🚀 go-pugleaf

noman  <no_m_an@zzzyahoo.yycom> wrote:
>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.

On the other hand there was all the hype surrounding Strike Commander,
which when it finally was released did 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.

Yah, I don't see any of that needing needing new technology to implement.
A lot innovative design work to implement in a way that actually works
and is fun, but you only need faster computers to make it look prettier.

>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.

Well, the Unreal Engine has been around for more than ten years, and
the physics in a space-sim game are very simple and regardless of the
type of game are just added chrome.  I don't see anything fundamentally
enabling in Steamworks, it just offers standardized lobbies, voice
chat and acheivements, nothing that affects the actual game itself.
Oh, and I guess microtransactions... I suppose that's more practical now.

					Ross Ridge

-- 
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