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Star Control: October 2015 update

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Star Control: October 2015 update

from StarControl Forums

Greetings!

Another month has come and gone and here is the monthly update -- just in a nick of time.

The Star Control team has continued to staff up as we've hired more animators and artists. 

Here are the topics to lead us into November:

Topic #1: The Founder's Program

Yes. The Founder's Program will get going within the next month or so.

If you are interested in joining, please fill out this survey: 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VCQQG7D

 

Topic #2: The Tech

The game will be using the same graphics engine as Ashes of the Singularity.  That means it'll be both state of the art but also (Because we're not having to deal with 30,000+ units at once) be able to run on relatively modest hardware (it'll still require a 64-bit OS, DirectX 11 or later but you should be able to run it fine on an Ultrabook). 

The visuals are already quite stunning. Remember,. Nitrous's claim to fame (the engine)_ is that it renders similar to how CGI in movies is done except in real-time.  You can see that already in Ashes despite it having relatively simple 3D models.  Wait till you see what we can do with the aliens. 

 

Topic #3: Lore Update

Since this is a reboot, the game will take place before the events of the original Star Control 1. Without giving too much away, something happens in 2085 leading the Humans to form Star Control to begin exploring space and making contact with alien worlds.  The story will unfold from there.

 

Topic #4: Core elements

The founders will get a lot more information on all of this but below are the essential elements in the new Star Control.

  • Super Melee.  Without spoiling it, Super Melee will take place within a solar system, not around a single planet. It will support Internet multiplayer and will likely be the first component released to Founders (2016).
  • Planet Exploration.  This part is actually pretty far along and one of the coolest looking things I've ever seen and, after you see, it, it's "duh, of course that's how it should be done".
  • Encounters.  This is the most complex part of the game (or at least expensive).  Combining Nitrous with real-time emoting (not just lip syincing) is definitely proving worth it.  For the record, I was originally against this because I thought it would be cheesy. I've now seen it in action and it's really amazing.
  • Ship Customizer.  You wlll have a flag ship which will also pick up fleets of ally ships.  However, this time around, you'll be able to visually customize the ship such that everyone's ship will look different (which should prove fun in multiplayer and when exploring the multiverses created by others).  Think GalCiv III level customization combined with Nitrous fidelity.  This part of the game is already working (though primitively).
  • Exploration.  This part is working minus non-programmer art. 
  • Music.  We scored a real win getting Riku back after 25 years to score the new Star Control music. It's part of the charm of the original series.
  • Writing.  Chris Bucholz of cracked.com is in charge of the writing.  The aliens are, well, pretty awesomely insane and ridiculous already.  There are already some catchy memes that have spread across the office.  It'll be interesting whether they spread once others are exposed to them.
We're basically moving at full force.  We are still looking to hire more engineers though. Must be willing to locate to Towson Maryland.
 
Topic #5: Road Map
 
Here's the near-term road map:
  1. Founders Program begins (4Q2015). This will be access to our vault and a private forum where we can bounce ideas off those passionate, like us, about the Star Control reboot.
  2. Founders Prototype (1Q2016): Founders under NDA will start to be able to give feedback and try out some of our tools and early prototypes of what we're working on to give feedback and suggestions.
  3. Founders Alpha (2Q2016): Founders, under NDA, start getting Alpha builds.
  4. Early Access (4Q2016).
  5. 2017: 25th anniversary of Star Control 2.

Topic #6: Bonus Topic
 
Because of the heavy emphasis on player created universes (hence all the work on tools and editors), we'll be using the term "Multiverse" a lot going forward.
 
Broadly speaking, if someone uses the tools to create a Star Trek universe that players visit in the game that is full of Klingon and Federation ships (obviously, WE won't be releasing that but the tools will let people create any universe they want with their own ships, stories, aliens, etc. of varying qualities) that universe will have an Earth also. Similarly, if someone creates a Babylon 5 universe, that one has Earth in it too.  And needless to say, I suspect many people will use the tools to recreate Star Control 2 based stories with their ships and aliens -- and Earth is in that too.
 
So we can't obviously call these mods different galaxies or different parts of the milky way galaxy. They're different dimensions.  Hence, the multiverse concept. 
 
That there are other dimensions is not news to Star Control *campers* of course.
 
Once people have completed our main story-arc, they will have endless different stories to go to without having to wait for us to create sequels.  They just pop into their ship and choose a dimension to visit.
 
Let me know what questions you have.   There's already plenty of spoilers in this post but we'll be reserving most of the details for the Founder's vault.
 
 

 

230,698 views 73 replies
Reply #51 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting cuorebrave, reply 50

Yes, it was quite good, but I think THEY actually took a page from Stardock with the whole ZOOM into wherever your mouse-pointer is. I believe that was a Stardock original with Sins of a Solar Empire...


BUT. There is literally NOWHERE I want to see a zoom function or, really, even mouse control in this game! I want to be in DIRECT CONTROL OF MY SHIP AT ALL TIMES.

I can't even get into how against click-mouse-to-tell-your-ship-where-to-go I am. I want DIRECT control of my ship. Direct. Direct!

EDIT: Mouse for menus and conversations is good. Same goes for the outfitting-your-ship screen, and I guess, building your custom vessel. And I can see some mouse input clicking on what star you want to travel to... But stop there!!

I think we're going to have that direct ship control no matter what since they decided to have a console option. For non-melee, I could foresee having both arrow-key movement as well as click-to-move. Other games have done it.

 

Click-to-move in melee? No thank you. You'll break what we like about the game.

Reply #52 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting IBNobody, reply 51

Quoting cuorebrave,
reply 50

Yes, it was quite good, but I think THEY actually took a page from Stardock with the whole ZOOM into wherever your mouse-pointer is. I believe that was a Stardock original with Sins of a Solar Empire...


BUT. There is literally NOWHERE I want to see a zoom function or, really, even mouse control in this game! I want to be in DIRECT CONTROL OF MY SHIP AT ALL TIMES.

I can't even get into how against click-mouse-to-tell-your-ship-where-to-go I am. I want DIRECT control of my ship. Direct. Direct!

EDIT: Mouse for menus and conversations is good. Same goes for the outfitting-your-ship screen, and I guess, building your custom vessel. And I can see some mouse input clicking on what star you want to travel to... But stop there!!



I think we're going to have that direct ship control no matter what since they decided to have a console option. For non-melee, I could foresee having both arrow-key movement as well as click-to-move. Other games have done it.

 

Click-to-move in melee? No thank you. You'll break what we like about the game.

Click-to-move at any point would present a large disconnect between the player and his ship, as if he's moving pieces around on a game board. This is not true to the Star Control spirit. Direct ship control is real, in-your-face, connection to the cold steel of your ship and helps you identify as the captain INSIDE the ship, as opposed to a floating embodiment high above.

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Reply #53 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting cuorebrave, reply 52


EDIT: Mouse for menus and conversations is good. Same goes for the outfitting-your-ship screen, and I guess, building your custom vessel. And I can see some mouse input clicking on what star you want to travel to... But stop there!!
 



I think we're going to have that direct ship control no matter what since they decided to have a console option. For non-melee, I could foresee having both arrow-key movement as well as click-to-move. Other games have done it.

 

Click-to-move in melee? No thank you. You'll break what we like about the game.



Click-to-move at any point would present a large disconnect between the player and his ship, as if he's moving pieces around on a game board. This is not true to the Star Control spirit. Direct ship control is real, in-your-face, connection to the cold steel of your ship and helps you identify as the captain INSIDE the ship, as opposed to a floating embodiment high above.

 

I can only concur on the direct ship control. But I would like to point out that SC II had click-to-go-there in the form of autopilot. Not in combat, of course, but it made it possible for me to actually go grab a glass of milk and pretzels while the ship was going from Earth to Alpha Cerenkov, for example.

Reply #54 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting cuorebrave, reply 52

Click-to-move at any point would present a large disconnect between the player and his ship, as if he's moving pieces around on a game board. This is not true to the Star Control spirit. Direct ship control is real, in-your-face, connection to the cold steel of your ship and helps you identify as the captain INSIDE the ship, as opposed to a floating embodiment high above.

I understand that you feel it would give the player a better connection to the ship. I would probably use that scheme on occasion. Why not support both control schemes for exploration, though? It doesn't have to be an either-or decision. Wouldn't you want to give people the best of both worlds?

Reply #55 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting IBNobody, reply 54

Quoting cuorebrave,
reply 52

Click-to-move at any point would present a large disconnect between the player and his ship, as if he's moving pieces around on a game board. This is not true to the Star Control spirit. Direct ship control is real, in-your-face, connection to the cold steel of your ship and helps you identify as the captain INSIDE the ship, as opposed to a floating embodiment high above.



I understand that you feel it would give the player a better connection to the ship. I would probably use that scheme on occasion. Why not support both control schemes for exploration, though? It doesn't have to be an either-or decision. Wouldn't you want to give people the best of both worlds?

Absolutely! If feasible, dual control schemes would be ideal. Please as many people as possible!

But for me, I just loved that personal ownership of my starship that comes with the direct control. I was piloting that ship myself! Making mistakes, even! Being able to take over hyperspace travel manually to avoid or outrun a black hole (enemy encounter) that wanted to swallow me up? Overswinging a planet and having to turn around - and then, with practice, eventually nailing it every single time? Piloting that lander like a champ? And of course the super-melee... Ah, good times.

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Reply #56 from Stardock Forums Top

Excited to see your take on planet exploration. Hope you get some smart folks to help in the Founder's Program. Can't offer enough time to be a useful member, but I'm in for early access.

+1 for involving Precursors_TiLT; He and Riku are a part of the group who did the awesome SC2 remixes.

Reply #57 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

After playing Ur-Quan Masters, twice, I feel I can give some feedback for the new Star Control game. I will preface this by saying that unlike others my favorite part was making an alliance of different civilizations to fight a great evil, not exploring the galaxy or the battles.

Regarding the old lore. I am completely fine with new alien species, I'm not even that attached to the old ones. One thing I would like is more interactions with them. In 2 you basically found them, learned of their problem and then fixed it The exception was the Zop-Fot-Pik and even then it was one extra event. For examples there could be two that are enemies and you could play mediator between them.

Speaking of Zop-Fot-Pik, in the new Star Control could we receive messages at our ship? I lost the Zop-Fot-Pik in the second game because I never got the message when I was at the starbase. And then I picked to do a tour around the sector looking for rainbow worlds, and some other stuff.

Super Melee. Will battles in single-player also take place in a solar system? And will they be 1vs1 or with multiple ships? I'd appreciate an option to speed up or slow down battles, I thought they were a little too fast.

Planet Exploration. Will there be resources gathering? I was not exactly a fan of it. I think it would be best if you scanned planets and make a note of those that should be mined. Then again considering the amount if space debris, there really isn't any good reason to mine planets. The Oort Cloud alone could probably sustain the space industry for centuries.

Ship Customizer. Will we also be able to modify fleet ships? If not their appearance at least be able to upgrade them. Maybe an experience system would also be good.

Exploration. I'd like to mention some my grievances. One, when exiting planetary orbit screen and you intersect with another ship after conversing/fighting you would be back at the planetary orbit screen, this once happened to me three times in a row, it was extremely annoying. Two, you were essentially blind and had no idea where to go, especially at the start, what I would suggest is if we have a starbase could it be upgraded with scanners and tell us if any systems had something interesting. And lets be honest most of the star systems in 2 were not worth visiting, especially since you were on a time limit, which the game didn't tell you about.

Speaking of the starbase, I'd like it if it too could be upgraded, see above for one idea, or change appearance on what species we are allied with. Or just have the ships from different species fly around it.

In 2 all research was acquired from the Melnorme trader, I think it would be better if it was spread around from different sources, allies, study of precursor artifacts, study of the wreckage of enemy ships, etc.

I think an in-game encyclopedia would be a good addition. You could learn some things from speaking with aliens, but the encyclopedia would be more detailed. Like the Codex from Mass Effect or the Civpedia from Civilizations.

Regarding mouse vs keyboard, controlling the ship directly didn't make me feel like a captain, that's mostly because I imagine the captain ordering where to go and the pilot taking us there. That said I am for both control methods being supported.

Almost done, last is a pet peeve of mine. I know a lot of science fiction writers treat sapient and sentient as having the same meaning, but they don't. Also the word race, it's an informal rank, consider using species or subspecies.

Thanks for reading.

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Reply #58 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Rhonin_the_wizard, reply 57


I think an in-game encyclopedia would be a good addition. You could learn some things from speaking with aliens, but the encyclopedia would be more detailed. Like the Codex from Mass Effect or the Civpedia from Civilizations.

Cool idea. It's like the old Star Control II manual. I read every page over and over for 10 years. It even featured the Androsynth and a whole history on them... who aren't even in the game! Sure you'd meet species in-game and speak to them... but if you wanted backstory, you had to read the manual or speak to the captain about history.

Maybe when you meet a species, it would unlock their history in your trusty Encyclopedia Astronautica. You could learn valuable, in depth information about their history, culture, fighting style, technology level, interspecies dependency and relations... This would be a great addition!

Reply #59 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting cuorebrave, reply 58


Quoting Rhonin_the_wizard,
reply 57


I think an in-game encyclopedia would be a good addition. You could learn some things from speaking with aliens, but the encyclopedia would be more detailed. Like the Codex from Mass Effect or the Civpedia from Civilizations.



Cool idea. It's like the old Star Control II manual. I read every page over and over for 10 years. It even featured the Androsynth and a whole history on them... who aren't even in the game! Sure you'd meet species in-game and speak to them... but if you wanted backstory, you had to read the manual or speak to the captain about history.

Maybe when you meet a species, it would unlock their history in your trusty Encyclopedia Astronautica. You could learn valuable, in depth information about their history, culture, fighting style, technology level, interspecies dependency and relations... This would be a great addition!

 

I played a game, a looong time ago where there was information that was only in the encyclopedia/help/whatever... it was not vital but a "nice to have". So it gave you a great incentive to go and read the lore. Don't ask me what game, though. It is buried in my memory banks. But it is associated to oooooolldddd games.  Maybe it was even the (shudder) paper manual, I can't recall.

 

I would like it if the lore was deep and detailed.  Build a universe and let us play in it. Let us get immersed :-)  And if you make mistakes in your lore, like FF & PRIII did, it will only allow us to discuss about it for eons to come :-)

Reply #60 from StarControl Forums Top

looking forward to this, received the email today and had to reactivate my account.

I'm glad there still a really active base here and with the new email gone out i can imagine it getting even busier soon.!

Reply #61 from StarControl Forums Top

If it is going to be released through Steam then I am not interested.

I have Galciv3 via Steam.

My computer crashed and now I cannot get it again through steam.

Reply #62 from StarControl Forums Top

Like the other Star Control games, it'll also be available via GOG.

Reply #63 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting Embird, reply 61

If it is going to be released through Steam then I am not interested.

I have Galciv3 via Steam.

My computer crashed and now I cannot get it again through steam.

Games are tied to your account, not hardware. You are able to install it on any computer, of course make sure said computer is capable of playing the game you want.

Reply #65 from Stardock Forums Top

GOG!!! 

Reply #66 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Embird, reply 61

If it is going to be released through Steam then I am not interested.

I have Galciv3 via Steam.

My computer crashed and now I cannot get it again through steam.

I'd suggest contacting Steam support as that should not prevent you from having the game.

 

Reply #67 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Embird, reply 61

If it is going to be released through Steam then I am not interested.

I have Galciv3 via Steam.

My computer crashed and now I cannot get it again through steam.

All you need to do is reinstall steam, log into your old account, and download the game.

the only way you can't get your game is if you log into the wrong account, which people often do while insisting they don't have an alt. If I had a nickel for every time someone 'insisted' they had only one account but then found that 'other' account afterwards, I could buy back the entire Star Control license from Activision :P

Reply #68 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Island, reply 66

I'd suggest contacting Steam support as that should not prevent you from having the game.

No point.

Steam's idea of support is "find out for yourself, from other members".

Reply #69 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Embird, reply 68


Quoting Island Dog,
reply 66

I'd suggest contacting Steam support as that should not prevent you from having the game.



No point.

Steam's idea of support is "find out for yourself, from other members".

 

1) That's not true.

2) By choosing to not ask for help from those that can help you, I get the impression that you enjoy feeling robbed, and don't want to solve the problem.

Reply #70 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting fargetv, reply 69

1) That's not true.

It is true. I have tried it.

 

Quoting fargetv, reply 69

2) By choosing to not ask for help from those that can help you, I get the impression that you enjoy feeling robbed, and don't want to solve the problem.

Then you get the wrong impression.

Reply #71 from StarControl Forums Top

Steam Support related discussions should be in another thread?   It's starting to get off topic.

Reply #72 from LittleTinyFrogs Forums Top

Just applied to join the founders program, it would be an honor to be part of it.  Im also currently a backer and tester of Starcitzen, i was part of The Dead Linger till the end and took part in the 24hour final funds raiser of planetary annihilation.

 

I hope the new starcontrol game does the series justice and rewrites the ip's history as well as rebooting it.  I really hope alot of ideas and input is being given from the original creators.  I first played when i was about 12 and used to spend many hours in my youth, then later i played the urqaun masters which is just awesome.

Reply #73 from Stardock Forums Top

There is always a great balance between holding onto the past, and reaching into the future.

I think anyone "on board this train" of the Star Control reboot should accept that there will be differences.

Differences are good, its a fresh exploration - I love it. I mean, I LOVED the original games.

But it's OK if the game makes a few tweaks here and there, to brandish a great story.

 

Question on the Ship Customizer

One element of ship design that I kind of love, is the thought of upgrades and cosmetics not necessarily matching. For example, a ship that looks like a rust bucket waste carrying vessel.... but is actually a state of the art speed machine.

Upgrades: Hate to draw a similarity to a car racing game, but what I like about games like Asphalt 8: Airborne is the upgrades to acceleration, top speed, handling, body strength, and "nitro". While those upgrades follow something you can purchase, you can acquire technology which provides even more improvements like a second tier of upgrades. I hope that the game has this element?

Boarding: I wonder whether it will be possible to introduce a kind of "mortal kombat - fatality" move. By this I mean, during the space battles when the enemy's ship is down to 10%, there should be some way or slightly more complicated attack that gives you a chance to board that ship. So rather than it exploding, not only does the enemy ship potentially survive (whatever resource that involves...) but you get a chance to steal enemy technology or secrets.

 

Question on Writing

I hope there will be opportunities for founders to have a very tiny input into some small writing somewhere (aslong as it's approved by Chris and the team)? That would be so good.

 

Thanks!

Nigel