Stormgate - sci-fi/fantasy RTS from ex-Blizzard devs - now on Early Access

[Dayyālu]

I heard rumor that they've been spending money like they are still at Blizzard.

I remember somewhere they presumed that their market would be "at least 50% of their previous product", meaning Starcraft 2. From what I see the devs were clearly delusional and working with the hysterical notion that they could essentially do the same as Blizzard in a different market, with different resources, and an untested IP just because "they did it before!". In before we discover that the "Blizzard Veterans" in Frost Giant Daughter's team were code monkeys or community guys.

I mean, they must see the player count of Age of Mythology Retold (between 10k and 8k daily) and weep blood tears. At least they did better than fucking Homeworld 3.

 

[Tyranicon]

How much of that supposed $45 million budget do you think they made back?

 

[ArchAngel]

I heard rumor that they've been spending money like they are still at Blizzard.

I remember somewhere they presumed that their market would be "at least 50% of their previous product", meaning Starcraft 2. From what I see the devs were clearly delusional and working with the hysterical notion that they could essentially do the same as Blizzard in a different market, with different resources, and an untested IP just because "they did it before!". In before we discover that the "Blizzard Veterans" in Frost Giant Daughter's team were code monkeys or community guys.

I mean, they must see the player count of Age of Mythology Retold (between 10k and 8k daily) and weep blood tears. At least they did better than fucking Homeworld 3.

Is that Steam player count for AoM:R?
Because game is on game pass on PC and console as well.

 

[ghardy]

I finally read the update document from 19 Sept (emphasis added):

"We had so much fun creating Kastiel - our angelic space vampire. We hope you’re looking forward to playing with him as much as we are.

Kastiel has been a treat to design and playtest. Culling friends and foes alike to empower his Nethersword makes being bad feel very good.

Kastiel’s an expert on using any resource to achieve his means, and the Arkhos Arcship is his Ultimate weapon. The Arkhos Arcship has an Affinity Link to Kastiel, giving it the ability to soar across the playing field at top speeds…for a massive warship. It siphons Animus from fallen enemies to power its Soul Cannon, which can fire globally across the map to deal devastating damage and heal itself. Not in the mood for a fight? The Arkhos can also transmute the Animus in corpses and trees into Therium and Luminite - anything’s a resource if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to live to fight another day. The Orphan of Wintros knows this better than anyone."

They sure do love playing with their Netherswords over at Frost Giant.

 

[duke nukem]

Heromarine had good video about this after the patch, i actually agree everything that he says and the game design section of the video is funny yet true:

around 8 minutes he talks about game design, if you dont care to listen about hotkeys, even though i think that was also interesting.
For me that hotkey thing is not that big deal, but i understand why its imporant for him and other professional players.

Its a shame that they lack creativity, because i just love feeling of gameplay, like this has the same blizzard feel in the controls, that other rts games dont really have. Still i have some hope for this game. Last update was well received and next big one arrives in october and that update will improve audio and has more art improvements. I have a feeling that early access should have been after october.


I love how official website say that:

The First Truly Social RTS​

Yet, it has 0 social features.

 

[ghardy]

I think their wild-eyed vision exceeds their grasp.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

The worst part about this is that SG's high profile failure will scare away investors from the genre entirely, despite there being a number of much more promising, original and better run projects.

 

[ghardy]

SG's high profile failure will scare away investors from the genre entirely

Yes, this is a lamentable possibility.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

I've chatted with a few people who naively look forward to the possibility of a Starcraft 3. Entirely aside from how godawful the story would undoubtedly be (what would it even be about? Amon's ex-girlfriend invading to get revenge? fuck that dumb shit), who would actually program it? Everyone who worked on the Blizzard RTS games has long since moved on. This has happened to every RTS studio. Most of the people working on the current crop of new RTS games are longtime RTS players who learned to code, introduced to the genre by classic titles like Starcraft, Command & Conquer, Age of Empires, and Total Annihilation. This new generation of millennial devs are still untested.

 

[ghardy]

Given the present and foreseeable state of Actilizard, the possibilities are:

• A fresh StarCraft RTS: StarCraft 3
• A fresh WarCraft RTS: WarCraft 4
• A new IP

The second is so unlikely as to be disregarded.
The third is risky for Actilizard. I don't think they have the visionaries left.
This leaves the first. I suspect they might just opt to give it the Age of Empires 4 treatment, i.e., to outsource it, again as I don't think they have the visionaries left.

This RTS, if it ever is made, would be influenced by the general culture of gaming after StarCraft 2. That does not fill me with joy.

It will also have the kind of story you think it will have.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

I predict that Starcraft is either effectively dead or will be prostituted for mobile games with copious micro-transactions.

 

[Multidirectional]

So the 3v3 mode is called "Team Mayhem" and from description it doesn't really resemble RTS to me.

Team Mayhem Initial Rules

• Two teams of three players start on opposite sides of the map
• Each team has a heavily defended base in a very safe starting area
• Your starting structure (HQ) automatically generates Luminite over time and is invulnerable, so there's no knockout via player structure elimination
• Each team also shares an allied "Core" structure that is the main Win/Loss condition
• Creep camps (map objectives) grant Victory Points and Therium
• Victory Points increase the amount of damage your team’s units deal to the enemy core
• A major boss creep is located on the map and, once defeated, will march towards the enemy Core to attack it - ignoring enemy units along the way
• No workers or starting scout units; eliminated micro-management of workers (all building, training, and upgrading is handled through the quick macro panel)
• You can build anywhere within your team’s vision
• To make each Hero and their Hero “Faction” feel distinct, they’ll each be refined down to five units, five structures, and five unit-specific upgrades, with a max supply of 100 for initial testing–additional upgrades act as tier gates
• No top bar abilities for this mode
• Structures can be set to “auto-train” units
• Expansion is limited to one structure (similar to a Collection Array), which is placed directly on a Luminite mine that auto-harvests

I guess they decided to go for MOBA audience now, since RTS players are leaving their game.

 

[rumSaint]

What lack of direction does to a motherfucker.

It will end like DoW3... Oh well, nothing of value will be lost.

 

[ghardy]

I recall reading that they were consulting long-time veterans of the RTS scene - of all kinds. They came up with this?

Is there anyone in charge? Who is the braintrust over at Frost Giant?

 

[ArchAngel]

I recall reading that they were consulting long-time veterans of the RTS scene - of all kinds. They came up with this?

Is there anyone in charge? Who is the braintrust over at Frost Giant?

Veterans of RTS are working on Zerospace, Frost Giant are just Blizzard rejects.

 

[Inec0rn]

lmao, Zerospace looks like yet another cheap SC2 clone.

 

[ArchAngel]

lmao, Zerospace looks like yet another cheap SC2 clone.

Yes but it will play well and not have super strange design decision unlike this Stormgate shit. And it is not like Sc3 is coming any time soon.

 

[Marat]

There's also IMMORTAL which might just prove to be the unlikely underdog hero of this story, seeing how things are going.

 

[ghardy]

I keep hearing about IMMORTAL: Gates of Pyre. The other upcoming "big" RTSes seem to have greater professional publicity around them, but this one looks to have a larger word-of-mouth presence.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

lmao, Zerospace looks like yet another cheap SC2 clone.

It’s also a ripoff of Mass Effect. They’re copying the galaxy map. I’m not wowed by what they showed since I’m already burnt out on the originals.

There's also IMMORTAL which might just prove to be the unlikely underdog hero of this story, seeing how things are going.

I keep hearing about IMMORTAL: Gates of Pyre. The other upcoming "big" RTSes seem to have greater professional publicity around them, but this one looks to have a larger word-of-mouth presence.

I chatted with the Immortal devs on their discord before. One of the selling points for their new IP is that it has very detailed lore in advance rather than making shit up as they go. When they start releasing campaign dlc, they’ll do a multiverse structure that showcases different timelines with different victories so that every faction gets its time to shine.

 

[ArchAngel]

lmao, Zerospace looks like yet another cheap SC2 clone.

It’s also a ripoff of Mass Effect. They’re copying the galaxy map. I’m not wowed by what they showed since I’m already burnt out on the originals.

There's also IMMORTAL which might just prove to be the unlikely underdog hero of this story, seeing how things are going.

I keep hearing about IMMORTAL: Gates of Pyre. The other upcoming "big" RTSes seem to have greater professional publicity around them, but this one looks to have a larger word-of-mouth presence.

I chatted with the Immortal devs on their discord before. One of the selling points for their new IP is that it has very detailed lore in advance rather than making shit up as they go. When they start releasing campaign dlc, they’ll do a multiverse structure that showcases different timelines with different victories so that every faction gets its time to shine.

Galaxy Map thing might be the best thing since it is a rip off one of the better features of later Dawn of War expansions but also it will be persistent online MP map that players will be able to influence by playing.

 

[Multidirectional]

I chatted with the Immortal devs on their discord before. One of the selling points for their new IP is that it has very detailed lore in advance rather than making shit up as they go. When they start releasing campaign dlc, they’ll do a multiverse structure that showcases different timelines with different victories so that every faction gets its time to shine.

Did these devs express any clue as to when that game might be released? I've heard one of RTS streamers express concern that it looks like it will take 10 more years to finish. Would definitely love to try it sooner than that.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

Did these devs express any clue as to when that game might be released? I've heard one of RTS streamers express concern that it looks like it will take 10 more years to finish. Would definitely love to try it sooner than that.

The beta will begin after they finish implementing the third side, and it will go gold after the fifth is implemented. No ETA

 

[Inec0rn]

Looks at "Immortal".. wtf this also looks like SC2 as well?! (I liked SC2 as well btw) but see'ing games just trying to replicate it doesn't do much for me, its also copying the artstyle too meh..

 

[ghardy]

I've heard one of RTS streamers express concern that it looks like it will take 10 more years to finish.

That has to be hyperbole. Right? Right?