Human Resources - Uber's next RTS

[Wingflier]

Today, we busted out a new Kickstarter for a new strategy game called Human Resources
. Built on the same engine that you helped us create for Planetary Annihilation, Human Resources expands on the scale and destruction you’ve come to love in exciting and different ways. We realize that some of you might take this news as concerning, so we wanted to come out and say this: work on Planetary Annihilation will not stop if Human Resources funds; both games will have a team dedicated to these separate projects.

In other words, things will stay the same. A Planetary Annihilation team will continue its amazing work on the game, and you’ll keep receiving new updates with new features, fixes, and mechanics. Meanwhile, a separate team will roll into pre-production on Human Resources.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659943965/human-resources-an-apocalyptic-rts-game

It looks awesome, but they want 1.4 million dollars to fund it. That's not even including the potential stretch goals. I also hope that it doesn't significantly take away from the PA development which (as we've discussed) is sorely needed. I really like the "asymmetrical factions" aspect of it. I also like how it's using "shards" instead of planets, which means all the advantages of the PA engine for multiple islands, but on flat maps. The aliens vs. robots thing is well...freaking cool, and of course that human beings are the game's main resource. That there is potential for even more unique and interesting factions just makes it even more glorious.

Advanced space aliens (Protoss or Predators)? Human reactionary force (vehicles, aircrafts, and/or mechs)? So many cool possibilities!

[orzelek]

I looked at it... but after PA I'm not willing to kickstart it.

They are to multiplayer focused and that idea of huge battles with lots of units doesn't appeal to me.

[TheVampire100]

The idea reminds me very much of Universe at War if someone still remembers the game. It went a very similiar way, humans on earth were no real playable faction and had to watch when 3 alien factions settled war on their planet. Humans and human structures were harvestable resources for the alien factions.
Also all three races were created asymmetrical but somewhat balanced. For an example the Hierarchy use giant walkers that function both as war machines and unit producer. They play like the aliens from "War of the Worlds". The Novus however has weaker units but large quantities of them. They use also teleporting technology to appear almost everywhere at the map so they can do hit and run tactics with big armies.

Both races were also "aliens vs robots" so, yeah, looks like a very similiar game to me. I'm eager to see what it will be when released. I won't however fund it, I have a little problem with funding since my last game that I funded and I'm still waiting to see any real action besides "Buy our totally unfinished game!".

[Cyborg]

Looks interesting. The art style is fantastic!

[KingIsaacLinksr]

This is a little way too close to PA's release to be comfortable with backing it, especially with the condition PA is in. Until PA is in a much more finished state, that's a no from me.

[chemical_art]

Considering how PA already is so oriented toward multilayer (can you even play it offline yet?) I am hesitant to support a game that claims up front it will not have offline mode.  It may have singleplayer just like in MOBA's you have "singleplayer". I just feel like it won't be well.

Also, hard DRM. Yuck.

[Misery]

Had a look, sounded cool....


....until I saw the PA part.  That's a definite NOPE.

Not giving to the kickstarter, and not buying after it comes out.  Just.... no. Likely I'll never buy anything else that developer ever makes.  PA was a mistake.

And really, they want money for this new thing NOW, when all I ever hear about PA is that it's in a horrible state currently?

Ugh.  I mighta been right afterall, about this developer just being a greedy bunch of jerks.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

You know, I noticed this line:

"We use our PlayFab service to keep our costs down"

Erm...wah? Everytime companies talk about servers, services and DRM, it's always about how costly they are. How is providing a DRM version reducing costs in the long run?

[Cyborg]

What is the main problem with the planetary annihilation game that makes you say you cannot support this developer? It says in the kickstarter that development will continue for both.

[chemical_art]

What is the main problem with the planetary annihilation game that makes you say you cannot support this developer? It says in the kickstarter that development will continue for both.

To be fair, they also said on the first kickstarter that:

"Offline / LAN play support
By popular demand we are happy to announce that we will support LAN play and running your own servers! There will be elements of the game that are online only and will only be available when connected. For example things like player stats, auto-updating, metagame etc. However, we feel it’s important to be able to have an offline experience as well.

DRM-Free
For offline play, the game will be DRM free. For online play that gives you access to the global community and social features, you will need to be logged in. "

-"https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659943965/planetary-annihilation-a-next-generation-rts/posts/289765"

So...I don't consider their words to be very accurate.

[Cyborg]

I see, so their product is online-only DRM?

[chemical_art]

Yes, and no lan support either. From what I have seen saves are handled online as well, so if there is a hiccup it can wreck yout save. Its actually one of the most heavy drm games I've seen in a while

[TheVampire100]

You know, I noticed this line:

"We use our PlayFab service to keep our costs down"

Erm...wah? Everytime companies talk about servers, services and DRM, it's always about how costly they are. How is providing a DRM version reducing costs in the long run?

To make it short: piracy.
But a devloper that bets already that the loss of piracy would be higher as the cost of running a drm server doesn't look very trustworthy.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

You know, I noticed this line:

"We use our PlayFab service to keep our costs down"

Erm...wah? Everytime companies talk about servers, services and DRM, it's always about how costly they are. How is providing a DRM version reducing costs in the long run?

To make it short: piracy.
But a devloper that bets already that the loss of piracy would be higher as the cost of running a drm server doesn't look very trustworthy.

But piracy =/= costs. While I would normally agree with you, I don't think Uber would lie about the costs being piracy so there must be another reason for that statement and I'd really like to know. If that truly is the reason, they must have been asleep at the wheel for the past several years as the DRM argument has been put to bed. It doesn't work and it costs the developer more than anything else.

[Mánagarmr]

I ain't touching this with a 10ft pole no matter how awesome it is. Not until they deliver on their PA promises.