Mainly talking about AI and answering a load of question from the chat panel as to how they're going to be using Neural Networking. Area Commands are seemingly going to be implemented and that's going to be interesting. There was some information regarding the procedural generating of the worlds. Here is a YouTube video of the stream.
I watched most of the live stream and they seemed a bit bored to me - my mind kept wandering during it!
Nice long chat with Jon Mavor on RPS http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/25/ubers-jon-mavor-explains-planetary-annihilation/ Also, backers should really check out the Backers Lounge on the Uberent forums!
A few days ago Chris Taylor did q/a in reddit- one question on PA, it will be interesting to see if PA can be delivered within the budget. What do you think about Planetary Annihilation? I like the video a lot, but beyond that, I'm pretty skeptical... I know what it takes to make an RTS game. TA took 20 months, and I (and the team) worked 7 days a week. SupCom 1 took 3.5 years and cost over 10 million. I don't think they stand a snowballs chance in hell to make that game for 2M. But now that I've said that, they're really going to have to work extra hard to prove me wrong... good luck!! Link to the whole thing http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/170j68/i_am_chris_taylor_founderceo_of_gas_powered_games/
That's stupid. Chris Taylor is doing exactly the same with his own Kickstarter, and asking for less money to boot. How can he turn round and say a game can't be done for that amount?
The thing is, kickstarter is just a way to crowd source some money / pre-purchases /interest and hype. With such interest made I am sure they have outside help with regards to funding the project as the sales after release to those that did not pre-order should also be nice and healthy and at a higher price to boot.
Kickstarter studios are also generally indie efforts, not the normal big studios (such as Gas Powered Games was back in the days of TA/SupCom), which means their costs are significantly lower due to smaller staff and expenditure.
Maybe that is the case, but from what Mavor said in that RPS interview, there were a lot of costly mistakes made, and disharmony during the development of SupCom. Additionally, they had built in a single player campaign, which Mavor has already said is a massive expensive (and thus PA does not have one), and hand built every map, as opposed to relying on procedural generation. Personally given what I have already seen, I think Mavor is going to accomplish what CT never could - a true follow up to T.A Different kind of game (Action RTS vs Traditional) - but your point stands! Exactly, if you go on the PA facebook account, there are loads of people commenting on how they are sorry they missed the kickstarter and are pre ordering or waiting until the game comes out. Plus, if you get decent reviews, and are backed by a decent community (lets face it, the game is already going to have 50k people playing on day one), then the word will spread Exactly, and anyone who is following Star Citizen has heard in depth from Chris Roberts about how building games sans publisher is so much cheaper.
I wondered about their budget too, but there are ways to cut costs without it really affecting the gameplay. I just really have my fingers crossed that they can pull it off. It's funny because the focus is always on these legendary programmers and game designers who previously worked on this that and the other big hits. But really, I think the success of a lot of these kickstarter projects will be largely down to the project managers
As a guy who ripped the music of TA from the disc to listen to, I believe in Howard. That there is the foundations of great stuff.
No single player campain is not really the best way to sell your game to the masses though. If its basically just Skirmish and online only i think it will be a difficult sell to the general public. Star Citizen looks awesome but the game is 2 years + away its going to spend 20-22months in alpha before it even hits a beta stage. I know people who have donated who will probably have forgotten about the game by the time its released. Got a pre order myself have had since early kickstarter but wether it will be what they want it to be i have no idea.
I only ever played skirmish. In place of SP it has the galactic war thingy, a campaign of skirmish. And checking the backers forum shows a few pictures of something new.
It does show something new indeed, and it's extremely pretty.... Been drooling over the new material all week. However, now it is here for the masses to enjoy too
Highlights for me, commander is walking around building stuff. And texture engine has persistent changes included, unit tracks, scorch marks etc. aswell as being in a position to be demo'ed but lacks artwork.
I'm liking that stuff. Not so sure on the style of the ships, but it does say that most of it is early, and I guess it's in the vein of earlier screens it's more about the scaling and seeing how they fit together. Also upgrades are live! But I don't need any
