Submitted by SapphireWolf
Picture of the Day: Ceiling Lifter...
July 05, 2010, 12:25:34 PM by Darcshadow7
is watching you!!
8 comments | Write Comment
Submitted by SapphireWolf |
Soupe Du Jour: Independance Day
July 03, 2010, 09:35:28 PM by TechPro
As you may know (and if you don't know, where are you?), today (July 4th) is "Independence Day" in the United States. Typically celebrated with a lot of parties, bar-b-ques, outings, parades, and fireworks.
11 comments | Write Comment
It has been a few generations since the United States of America gained it's independence, and as such the general public in the USA may not fully understand anymore what a significant thing it is for any nation to gain independence, to separate from a foreign controlling power, to obtain the ability to governs ones own self, to be able to set the rules and laws as they see fit and not as how others (usually distant) see fit. Usually a nation strives for independence because they feel unjustly dealt with and/or unfairly controlled and limited by the controlling power. Throwing off those shackles is a very liberating feeling, and something to be honored and cherished. In our world today, there remain many peoples who are dominated and controlled unjustly, sometimes by members of their own people. Great may be the injustices that many suffer in those conditions. Great may be the longing of these peoples for independence and freedom to choose. Sadly there are also many who for generations have known a different way of life and have been taught such that they do not understand that the freedoms and independence many enjoy are actually a good and desirable condition, something that all peoples should have the freedom to choose if they desire. Those are the conditions where people will reject independence and freedom because they have long been comfortable with the injustices that are their lot, blinded to the truths that there is a better way. It is not my right to try to say what is best for others, and it never will be. I can only hope that each person may (at the least at some point in time) have the chance to choose the kind of world they wish to live in. Independence means to not be controlled by an outside power. Freedom is the option to make your own choice. Some mistakenly believe that "independence" means no other person can make decisions or guidelines for you, and that "freedom" means free to choose whatever you wish without repercussions. Such beliefs result only in chaos and destruction. A rocket motor unleashes tremendous power, and if that power is released without any guides or controls, the only result is a destructive explosion (poof! and it's gone). By channeling the release of power through and outlet (in a direction) and placing a cone on that outlet thus placing guides and rules upon that release of power, extreme performance can be obtained. Only then does the rocket reach it's greatest potential. Let us all be like rockets, unleashing our potential, following the guides and rules that smarter persons than ourselves have laid down. Thus propelling ourselves (and those with us) to our ultimate greatness. Unlike rocket motors that cannot think for themselves, let us also be constantly evaluating our surroundings, carefully finding the best rules and guides that give the greatest results. Remember, the prize stallion will only reach it's greatest potential after it has first been "broken" and is taught to be guided by the stallion's master. Happy Independence Day, USA! Those of you who are not in the USA, I hope you are enjoying independence, and if you cannot, I hope it is not far away for your people.
Poll:What are your Summer 2010 plans?
|
Descent News
Realism in games?
July 14, 2010, 08:14:00 AM by WillyP
From Miner Wars:
So what do you think? There's a lot to discuss... Does 'enhancing' reality with stuff like the sounds we have come to expect in a game, like lasers, and other weapons in space, ship controls, etc... Or should games strive for realistic sounds, controls that require manual corrections, limited fuel and oxygen? Having to go to a station for powering up?
2 comments | Write Comment
Quote from: http://www.minerwars.com/News.aspx#Devdiaryno4
Hello,
As always we have been hard at work on Miner Wars. I would like to dedicate this developers diary to realism in space games and how it helps or ruins the actual gameplay.
When we started to make this game we have have decided that a decent sense of realism has to be present. All the best games these days aim for partial realism. There are exceptions of course. Some of these exceptions are even more fun being totally unrealistic than having any realism at all.
While designing the game we agreed on a few focal points. First of all we wanted our weapons to be realistic and more or less up-to-date. We did not want to have any fancy lasers because they have been already done over and over. Also we dont think that shooting those peewee lasers is really cool.
We just dont like the sounds associated to it. And hey, do lasers have any sound at all? Of course we can get into the ever-present discussion whether there are any sounds in space at all. More on that later however.
So we decided that we want mainly projectile based weaponry and if we are to do any lasers in the future, then it would be the real stuff. A laser with the speed of light and a straight beam.
Would this be any fun to shoot? We like to think so. In regards to projectile based weaponry our weapon of choice is the vulcan cannon. As we have not heard the right sound of this weapon in game yet, we decided to make our own very much based on the real thing. The sound and the cannon itself represents power and is really very cool to use. A-10 tank killer gun anyone?
Our take on the game is semi-realistic. What does this mean? Well mainly it has to be fun to fly and shoot. Were not aiming for space simulation here.
We even took out the word "simulation" out of every marketing material we had. We want to make a fun and accessible game for anyone.
So how do you get to fly in our game? First of all you can use the braking thrusters that slow down your movement and if you stop-pressing the directional button, then the ship stops moving.
You can also turn this function off anytime and maneuver the ship with your thrusters in space hard-core.
What does that mean? It means that if you stop pressing the directional button, the ship will continue flying in the direction where you told it to go.
In order to get back to your course you will have to use your thrusters to maneuver the ship like you have seen in say Appollo 13.
So here we took the approach to give the players a choice. If they want to fly hard-core then they can. Anytime they get tired of it they can turn on the automatic thruster correction. Is this good for gameplay? What advantage will this give to the hard-core players? Well first of all flying without automatic thruster correction will be faster, so generally its better to use if travelling long distances. Its not too usable when flying inside an asteroid or an interior level though, as it will require a huge amount of skill to use and not hit walls constantly.
Another feature we have put into the game was the survival factor. In order to survive in space your ship has to have 2 basic resources. These 2 resources are oxygen and fuel. Again you might ask why bother people with oxygen and fuel? Wont it be repetitive to fuel your ship up and pump some oxygen?
Absolutely not. Its a key game feature that were actually proud of. There will be stations where you can refuel both resources but at the same time, you will have to watch them. It also adds a lot of new strategic elements to the gameplay. Imagine yourself in a situation when your fuel runs low or, your oxygen levels are getting dangerously low. It will pump some more adrenaline into the player and that is what we want. It will be easy to refuel, but not in a stressful situation. Players will have to prepare well before going into uncharted space or a space battle.
Another point was in deciding whether or not should we have sound in space. All the space flicks always had sound in space right? At least those that were focused on action. I am not referring to Odyssey 2001 here. I am referring to the likes of star wars and such.
Its not wise to ignore all the people out there that have a firm stand on no sound in space. Generally we agree, so we introduced a feature in our game called sound emulation. When the sound emulation is active you can hear all sounds coming from outside and inside your craft. When you turn it off you can only hear your breathing. And again we have given this feature a real purpose. When you turn off the electronics in your ship then it means that you dont hear anything and that you cannot control your ship. It will continue to fly the path that you have set before you turned the electonics off. It will also make you undetectable to radar and missiles. Its just another layer of strategy that we added to gameplay. If you want to run your ship stealthy and undetectable you will be able to do it.
There is many more features in Miner Wars that are like this. Did I also mention that the game will have all our known solar-system planetary bodies?
We always balance features and try to give the players the fun and kick out of every single one that we put into place.
Our closed beta is already running and anyone can experience the Miner Wars in its early development stages. For more information on how to apply to the closed beta please go to: http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=230
We already have close to 100 closed beta testers in place and this week we are releasing a some new features into our build.
Some of the major features were implementing into the game this week are:
- Headlights - near/long range
- Ship customization screen - prototype phase. Player can switch ship or add
weapons to his current ship.
We also have an engine logo competition going. The best 5 logo contributors will get a free Miner Wars license and beta access. We have broadened the
competition by the possibility to design your own Miner Wars logo.
Please stay tuned!
Your Miner Wars Team
As always we have been hard at work on Miner Wars. I would like to dedicate this developers diary to realism in space games and how it helps or ruins the actual gameplay.
When we started to make this game we have have decided that a decent sense of realism has to be present. All the best games these days aim for partial realism. There are exceptions of course. Some of these exceptions are even more fun being totally unrealistic than having any realism at all.
While designing the game we agreed on a few focal points. First of all we wanted our weapons to be realistic and more or less up-to-date. We did not want to have any fancy lasers because they have been already done over and over. Also we dont think that shooting those peewee lasers is really cool.
We just dont like the sounds associated to it. And hey, do lasers have any sound at all? Of course we can get into the ever-present discussion whether there are any sounds in space at all. More on that later however.
So we decided that we want mainly projectile based weaponry and if we are to do any lasers in the future, then it would be the real stuff. A laser with the speed of light and a straight beam.
Would this be any fun to shoot? We like to think so. In regards to projectile based weaponry our weapon of choice is the vulcan cannon. As we have not heard the right sound of this weapon in game yet, we decided to make our own very much based on the real thing. The sound and the cannon itself represents power and is really very cool to use. A-10 tank killer gun anyone?
Our take on the game is semi-realistic. What does this mean? Well mainly it has to be fun to fly and shoot. Were not aiming for space simulation here.
We even took out the word "simulation" out of every marketing material we had. We want to make a fun and accessible game for anyone.
So how do you get to fly in our game? First of all you can use the braking thrusters that slow down your movement and if you stop-pressing the directional button, then the ship stops moving.
You can also turn this function off anytime and maneuver the ship with your thrusters in space hard-core.
What does that mean? It means that if you stop pressing the directional button, the ship will continue flying in the direction where you told it to go.
In order to get back to your course you will have to use your thrusters to maneuver the ship like you have seen in say Appollo 13.
So here we took the approach to give the players a choice. If they want to fly hard-core then they can. Anytime they get tired of it they can turn on the automatic thruster correction. Is this good for gameplay? What advantage will this give to the hard-core players? Well first of all flying without automatic thruster correction will be faster, so generally its better to use if travelling long distances. Its not too usable when flying inside an asteroid or an interior level though, as it will require a huge amount of skill to use and not hit walls constantly.
Another feature we have put into the game was the survival factor. In order to survive in space your ship has to have 2 basic resources. These 2 resources are oxygen and fuel. Again you might ask why bother people with oxygen and fuel? Wont it be repetitive to fuel your ship up and pump some oxygen?
Absolutely not. Its a key game feature that were actually proud of. There will be stations where you can refuel both resources but at the same time, you will have to watch them. It also adds a lot of new strategic elements to the gameplay. Imagine yourself in a situation when your fuel runs low or, your oxygen levels are getting dangerously low. It will pump some more adrenaline into the player and that is what we want. It will be easy to refuel, but not in a stressful situation. Players will have to prepare well before going into uncharted space or a space battle.
Another point was in deciding whether or not should we have sound in space. All the space flicks always had sound in space right? At least those that were focused on action. I am not referring to Odyssey 2001 here. I am referring to the likes of star wars and such.
Its not wise to ignore all the people out there that have a firm stand on no sound in space. Generally we agree, so we introduced a feature in our game called sound emulation. When the sound emulation is active you can hear all sounds coming from outside and inside your craft. When you turn it off you can only hear your breathing. And again we have given this feature a real purpose. When you turn off the electronics in your ship then it means that you dont hear anything and that you cannot control your ship. It will continue to fly the path that you have set before you turned the electonics off. It will also make you undetectable to radar and missiles. Its just another layer of strategy that we added to gameplay. If you want to run your ship stealthy and undetectable you will be able to do it.
There is many more features in Miner Wars that are like this. Did I also mention that the game will have all our known solar-system planetary bodies?
We always balance features and try to give the players the fun and kick out of every single one that we put into place.
Our closed beta is already running and anyone can experience the Miner Wars in its early development stages. For more information on how to apply to the closed beta please go to: http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=230
We already have close to 100 closed beta testers in place and this week we are releasing a some new features into our build.
Some of the major features were implementing into the game this week are:
- Headlights - near/long range
- Ship customization screen - prototype phase. Player can switch ship or add
weapons to his current ship.
We also have an engine logo competition going. The best 5 logo contributors will get a free Miner Wars license and beta access. We have broadened the
competition by the possibility to design your own Miner Wars logo.
Please stay tuned!
Your Miner Wars Team
So what do you think? There's a lot to discuss... Does 'enhancing' reality with stuff like the sounds we have come to expect in a game, like lasers, and other weapons in space, ship controls, etc... Or should games strive for realistic sounds, controls that require manual corrections, limited fuel and oxygen? Having to go to a station for powering up?
Miner Wars: VRage game engine logo contest!
July 07, 2010, 06:42:42 PM by WillyP
Keen Software House Ltd, creators of Miner Wars, has announced a contest to create a logo for the game engine they created to power Miner Wars:
20 comments | Write Comment
Quote
We would like to announce that as of this day were starting a new competition to create a logo of our engine VRage. This engine is what powers Miner Wars. VRage engine supports a dynamic full destructible environment. VRage will be made available to all Indie development teams in the future for modest price levels. We would like it to become a tool of young studios that want to create new original titles.
These are the basic rules of the competition:
http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=665
These are the basic rules of the competition:
http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=665
The First PD.net reunion!
June 12, 2010, 02:05:09 PM by Matthew
The Official Planet Descent Start of Summer Reunion!
Celebrate the start of summer with all your friends at Planet Descent with the Planet Descent Start of Summer Reunion!
The games will take place Friday, June 18th - Monday, June 21st. We will be trying out a new game type this time: Olympia Gold 3: Descent Racing. Note that OG3 is NOT dedicated server compatible and will be hosted on an as-needed basis. We will be hosting sporadic Descent 1 and Descent 2 legacy games as well.
See you in the mines!
Note: Servers and game times are not yet finalized and may change.
Servers:
Planet Descent Summer Bash #1: Monsterball, Circuit Breaker
Planet Descent Summer Bash #2: 2-Team CTF, Halycon (suggestions also welcome)
Planet Descent Summer Bash #3: Entropy, (suggestions welcome)
Planet Descent Summer Bash #4: BreakOut, (suggestions welcome)
Game Times:
I have decided to do away with scheduled game times as an experiment, as they never get followed anyway. Please tell me what you think of this.
Chat Information
Server: irc.gamesurge.net
Channel: #PD-Reunion (Note that this channel is currently NOT chanserv-registered and may or not be registered by the start of the games, but you can still use it)
You can find a java chat applet for the chat Here, or use your own client (recommended) by typing "/join #PD-Reunion".
You can also view this page on my website at: http://descent.globalgamers.de. (New domain and faster server courtesy of Wormaus. You rock wormy!)
Celebrate the start of summer with all your friends at Planet Descent with the Planet Descent Start of Summer Reunion!
The games will take place Friday, June 18th - Monday, June 21st. We will be trying out a new game type this time: Olympia Gold 3: Descent Racing. Note that OG3 is NOT dedicated server compatible and will be hosted on an as-needed basis. We will be hosting sporadic Descent 1 and Descent 2 legacy games as well.
See you in the mines!
Note: Servers and game times are not yet finalized and may change.
Servers:
Planet Descent Summer Bash #1: Monsterball, Circuit Breaker
Planet Descent Summer Bash #2: 2-Team CTF, Halycon (suggestions also welcome)
Planet Descent Summer Bash #3: Entropy, (suggestions welcome)
Planet Descent Summer Bash #4: BreakOut, (suggestions welcome)
Game Times:
I have decided to do away with scheduled game times as an experiment, as they never get followed anyway. Please tell me what you think of this.
Chat Information
Server: irc.gamesurge.net
Channel: #PD-Reunion (Note that this channel is currently NOT chanserv-registered and may or not be registered by the start of the games, but you can still use it)
You can find a java chat applet for the chat Here, or use your own client (recommended) by typing "/join #PD-Reunion".
You can also view this page on my website at: http://descent.globalgamers.de. (New domain and faster server courtesy of Wormaus. You rock wormy!)
DXX-Rebirth Webcomic - Issue #5
June 03, 2010, 11:36:23 AM by TechPro
Zico (at DXX-Rebirth) has announced the latest edition of the DXX-Rebirth webcomic (Issue #5 "Happy Birthday" - view it here) has been released, and it pays tribute to one of the most iconic video game characters in history.
Click here for the entire series.
Click here to view the DXX-Rebirth forum discussion about it.
Enjoy!
17 comments | Write Comment
Click here for the entire series.
Click here to view the DXX-Rebirth forum discussion about it.
Enjoy!
Miner Wars pilot competition
April 30, 2010, 07:52:17 AM by Darghan
Hi guys!
We will be inviting all the pilots for a rundown on their skills. There will be 24 winners and these winners will get a chance to be the very first test pilots for Miner Wars. Battles will then be held in Miner Wars and we will tweak the game according the liking of some of the Aces.
Check this thread and give us some ideas as to how to manage this event.
http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=476
Everybody is welcome to join us on this event.
8 comments | Write Comment
We will be inviting all the pilots for a rundown on their skills. There will be 24 winners and these winners will get a chance to be the very first test pilots for Miner Wars. Battles will then be held in Miner Wars and we will tweak the game according the liking of some of the Aces.
Check this thread and give us some ideas as to how to manage this event.
http://www.minerwars.com/ForumTopic.aspx?id=476
Everybody is welcome to join us on this event.
TinyPortal v1.0 beta 3 © Bloc