 will tell you that the show probably comes the closest to being "X-COM: The TV Series" as you can get, so a sane man would expect a "tactical computer game" to follow the formula of the beloved classic. Well... a gameplay video was released today, as seen below.

Ein Verletzter! JAFFA KREE!​

It's anyone's guess why the video comes with no sound had to be re-released with sound the next day after putting up, but the gameplay should definitely look familiar to you. Yep, it's a Commandos clone. Not exactly what I expected, but it makes sense when you think about it. Too bad that this footage looks so lazy and uninspired.

At the moment, Stargate: Timekeepers is "coming soon," and promises 14 "narrative-rich missions" where "choices matter" (yeah right). You will control a team of 6 specialists and sneak behind enemy lines to break out... OF ZE TIMELOOP!

 

[Jaedar]

The only way you could see this is a stargate game is because of the jaffa uniforms. What is even the point of using the stargate license for this?

 

[OSK]

There's no fucking sound.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

It looks...eh. I hope there's a mission editor at the least.

Everyone who's ever watched Stargate SG-1 will tell you that the show probably comes the closest to being "X-COM: The TV Series" as you can get,

I wouldn't, because the closest it could get was UFO, which so directly inspired X-COM, that one of the regional names of the original game was UFO!

 

[Tyranicon]

In Stargate: Timekeepers choices matter - the adventure has multiple potential outcomes: using other worldly tech, travel back in time and replay the missions to shape your heroes’ destiny.

Okay, if they manage to turn time travel into an actual mechanic, then I could see this being interesting. Probably wouldn't bet on it.

I heard Forgotten City actual has good time-related stuff, I should go check that out.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

don't like commando type games anyway, they are just elaborate puzzles, and I don't really enjoy that type of game play for whatever reason.

 

[lukaszek]

don't like commando type games anyway, they are just elaborate puzzles, and I don't really enjoy that type of game play for whatever reason.

you prefer to have hit chances and reload when computer cheats you?

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

don't like commando type games anyway, they are just elaborate puzzles, and I don't really enjoy that type of game play for whatever reason.

you prefer to have hit chances and reload when computer cheats you?

prefer to have character advancement, detailed combat, equipment, exploration, etc..these games don't really have that

 

[Absinthe]

It's anyone's guess why the video comes with no sound, but the gameplay should definitely look familiar to you.

Because they haven't finished sound effects yet, and they know it would ruin the impression to include the alpha placeholder sounds.

Yep, it's a Commandos clone. Not exactly what I expected, but it makes sense when you think about it. Too bad that this footage looks so lazy and uninspired.

Eh, being a Commandos clone means I'm tentatively keeping an eye out for this game being any good.

It looks...eh. I hope there's a mission editor at the least.

If it includes a quality mission editor, especially one that comes on release (as opposed to 6-12 months later when the community is already dead and no one is left to make custom levels), it will almost certainly be a buy.

 

[jasaro96]

Actually they published another video with sound.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Actually they published another video with sound.

i'm sure it's deep commentary on the game's time travel mechanics where you go back to fix your mistakes

 

[0wca]

The only company worthy of making 'commandos-like games' is Mimimi. This just looks like a watered down version of that. And the whole SG-1 universe doesn't really jive with this kind of gameplay. Jives more with either an FPS or an action genre.

 

[Lady Error]

And the whole SG-1 universe doesn't really jive with this kind of gameplay. Jives more with either an FPS or an action genre.

An RPG where you explore different worlds as an SG team is absolutely possible - no idea why they decided to do the Jaffa instead. Meh.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Really enjoyed the Commandos series, but I always wanted the Stargate game to be an X-Com clone. Hire your troops, assemble SG teams, and send them off world for random missions. Along the way you build off-world bases, research alien tech, and tech-up into spacecraft that allow more mission options. And you need missions beyond just turn-based combat.

 

[Tarkleigh]

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

 

[J_C]

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

The visuals of the shows might have aged, but I think the concept and the lore of the sci-fi world is pretty good, one can make some interesting games with them.

 

[baud]

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

because it still got some brand recognition and since it's kinda dead, I guess it wasn't too expensive

 

[Tyranicon]

Really enjoyed the Commandos series, but I always wanted the Stargate game to be an X-Com clone. Hire your troops, assemble SG teams, and send them off world for random missions. Along the way you build off-world bases, research alien tech, and tech-up into spacecraft that allow more mission options. And you need missions beyond just turn-based combat.

Yeah, that would be the expected move. Not sure why they chose this instead.

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

It's one of those shows that you have to appreciate in the context of its period. It lacks modern audience appeal (very little sex, comparatively low budget, dated action scenes) but it has a charm and wit all of its own.

Still better than 90% of modern scifi that isn't The Expanse. At least SG1 is, the other two are meh.

 

[0wca]

And the whole SG-1 universe doesn't really jive with this kind of gameplay. Jives more with either an FPS or an action genre.

An RPG where you explore different worlds as an SG team is absolutely possible - no idea why they decided to do the Jaffa instead. Meh.

That could also work but an RPG means they would fuck it up too many ways for it to be proper.

 

[Norfleet]

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

The usual reason for making such a thing is specifically to keep the license alive. Licenses are often on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. Someone has the license, and approaching the end of this use-it-or-lose-it period, they shit out some half-assed shovelware to say "See, we used it!" and thus keep it going so it doesn't lapse into the hands of somebody who might actually do something good with it.

prefer to have character advancement, detailed combat, equipment, exploration, etc..these games don't really have that

I always wondered about that. Groups like X-Com and the like would allegedly be staffed with some of the top men that the various participating countries have. After all, the fate of the Earth is at stake here. So you'd think you'd be receiving some collection of veteran operatives. But no, instead you get a bunch of rookies barely out of basic who can't shoot, can't run, can't do anything right. You may as well literally be hiring random people off the streets. Or the Codex. All this so you can have "character advancement".

 

[Tarkleigh]

The visuals of the shows might have aged, but I think the concept and the lore of the sci-fi world is pretty good, one can make some interesting games with them.

because it still got some brand recognition and since it's kinda dead, I guess it wasn't too expensive

It's one of those shows that you have to appreciate in the context of its period. It lacks modern audience appeal (very little sex, comparatively low budget, dated action scenes) but it has a charm and wit all of its own.

Still better than 90% of modern scifi that isn't The Expanse. At least SG1 is, the other two are meh.

I am not saying the shows were bad - I watched all three and enjoyed them at the time - I just think too much time has passed for the license to make a difference when trying to sell a game. And while the license probably was not expensive, it probably also was not free and limits the creativity of the game designers a bit. Overall, this is quite a surprising decision to me.

Why would anyone even create a Stargate game in the year 2021? SGU ended 10 years ago, Atlantis and SG1 even earlier, the license is completely dead at this point. And while Stargate was cool for its time, I don't think it has aged well.

The usual reason for making such a thing is specifically to keep the license alive. Licenses are often on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. Someone has the license, and approaching the end of this use-it-or-lose-it period, they shit out some half-assed shovelware to say "See, we used it!" and thus keep it going so it doesn't lapse into the hands of somebody who might actually do something good with it.

Thanks for the explanation, this makes a lot of sense

 

[Elwro]

Weird.

Well, I was bummed when they stopped releasing Stargate novels, the ones by Sally Malcolm were quite good. This is... unexpected.

 

[negator2vc]

Why use Commando style instead of X-COM style? Why?
Especially since I think the developers are the same ones that did Hard West!

 

[lukaszek]

Why use Commando style instead of X-COM style? Why?
Especially since I think the developers are the same ones that did Hard West!

from wikipedia its daaaamn complicated

Spoiler

CreativeForge Games was founded in Warsaw on 21 November 2011 by Jakub Rozenek and Łukasz Żarnowiecki under an investment agreement with the publisher PlayWay.[1][2] The studio's debut game was Ancient Space, a real-time strategy game published by Paradox Interactive in September 2014.[1][3] PlayWay bought out Rozenek's shares in CreativeForge in December 2014.[2] A second game, the Western-themed turn-based tactics game Hard West, was crowdfunded through the website Kickstarter; the campaign ended in September 2014 with CA$94,000 out of CA$70,000 raised.[4] The game was released by Gambitious Digital Entertainment in November 2015.[5][6]

CreativeForge continued working with Gambitious (later renamed Good Shepherd Entertainment) on its Phantom Doctrine, a turn-based tactics game set in an alternate history 1983 Cold War setting that was released in August 2018.[7][8] Within three months, the game had sold 100,000 copies.[9] However, the game was met with a poor critical reception and had a low sales performance, as a result of which Żarnowiecki resigned as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company and was interim-replaced by former lead designer Kacper Szymczak in October 2018.[10][11] Szymczak subsequently resigned himself and left the company in January 2019 because he felt as though the role of CEO was more of a puppet for the company's shareholders.[3][11] Additionally, 29 of CreativeForge's previously 40 staff left the company.[3][11] In light of the announcement of these resignations, CreativeForge's share value on the NewConnect stock exchange fell by roughly 12%.[3] At the time, PlayWay owned 47.81% of these shares.[3] Piotr Karbowski assumed the role of CEO in February.[10] Some former CreativeForge employees established the studio Artificer, which was majority-acquired by Good Shepherd in April 2019.[12]

As of February 2019, CreativeForge is working on two games: Hard West 2 is in development by an external team, with CreativeForge issuing the licence and publishing the game in exchange for 50% of its sales revenue, while Aircraft Carrier Survival is being developed internally, having finished pre-production.[13]

https://www.artificer.com/
doesnt seem to list stargate. Kacper Szymczak logged in recently but didnt share anything since PA...

 

[Haba]

Why take the worst parts of an already bad thing? It is like they don't even want anyone to play this.