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Windows Homeworld License: UPDATE Gearbox HD Remakes Release Date 25 Feb 2015!

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by Blogins, 15 Apr 2013.

  1. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Ladies and gentlemen:

    Steam Homeworld Remastered Collection

    Due for release on the 25th Feb. Also includes the original Homeworld 1+2, which is a nice touch.

    I've preordered this on Steam - I decided I didn't want to clutter up my home with unnecessary stuff.
     
  2. Gunsmith

    Gunsmith Maximum Win

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    ooooooo nice one pete
     
  3. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

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    I thought 2015 was the year of not preordering?
     
  4. Frohicky1

    Frohicky1 Awaits his moosey fate . . .

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    I have just pre-ordered. My excitement knows no bounds.
     
  5. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    I consider it buying the original Homeworld and Homeworld 2 and getting some fancy uprezzed version as a bonus. And I already know Homeworld happens to Not Suck.
    But really, I bought a £100 light-up Mothership model that happens to come with a free game.

    The totally-not-Homeworld-oh-wait-now-it-is thing Blackbird are/were working on? That's an unknown quantity, so no preorder.
     
  6. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    Part of my thinking as well. For me, it's worth it to be able to install Homeworld 2 without physical media. I just hope it's still compatible with the Complex mod!
     
  7. wyx087

    wyx087 Homeworld 3 is happening!!

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    Is it going to be a Steam game? If I were to order the £100 mothership, will I be able to register it on Steam?

    This will be the first ever collectable I purchase (HW means this much to me), but at the same time I also would want a digital version.
     
  8. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Assuming statements from Gearbox devs on their forums are accurate (and unfortunately Gearbox's communication on everything Homeworld related has been shocking poor) Homeworld (2) Classic will retain mod compatibility, but Homeworld (2) Remastered will not. However, Homeworld (2) Remastered should come with a suite of modding tools to replace those already available for the originals.
     
  9. suenstar

    suenstar Collector of Things

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    The collector's edition states that it comes with a digital download voucher for the game, though I'm not absolutely certain whether it is a Steam code or not.
    Probably nine times out of ten, digital codes these days tend to be Steam activation codes. Plus with the game being for sale on Steam, I'd say that makes it more likely that the digital code is for Steam.

    I'm the same, I tend to skip out on collector's packages for games but simply can't resist the chance to have the model of that ship.
     
  10. Cei

    Cei pew pew pew

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    I was tempted by the CE model, but it was a bit too expensive and I've realised I have way too much clutter on my desk and shelves anyway...most of it caused by 'collectables' from games. So I just went for the normal Steam version.
     
  11. DeckerdBR

    DeckerdBR Minimodder

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    As a big fan of both the Original Homeworld (I think I originally played in on a Voodoo 1 or 2 GPU!) and Homeworld 2 this is pretty exciting, great to be able to play such classic with steam work multiplayer and upgraded visual, resolution support etc.

    However I don't know if I trust gearbox to deliver it properly, certainly enough to discourage a pre-order.

    Once were past all the pre-release hype and blinding nostalgia I'd love to know what you guys think of the games when re-released in late Feb. :)
     
  12. Cei

    Cei pew pew pew

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    What exactly do you think Gearbox are going to mess up?

    We're getting the original games with a few tweaks made to run on modern systems. Then we're getting the remastered versions, which are essentially nicer textures and graphics and re-worked audio. The core mechanics will remain identical. The only new thing is multiplayer, and even then they're still working from established concepts and rules.

    I've yet to see a remaster from any developer that is a downgrade from the original. Especially when they give you the original as well.
     
  13. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    I assume "remastered" means the substance of the game remains unchanged, and it's just prettier pixels on a new gfx engine?

    I'm not knocking it - I'd actually prefer it that way, because the original game is very hard to fault. The only things that occasionally confused me were unit locations on the 3d map - they sometimes appeared to be closer or further away from certain perspectives - and it was only very occasionally. Something a new graphics engine may help eliminate completely.

    Either way, I'm looking forward to playing it at 1600p :D.
     
  14. DeckerdBR

    DeckerdBR Minimodder

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    I think given Gearboxes history with Aliens Colonial Marines & Duke Nukem, it would be weird not to be a little sceptical. Even if most of the work is re-skin related, they could well balls up the MP (network code for instance), their implementation of the steam works might be dodgy, it could be buggy beyond belief, poorly optimised or it could be perfect. Point is, we don't know and I can see no reason to pre-order given that most of the time pre-ordering is pointless.

    Look at Beyond Earth for a recent comparison, not that well received by the user base (check metacritic for example). Point is, a follow on to another game I really enjoy but ultimately not worth the pre-order, as it took them about 3 months to patch it to a meaningful state.

    I certainly hope Gearbox do a bang up job of the re-mastering and if it turns out to be well received, i'd no doubt pick it up to re-live the glory but I question how you can be so confident.

    This is one of those moments where I look forward to my concern being unfounded :)

    Edit:
    Supports my concern:
    "Homeword and Homeworld 2 have seen significant overhaul in terms of graphics, audio and even gameplay mechanics at the hands of Gearbox. A multiplayer mode has also been developed which merges both games together but this will still be in beta with the launch of the collection as it is not currently in a state that the developer is entirely happy with."


    http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2015/01/26/homeworld-remastered-collection-on-the-way/1
     
    Last edited: 26 Jan 2015
  15. Cei

    Cei pew pew pew

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    Yet Gearbox also put out Borderlands. Highly scored, mechanically sound and very few bugs.

    Beyond Earth is not a comparison. It's a new game, not a remaster. This means all kinds of scope for gameplay mechanics being flawed, which is exactly why it scored poorly. The actual graphics/music of BE is perfectly fine.

    You're also not understanding properly what is being done. That quote is very specific. The remaster work is to graphics and audio only. The new gameplay mechanic is the totally separate multiplayer. Ergo, you can play Homeworld singleplayer campaigns as they were, no changes. Personally the MP is icing on the cake. If it works, fantastic. If not, I'm still getting the SP campaigns that I paid for.

    The only risk is that Gearbox release something ridden with bugs. Highly unlikely. Even if Colonial Marines got critically panned it wasn't due to bugs.
     
    Last edited: 26 Jan 2015
  16. DeckerdBR

    DeckerdBR Minimodder

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    But the original Homeworld/2 multi player always worked well, so it does make me nervous they are releasing it in Beta format. Not an unreasonable concern IMO. In this day an age, it would not be a good thing if core functionality (the MP is in bad shape) and as I read it, Gearbox themselves are not happy, hence it's Beta state on release. I don't consider that Icing on the cake, I consider it a missing piece or a bit of under cooking.

    I accept your point about borderlands, I have played both 1&2 in 4 player co-op and it ran well both locally on my machine and at a network level.

    While Beyond Earth is not a remaster, it IS just a re skin of CIV5 and frankly, Firaxis should have waited another 3-6 month before releasing it. Or I should have waited another 3-6 months, either way :D

    Colonial Marines was actually quite buggy on release and it had bad performance to boot, it did not feel well optimised. So it really got a double panning.

    As I said, I really hope Gearbox do it justice, it is after all, in my top 5 of all time great games but can't fathom why after so many bad games or game in crappy release states in the last 5 years, people still pre-order.

    Time will tell, soon or later, time will tell :)
     
  17. GravitySmacked

    GravitySmacked Mostly Harmless

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    i really enjoyed Homeworld 2 even if I did suck at it; I'm keeping my eye on this for sure.
     
  18. Gunsmith

    Gunsmith Maximum Win

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  19. Pete J

    Pete J Employed scum

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    ^Very nice! Seeing that Kadesh scene brings back fond memories - however, the ambassador corvette shouldn't have gun turrets :geek: . I'm liking the depth of field as well.

    Edit - and a 37 minute video as well:



    Another edit: HOLY FECK! They've actually been talking to the mod community, specifically the guys behind the Complex mod. VERY happy days!
     
    Last edited: 27 Jan 2015
  20. DeckerdBR

    DeckerdBR Minimodder

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    Both videos are a good watch, no doubt about it, their graphical and audio overhaul is very impressive. I had forgotten how menacing the Garden of Kedesh level was.

    In the second video it was really interesting to hear so many of the original devs talking about the previous art, audio and design challenges etc. and then showing how much they have really up-scaled the experience.
    I was also pleased they managed to get both the original voices for the mother ship and fleet command :)

    If I heard that correctly, all 4 factions (2 from each of the games) will now all be playable in the same game. That is both worrying and interesting! I worry that it might destabilise the tight balance that existed in HW2, although I understand why they would combine them.

    I still don't trust Gearbox but that was a good dev panel at pax, clearly a lot of passion for the Homeworld universe from both original Relic employee & Gearbox. If they deliver well on this, it would go a long way towards Gearbox to re-earning the trust of their customers in the wake of Colonial Marines...
     

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