Star Control: Origins - Star Control reboot from Stardock

[Dr Tomo]

https://www.stardock.com/games/starcontrol/




https://af.gog.com/game/star_control_origins?as=1649904300

Spoiler

Stardock's Derek Paxton on Resurrecting a Classic Franchise: Star Control

Recently, renowned independent strategy game maker Stardock acquired the rights to Star Control. We caught up with Stardock's Vice President Derek Paxton to talk about the acquisition and where Stardock thinks the revival should be headed.

RTSGuru: Why was the old 1992, sci-game Star Control 2 such a success?
Derek: They struck the perfect balance between involving the player in a linear storyline and allowing them to roam in a huge, interesting universe. The game is still fun to play today and the player is always tempted with the promise of something new and strange (sometimes very strange) that is ready to be found.

RTSGuru: If you could describe Star Control 2 in a sentence, how would you describe it?
Derek: Captain a space ship, discover worlds, fight battles against a wide variety of ships and meet the even weirder assortment of alien species that crew them.

RTSGuru: The Ur-Quan Masters was an open source version of Star Control 2 which came about around 10 ten years ago and has continued to have a cult following. Do you feel you can cater to the UQM crowds and original fans?
Derek: Yes, I am a huge UQM fan myself. It really speaks well of the game’s elegant design that it continues to be fun and playable to this day. If you are reading this and haven’t played the UQM yet go to http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ and check it out. It will remind you that great graphics and cutting edge technology aren’t required to make a game great.

RTSGuru: Do you intend to bring Paul Reiche and Fred Ford into the development process?
Derek: We have exchanged emails with them; we would love to have them involved.

RTSGuru: You’ve mentioned an Xcom style reboot. Do you mean “Reboot” as in a revitlisation of an old classic or do you intend to go a 4X turn based style direction?
Derek: We don’t want to make a 4x version of Star Control. It’s important to us that we make the best version of what Star Control already is, not use the name to make a different kind of game. When they made XCom they understood what made the original great and provided a modern version of that; that’s what we want to do for Star Control.

RTSGuru: For most players Star Control 2 was a fantastic mix of RPG and RTS with the story being one of the main appeals. Will you set the reboot after or before the storyline?
Derek: It’s too early to tell, but the story will be a major focus of the game so I want to make sure the writers have as much flexibility as they need to make it great (I don’t want to start promising one way or the other and lock them into a decision).












RTSGuru: Will the game be moddable?
Derek: It’s too early to tell. Stardock games are typically moddable.

RTSGuru: How do you intend to approach the game with DRM?
Derek: We haven’t made any specific decisions about DRM yet. But Stardock doesn’t believe it is worth causing legitimate customers to *frumple* just to implement systems to stop pirates.

RTSGuru: The original game had a head to head combat multiplayer. Do you intend to tie a multiplayer mode into the reboot, and if so how?
Derek: The project is just in the concept stage right now, so it’s too early to tell. That said, and with the HUGE disclaimer that we aren’t promising any final features for a game that doesn’t even have a line of code written for it yet, I personally think Star Control needs some combat multiplayer and I can think of lots of fun things we can do to make that system even better than they could offer in the original.

Original link

Not much info about the project, but I am curious to know what everyone thinks about this and it is reassuring that Stardock is managing this game. Last Stardock title I owned that I can recall is Demigod and it was good until I learned how broken things become when you allow outside items to be used in a match. So not sure if they have been in a consistent nose dive with the titles they have been releasing since then.

 

[Infinitron]

We don’t want to make a 4x version of Star Control.

Move to General Gaming until it's actually confirmed this is a strategy game. Star Control 2 was not a strategy title.

 

[Absalom]

I was about to say the same. While we're here tho

They struck the perfect balance between involving the player in a linear storyline

No, not really. A truly linear game would never allow people to completely skip the first skip aka people (crazy people) playing the whole game without visiting the space station once.

that system [the super melee combat] even better than they could offer in the original.

No, sometimes you really can't make a better mousetrap. BTW I'm pretty sure the alleged Star Control 3 tried that.

blah blah blah NUX-Com

Yes, let's take another seminal video games experience and turn it into something bland and mediocre.

He did say some things I liked but quoting that won't earn me KKK so... Maybe it'll be good?

 

[Metro]

Anyone really care about something Wardell will have his hands on? There will probably be three iterations of it each requiring separate purchases and half a dozen DLC.

 

[Dr Tomo]

We don’t want to make a 4x version of Star Control.

Move to General Gaming until it's actually confirmed this is a strategy game. Star Control 2 was not a strategy title.

Thanks, I derped badly on this one lolz, not sure why I was thinking of x4 game and will edit that my apologies.

Anyone really care about something Wardell will have his hands on? There will probably be three iterations of it each requiring separate purchases and half a dozen DLC.

Well I heard he had a hand in Fallen Enchantress and there was a scandal of supposed sabotage and I know some people lamented that Stardock picking this game up and possibly ruining it. Will post more info later when they decide to disclose what there plans are in the future.

 

[Zed]

Every iteration of Elemental pissed me off and I made the mistake of pre-ordering some deluxe physical box. And to top it off, they sent me two fucking copies (I didn't pay for the second one -- no way in hell I'm shipping shit back transatlantic when it's their fault). So I have two unopened boxes (a digital copy was included too) of that shitty game sitting in my shelf reminding me all the time what a huge let-down that game was.

Other than that I've only played the Political Machine 2012. It was fun for two games or something.

... I don't have very high hopes.

 

[Name]

According to the interviewer, Star Control 2 is RTS now?
And it's a linear story now? I didn't remember there is any linear questline. It's more like New Vegas recruit-an-army style quests.

Anyway I always got the impression that Stardock writing crew is bad. Can they do humour?

 

[Dr Tomo]

According to the interviewer, Star Control 2 is RTS now?
And it's a linear story now? I didn't remember there is any linear questline. It's more like New Vegas recruit-an-army style quests.

Anyway I always got the impression that Stardock writing crew is bad. Can they do humour?

Not it has not been stated to be released as strategy title only, but it will probably be linear since story is going to be heavily focused. But he is very interested in being faithful to the title and adding combat multiplayer and other systems that will make their version better than the original.

 

[Ulminati]

I bought into their crap with GalCiv and Elemental. Never again.

 

[Overboard]

Gods below, I am Star Control, of the most ancient and sacred Robertii, of whose bones the golden age of gaming are built. I summon you to listen. Curse this developer! Send it bitterness and despair for all of its life. Let it taste nothing but delays and budgetary overruns. Gods of the Gaming World, all that I have left I give to you in sacrifice if you will make it so.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

I want a good Star Control game. I don't think that anyone besides FF and PR3 can deliver such thing. And who the fuck is RTSGuru to call SC2 RTS??? There was nothing RTSy in that game whatsoever.

 

[Trash]

A company known for making soulless spreadsheet games, run by a guy with no sense of decorum or humor is resurrecting one of the most funny games ever made. This is going to end well.

 

[Name]

A company known for making soulless spreadsheet games, run by a guy with no sense of decorum or humor is resurrecting one of the most funny games ever made. This is going to end well.

Wow, it's already hilarious.

 

[Absalom]

A company known for making soulless spreadsheet games, run by a guy with no sense of decorum or humor is resurrecting one of the most funny games ever made. This is going to end well.

No sense of humour? He said *frumple* in the interview! That's humour, right?

 

[DeepOcean]

Do Stardork contracted anyone with talent to manage their games? Because there is no way I'm going to waste my time with any game where Wardell is the lead designer, Stardork only knows how to do shovelware for windows and their games show it.

 

[Great Deceiver]

Wow, Kael is already vice president of Stardock? Talk about a fast rise.

 

[DeepOcean]

Wow, Kael is already vice president of Stardock? Talk about a fast rise.

Not sure if incline.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

No, not really. A truly linear game would never allow people to completely skip the first [part] aka people (crazy people) playing the whole game without visiting the space station once.

I'm gonna go as far as to say that it's impossible.

Consider the circumstances. Skipping entirely on the starbase means that the ship can never be upgraded, which means the flagship is stuck with 60 Units of fuel. What's worse is that it starts with only 10 Units of fuel left, which severly limits the options of where the flagship can go. If it wants to get anywhere, its first stop must be a world with biologicals, as the only other method to get fuel is with Infinitron's chums, who will automatically seek out the flagship once its out of fuel. A handful of worlds in the Centauri system have biologicals, so that's the first and only stop for the flagship.

Let's assume that enough biologicals can be found to refuel the flagship ONCE. The player will have to spend the rest of the game leapfrogging from system with biologicals to system with biologicals, and endeavour to visit as many Rainbow Worlds as possible, for the sole purpose to make sure he can refuel when the Melnorme make a house call. With this gimped gameplay, the player will then have to visit the Pkunk, the Thraddash, the Druuge, the Utwig, the Syreen, the Mycon, the Chmmr, the Umgah, the Arilou, the Umgah again and then finally fly towards the Sa-Matra, all without getting torn apart by Slylandro Probes which CANNOT be stopped now if I'm not mistaken, and having to rely solely on handouts of ships from friendly races to stock up your fleet, and then fight the Sa-Matra without the option of warping out of the battle. Oh, and no new crew members for any ship at any time.

False non-linearism is still linearism, although in this case there is wriggle room to give a very convincing illusion.

 

[Absalom]

I'm gonna go as far as to say that it's impossible.

Consider the circumstances. Skipping entirely on the starbase means that the ship can never be upgraded, which means the flagship is stuck with 60 Units of fuel. What's worse is that it starts with only 10 Units of fuel left, which severly limits the options of where the flagship can go. If it wants to get anywhere, its first stop must be a world with biologicals, as the only other method to get fuel is with Infinitron's chums, who will automatically seek out the flagship once its out of fuel. A handful of worlds in the Centauri system have biologicals, so that's the first and only stop for the flagship.

Let's assume that enough biologicals can be found to refuel the flagship ONCE. The player will have to spend the rest of the game leapfrogging from system with biologicals to system with biologicals, and endeavour to visit as many Rainbow Worlds as possible, for the sole purpose to make sure he can refuel when the Melnorme make a house call. With this gimped gameplay, the player will then have to visit the Pkunk, the Thraddash, the Druuge, the Utwig, the Syreen, the Mycon, the Chmmr, the Umgah, the Arilou, the Umgah again and then finally fly towards the Sa-Matra, all without getting torn apart by Slylandro Probes which CANNOT be stopped now if I'm not mistaken, and having to rely solely on handouts of ships from friendly races to stock up your fleet, and then fight the Sa-Matra without the option of warping out of the battle. Oh, and no new crew members for any ship at any time.

False non-linearism is still linearism, although in this case there is wriggle room to give a very convincing illusion.

Really? Because people have already done it. The biggest problem actually was when the you activated the Chenjesu and it automatically takes you to the starbase the game would crash. UQM has fixed this so now people can finish their no-starbase runs.

Seriously, they're crazy people.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

People finish Dark Souls with nothing but Deprived gear, so finishing SC2 without starbase shouldn't surprise you.

 

[Average Manatee]

Dark souls is pretty easy. People beating it with any number of restrictions doesn't surprise me.

If you want to be surprised, consider that people have ironmanned IWBTG.


OT: All signs points to shit.

 

[Volrath]

The decline just won't stop

 

[Zarniwoop]

According to the interviewer, Star Control 2 is RTS now?
And it's a linear story now? I didn't remember there is any linear questline. It's more like New Vegas recruit-an-army style quests.

Anyway I always got the impression that Stardock writing crew is bad. Can they do humour?

It's probably the least linear game of its time. This bullshit is just prepwork for when they release "Teh Real SC3" as a linear cinematic VISCERUL MAJESTIC corridor mole popping experience.

I want a good Star Control game. I don't think that anyone besides FF and PR3 can deliver such thing. And who the fuck is RTSGuru to call SC2 RTS??? There was nothing RTSy in that game whatsoever.

There was also nothing linear about it. Agree about Ford and Reiche. Without them it's just not Star Control. Imagine more dumb attempts at races like the Daktakshitpacks or those stereotypically German pterodactyls, now combined with the tedium of Galciv.

 

[Infinitron]

I think that for a strategy game developer, pretty much any storyline with a beginning, a middle and an end seems "linear". Wouldn't put too much stock in the use of that word.

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

I now pronounce this attempt at SC resurrection shit until proven otherwise.

Dr Tomo, please don't use that shade of red when quoting. It hurts my eyes.