Author Topic: Homeworld 2 Remastered  (Read 2027 times)

Offline Wingflier

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Homeworld 2 Remastered
« on: April 03, 2016, 07:56:22 am »
Soooo....I heard you guys liked space games?

*Insert obligatory information about how the Homeworld games constitute the most critically acclaimed space RTS series of all time*

Okay, now that that's out of the way, I wanted to invite anybody who was interested to our Homeworld 2 TFS multiplayer community events each Friday.

We just had one last Friday, and it was a great success. We'll be having one next Friday (the 8th), and I was hoping some of you could come. If you don't have Homeworld Remastered you can get it for less than $15 on G2A.

Anyway, if you're interested join our Steam group. We have our own mumble server and everything. There's plenty of new players so even if you aren't a Homeworld veteran you'll fit right in.

If you have any questions you can ask here or add me on Steam as Wingflier.
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Offline KingIsaacLinksr

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2016, 07:57:12 pm »
I'll try to join up for this next one but I'm still pretty noob with this series.
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Offline Wingflier

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2016, 11:41:06 pm »
Awesome King! I'm excited for you to play with us.

For those who don't already own a copy of Homeworld Remastered, you're in luck. The latest Humble Bundle has it for just $12 along with a billion other games.
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Offline Cinth

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2016, 12:45:19 am »
Just to note, the HB is a collection that's about $35 on Steam.  I think I'm going to have to find a couple dollars to spare for this one :D
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Offline Pumpkin

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2016, 05:22:02 am »
Yup. Thanks Humble Bundle. And it also comes with the old homeworld 1.

Speaking of which, I heard it was revolutionary and immensely appreciated. My question is: why? Can someone explain to a newb like me how and why it was so good back in the days and what it still has to stand out of the nowadays RTS scene?

Thanks in advance.
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Offline Wingflier

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2016, 06:07:54 am »
In regards to why Homeworld 1 was such a critically acclaimed game back in the day (when it launched in 1999), there are a lot of reasons, but I'll just provide the main ones.

1. It's quite possibly still the only space RTS, over 15 years later, that happens in true 3D (along with the other games in the HW series). There are many other "space RTS" games out there (though most of them include the 4X title, which makes them non-RTS imo), but even most the 4X ones aren't true 3D. Take Sins of a Solar Empire for example, a popular space RTS/4X that's been around since 2008. The game was really cool and had a lot of neat elements, but it essentially happened on a 2D plane. All appearance of 3D was simply aesthetic, and sometimes it was very obviously a 2D game.

2. Being a game that happens in true 3D, without even the limitation of say hills, mountains, or other terrain features (which limits the 3D tactics of other RTS games), the player has virtually limitless options in terms of strategy, tactics, and positioning to use against his or her opponent. If you can't understand why this is so important, I suggest reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card as a primer.

3. The game had realistic bullet and missile physics. Most RTS games nowadays use some kind of thinly veiled pseudo-RNG system to decide of an attack lands or misses. Homeworld 1 had a physics system which would allow a projectile to pass over one target and hit another for added realism.

4. The game felt and played beautifully. It was everything you could want from a space opera strategy. However, it wasn't weighed down by the slogging pace of the typical 4X shenanigans that the vast majority of space strategy games before or since have been. Relatively speaking, whether in single or multiplayer, the games were intense, fast-paced, and free of the nuances and overcomplexity of things like diplomacy and managing an empire. I will reiterate that I haven't played another space game that has achieved this (better than the series) before or since. Most of them try to be Civilization in space, Homeworld heavily stood out from that archetype.

5. The campaign was interesting and well-done, as companies cared a lot more about the campaign portion of the game back in the '90s. It was interesting, engaging, and gave you a reason to keep playing all the way to the end.

Anyway, like I said, the series made innovations in the 20th century that haven't been replicated since. I didn't even mention several other great things like the innovative formation management or the fact that the game requires less micromanagement than any other RTS you may ever play (and yet still manages to feel engaging). There are too many good things to list about it and the whole series.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 08:21:36 am by Wingflier »
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Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2016, 02:52:12 pm »
Walls of beam frigates. Wonderful memories.
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Offline Pumpkin

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2016, 07:27:38 am »
Thanks a lot for your answer.

I've played Supreme Commander and loved the "realistic physic", but was turned away by the PvP aspect. Not because it's bad, though, just because I dislike PvP and unfortunately for me SupCom is mainly built for it.

I bought Homeworld and played the first 3 or 4 missions of the old (but remastered) campaign. So far so good: 3D movements are not that bad to use and interesting enough. The initial lore is too poor for me, though: I'm not even sure the people I control are human. At least the campaign is very engaging.
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Offline Wingflier

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Re: Homeworld 2 Remastered
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2016, 05:21:53 pm »
The people you control are indeed human. I believe the voice of your Mothership is Karan S'jet, a woman who made the ultimate sacrifice, integrating the ship's systems into her nervous system in order to become the "heart and mind" of the mothership which you control.

You do meet some factions later which quite likely are not human, though I don't think it ever explicitly says so, it's just heavily implied.

Homeworld 1 was a game I played as a child (Jesus it came out in '99, I was only 12 years old!), but actually I spent many more years playing the sequel even though it was probably an inferior game, at least in terms of innovation and story. HW2, though a great game, seemed to piggyback off of the success of the first; but most sequels do that I guess. Probably the greatest addition of the second title (if you don't count the improved graphics and squad system) was the subsystems mechanic, which I believe added a lot depth to the game. For example, if your opponent built a capital ship facility, allowing him or her to produce the most powerful warships in the game, this facility would appear as a subsystem on the outside of the offending ship. The other player could then destroy this subsystem (or any of countless others) to halt progress on what could potentially be a game-ending scenario, and turn the tides in their favor.

In multiplayer, both games had a lot of balance and pacing problems (in my opinion). Even though they were lightyears faster than your average 4X game, they were still too slow for my tastes, and even Homeworld Remastered doesn't address that.

Luckily the Tactical Fleet Simulator mod, which is the one our group plays each week in multiplayer, adds a lot of realism by quickening the pace and removing the tired "rock-paper-scissors" dynamic the original Homeworld 2 had. It has a much more interesting and dynamic "variant" system. So instead of just "fighter" "bomber" "gunship" like in the original games, you've got for example light bombers which target subsystems, heavy bombers which fire unguided rockets at close range for maximum damage, strategic bombers which fire fusion torpedos 10,000km away from their target while attempting to avoid damage, etc. etc. In the end it makes for a much more varied and tactical experience with so many more options available to you, and having such a big impact on the outcome of the game.
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