Soldak Entertainment - Next Game Thoughts

Steven Peeler has revealed the concept of Soldak's next game in a fairly lengthy blog post, having already dropped enough hints for fans to figure out the setting. Here are a couple of snips from the post:

Really quick summary: MOO from a mercenary captain's point of view.

In each game you start in a random galaxy with several races. Each race's goal is to conquer the galaxy, the problem is the other races are in the way. This is the plot of many strategy games like Master of Orion or Civilization (well Civ is planet bound).
These races expand their territory by scouting out and colonizing suitable planets. They build up their planets with more and better buildings that enhance their economy. They go to war and attack enemy races to hurt them or take their planets. They do much of this by building fleets of starships. They also research new and better technology to build better buildings and ships.
You aren't in control of any of this, directly at least. You are a mercenary in this very dynamic galaxy. Your job is really to survive and make a good living in the meantime. You can pick the side that you feel is right and help them conquer the galaxy for its own good. You can pick the side that you think is going to win and go along for the ride. You can even try to play the races against each other and simply try to pick the winning side at the last second.
You might just be a small mercenary ship but you have a lot of influence in the direction of the galaxy. You can scout out suitable planets to be colonized. You can attack and destroy defenses. You can find and possibly even steal technology to give to the race of your choice. You can even find items and arm whoever you want, including yourself.
At the very beginning you start with a small escort ship, but every so many levels you can upgrade to a larger ship like a frigate, destroyer, cruiser, battleship, all of the way up to a flagship.

More information.

Now that sounds like a game I'd like to play. I hope it'll be even half as fun as it sounds. Looking forward to hearing more about this.

Works for me and it sounds like he's bringing factions/diplomacy back into play or at least some form of it. Not sure what it will all mean, but it sounds good.

Bring on the space battles

Looks appealing. The kind of settings organization I'd like to operate in.

Troubles are players have a big ego, they want the game to revolve around them and makes a big impact on what's going on, like the control freaks they are.

Will end like Sid Meier's Pirates when through your own actions and in spite of your tiny scale operating level, you could shape the entire gameworld.

This type of game would suit me better if they relinquish on the big impact effect, allowing the player to influence lightly the outcome without making the player the central element of the deep changes that could happen.

Does it have jumping though?

Originally Posted by Lemonhead
Does it have jumping though?

Spaceships don't jump very well.

As I said in the other thread, I love this idea. Granted part of it is due to me being a SF geek, but the idea of combining the factions, and emerging events with a Space Rangers type game really appeals to me. I've always liked games like Elite, Privateer, and the like, and always thought it would be great if they had more RPG elements.

So yeah. Really interested in this one. Now Steven, if the game after this one has giant robots I'll be customer for life.

Originally Posted by Steven Peeler
Spaceships don't jump very well.

Except Hyperspace Jumps

Yeah a RPG with jumps, many RPG players of this forum will rejoice, good, for once they'll get a point to rejoice instead of whining, isn't life good?

It's sounding good, Steven.

One can already jump within Divinity 2

Originally Posted by Dasale
Yeah a RPG with jumps, many RPG players of this forum will rejoice, good, for once they'll get a point to rejoice instead of whining, isn't life good?

RPGing does not call for jump automatically. Quite a leap in logics from observing that depriving a nimble character from jumping is not the most reinforcing RP opportunity ever and claiming that all RPGs should include jumping as a possibility.

Dead State is one game for example that does not call for jumping. Climbing is another story though.

The reaction to the enhancement business in Deux Ex suits though if people are looking for whiners.

I hope it has decent graphics; not so much as state of the art 3d rendering with full dynamics that some of the recent release have but something a bit cleaner then their earlier works. Hum. Even something at the level of free space would be a step up.