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Footage of Sidhe's currently stalled Spacefighter Title Codenamed "Project Space"

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Alex Connolly

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GET YOUR SPACE HORNS ON

From their Facebook Page

Video of a playable demo we created for a space combat and exploration game in 2011. The project is on ice now due to a lack of funding, but new funding models might help this sort of thing see the light of day. Let us know what you think.
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Of course, with Kickstarter and whatnot getting bandied around, it seems like the right time for studios like the magnificent Sidhe to retool the cash situation for games like this. Interestingly enough, I learn that the producer for Colony Wars now works at Sidhe.

Because this, my friends, looks like the spiritual successor to Colony Wars. And I want it in my veins.

EDIT: From the Youtube description...

This video depicts a playable PC/360 demo that Sidhe created for a modern take on the classic space combat and exploration game Elite. The game took place in the distant future where displaced humans were exploring a strange new galaxy. With heavy customisation and expansive procedural content, the game also included social cross pollination of content inspired by the likes of Spore. We also really liked the cinematic depiction of combat as seen in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica which was a big inspiration for the prototype seen here.

The game was shelved indefinitely due to a lack of funding, but has always hung out there as something we would like to revisit. Perhaps a Kickstarter campaign is in order? Reimaginings of Elite and space combat seem to be all the rage this week.

Let us know what you think, what platforms you would like to see it onand any other ideas you might have.
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The project is on ice now due to a lack of funding, but new funding models might help this sort of thing see the light of day. Let us know what you think.
Click to expand...



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What else have they made? It looks alright, but honestly, nothing special is indicated by the footage. It needs a cockpit view and an explanation for the features and depth they were going for with that exploration you mention. Procedurally generated vast universe etc doesn't mean much at all if there's not much to do in it beyond said combat and everything past hour 5, after you learn how stuff works and how you improve and progress, is the same repeated actions.

Someone needs to do a game like this that on top of providing another average sandbox a la Freelancer it also has an open ended storyline similar to a TV series like the mentioned BSG, or Andromeda, or whatever, with all sorts of diverse situations popping up intertwined with the open gameplay, each with multiple solutions that add another stone on the path to the major conclusion.

Space Sorbo didn't just go around in a repeated pattern of the blast shit, get loot, improve ship/loadout, blast bigger shit type.
 
I would definitely consider kickstarting this. Would like to know more, is it just action, is there exploration, trading, quests or is it more linear, or mission-based like x-wing, is it just a simple shooter or is it more complex than that, etc etc.
 
Thanks for the thread. Really just threw the video out there given the recent other space game announcements to show some of what we were exploring.

We have been looking at Kickstarter increasingly over the last month though, and have been having internal discussions about whether we'd try to fund something via it, so interested to see if something like this would fit the bill (though perhaps poor timing in light of Notch's announcement).

Maybe scaled back t something less ambitious, and more of a Wing Commander/Colony Wars type affair with more focus on combat and story?

Anyway, interested to hear any thoughts people may have.


Pylon_Trooper said:
Because this, my friends, looks like the spiritual successor to Colony Wars. And I want it in my veins.
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Was actually closer to Elite in design, though we discussed the Colony Wars approach as a "fallback plan" that would be cheaper to produce.


Alextended said:
What else have they made?
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www.sidhe.co.nz and www.pikpok.com will give you some idea of what we've done over the years. Nothing most people will have heard of.
 
Fucking tired of space games not seeing the light of day. It's such bullshit.
 
Mario, outside of servicing the PC stalwarts - who've been enjoying a dripfeed of primarily Eastern-Euro spacefighter games of varying focus since Freespace 2/Freelancer, if you crack the modern console (and Vita! :D) market with a rugged and well-rounded space dogfighter experience, I think many people would be interested.

EDIT: Tangentially related, did Starlancer ever make it to release on Dreamcast? I keep thinking it did, but perhaps it didn't.
 
Corky said:
I agree... god how I wish space sim games were more prevalent today.
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Also agreed. It's still one of the only genres that hasn't been fully explored yet. I'm glad that a Sins of a Solar Empire expansion is on its way though.

I want a new freelancer game!
 
Pylon_Trooper said:
Mario, outside of servicing the PC stalwarts - who've been enjoying a dripfeed of primarily Eastern-Euro spacefighter games of varying focus since Freespace 2/Freelancer, if you crack the modern console (and Vita! :D) market with a rugged and well-rounded space dogfighter experience, I think many people would be interested.
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We pitched it around publishers to try and get into console, but no real interest there. And with MS not allowing self-publishing on XBLA made that route undesirable too (we wouldn't do a console download game again without being across multiple consoles).

I'd say we'd most likely look at PC/Mac and iOS initially, Android tablet, then Vita/PSN. Though openminded (we've been fairly platform agnostic throughout our history). No idea where the next consoles are going with what they'll allow business model wise on console but it hasn't sounded promising from the discussions I've had.
 
Mario said:
Maybe scaled back t something less ambitious, and more of a Wing Commander/Colony Wars type affair with more focus on combat and story?
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No not scaled back please...I want open world gameplay, it doesn't have to have Elite complexity but at least on a Freelancer level.

With the right amount of promotion I'm fairly certain you could pull at least half a million for this on Kickstarter...
 
If you go small scale I would advice you still try to stand out somehow, such as including a deep and complex and awesome multiplayer mode a la Allegiance (that still allows for simple roles such as fighter for newcomers and instant gratification) and having multiple paths during the main story based on your actions and performance and choice of how to tackle a given mission (surgical strikes, all out assaults) and things like that. And custom mission editor. Or some crazy extra mode like a simple turn based star map progression in a conflict between factions that you direct yourself and then also take control of the given missions you set up. Or a sort of X-COM like approach with the same type of defend your homeworld gameplay but replacing the turn based battles with your real time space combat, but with tactical twists, loadouts, wingmen, fleet composition, orders, etc. Otherwise it might be just another SOL: Exodus with nothing special about it. You can do much more even in a small scale game. Please!
 
I would like to see a nice space sim with ships that handle like the vipers in BSG, with ship buying/selling/upgrading/customisation, ship system management (shields/power/engine/etc), shooting, mining, manufacturing and trading with the ability to establish bases and facilities, factions you can join and fight for as a mercenary, other pilots you can recruit to join your team, set across the backdrop of a massive, persistent war with moving front lines. I'd kickstart the shit out of that.
 
Munin said:
With the right amount of promotion I'm fairly certain you could pull at least half a million for this on Kickstarter...
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That was about the funding level I was thinking married with internal funds. Much more than that and I think we'd struggle to be fully funded on Kickstarter.

The original design had a budget in the US$2m region from memory, so there would have to be some compromises somewhere.
 
Think I'd like to see something like this on Vita. Would be good for some quick portable play, dropping in and out of missions and space, but obvously Kickstarter stuff is almost always geared towards the larger bases of PC/consoles.
 
It looks fun, and it has something of a BSG (the new one) feel to it, how the ship is shooting at least.

That said, I think it's a tough sell to fund. Especially if you are planning on making it PC/ios/Android. I don't think handheld owners liked subsidizing games for iOS/Android, and I don't think PC gamers are going to like the trend much, either.
 
Looks like an updated Colony Wars (visuals). :D

Dunno why that series was never continued, it had some of the best visuals to ever grace the PSX, and it was immensely fun to play.
 
I'm curious to see if anyone can pull off a sizable Kickstarter raise for a project that does not have a recognizable brand name attached.
 
Alextended said:
If you go small scale I would advice you still try to stand out somehow, such as including a deep and complex and awesome multiplayer mode a la Allegiance (that still allows for simple roles such as fighter for newcomers and instant gratification) and having multiple paths during the main story based on your actions and performance and choice of how to tackle a given mission (surgical strikes, all out assaults) and things like that. And custom mission editor. Otherwise it might be just another SOL: Exodus type deal.
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Yes. Alextended as usual brings the goods.

As much as it'd be nice to have a sprawling pan-galactic sandbox game, I'd say start small - much like the Miner Wars games are doing. Kick off the universe as it were with a tight combat-centric game with a Starwing-esque branching storyline. Nothing outrageous, just solid and flavoursome. Integrate multiplayer and a variety of game modes, the usual thing.

After this first title has tested the waters, you'd be able to somewhat gauge if it's worth stepping up with something more ambitious.

The thing that kills a lot of spacefighter games for me, at least, is the lack of flavour and sound design. Give me that BSG-esque radio chatter compression effect, lots of subtle chirps and alarms. Otherwise, it may as well be Ace Combat. Even if it's indistinguishable and garbled radio transmissions, that's the kind of stuff that really floats my space boat.

Small things like that.
 
Rhindle said:
That's why I said "sizable". Mario would be looking for $500K-$2 million for their project.
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200K is still a lot, and FTL comes from developers even less known than Sidhe, who at least have a track record.

It's still very much possible in my opinion.
 
DiscoJer said:
It looks fun, and it has something of a BSG (the new one) feel to it, how the ship is shooting at least.

That said, I think it's a tough sell to fund. Especially if you are planning on making it PC/ios/Android. I don't think handheld owners liked subsidizing games for iOS/Android, and I don't think PC gamers are going to like the trend much, either.
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Just pitch it as the return to glory for the PC space-sim genre. Appeal to peoples' love of Freelancer and Elite, showcase a stunning gameplay montage and say it's not going to be dumbed-down by the big bad publishers. I'd say that should attract enough interest for $500,000.
 
It's most frustrating that every bloke and his dog sit around and nod earnestly about how TIE-Fighter and the Freespace games were some of the finest gaming experiences known to man, yet the damn genre can't seem to hit the big time again or capture the imagination of gamers across the board.
 
Looks awesome with plenty of potential. Shatter is one of the best games on PSN. Bring this game to PSN/Vita and I'd buy the hell out of it. Twice.
 
Sidhe, you must make this game even if you have to put it on kickstarter. I will contribute especially if you make an iOS version. The video looks great. How about usign kickstarter to make an iOS/Android verion then use the money from that to make a psn/xbla version of the game?

Too bad I didn't win the mega millions or you would have had your funding.
 
neojubei said:
Sidhe, you must make this game even if you have to put it on kickstarter. I will contribute especially if you make an iOS version. The video looks great. How about usign kickstarter to make an iOS/Android verion then use the money from that to make a psn/xbla version of the game?

Too bad I didn't win the mega millions or you would have had your funding.
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He said PC/iOS were the initial Kickstarter platform considerations. The only way this is getting on XBLA is if the Kickstarter attracts publishers.
 
derFeef said:
No, feels great imo.
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It may feel great as it is but if they include a cockpit view more people will sign up because a PC space sim = a view from cockpit. It's a common association. If you want more money from this public a cockpit view should be in.
 
SparkTR said:
He said PC/iOS were the initial Kickstarter platform considerations. The only way this is getting on XBLA is if the Kickstarter attracts publishers.
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Well iOS/PC is good for now. I will still support the game if it goes on kickstarter.
 
subversus said:
It may feel great as it is but if they include a cockpit view more people will sign up because a PC space sim = a view from cockpit. It's a common association. If you want more money from this public a cockpit view should be in.
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I am not getting the impression this is a "sim". A lot of the look would get destroyed with a cockpit imo.

Wing Commander Saga also has no cockpit, and that's a recent space sim game (if remake).
 
derFeef said:
I am not getting the impression this is a "sim". A lot of the look would get destroyed with a cockpit imo.

Wing Commander Saga also has no cockpit, and that's a recent space sim game (if remake).
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This can't be true about WCS. I can't run it as it fucks with my sound card but I may put some effort just to see if it is true. Or watch it on youtube.
 
subversus said:
This can't be true about WCS. I can't run it as it fucks with my sound card but I may put some effort just to see if it is true. Or watch it on youtube.
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It has cockpit view, but no cockpit.

If you just mean first person view than we can agree maybe, but Mario already stated why it would not work.
 
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