🚀 go-pugleaf

On 9/11/2012 9:11 AM, Ross Ridge wrote:
> noman  <no_m_an@zzzyahoo.yycom> wrote:
>> With the power of today’s computers and the reach of the internet I
>> finally feel I have the tools to build the connected experience that I
>> always dreamed of. A world that would be more satisfying and richer than
>> any film I could work on.
> 
> This part doesn't sound promising.  Sounds overly ambitious and aside
> from added layers of chrome in the graphics, I'm not really sure how
> technology has changed much in the last ten years to enable him to make
> a game he couldn't make before.
> 
> Hmm... I guess motion controls are new, but hopefully that's not what
> he's thinking of.
> 

He has always sounded overly ambitious. The first time I got to know
about Wing Commander was an article in Compute! more than twenty years
ago, where he claimed how WC would have this revolutionary tech of
bit-mapped space ships enabling a fast and fluid combat model, all in
256 color VGA. The game when it came out, didn't disappoint.

For this unannounced game, I'd put the emphasis on the "connected
experience" he mentioned. It could be seamless transitions from space to
planetary atmosphere and then FPS type controls on the ground, or big
persistent campaigns which have both strategic and flight-combat
portions, with very large scale battles. He could also mean non-FMV
cut-scenes that flow seamlessly into and out of action sequences. And I
am sure (though I hope I am proven wrong) that there will be a big
online component.

The better CPU/GPU tech of today surely helps with these types of
ambitions, but I think the presence of very mature development tools
(Unreal Engine and likes, PhysX, Havok, online systems like Steamworks
etc) is also what he was hinting at.

By the way, once I created an account and accessed the site, I came
across a poll right away about the preference of seeing the cockpits in
flight sequences. I found it a bit encouraging.
--
Noman