Topic: Descent reboot confirmed! (Descent Underground)

[Sapphirus]

http://descendentstudios.com/

Kickstarter:
http://descendentstudios.com/ks

[PyroJockey]

For years we've been saying "Take my money, please" for a new Descent game. Now finally somebody listened.

[Kaiaatzl]

But unless they're already working with Interplay, I doubt they'll last long.  And if they are, Interplay's track record is... spotty.  I'm just saying I'm not getting my hopes up until they've actually released something.  For now I'm still more interested in Sublevel Zero.
Whyyy generic orchestral soundtrack music?  Who thought it was a good idea to make this trailer sound like every other trailer?  Grabbing peoples' attention is also a thing.

[Pumo]

But unless they're already working with Interplay...

They are: http://www.interplay.com/about/article.php?id=81
But you're right, Interplay is not very reliable.

Although I do like to see that there's a new Descent game in the making, I still feel that I will like Sol Contingency much more.
I can't wait to see Proving Grounds released!

[PyroJockey]

For years we've been saying "Take my money, please" for a new Descent game. Now finally somebody listened.

Looks like they're serious about taking my money, I saw the word "subscription" mentioned discretely in the KickStarter page.

[Pumo]

But as Eric (the project leader) said on FB, the suscription won't be in-game:
"That is for the forums and access to live broadcasted design meetings....everything can be earned in the game FYI"

You can check his reply at the SolC FB page: https://www.facebook.com/preparefordescent?fref=ts
(yeah, he posted on there as he needed to clear some things regarding SolC )

[Scyphi]

First off, it is my personal opinion that Interplay lost the right to have any say over Descent in light of their recent treatment of the franchise, but as they're the ones with the lawyers, there's not much I can do about it.

Two, I suspect this is the real reason why Interplay shut down Sol Contingency, because they had already signed off of this...thing. And obviously they can't have two reboots going on at the same time. Sol Contingency just lucked out; perhaps it's timing was just off and they got beaten to the punch.

Third, with all of that said, I'm already not liking this supposed "reboot."

In fact, I wouldn't even call it a reboot. I would call it a cheap MMO-driven Miner Wars knock-off meant to earn Interplay some quick bucks with the Descent name slapped on it as something of an afterthought to try and take advantage of the franchise's former fame.

It doesn't even have anything iconic to Descent in it. No familiar enemies, no familiar weapons, and there is no Pyro. Instead, we've got these...other ships with helicopter tails with funky physics and no...charm.

If it really was a matter that Interplay picked this game over Sol Contingency...quite frankly I think Interplay picked the wrong one. Sol Contingency was and still is most of everything I'm looking for in a Descent game. This does not.

While I'm certainly not against seeing another 6DOF game hit the market, I feel this game currently has no business claiming to be Descent. Something else that is Descent-inspired, certainly, but not actual Descent. Worse still is that, unless this game does something serious to sweeten the deal and soon, I don't see it gaining any real lasting success because it doesn't offer anything that isn't already being done or has been done by somebody else. At best, it'll get just a very brief moment of high interest upon release that would just as quickly vanish again once it stops being "new." Assuming it even gets that far, which I also have doubts about because Interplay's apparently involved, and when was the last time they successfully pulled something off? Too blippin' long!

Sorry about this being so scathing, but this is truly my two bits on the matter.

[Eagle131]

As a Star Citizen backer, I have full faith in Wingman's capability to deliver a decent Descent game.  When I heard about his project, I got so giddy!  An official Descent release!  I'm not actually all that excited for the game itself; gameplay sounds kind of generic to me but that's just my personal opinion.  The lack of singleplayer to start sort of spoiled it more for me.  I'm still planning on backing the game and following it....because it's Descent.  And Wingman is totally cool. 

Anyways, I heard about his project the other day and decided to pop in here and see who's still around.  So, hello PD!

[Pumo]

According to the developers, there will be Single-Player on future releases, after the MP is done. I wrote this at D2X-XL and SolC forums to clear things up:

As a side note and as I noticed that there are a lot of misunderstandings everywhere regarding this new project:
For now it will be a Multiplayer MOBA game only, but on the future they will be adding a Single-Player campaign (or so that's what they said to me) that will tell the events before Descent 1, and you will see the Pyro-GX at later stages of the game, as well as some robots.

Also, there will be a suscription but only for special access to their forums and developer stuff, not for stuff in-game (although they may include DLC  :roll:, but I don't know for sure ).

The developers have said both on their forums (and also on a reply of a message I sent to them) that there will be a Single-Player campaign, but that it will be made after publishing the Multiplayer or earlier if they get enough funds. They also told me that the campaign will tell the story before Descent 1 began, and that you will see the Pyro at later stages of the game.
And yeah, that there will be robots. Check this thread from his forums:

http://descendentstudios.com/community/topic/824-i-hope-this-changes/

[Eagle131]

Yeah, I saw they're planning on doing SP, but not till later.  I want it now though

[PyroJockey]

Their Alpha release is at least a year out, it's going to seem like a long wait.

[Scyphi]

According to the developers, there will be Single-Player on future releases, after the MP is done. I wrote this at D2X-XL and SolC forums to clear things up:

As a side note and as I noticed that there are a lot of misunderstandings everywhere regarding this new project:
For now it will be a Multiplayer MOBA game only, but on the future they will be adding a Single-Player campaign (or so that's what they said to me) that will tell the events before Descent 1, and you will see the Pyro-GX at later stages of the game, as well as some robots.

Also, there will be a suscription but only for special access to their forums and developer stuff, not for stuff in-game (although they may include DLC  :roll:, but I don't know for sure ).

The developers have said both on their forums (and also on a reply of a message I sent to them) that there will be a Single-Player campaign, but that it will be made after publishing the Multiplayer or earlier if they get enough funds. They also told me that the campaign will tell the story before Descent 1 began, and that you will see the Pyro at later stages of the game.
And yeah, that there will be robots. Check this thread from his forums:

http://descendentstudios.com/community/topic/824-i-hope-this-changes/

That does help clear a few things up, and I'm heartened somewhat by the fact that there is plans for single-player (eventually, but I'll get back to that), a Pyro-GX, and the establishment that it's more prequel than anything (which I had already deduced would be the best way their approach was going to work before seeing that).

But I'm still...not that enthused...even though I want to. The truth of the matter is that it all seems too...lackluster. Like it's still missing something. Something very important.

And I question the approach still, anyway. They're banking entirely on the multiplayer being the thing that'll get the game going...I'm not convinced it will. Otherwise, why haven't all of these other 6DOF games (all who took the same approach) we've been seeing lately not been getting more attention than they have? As such I fear the game would never get far enough to even get that single-player campaign. That makes that promise still feels like an empty one.

And I have quibbles about the physics. I've re-watched that trailer a couple of times now (which really is a poorly presented trailer, and that doesn't help), and I'm convinced there's something very amiss with the physics...I can't read too much into that of course, it being pre-alpha and everything...but then there's the fact that both Sol Contingency and Miner Wars, games that use the same mechanics and physics, didn't have the same problem at that stage in their own development. So, not off to a good start in that area, basically.

And I'd still sooner liken it to Miner Wars than Descent. It doesn't have enough of that Descent feel yet.

In the end, it all seems too much like an afterthought, and again, like the only reason Interplay okayed it is for some quick bucks. Which is totally their thing, these days. And worse still, it feels generic. Not to be hard on this Wingman fellow, who truly seems like a good enough, well-meaning, guy, but I'm still not convinced he really gets Descent as much as he says. Most of the games these developers list having previous involvement in only would loosely relate to Descent in gameplay, too, the only real common theme being they all are space-sims...and I know Descent's more than that. It's big schtick is that it was a space-sim...that didn't actually take place in space, but on planets (or moons, asteroids, what have you). You wouldn't think that's that big of a deal, but it's something I've thought long and hard about and I've realized that's what Descent has that everything else hasn't; and Underground seems to be a step in the right direction...but still a far cry from hitting it.

I will still keep eyes on this and follow it's development history, of course, in hopes that this will all be addressed if not more in due time, and the game will ultimately surprise me. I hope it does, because I certainly don't want to be right about this...actually rather uncharacteristic lack of optimism I've feeling about this.

But my initial impressions still remain the same; it's too generic, too dissimilar, utterly lacks a real "hook," too much of an afterthought, and that I feel Sol Contingency still would've been the better project for Interplay to back in the end. At least I could know Sol Contingency gets it, and, in all honesty? I will probably sooner pay real money for Sol Contingency, even with it taking that "new direction," than I will Underground.

Heck, I'm even more interested in that Sublevel Zero game than this, which tells you just how bad my skepticism for Underground is, because I'm not that optimistic about Sublevel Zero either. 

I guess at this point all I have to say at this point is to present a challenge for Descendent Studios; prove me wrong, guys, prove me very wrong. 

[Hunter]

Well I guess it's time to finally get back to work on my projects. 

[Pumo]

You should check this out:

A post from Drakona (as we as a mail by Lothar) got featured, sticky'ed and earned a badge at the Descendent Studios forums: http://descendentstudios.com/news

If the developers are paying attention to the community and even featuring an important post that covers the basic stuff that we love from the Descent games there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

I recommend Descent users from here to make a notable presence on Descendent Studios forums and show our strenght as community.
We as fans of the original games deserve to be listened to, so make our voices heard!

Let's show all those fans that are just there supporting the project just because they are Star Citizen fans and don't know a word about Descent that we are also a great community, and that we are a big force if gathered, YEAH!     

[Hunter]

I've emailed some old clan mates about this - Seemed like a good idea to spread the word