General Info

Plasteel Skull

Commodore
Hello all,

First I'd like to greet everyone here. I just got here 3 hours ago from CIC website, but I must admit that I have no idea, how this time passed so quickly! ;) All right, I must say, that I am pretty amazed that there are the same freaks like me out there (in a good sense of this word). People which consider the lacking of cockpit in a space simulator to be a proof of laziness and inability of sim's developers (in contrary to what Howard Day&team are showing here - http://www.hedfiles.net/wcpioneer/Camel.mov); people who understand the value of the detail and how it can elevate or spoil the whole game project; and developers ready to (and already working on) create a game of my dreams. Well i really want to believe its not some sort of joke, because I got quite excited :)

But let's get to the point, I have several questions, which in one form or the other were probably answered before however even 3 hours of time are not enough to search the whole topic. The questions are:

1. When did you guys started to do this project. How long it is already running?
2. The final version of the game - what it's gonna be? I already know it won't be an open-source, but will it be free or will it be sold as any other PC games? If this is the case, how much it's gonna cost?
3. How someone like me (without programming or graphic skills) can aid your project, because I surely would like to. Of course apart from sharing ideas on this forum.
4. What's the ETA :) of the first playable version of WC Pioneer? Even month or year-quarter will satisfy my curiosity.

Enough questions for now ;) Bye.
 
Although not a Pioneer staffer, or in any way connected with it except as an interested party, I think I'm on pretty firm ground when I say there's zero chance of there being any fee or cost to acquire the finished product.

Why?

Although not an iron-clad protection, by not charging for the finished game they avoid quite possibly drawing the attention of EA's laywers. I don't know about the Pioneer team's financial resources, but I rather doubt they stack up to what EA could throw in the pot, should push come to shove.

(Not "iron-clad" because no transfer of money or other compensation is required for a copyright violation to have occured, under US law [and I believe international law, under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, of which the US is a signatory]. That no action has resulted regarding WC fan projects past or present is partly a matter of legal inertia on EA's part, not a sign of lack of support under law for action.)
 
Thanks for explanation, later on i realised that the case with all other WC and also Ultima Online (Origin/EAgames game too)fan projects is based on EA benevolence when it comes to non-profit modifying and sharing of these games. Other questions remain unanswered though :) - maybe later...
 
I'll see if I can satisfy your curiosity a bit more.

There is currently no possiblilty of this game costing you anything when it comes out. However, if a series of extremely unlikely and somewhat complicated things come to pass it MAY (and I do mean not really) be a legit game. But we are not shooting for that by any means - we aren't pursuing those possibilities AT ALL. No cost.
We initially started tis project in June of '05. We have had a rather on-again-off-again schedule due to life and work for all parties concerned. Art is about at 40%, and programming is similar - around 30%. Design is quite far ahead (as it should be) and hanging at around 80%. Minor tweaks and lots of playtestig are all that remain of that. This is for the completed game, mind you. We're almost done with a rolling demo and no more than 8 months away from a small fully playable demo.
As for how you or anyone else can contribute - that's it - Suggestions are the best thing you can do right now. We've already gotten some dynamite ideas from the guys over on #wingnut - everything from detailed Quine 3000 modifications to an integrated IRC client (probably my favorite so far). The key is to remember that anything you suggest (assuming it's a good idea) will most likely be put in the game in one form or another.
Thanks for the interest!
 
You're welcome,

Ideas are something, I have in a plenty :) Will be glad to help. You are making a game which until yesterday i thought i would have to make myself (quite unlikely) to play. So its quite a pleasure to at least in a small part participate in its creation, just praying to Sivar your zeal won't fade, guys! :)
 
If the zeal would have faded it would have happened already. We've got a lot to be excited about - our engine is almost complete ( at least on the visual side) and work on an artist-usable editor is almost begun. That means that anyone involved with the project can update content without having to rely on a already-harried programmer. This project's not going anywhere.
 
Howard Day said:
We're almost done with a rolling demo and no more than 8 months away from a small fully playable demo.

Being able to toodle around one system with jumping disabled and being limited to the Hunchback would be neat (like being stuck in Troy system in Privateer), but a simple fighter gauntlet would be ok too.
 
Questions: What is a name of that slim fighter used by the pirates? What are its statistics? Is it dangerous craft - it sure looks like trouble...
 
It's the Bandit. Named after our one and only LOAF. I figured the ship you get to blow up so much should have some significance. :)
I'm kidding.
Two guns, no missiles, no mines. Tractor beam
max kps:420
Afterburn kps:750
hit points: box of kleenex...
 
So then the Bandit is what the low-level enemies will be flying, like how low-level enemies in Privateer flew Talons?
 
thanks for the info. Just one question - where its tractor beam is putting fetched item when this ship consists of guns, engine and cockpit actually. Will it hold a cargo outside of the ship?

Will there be any possibility - in later releases - to pilot this bulky yet already legendary Dryman?
 
I'd doubt you could pilot a Drayman, but I think you're supposed to be able to hire one to haul cargo and fuel to refuel your own ship in-flight. You'll have to fly escort for it, though.
 
No -we're sticking with the 5 current ships. Like ljuin said, you will be able to purchase the services of several different frieghter types. (Like in P2) Depending on what goods you're transporting, you'll see a different sort of Drayman. The cargo load is purely dependant on what goods you purchase.
So far the ones you can hire....
Hunchback
Camel
Drayman (Diligent)

We're thinking about letting you purchase the services of more than just one of these things at a time.
The Bandit doesn't have a cargo hold. It just tucks the cargo to it's underside.
 
Will there be any larger ships flown by pirates, though? One thing that always has disappointed me in open-ended space sims, Privateer included, is that pirates behave like anything but.

They always seem more interested in destroying you than in looting your cargo and then running away cowardly or boarding your ship or something that actual pirates would do.

Take Privateer, for example... the pirates never looted anything, and although you could in theory play as a pirate (since you were allowed large ships and tractor beams), piracy was hardly profitable because blowing up a merchant ship usually yielded a puny amount of loot...
 
I have to agree on that - the same issue I had in mind once I wrote a post about parlay. Let's add some realism to being a pirate.
 
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