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Upcoming Star Control news

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Upcoming Star Control news

from StarControl Forums

Greetings!

Your NDA is in effect for this post as you're about to hear all our secret plans. ;)

THE BETA IS COMING THIS MONTH!

In a little over a week, all of you will start getting Steam keys for the Super Melee BETA.

NO MORE FOUNDERS

While the Founders program will continue, we will be closing the program to newcomers.  

CLASSIC SERIES ON STEAM

On October 16, we will be releasing Star Control: The Ur-Quan Masters onto Steam (the original, unaltered Star Control 1 and 2) for $3.99.  We will also be releasing Star Control: Kessari Quadrant (Star Control 3) onto Steam for $3.99 as well.

The reason we're titling it this way is to reduce the confusion regarding Star Control 3.  Long time fans already know the...issues with Star Control 3. 

For newcomers, we wanted to pave the way for The Ur-Quan Masters exists in its own universe and not be related to the events to Star Control 3.  This paves the way for Paul Reiche and Fred Ford, the creators of the Ur-Quan universe and the makers of Star Control 1 and 2 to be able to continue their story in the future either with us or on their own or as a future Toys for Bob game.

PRE-ORDERS

We will also be making Star Control: Origins available on Steam for pre-order.  However, the pre-order customers won't get the Super Melee BETA until November and will not get lifetime access to all future DLC like lifetime founders nor will they get a season's pass to DLC like regular founders nor will they have access to the vault or this forum. 

We plan to price the initial pre-order at $24.99 and slowly have it increase as the final release nears.

THE SPATHI AND THE UR-QUAN

We will definitely need an effective way to explain why Origins won't have the Star Control 2 aliens.  

I want to be very clear on this: When Stardock acquired the Star Control rights from Atari/Accolade that includes a perpetual, unlimited license to the Star Control story, lore, aliens, characters, ships, etc.  So yes, if we had wanted to, we could have had the aliens in the new Star Control game provided that we did so under the terms and conditions of the publishing agreement (which involves a royalty to Paul of course).

I've seen people suggest that we only own the name Star Control and nothing else.  This is incorrect.  We have been in frequent contact with Paul and Fred for the past 3 years and we have intentionally not touched the aliens in the hope that one day Paul and Fred would be able to continue the Ur-Quan story line either with us or on their own.

The point being, we have chosen not to use the original aliens and story out of respect to Paul and Fred, not because we didn't have the right to use them.  The previous publisher, Atari/Accolade chose to make a Star Control game (SC3) without Paul and Fred with their own version of the post-SC2 story and you know how that turned out.  We aren't willing to do that.

That said, we are evaluating having the Star Control 2 ships in Origins Super-Melee as a future DLC (we may also have GalCiv and Sins ships as well as optional DLC ships). 

We may also eventually have an HD remake of Star Control 2 done with the Origins engine.  However, that really depends on what Paul and Fred decide to do.  It may make more sense to simply point people to The Ur-Quan Masters HD.

While we have a license to use that IP as we see fit, we really prefer that the Ur-Quan story line be presented in the way that Paul and Fred prefer.  After all, the only reason we're here at all is because of them. 

Understanding what Star Control means to us

There will continue to be people that feel that a game called Star Control that doesn't have the Spathi or Orz or Ur-Quan in it isn't really Star Control.  By contrast, our view is that for most people, the name Star Control conjures a game style that harkens back to Starflight, Apple Trek, etc. Games where you are exploring the universe, meeting aliens, having battles, and building up your ship -- your ship is your character really.

These opposing viewpoints are irreconcilable.  If and When Paul and Fred return to the Ur-Quan universe, there will be those that will consider only that "real" and everything else is not. 

By contrast, our goal with Star Control: Origins is to create a game that supports not just the Scryve universe but others as well.  That's why we didn't use the Drengin or the Sins of a Solar Empire races.  We want Origins to stand on its own and be a launching point to infinite living universes for people to play in.  We don't want people to finish Origins and then wait 2, 10 or ahem, 25 years for the next chapter ever again.

We will need your help

We will need folks who believe in what we're doing here to speak up when they see people post either misinformation or try to make the "Star Control = Spathi" argument. 

We want to make a game that is a gateway for not just us to tell our stories but for everyone who has a passion for science fiction and wants to share their adventure with others.

It can certainly be argued that the easier path would have simply done a reboot with the original aliens with a new or modified story and that I made a terrible mistake not letting Stardock do just that.  But that would have been, imo, a "dick move".  Paul and Fred made it clear they didn't want that and that they hoped to return to that timeline someday.  

Paul and Fred are why I make games in the first place. So it was not a difficult choice to respect their wishes.  It may have not been a smart business move but it was the right move.

If you have any questions, please ask below.

 

16,183 views 49 replies
Reply #26 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting johnyklatchian, reply 23

Hi Brad,

 

Sorry to be a stick in the mud...

 

But, how can Fred and Paul make another SC outside of Stardock, if Stardock owns the rights?

Isn't it like you making another GalCiv with Blizzard (for example)?

 

Also, SCO is nearly ready, while they only announced their game two days ago, why would you need to coordinate release dates?

Do Fred and Paul intend to release their game in Q1/18 as well?

 

Can you please clarify?

 

Thanks!

Their game won't be called Star Control and we are waiving our claim of exclusive rights to the licensed IP for them to make this.

Neither game is coming out 1Q2018.  I suspect SCO will come out far before Ghosts.

 

Reply #27 from StarControl Forums Top

Has the Beta keys been sent out?  Just wondering as we are nearing the end of the week.  I think the original schedule said October 10th but I didn't see any emails.

thanks!

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #28 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting spinacci, reply 27

Has the Beta keys been sent out?  Just wondering as we are nearing the end of the week.  I think the original schedule said October 10th but I didn't see any emails.

thanks!

Brad stated keys should be going out on the 16th:

Quoting Frogboy, reply 31

Everyone who joined the Founder's program should start getting Steam keys around the 16th.  But you didn't hear that from me. ;)

Reply #31 from StarControl Forums Top

Brad, Paul, & Fred seem to have been in communication about Paul & Fred's game all along, they seem to at least somewhat planned this together.  I don't think Paul & Fred are being jerks here.

Top down space combat is timeless and has been a primary genre within the world of gaming almost since the dawn of time of modern games (which began Avalon Hill in the aftermath of WWII).  The computer game industry abandoned this genre early on.  Then two guys decided it would be a good, simple kind of game to test out some networking stuff in the early days of online... and were shocked when millions of people wound up playing their little experiment called "Subspace".  These types of games only don't exist because modern game makers don't like them, not because the gamers don't like them.  The gamers love this type of game, they always have and always will.  This genre, when done right, is actually a powerful form of hypnosis called "Pattern Recognition Addiction" and it is, literally, medically addicting as a matter of science.  Top down space combat is the "lost genre" of the modern game industry.

Bridge Commander...  that would be a bad idea.  They don't know how to do that, just as the people who made Bridge Commander did not know how to do that.  People like Bridge Commander because it is the closest thing to the "dream game" of every trekkie, commanding a starship from Captain Kirk's chair.  For people who like Bridge Commander the game was 100% immersion and 0% game play.  Bridge Commander is a completely worthless disaster of a game, other than for those who have a deep desire to play a game like that.  The ship is essentially an arcade game ship with no real design too it at all.  The combat is non-existant, an endless back and forth jousting match... literally nothing at all.  There is only one group of people with the knowledge of space combat to even contemplate a game like Bridge Commander.  I have a version of exactly this game that I call Mission, because I am from the only group of people who understand how to make this work, and can tell you with certainty that it would be a big mistake for anyone who doesn't understand how this type of combat works to attempt it.  They will wind up with Bridge Commander combat, an endless back and fourth jousting match.

I think the fact that Paul & Fred are making their version of "Star Control III" will only draw even more attention to Star Control Origins.  Anyone who is excited by that, will be even more excited to find out that Stardock is also doing an entire alternate timeline/universe right alongside of it.  So if you are a Star Control fan you look forward to two games instead of just one, and if you have never heard of it before... SCO will release first.  That is the first Star Control those people will know.

 

 

 

Reply #32 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Kavik_Kang, reply 31

I have a version of exactly this game that I call Mission, because I am from the only group of people who understand how to make this work, and can tell you with certainty that it would be a big mistake for anyone who doesn't understand how this type of combat works to attempt it. 

Seriously dude, your ego is just painful.

Reply #33 from StarControl Forums Top

Its not ego, its 40 years of accumulated knowledge of thousands of people.

They seem to have deleted the post I had been replying too.

Reply #34 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 16

Only the hard core fans will care and they are the ones who will understand the most.

The reason we did this was to pave the way for Paul and Fred's announcement: https://dogarandkazon.squarespace.com/

We want to make sure that people know that Star Control 3 isn't part of their canon universe.  It's less about confusing Star Control: Origins players and more about making it easier for Paul and Fred's endeavor.

 

Brad, 

I think people are right that you need to change the name - just call it something besides "Ur-quan Masters." It's confusing and people will think you're trying to walk over the free version just from the title. "The Ur-quan Saga", maybe. Or "The Ur-quan Conflict" is a nice SC1 tribute.

 

Joel

Reply #35 from StarControl Forums Top

I'll pass these ideas along.

Reply #36 from StarControl Forums Top


I want to be very clear on this: When Stardock acquired the Star Control rights from Atari/Accolade that includes a perpetual, unlimited license to the Star Control story, lore, aliens, characters, ships, etc.  So yes, if we had wanted to, we could have had the aliens in the new Star Control game provided that we did so under the terms and conditions of the publishing agreement (which involves a royalty to Paul of course).

I've seen people suggest that we only own the name Star Control and nothing else.  This is incorrect.  We have been in frequent contact with Paul and Fred for the past 3 years and we have intentionally not touched the aliens in the hope that one day Paul and Fred would be able to continue the Ur-Quan story line either with us or on their own.

 

Huh. I apparently was under the misinformation that you did not have these rights.

If you did, then I have to say...if you're in constant contact and consultation with Paul and Fred then not using the established aliens and lore is a mistake IMO.

The backstory that was established in SC1 and SC2 on which aliens humanity encountered and in what order and under what circumstances was extremely detailed and well established. It's going to take quite a lot of tapdancing to side step it.

Personally, I would have preferred that you make use of the established lore around those races while in close consultation with the founders rather than waiting for them for another decade to eventually jump back in and use it themselves. With all due respect to Paul and Fred, if they aren't willing to get involved at this point I'm kind of done waiting.


Edit: Huh. Catching up on the rest of the thread I didn't see that they've got their own game release coming.

Reply #37 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Talonious, reply 36


Quoting ,
quoting post

I want to be very clear on this: When Stardock acquired the Star Control rights from Atari/Accolade that includes a perpetual, unlimited license to the Star Control story, lore, aliens, characters, ships, etc.  So yes, if we had wanted to, we could have had the aliens in the new Star Control game provided that we did so under the terms and conditions of the publishing agreement (which involves a royalty to Paul of course).

I've seen people suggest that we only own the name Star Control and nothing else.  This is incorrect.  We have been in frequent contact with Paul and Fred for the past 3 years and we have intentionally not touched the aliens in the hope that one day Paul and Fred would be able to continue the Ur-Quan story line either with us or on their own.



 

Huh. I apparently was under the misinformation that you did not have these rights.

If you did, then I have to say...if you're in constant contact and consultation with Paul and Fred then not using the established aliens and lore is a mistake IMO.

The backstory that was established in SC1 and SC2 on which aliens humanity encountered and in what order and under what circumstances was extremely detailed and well established. It's going to take quite a lot of tapdancing to side step it.

Personally, I would have preferred that you make use of the established lore around those races while in close consultation with the founders rather than waiting for them for another decade to eventually jump back in and use it themselves. With all due respect to Paul and Fred, if they aren't willing to get involved at this point I'm kind of done waiting.


Edit: Huh. Catching up on the rest of the thread I didn't see that they've got their own game release coming.

 

The problem with using the established lore (even though SD could) is 1) it would probably damage any working relationship with FF and PR.  2) See SC3.

With FF and PR doing their own thing now, 1 is a moot point.

Reply #38 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Alverez, reply 37

The problem with using the established lore (even though SD could) is 1) it would probably damage any working relationship with FF and PR.  2) See SC3.


With FF and PR doing their own thing now, 1 is a moot point.

Yeah. I can see that it might indeed damage that relationship. But prior to seeing the FF and PR announcement that I saw for the first time just today, I was kind of the opinion that I was done waiting for them to hop back in.
 
I got the argument that you want to respect the founders' wishes and allow them to eventually craft their own thing but, well, it's been a LOOOOOOOONG wait for them to decide to actually do so and at some point you may as well move on without them.
 
I'm probably a bad person to make the argument on your second point. I'm one of those ultra rare unicorns who actually liked SC3 even if I do acknowledge the game's shortcomings.
 
Essentially: My earlier post above pre-edit was premised on the concept that, well, while having FF and PR onboard is a huge benefit if not having them was going to cause another decade long delay then I'm done waiting and ready to move on without them.
Reply #39 from StarControl Forums Top

And has been discussed, it's not viable, other than as nostalgiaware, to tie Star Control to a 25 year old story.

Reply #40 from StarControl Forums Top

Not trying to create any sort of problems, but why isn't it viable in broad strokes?

I haven't been privy to those discussions but isn't how old a story is essentially irrelevant if the story has not advanced during those 25 years? 

There was a fairly memorable intro sequence to Star Control 2 that essentially brought everyone playing it who hadn't played Star Control 1 up to speed. I don't see how old a story is to be a relevant factor on how easy or hard it is to tie a new story to the old one.

I mean, on some level this is a completely moot point as Star Control: Origins is mostly in finished form by now. But I'm not sure how utilizing the existing lore is non-viable just because the existing lore is old?

Reply #41 from StarControl Forums Top

I'd guess that Brad's reasoning is "who gives a flip about a sequel to a 25 year old game?"

The answer is #1 us (who already gave him money) and #2 nobody.

Reply #42 from StarControl Forums Top

Ahhh.

Not economically viable vs. storyline viable.

A soft reboot for a new, younger audience where most of us who have played the originals are ancient dinosaurs in video game terms.

And most younger gamers don't have the connection to the original games.

Reply #43 from StarControl Forums Top

It’s not viable because part 1 would require people to hunt down  A 25 year old game and play it.

hence, my lobbying of Paul and Fred to do that, 

When we acquired the franchise, I had two goals: reboot Star Control and get Paul and fred to return to continue their story. Both cases involved a lot of begging and pleading on my part. ;)

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Reply #44 from StarControl Forums Top

 Would have been nice if the Star Control Bundle was like the Sins Gold Bundle and reduced it's price if you already owned items from it.

Reply #45 from StarControl Forums Top

So glad you were able to get the Franchise.  Stardock is probably the only company that could pull it off.  And glad you got Paul and Fred to get back to their original story.  Thanks Brad.

Reply #46 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 43

When we acquired the franchise, I had two goals: reboot Star Control and get Paul and fred to return to continue their story. Both cases involved a lot of begging and pleading on my part. ;)

 

Only because you wanna play Ghosts just as much as the rest of us ancient SC2 fans. :P

Reply #47 from StarControl Forums Top

Frog Boy,

How open are you at this point to new ideas for aliens for Star Control Bradverse?

And by the way, I love the ship designer.  Will you be putting the ability to make objects automatically move like in Galactic Civ III?  And will there be more parts?  Also, is it  possible to have a photo mode.  And if it's also possible, can we make our own aliens?

Thanks,

Reply #48 from StarControl Forums Top

You'll be able to make your own Aliens, Ships, Planets, Universes, and Campaigns/Stories for SCO, and then upload them for others to play with etc (through Steam Workshop).  One of the reasons the game is taking a bit longer than the original plans (it was originally projected to be released next month at the 25th anniversary of SC2) is so that Stardock can iterate and perfect the designers for those aspects of gameplay.

Reply #49 from StarControl Forums Top

Quoting bleybourne, reply 48

You'll be able to make your own Aliens, Ships, Planets, Universes, and Campaigns/Stories for SCO, and then upload them for others to play with etc (through Steam Workshop).  One of the reasons the game is taking a bit longer than the original plans (it was originally projected to be released next month at the 25th anniversary of SC2) is so that Stardock can iterate and perfect the designers for those aspects of gameplay.

Awesome!  Looking forward to play this when it's out.