Author Topic: The Final AI War Expansion  (Read 60214 times)

Offline Aklyon

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #15 on: November 06, 2015, 03:19:21 pm »
It isn't exactly a sequel though, people expect sequels to have more stuff. Reborn/Recompiled/II sounds more like its rebuilding the engine, then rebuilding the expansions, then reworking the networking, and having mod support. Its sounds like a remake to me, though the proper kind, not the 'hd update lol kthxbi' kind.

On a pretty-irrelevant note, would this mean all the expansions would disappear from the title screen, or would they stick around and we'd eventually still run out of space to fit them? ;)
« Last Edit: November 06, 2015, 03:21:14 pm by Aklyon »

Offline Mánagarmr

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2015, 03:24:45 pm »
Well, if this isn't a proverbial financial shotgun to the face, then ... I'm all for it. It sounds absolutely amazing. But you'd probably have to make some rather substantial improvements over "just updating the engine and rewriting the code" to call it AI War 2. I'm not a game designer, so I can't really suggest what that would be, but I can already read the comments in my head if it's "just" and engine upgrade.


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Offline keith.lamothe

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #17 on: November 06, 2015, 04:14:57 pm »
I wouldn't consider it a sequel because it would be basically the same design, just re-implemented with the knowledge (both of how to do things, and of how important modding is to people, etc) we've gained in the interim.

Honestly I wouldn't want to run the "sequel gauntlet" of having to be a different game (or else be accused of "they hardly changed anything and they're charging us again") but still appealing to most of the people who liked the original.
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Offline TheVampire100

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #18 on: November 06, 2015, 04:44:41 pm »
Why not call it AI War II instead of AI War Reborn?  It would get more attention as a sequel than a remake.  Remakes make people assume it is just a "complete" package with some HD graphics.  I think you'd get more press mentions if you called it a full fledged sequel.
Yeah, but a sequel needs soemthing to call it a sequel. Something besides "the gameplay is differen" otherwise it's a remake.
So, something like story. "The Ai is back and now even more mad."
"The humans didn't learn a single thing and now we have new AIs."
"Now with three AIs to screw you even more!"

Offline Wingflier

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #19 on: November 06, 2015, 05:07:21 pm »
Whatever the case, I think you'd do better by charging say $30 for it. The base game + 6 expansions worth of content + all the engine upgrades and improvements + new art + new music + ability to mod the game is easily worth $30 in my opinion.

Then giving people who own the original game on Steam a 33% discount, effectively making it $20. That way nobody could complain that the original supporters are getting shafted, and you might end up making more money in the end.

One other idea is that, given that modding will be integrated into the new game, you could have community members work alongside you making mods during the development process, and then release those (with their consent of course), as part of the base game that could be turned on and off with the click of a button just like any other option within the game. The mods themselves would become the extra content that became the game's selling point, leaving you guys to just focus on all the core issues and improvements.

That's just an idea of course. I've already thought of a mod for example that removes hull types altogether, and rebalances the entire game based purely on mechanics such as hp, armor, firing range, damage, etc., creating a more dynamic and intuitive balance that doesn't require players to know endless hull type interactions which can initially be confusing and causes a lot of problems. This could absolutely be marketed as an alternative to the main game.

Of course that's just a thought, just trying to help.
« Last Edit: November 06, 2015, 05:08:54 pm by Wingflier »
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Offline Captain Jack

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #20 on: November 06, 2015, 05:11:51 pm »
On a pretty-irrelevant note, would this mean all the expansions would disappear from the title screen, or would they stick around and we'd eventually still run out of space to fit them? ;)
This is the best reason to go ahead with the recompile.  :P Throw in some icons representing the old expansions, like suggestively placed constellations or ships and we're good to go.

Offline Draco18s

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2015, 06:20:26 pm »
Skim skim skim.

OK. Here's my thought.
I don't know how feasible this is, but if there was an API that let people like me do things that the base game doesn't know about, say, a new game mode with new GUIs or the old shields mechanic, but which interfaces through event hooks, that would add the most flexibility with the greatest inter-mod compatibility.

Like what Forge is for Minecraft (minus the arduous task of deobfuscation).

I have no idea how these mods would be built and installed, but it would take so little to support feature requests. It would be adding the requested hook and pushing a new build which the updater would see and download workout affecting anything already installed.

But yeah.

Shut up and take my money.

Offline Pumpkin

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2015, 06:24:51 pm »
One other idea is that, given that modding will be integrated into the new game, you could have community members work alongside you making mods during the development process, and then release those (with their consent of course), as part of the base game that could be turned on and off with the click of a button just like any other option within the game. The mods themselves would become the extra content that became the game's selling point, leaving you guys to just focus on all the core issues and improvements.
I'm in!!!

Wait, did someone say all this is purely theoretical? Eh, I don't remember.

Joke aside, I think I'll post my ideas for a coherent lore&mechanisms mod in the "mod" subforum... one day.
I hope to see folks joining and posting their own ideas and commenting other's ideas. I can be fun.
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Offline Cyborg

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #23 on: November 06, 2015, 08:34:03 pm »
I don't like the name, " reborn," but otherwise this idea sounds great!


I would like to see extensive modding that allows us to program behaviors for ships, player and AI-controlled. We could start to begin creating AI scripts!
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Offline Draco18s

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #24 on: November 06, 2015, 11:18:01 pm »
I don't like the name, " reborn," but otherwise this idea sounds great!

This feels super cheesy and like an actual sequel title, but it would totally fit the theme of AI War.

AI War: The Second Homeworld

Offline Histidine

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #25 on: November 06, 2015, 11:22:15 pm »
"Remastered"

Offline chemical_art

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #26 on: November 06, 2015, 11:35:49 pm »
The idea of having a new "unique idea" to anchor this remodel is a great idea. For me, the idea of facing THREE AI, but with a key asset would be seal the deal for me. What that key asset be...
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Offline Elestan

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #27 on: November 07, 2015, 12:34:26 am »
Then giving people who own the original game on Steam a 33% discount, effectively making it $20. That way nobody could complain that the original supporters are getting shafted, and you might end up making more money in the end.
Those of us who bought the game on GoG might want equal treatment here.  :-)

But seriously, even though I only bought the game a couple months ago, I would pay $30 for a remake, if it was a good remake.  I've got about eight pages of notes detailing assorted usability issues and UI glitches I've encountered so far...I can overlook those in a game I picked up for $15 on GoG, but my standards would be higher if I'm going to be asked to drop $30 more on it.

Offline Pumpkin

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #28 on: November 07, 2015, 03:41:20 am »
Here is a question for Chris.

When?

I mean, okay, it's still a theoretical plan. I don't want a precise release date before even actually deciding to go for this AI War MkII or not. But what's your plans beyond SBR? We'll get Starward Rogue this winter, an expansion for TLF I-dunno-xaktly-when, then SBR... Do you see beyond that? The Bionic Dues's fans are also praying for content. Have you more ideas up your sleeve for something to make after SBR's release we weren't aware of?

Anyway, I'm super happy to see people excited about this unofficial, theoretical announcement.
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Offline Tolc

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Re: The Final AI War Expansion
« Reply #29 on: November 07, 2015, 07:42:32 am »
Then giving people who own the original game on Steam a 33% discount, effectively making it $20. That way nobody could complain that the original supporters are getting shafted, and you might end up making more money in the end.
Those of us who bought the game on GoG might want equal treatment here.  :-)

But seriously, even though I only bought the game a couple months ago, I would pay $30 for a remake, if it was a good remake.  I've got about eight pages of notes detailing assorted usability issues and UI glitches I've encountered so far...I can overlook those in a game I picked up for $15 on GoG, but my standards would be higher if I'm going to be asked to drop $30 more on it.

Shouldn't be a problem for us gog people...the Darksiders franchise did the same thing recently :)

Eight pages of notes?! Well, for the time being you can always put them up on mantis ;)

But yeah, a remake sounds great  8)

 

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