Master of Orion 2 (and Space Strategy Games Discussion)

[discord]

arioch: actually they can, but only if two(or more) fleets combined are less than fleet cap size.
fleet size being a rather powerful factor in combat so they restricted it hard, not to mention too many objects would probably crash the 3d engine or something, but mostly it is a balancing issue.

[CptWinters]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (with Alien Crossfire expansion) is for sale at GOG.com -- definitely worth the five dollars for one of the best games ever.

[NOMAD]

Good news, gearbox (who took over THQ) is going to release a REMASTERED version of both Homeworld and Homeworld 2, with both being compatible with modern graphic sets, no social feature and choice of special edition content ( original HW1 or new HW 2 mothership). Seems some of the original staff will be working on the collected editions in audio and the cinematic. all I can say is WHO HOO I don't follow the gearbox forums so this info is all I know ATM.

more info on the main site http://www.homeworldremastered.com/

release date sometime in fall 2014.

[elorran]

This has been floating around the web for a while now if you haven't heard about it already. At the moment their plan is to release a "classic" version of homeworld 1 and 2 that will run on modern systems, leaving most of the gameplay and all the known mechanics and exploits in place. Then at a later stage they'll release an (ultra) high definition version with updated textures, models, audio in some places and various bug and exploit fixes.

As far as we know homeworld cataclysms major files were lost and gearbox is unlikely to recreate it, which is unfortunate (whether you disliked cataclysm or not). But various things have been happening behind closed doors we've not been privy to so we may yet be surprised.

[Arioch]

Cataclysm was junk anyway.

[elorran]

Its something I hear often. Cataclysm seems to have been the love-hate offspring of the series. I personally enjoyed cataclysm for its diversity and darker storyline. Certainly it had its issues and didn't match the grandeur that homeworld set before it, but it was still enjoyable. Though as with anything, personal preferances.

[NOMAD]

well I'm excited their an official announcement for this HD version. been wanting to play HW since I got my new main ( but OS system are obliviously different)

[CptWinters]

The original was always gorgeous, and though I'm sure they'll maintain the aesthetic, I am somewhat disappointed that this is all they've chosen to do with the franchise.

My hope is that this is simply the first move in a revitalization campaign: a way to build interest and currency for the brand before moving on to bigger and better things.

I guess we'll see, but Homeworld will always have a special place in my heart.

[Arioch]

It is. Gearbox has tasked Blackbird Interactive (headed by former Relic art director Rob Cunningham) to create new Homeworld games. The first is a reskin of the Facebook-style game formerly known as Hardware: Shipbreakers, but it sounds like their ambitions go well beyond that.

[CptWinters]

I remember hearing about that. I guess I'm having trouble connecting "Homeworld" with what I saw of "Shipbreakers," but I suppose it has potential.

Still, it's good to know that the old art director is at the helm and that they're working on additional projects. It's been a while since there was a successful space game—I think SotS was the last I played.

[fredgiblet]

I'm kind of excited by this because combined with the HD versions of Baldur's Gate I'm hoping this will signify a re-birth of some older franchises. I want my Freespace 3 and System Shock 3 damn it.

[CptWinters]

Bioshock: Infinite wasn't enough for you?

[Nemo]

If not older franchises then older styles of gameplay. I may be turning into a cantankerous old man, but I don't think they make'm like they used to. It feels like more 80's .50 cent arcade games with modern graphics every where I turn. Which were fine... in the 80's. But the depth of gameplay I want takes too much work for too small a niche I suppose.

Ofcourse, I'll be honest, I loved the hell out of Homeworld 1 but I never managed to finish 2. I just lose interest, both in the gameplay and the story. And I liked SotS 1 but cant stand SotS 2... maybe its not the games, maybe I just don't like change?

[CptWinters]

SotS 2—once they got it working, anyway—just overwhelmed me. There was too much going on for me to take it all in, and I much preferred the original.

—and Homeworld 2's story was just a re-hash of the original anyway, so you didn't miss much.

[NOMAD]

Bioshock: Infinite wasn't enough for you?

its was for me, even with the confusing story line, but in hindsight I enjoyed the story and the characters, still looking forward to the last DLC for Buried at Sea.

as for future HW games, I'm for it. HW 1 was very memorable, HW 2 also enjoyable and I enjoy the grand scale of the story.

[uthilian]

the re-branding of shipbreakers jas lead to it being done as a prequel to HW 1 (the fight over limited resources, leading upto the discovery of the guide stone & hyperdrive)

[rollory]

Cataclysm was junk anyway.

Cataclysm was the only one worth replaying. HW1 was a Battlestar Galactica ripoff - not a bad one, but a very obvious one, and basically the entire second half of the story is totally disjointed - it completely loses the flow of the story that was present going from Kharak through to Kadesh. They needed about 3 times as many scenarios covering the rest of the voyage to maintain the level of quality set in the early fights, and clearly just didn't have the resources for it. Cataclysm's set-piece battles are far more memorable (most notably the very first and very last ones - in HW1 the last battle is just a generic beat-em-up, and the frigate sphere one is grind grind grind), and it also fixes the extremely silly salvaging mechanic.

HW2 was mind-bendingly stupid.

Cataclysm is the only one I'd pay for again.

[fredgiblet]

Bioshock: Infinite wasn't enough for you?

Don't get me wrong, I like the Bioshock series, but it's not the same. I need me some SHODAN man.

[Nemo]

Ill grant you the HW1 salvage issue, but it could have been remedied by the module/location damage introduced in 2. Take out engines and fire control, send out salvage corvette/frigate. By that I mean, you can take the gameplay in 1 and add to it rather than building something different. Speaking of building, much prefer the HW1 system. I'd love if they built in better/easier modding to the remake so the community could streamline the UI and what have you.

[NOMAD]

Bioshock: Infinite wasn't enough for you?

Don't get me wrong, I like the Bioshock series, but it's not the same. I need me some SHODAN man.

before my time, I started with bioshock 1 and 2 ( love both of them despite 2 being less successful).

as for homeworld: I'm a techy, so I loved the back story, the technical/historical details of the ships and races ( and the reason I found Outsider, HW shipyards thxs Arioch:) )

@ nemo: I agree it could have work out. and I yes I likes the multiple ships building option.