Arcen Games

General Category => Starward Rogue => : steelwing October 12, 2015, 09:57:35 AM

: Love the name! :D
: steelwing October 12, 2015, 09:57:35 AM
So we've settled on the Last Hydral still being around, having preserved himself in some way?
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 12, 2015, 10:23:03 AM
Oh yeah, that's been the plan since shortly after TLF came out. :)

And I'm glad you like the name!  I'm really excited about it, too. :)  Huge kudos to Watashiwa for helping figure that one out, it took a lot of back and forth.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 10:41:51 AM
So we've settled on the Last Hydral still being around, having preserved himself in some way?
  agree with you on the name the last one didn't roll of the tongue very well and I don't think he's preserved him self I think hydrals are just generally immortal.(I could be wrong of course thou)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Aklyon October 12, 2015, 11:01:44 AM
I like the title too. Though it also sounds like the sort of title you could shout if you swapped out the words after the colon. Like Starward Rogue, scourge of the galaxy! Hydral Mercenary!
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 11:37:35 AM
so went he description says at the end of the universe does that mean the total death of it or the very end?.(one of at very least)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 12, 2015, 11:50:13 AM
Haha, I love that with the shouting bit.

As to the end of the universe, it's basically "near the heat death of the universe."  Now, I'm not sure I subscribe to the idea that there even will be a heat death of the universe -- physicists are divided on that in general at this point, from what I've read -- but for story purposes it's a pretty cool idea and so that's the setting of this particular game.  In the context of this game, probably after the universe hits a certain point it heats up, condenses back into an infinitely small point, and we get another big bang, resulting in a fresh universe.

All very tangentially related, because whatever the case that won't be happening during the end of this game.  Still a tiny bit of time left before that: some millions of years, perhaps.  But socially and resource-wise and so on the effects of knowingly being near the collapse of everything is pretty interesting.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 11:56:59 AM
Haha, I love that with the shouting bit.

As to the end of the universe, it's basically "near the heat death of the universe."  Now, I'm not sure I subscribe to the idea that there even will be a heat death of the universe -- physicists are divided on that in general at this point, from what I've read -- but for story purposes it's a pretty cool idea and so that's the setting of this particular game.  In the context of this game, probably after the universe hits a certain point it heats up, condenses back into an infinitely small point, and we get another big bang, resulting in a fresh universe.

All very tangentially related, because whatever the case that won't be happening during the end of this game.  Still a tiny bit of time left before that: some millions of years, perhaps.  But socially and resource-wise and so on the effects of knowingly being near the collapse of everything is pretty interesting.
this has made me wonder what is at the edge of the universe I mean there must be something also this has made me wonder how many of the races we currently know about are still breathing I mean some like the spire and zenith most probably are but then with some others it is a bit questionable.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 12, 2015, 12:02:26 PM
Most likely for the base game of this one this will only include the Hydral as the only recognizable race.  It's possible that in some expansion, if there ever is one, we might explore some of what happened to the other races.  But mostly what you'll be seeing here is new stuff except for the Hydral, which I think is really appropriate for the incredibly-distant in time and space setting.

In terms of what is at the edge of the universe I don't think in this model of it it is possible to get there.  We have established FTL travel thanks to wormholes, but to my knowledge the Hydral doesn't have that particular tech, which is surprisingly rare in the universe of AI War/TLF/SBR/SR -- the fact that it is such a big part of AI War is actually anomalous, and plays into the story of SBR a bit.  You'll notice nobody in TLF has that tech.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 12:11:45 PM
Most likely for the base game of this one this will only include the Hydral as the only recognizable race.  It's possible that in some expansion, if there ever is one, we might explore some of what happened to the other races.  But mostly what you'll be seeing here is new stuff except for the Hydral, which I think is really appropriate for the incredibly-distant in time and space setting.

In terms of what is at the edge of the universe I don't think in this model of it it is possible to get there.  We have established FTL travel thanks to wormholes, but to my knowledge the Hydral doesn't have that particular tech, which is surprisingly rare in the universe of AI War/TLF/SBR/SR -- the fact that it is such a big part of AI War is actually anomalous, and plays into the story of SBR a bit.  You'll notice nobody in TLF has that tech.
1 I wasn't really making any hints I was just curious really getting to find out would be neat though

2 I was actually thinking more in general not just in that world but our own really yea know the things you keep saying about stars are just making me more excited for when it is (eventually) .finished to be honest though providing the hydral hasn't had any persifick goals or purpose in mind  then I don't think he really needs worm hole tech considering he's immortal and even if his ship wears out he/she can always acquire enougher one.(by the way I remember seeing a theory on a YouTube video of tlf  once that the hydrals different head multi gender as in each one having an individual conciseness is that cannon at all? or is that yet enougher thing that's set to be revelled?)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Bluddy October 12, 2015, 01:55:57 PM
Just a question: what does being at the end of the universe contribute to the setting of the game? For some reason, the 'end of the universe' associates within my weird brain with anxiety and sadness. Kind of the emptiness of everything -- implying there's nothing there, nothing rich to explore anymore, everything that could be has been, and all possibilities are lost in time, together with all the dead nations/people. I hated the Dr Who episodes that took place at the end of the universe for that reason. It all feels very nihilistic to me.

So I'm just wondering -- what is it that made you choose this setting, and what does it bring to the game?
: Re: Love the name! :D
: keith.lamothe October 12, 2015, 02:20:31 PM
Just a question: what does being at the end of the universe contribute to the setting of the game?

I hear there's an excellent restaurant there.


(no that has nothing to do with the game, sadly)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Captain Jack October 12, 2015, 04:08:07 PM
Just a question: what does being at the end of the universe contribute to the setting of the game? For some reason, the 'end of the universe' associates within my weird brain with anxiety and sadness. Kind of the emptiness of everything -- implying there's nothing there, nothing rich to explore anymore, everything that could be has been, and all possibilities are lost in time, together with all the dead nations/people. I hated the Dr Who episodes that took place at the end of the universe for that reason. It all feels very nihilistic to me.

So I'm just wondering -- what is it that made you choose this setting, and what does it bring to the game?
Not Chris so I can't speak for him, but I figured that was the entire point! How many creative works have immortals in them? Lots of fantasy, some sci-fi. How many games deal with what happens to them when the universe starts running down? Doctor Who and uh... not much else. What's there is kind of grim. But it shouldn't have to be!

Consider the Hydral himself: billions of years old, his life's work certainly gone by this point, the aliens around him are so incredibly, well, alien that the best he can do is steal parts and get away from their wars, and he's still the last Hydral in the universe. And yet even with that weight to carry on top of the approaching end, there's still mercenary work to do, civilizations to destroy, opportunities for (time) travel, aliens to Federate, ships to repair and places to be. Only the last two are relevant to the game (for now >D), but the fact that he's still plugging away should indicate that there's value in living at the end. Perhaps it's fatalist, but it shouldn't feel nihilist.

Put another way: it's the end of the universe as we know it, but it's fine.  8)

EDIT: And for the record, Chris picked the name, I voted a slightly different direction.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Tolc October 12, 2015, 04:57:12 PM
Yay, the Hydral is back! Big fan as you can guess from my avatar :)

In that sense: It's the end of the universe as we know it, but I feel fine ;)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 05:00:39 PM
Just a question: what does being at the end of the universe contribute to the setting of the game? For some reason, the 'end of the universe' associates within my weird brain with anxiety and sadness. Kind of the emptiness of everything -- implying there's nothing there, nothing rich to explore anymore, everything that could be has been, and all possibilities are lost in time, together with all the dead nations/people. I hated the Dr Who episodes that took place at the end of the universe for that reason. It all feels very nihilistic to me.

So I'm just wondering -- what is it that made you choose this setting, and what does it bring to the game?
Not Chris so I can't speak for him, but I figured that was the entire point! How many creative works have immortals in them? Lots of fantasy, some sci-fi. How many games deal with what happens to them when the universe starts running down? Doctor Who and uh... not much else. What's there is kind of grim. But it shouldn't have to be!

Consider the Hydral himself: billions of years old, his life's work certainly gone by this point, the aliens around him are so incredibly, well, alien that the best he can do is steal parts and get away from their wars, and he's still the last Hydral in the universe. And yet even with that weight to carry on top of the approaching end, there's still mercenary work to do, civilizations to destroy, opportunities for (time) travel, aliens to Federate, ships to repair and places to be. Only the last two are relevant to the game (for now >D), but the fact that he's still plugging away should indicate that there's value in living at the end. Perhaps it's fatalist, but it shouldn't feel nihilist.

Put another way: it's the end of the universe as we know it, but it's fine.  8)

EDIT: And for the record, Chris picked the name, I voted a slightly different direction.
is that theory of the hydrals heads each having their own individual conciseness a cannon thing?. also did the hydral put him self in the middle of this war for a persifick reason or was he wandering on by and decide to get involved? also if the universes ending if I were him id try and leave and see what's out side it.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 05:01:39 PM
Yay, the Hydral is back! Big fan as you can guess from my avatar :)

In that sense: It's the end of the universe as we know it, but I feel fine ;)
personally I'm glad to see some closure with now I know he didn't get blown up after leaving the galaxy in tlf.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Tolc October 12, 2015, 05:04:40 PM
Yay, the Hydral is back! Big fan as you can guess from my avatar :)

In that sense: It's the end of the universe as we know it, but I feel fine ;)
personally I'm glad to see some closure with now I know he didn't get blown up after leaving the galaxy in tlf.

Yeah, it says something about your survivability and luck/cunning when you manage to outlast all the other races over the course of billions of years...
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 12, 2015, 05:13:36 PM
Yay, the Hydral is back! Big fan as you can guess from my avatar :)

In that sense: It's the end of the universe as we know it, but I feel fine ;)
personally I'm glad to see some closure with now I know he didn't get blown up after leaving the galaxy in tlf.

Yeah, it says something about your survivability and luck/cunning when you manage to outlast all the other races over the course of billions of years...
of course that's if any of the races we already know are dead at all some of them probably are but most of them I imagine have lasted in some form or enougher(after all this is a universe were talking about which is impossibly massive) but yes indeed it does say a lot to his intelligence.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 12, 2015, 07:23:20 PM
In terms of what the setting adds to the game, that's pretty much summed up pretty well up there.  But generally speaking, it allows for a lot of interesting narrative points and thematic points, and a dramatic backdrop.  I like post-apocalyptic stuff and about-to-be-apocalyptic stuff, as you might can tell from our roster of games, and this is a new flavor of that.  On the flip side, you'll note that I also have a soft spot for positive or at least bittersweet endings, so it's not like "well you win, now you live a little and then everybody dies." ;)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: steelwing October 13, 2015, 08:21:55 AM
So, in essence:
This should be fun! :D  Possibly in the Dwarf Fortress sense of "fun", but yeah. ;)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 13, 2015, 09:05:50 AM
Are you speaking globally, or in terms of this game? ;)

In a global timeline sense, your description of what the Hydral does is spot on. 

That said, in the scope of this game, there's a twist to his usual shenanigans: his ship is busted in the middle of a particular war zone.  So he has to send out little mini-ships with individual brains of his multi-headed self inside them, and fly into the other large ships as well as into asteroids, etc, and look for repair supplies and so forth for his large ship.  As well as getting some automated defenses to help protect his ship during occasional battles that come through the sector of space that his ship is in.

Most of your time is spent flying around inside the other large ships inside your small ship, with that goal of repairing your ship.  The victory condition is getting your main ship back functioning again and then getting back to what you were describing as his usual MO, heh.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: steelwing October 13, 2015, 11:50:19 AM
Are you speaking globally, or in terms of this game? ;)

In a global timeline sense, your description of what the Hydral does is spot on. 

That said, in the scope of this game, there's a twist to his usual shenanigans: his ship is busted in the middle of a particular war zone.  So he has to send out little mini-ships with individual brains of his multi-headed self inside them, and fly into the other large ships as well as into asteroids, etc, and look for repair supplies and so forth for his large ship.  As well as getting some automated defenses to help protect his ship during occasional battles that come through the sector of space that his ship is in.

Most of your time is spent flying around inside the other large ships inside your small ship, with that goal of repairing your ship.  The victory condition is getting your main ship back functioning again and then getting back to what you were describing as his usual MO, heh.
Ah, so the Hydral's only goal here is getting his ship fixed, and once that's done he can jet out.

Sent from my PLT7100G using Tapatalk

: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 October 13, 2015, 12:25:14 PM
In terms of main objectives: yeah.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Aklyon October 13, 2015, 01:27:54 PM
Starward Rogue, Ship Mechanic! :)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman October 13, 2015, 02:40:07 PM
Starward Rogue, Ship Mechanic! :)
starboard engineer even.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: steelwing October 13, 2015, 02:58:04 PM
Starward Rogue, Ship Mechanic! :)
starboard engineer even.
:D
: Re: Love the name! :D
: TheVampire100 October 13, 2015, 03:30:25 PM
Do you guys have already soem ideas about the price of the game?
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Captain Jack October 13, 2015, 03:35:41 PM
Do you guys have already some ideas about the price of the game?
$10-$15 iirc from the SBR thread.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: TheVampire100 October 13, 2015, 03:52:46 PM
Sounds reasonable enough for me. Will happily purchase it when it comes out.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Pepisolo October 14, 2015, 10:56:31 AM
Just my first thoughts on the name. Sounds a bit clunky to me. Starward Rogue and Life at the End of the Universe are far better titles than Airship Eternal, but mashed together into Starward Rogue: Life at the End, it doesn't work for me.

Life at the End of the Universe seemed like a pretty good title although maybe it conjures up the feeling of a God game more than a shooter. Starward Rogue does completely scream shooter, though. One other minor consideration, are there any problems with having two games that start with Star?

For me, Life at the End of the Universe seems like the best title proposed so far.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Coppermantis October 14, 2015, 07:25:32 PM
Just my first thoughts on the name. Sounds a bit clunky to me. Starward Rogue and Life at the End of the Universe are far better titles than Airship Eternal, but mashed together into Starward Rogue: Life at the End, it doesn't work for me.

Life at the End of the Universe seemed like a pretty good title although maybe it conjures up the feeling of a God game more than a shooter. Starward Rogue does completely scream shooter, though. One other minor consideration, are there any problems with having two games that start with Star?

For me, Life at the End of the Universe seems like the best title proposed so far.

I agree with this. Having a subtitle seems unnecessary and inelegant. I wasn't too fond of the "This World is Mine" after Stars Beyond Reach either, and, as far as I can tell, in conversation most folks just drop the subtitle anyway so it seems useless. Stuff like Tidalis, Bionic Dues, Skyward Collapse and so on are much more effective, I think. Plus, "Life at the end" seems truncated -- at the end of what? Life at the End of the Universe solves that problem and rolls off the tongue better.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: wwwhhattt October 15, 2015, 10:23:55 AM
Just my first thoughts on the name. Sounds a bit clunky to me. Starward Rogue and Life at the End of the Universe are far better titles than Airship Eternal, but mashed together into Starward Rogue: Life at the End, it doesn't work for me.

Life at the End of the Universe seemed like a pretty good title although maybe it conjures up the feeling of a God game more than a shooter. Starward Rogue does completely scream shooter, though. One other minor consideration, are there any problems with having two games that start with Star?

For me, Life at the End of the Universe seems like the best title proposed so far.

I agree with this. Having a subtitle seems unnecessary and inelegant. I wasn't too fond of the "This World is Mine" after Stars Beyond Reach either, and, as far as I can tell, in conversation most folks just drop the subtitle anyway so it seems useless. Stuff like Tidalis, Bionic Dues, Skyward Collapse and so on are much more effective, I think. Plus, "Life at the end" seems truncated -- at the end of what? Life at the End of the Universe solves that problem and rolls off the tongue better.
It'll also let critics make jokes about The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which might help publicity?
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Shock October 22, 2015, 05:23:16 AM
Super into the name!
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Rythe November 14, 2015, 08:20:54 PM
+1 for 'Starward Rogue: Life at the End' being clunky, especially the 'Life at the End' part rolling off like a truncated subtitle.

But eh, it'll probably survive either way.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 November 17, 2015, 12:02:46 PM
Just a heads up that folks might be interesting in a redshirts phase of the alpha, which is around now: https://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,18148.0.html
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman November 17, 2015, 02:48:03 PM
Just a heads up that folks might be interesting in a redshirts phase of the alpha, which is around now: https://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,18148.0.html
hate to nit pick but  shouldn't that be interested rather than interesting? sure were all interesting but that doesn't make much sense.
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: x4000 November 17, 2015, 03:17:18 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
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: keith.lamothe November 17, 2015, 03:20:00 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
Attention Pot, this is Agent Kettle: the target is in position.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 November 17, 2015, 03:22:33 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
Attention Pot, this is Agent Kettle: the target is in position.

Initializing mutual self-flagellation in 3...2...1...
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman November 17, 2015, 03:37:51 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
I don't know what your talking about I never put séance instead of sense I never get my grammar wrong at all.(I totally didn't have to edit anything I promise)
: Re: Love the name! :D
: keith.lamothe November 17, 2015, 03:42:59 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
I don't know what your talking about I never put séance instead of sense I never get my grammar.(I totally didn't have to edit anything I promise)
Your phone's autocorrect is playing Typing of the Dead.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 November 17, 2015, 04:03:05 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Pumpkin November 17, 2015, 04:28:46 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
Hey, wait! How would French people be able to speak about "faire une séance d'AI War"? How will we be able to coordinate on the AI War Meeting Grounds?? You're killing your French community! Argl!
: Re: Love the name! :D
: x4000 November 17, 2015, 04:35:21 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
Hey, wait! How would French people be able to speak about "faire une séance d'AI War"? How will we be able to coordinate on the AI War Meeting Grounds?? You're killing your French community! Argl!

I wouldn't actually do it!  My wife would know, but: what does séance mean in French?
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman November 17, 2015, 04:41:03 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
I wouldn't mind that I don't use that deliberately I its just more of a habit really.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman November 17, 2015, 04:42:55 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
I don't know what your talking about I never put séance instead of sense I never get my grammar.(I totally didn't have to edit anything I promise)
Your phone's autocorrect is playing Typing of the Dead.
just for the record I'm not using a phone but good god that was embarrassing its been years since I last forgot to type parts of my sentence.
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Pumpkin November 17, 2015, 04:47:31 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
Hey, wait! How would French people be able to speak about "faire une séance d'AI War"? How will we be able to coordinate on the AI War Meeting Grounds?? You're killing your French community! Argl!

I wouldn't actually do it!  My wife would know, but: what does séance mean in French?
Oh. "Séance"? Hem. Wordreference? Anything to say? "Session, sitting; performance in theater". Why thank you, wordreference. You're a nice pal indeed.

It's often used for cinema, in the daily life. One can ask a friend "when is the next séance of film N?". It's relatively rare outside of this. It would be a little bit awkward to propose a friend to have a "séance" of a game. We use "partie", for game sessions. While I'm talking about that, I often find myself in trouble when I want to talk about a session of play instead of the game by itself. How to say "It was a nice... ??game??" if I want to speak about the last session of play I'm just out of? The French word "partie" mean this; it's a general word that mean "part of something" and is used in gaming to say just that: "session of play".
: Re: Love the name! :D
: Captain Jack November 17, 2015, 04:51:24 PM
I'm really tempted to put a forum "censoring" rule in place that changes "séance" to "sense (in a spooky kind of way)" haha.
Hey, wait! How would French people be able to speak about "faire une séance d'AI War"? How will we be able to coordinate on the AI War Meeting Grounds?? You're killing your French community! Argl!

I wouldn't actually do it!  My wife would know, but: what does séance mean in French?
It directly translates to "session", but its English language usage refers to a group meeting to communicate with the spirit world. :D
: Re: Love the name! :D
: keith.lamothe November 17, 2015, 05:07:46 PM
It directly translates to "session", but its English language usage refers to a group meeting to communicate with the spirit world. :D
Example usage: "AI: if you want to court martial the commander of that last attack, try a séance."
: Re: Love the name! :D
: ptarth November 17, 2015, 06:00:42 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
I don't know what your talking about I never put séance instead of sense I never get my grammar wrong at all.(I totally didn't have to edit anything I promise)

Actually, you do this all of the time and it drives me insane. :D
: Re: Love the name! :D
: crazyroosterman November 17, 2015, 06:18:57 PM
Yep, interested rather than interesting.  Also sense instead of séance. ;)
I don't know what your talking about I never put séance instead of sense I never get my grammar wrong at all.(I totally didn't have to edit anything I promise)

Actually, you do this all of the time and it drives me insane. :D
0_0 what are you talking about my grammars perfect!.(and you totally never sent me a message criticising my grammar)