KickStarter Satellite Reign - Syndicate Wars spiritual successor from original devs

[Ulminati]

Sadly the devs had to cut some features, probably because of lack of funds. Some took that as dumbing down the game, despites the fact that for 1 million dollar it's looking to be a pretty good crpg.

That line has been thrown around a lot and it really annoys me. It looks like it is going to be a pretty good RPG. Period. The moment you append "for X dollars", it sounds like you're trying to excuse a sub-par product. Let it stand or fall on its own merits, not on the amount of money poured into it. The whole idea that pouring more money into a game will automatically make the end result better is what gave us the current AAA mainstream gruel.

 

[J_C]

I know that money is just an excuse, but it is a good excuse. And don't worry, if the game fails, I won't make an excuse for that, lack of funding or not. But there is a connection between money, and how big or feature rich a game is. Of course there are people who say that we should look at Expeditions: Conquistador, it was made from 70K (it was made from more, but they gathered 70K from kickstarter, nomatter). But there are several factors which should be taken into consideration. We don't know if Logic Artist got money from elsewhere. We don'T know if the devs worked on it fulltime, or they had other jobs from which they made ends meet? If we hold up these projects as examples, we can ask that why did Obsidian or Inxile need millions to make a good RPG, if it is possible from less?

 

[Space Satan]

The whole idea that pouring more money into a game will automatically make the end result better is what gave us the current AAA mainstream gruel.

Duke Nukem Forever and Syndicate are a great examples of fucked up pricey garbage. Dragon Age is expected to carry on this great and venerable tradition.

Of course there are people who say that we should look at Expeditions: Conquistador, it was made from 70K (it was made from more, but they gathered 70K from kickstarter, nomatter).

By the way - I couldn't fing any mention about how many units E:C sold. Did they make a decent profit or sales were rather low?

 

[Infinitron]

By the way - I couldn't fing any mention about how many units E:C sold. Did they make a decent profit or sales were rather low?

Avonaeon What can you share with us?

That line has been thrown around a lot and it really annoys me. It looks like it is going to be a pretty good RPG. Period. The moment you append "for X dollars", it sounds like you're trying to excuse a sub-par product. Let it stand or fall on its own merits, not on the amount of money poured into it. The whole idea that pouring more money into a game will automatically make the end result better is what gave us the current AAA mainstream gruel.

That's true up to a point. The Shadowrun guys ran out of money and therefore had to finish development earlier than they might have wanted to.

 

[Sensuki]

Fuck yeah loved Syndicate / Syndicate Wars

 

[Space Satan]

Or Jagged Alliance, or X-Com. Works for me.

 

[J_C]

PMed them, their reply:

I'd say our game is more real time tactical akin to commandos, though faster paced.
There will be some sort of implementation of fog of war and line of sight.
Map size is kind of irrelevant seeing as though we have one open city.
We do have plans for an inventory for each of your agents where you can equip weapons, powerups and augmentations.
Our current plans include us having an ammunition system for the game.

Sounds like a clickfest.

game like Commandos.....clickfest
Oh you...

 

[Infinitron]

PMed them, their reply:

I'd say our game is more real time tactical akin to commandos, though faster paced.
There will be some sort of implementation of fog of war and line of sight.
Map size is kind of irrelevant seeing as though we have one open city.
We do have plans for an inventory for each of your agents where you can equip weapons, powerups and augmentations.
Our current plans include us having an ammunition system for the game.

Sounds like a clickfest.

Sounds like Syndicate.

 

[Space Satan]

Or Jagged Alliance, or X-Com. Works for me.

explain? those are turn based.

original Syndicate was real-time, without equipment, apart from weapons, without fog of war, ammunitin and other stuff. It may not reach strategy heights of turn-based combat but Syndicate were good as it is - real time. If they wish to expand shallow initial mechanics with more tactical elements - I'm all or that.

 

[Destroid]

It's already taken. So, is it going to be Notch, Dengler or that guy from Razer?

It was Dengler.




Syndicate was always an action game at it's core, don't let the RTS label confuse you (and really, it has little in common with RTS genre standards).

 

[AstroZombie]

Syndicate was Cannon Fodder with a cool management layer on top.

 

[Haba]

Nope. Cannon Fodder is a puzzle game. In Syndicate the problems are solved with more meat. And bigger explosives.

 

[spectre]

Haba pls... commandos is a puzzle game. Cannon fodder is as arcady as it gets.

 

[Space Satan]

Syndicate was puzze game early on, when your agents could not take shitload of damage and saw enemies with minigun fire. You had to place explosives, ambush and snipe. Later,
1 .Engage Speed buff
2. Engage AI buff
3. Engage Regen buff
4. Click on objective\enemy cluster
5. PROFIT!!!

 

[bonescraper]

Seems like incline all over. And it's actually doing pretty good. Didn't know there were that many Syndicate fans out there. One would guess Jagged Alliance was more popular for example. Not like the games are similar. Just an observation, since the JA:F kickstarter barely made it. Anyway, i'm definitely backing this thing once my bank account sees some money again. Syndicate was my favorite game in my Amiga days (when i was about 11).

 

[AstroZombie]

Almost 40% funded now, I hope that the next update will include more details about the gameplay.

 

[Space Satan]

When it comes to "living city" where you have to act, the closest thing that comes to my mind is X-Com: Apocalypse. Which is not a good sign.

 

[Haba]

Haba pls... commandos is a puzzle game. Cannon fodder is as arcady as it gets.

Nope. Later levels were clearly designed as puzzles with a specific solution. Sometimes one could brute force alternative solution with fast reflexes, but most of the time you couldn't. There was even an article written by the level designer, detailing the logic in each level.

To some degree Syndicate was similar, but I don't think it went as far with all the pressure plates and whatnot...

 

[Branm]

In regards to the open city:

"@Crosmando We are coming up with new improved weaponry, names still to be decided.. City Simulation, let me give you an example from some of the stuff we have working in our graybox levels now. We have power nodes and power conduits, cut or damage the power line or power node and the item being powered (shield, turret,spot light,...) shuts down. We have Automatic repair drones that fly to items that are broken (such as a destroyed power node) and proceed to repair them. These drones themselves have limited power charges and will return to their station to recharge. Our goal is to interconnect as many things as possible to bring the city to life, maybe play startopia for an example where we tried hard to simulate a space station, cleaning robots, rats, cargo bays, bio deck, ... But anyway, this was just a quick post, more information will be in one of the future video updates that's coming soon. .MikeD"

 

[Branm]

New update with a dev chat up.

"In this video, Dean, Mitch, Chris and Mike discuss some of the questions we've seen raised, such as "Good vs Evil," character classes, and more on the city simulation."

 

[Whisky]

When it comes to "living city" where you have to act, the closest thing that comes to my mind is X-Com: Apocalypse. Which is not a good sign.

The ideas behind X-Com: Apocalypse weren't bad though, it's just that they really weren't done well at all. It had so many businesses and factions, yet most of them do nothing special, city infrastructure mattered very little when you had transport jets to fly you into places, etc. I don't think it makes what they're planning have any less potential.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

When it comes to "living city" where you have to act, the closest thing that comes to my mind is X-Com: Apocalypse. Which is not a good sign.

X-Com: Apocalypse was unfinished and had a lot of stuff cut out.

Though I'd love to play a game in that style but with better mechanics and more thought out.

 

[AstroZombie]

And the hybrid turn-based/real-time combat was an abomination.

 

[Destroid]

Branm must have been a pretty big internet outcry about the 'freedom fighter' thing.

 

[Branm]

Branm must have been a pretty big internet outcry about the 'freedom fighter' thing.

Yup.

I blame peoples reading comprehension as they do state in their main pitch that you can be however evil you want.

The time for change is now, as a mysterious organisation rises from the slums of the city. They'll have to bribe, steal, hack and augment their way through the barriers between them and their ultimate goal...but what are they trying to achieve? To free the masses from the corporate stranglehold, or to take control for themselves? That, is up to you."