KickStarter Terran Shield: Edge of the Abyss - X-COM: Terror from the Deep spiritual successor

[_Arhaeus_]

Thanks for the Underrail suggestion! I didn't know about that game. It has awaken in me the nostalgia of the old Fallout, deep and complex. At least in the first part that I played.

You can make suggestions about what you like and want from a TBS game, here or on Terran Shield forum. I will try to analyze and take into consideration all of them. We are in the development phase where we can add and modify a lot of things, from game mechanics to graphic.

 

[TOUGH GUY]

Thread theme!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

You can make suggestions about what you like and want from a TBS game, here or on Terran Shield forum. I will try to analyze and take into consideration

Do we have options to customize aquanauts in terms of appearance, name etc.? Will we be forced to use the crew members you've already highlighted?

 

[PanteraNera]

Why will you not release the game-design-document?

We won’t release the game-design-document mainly to avoid spoilers about the story, alien types and their synergies, weapons and equipment. You will know all about the aliens that we plan to put in the beta version. Right now we plan to have the Jellyfish scout, Ka-Um-La and Ud’Glee, maybe 1-2 more, we will see.

Would you be willing to release a game-design-document-light, without the story and alien types? I am asking as in my humble opinion it would give potential customers a solid overview with were you will be going. Often kickstarters do lack in detail and people make wrong assumptions as there is room for it in the first place. That can potentially generated backlash.
I am looking forward to the game, like I said cautiously

 

[_Arhaeus_]

Do we have options to customize aquanauts in terms of appearance, name etc.? Will we be forced to use the crew members you've already highlighted?

The name is changeable, the appearance it is on the list, but somewhere at the end. There are many gameplay mechanics and features like more diverse environment objects, or the possibility of fire propagation on the map that are more important to implement first.
The initial aquanaut team is optional, you can choose them at the start of the game from a pool of faces ans starting attributes. It is advisable to choose at least 2 aquanauts with mental powers, they lead the squads and give them a morale bonus. Later they are essential to the missions success, with their metal control and mental reading (in Terran Shield you can read from the alien's minds their tactical orders, mission objectives, or even alien base locations, from commanders).
In the generic aquanaut squad, Tina Stenk and Ana Velkova are in field commanders and psychics and they have each 5 aquanauts under their command. Due to tactical reasons, you have better chances of success with 2 teams rather then going with all aquanauts in a cluster. But you can experiment and group them as you like. For the underwater aquanaut's team the maximum number is 24 right now (12 for each war room of the Squid, it has one war room on each side). This number could change during development, but we want it to be as high as possible, because the aliens will be in high numbers as well.

We can release a light game design document, but will be a lot of work to select the relevant information for players (you gain nothing from knowing the foliage density on a small map, or the number of idle animation for certain alien) and to hide the sensitive lore related stuff. For us it is much more easy to answer to specific questions and write in the site news page about important game features. We are a small team and writing, sorting and preparing stuff, usually means no time for making the game.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Well, maybe you could have an faq set up with the questions people ask you, instead of worrying over the design doc.

 

[PanteraNera]

We can release a light game design document, but will be a lot of work to select the relevant information for players (you gain nothing from knowing the foliage density on a small map, or the number of idle animation for certain alien) and to hide the sensitive lore related stuff. For us it is much more easy to answer to specific questions and write in the site news page about important game features. We are a small team and writing, sorting and preparing stuff, usually means no time for making the game.

Well, maybe you could have an faq set up with the questions people ask you, instead of worrying over the design doc.

Well ERYFKRAD is right, if it is to much of a hassle just do a really good FAQ.
Thanks for your straight answers by the way, much appreciated!

 

[_Arhaeus_]

We'll make the FAQ page. It will be a big one, there's a lot of info to cover.

 

[Cael]

A turn based Apocalypse would be pretty good. A lot of the physics engine in Apocalypse was unique to it (collapsing buildings, walkways and the like, support structures, etc.). Few games have really matched it. The visual representation of the individual units and vehicles is pretty good as well, although the global vehicle limit really killed it (the more vehicles you had, the less UFOs can appear, which makes for an interesting problem where UFOs stop appearing after week 4 or 5 if you played with hoverbike swarm).

The Apocalypse AI is a lot better than the TFTD and EU AI, and the fact that you can end up fighting in the bowels of buildings makes for a pretty tense battlescape. Personally, I love Apocalypse more than TFTD, which I found to be tedious in the extreme. EU was nice only because I started modding it.

I hope that you are going to allow autofire and less tedious weapons in Terran Defence. The weapons was what killed TFTD for me. Single shot, low ammo count, nigh invulnerable enemies. Plinking away at enemies for 30mins is no fun.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Ooo, fishy smell of incline in the morning. Gonna keep an eye on this one closely.
Good Luck with development.

 

[_Arhaeus_]

A always considered that Apocalypse has one of the most revolutionary games of his time, TU or real time, prowling movement, the aliens that infected and metamorphose themselves in the hidden location of buildings, the aliens AI etc...
The main problem it had it was the rush to deliver the game, that lead to the Toxine B and C problem, they were op and made the game much too easy.
Will have autofire, just bring enough amunition on your soldiers!

We have now a FAQ page, more answers will follow soon: http://www.terran-shield.com/faq/faq.htm

And also a subscribe to newsletter page here: https://community.terran-shield.com/newsletter/

 

[Cael]

A always considered that Apocalypse has one of the most revolutionary games of his time, TU or real time, prowling movement, the aliens that infected and metamorphose themselves in the hidden location of buildings, the aliens AI etc...
The main problem it had it was the rush to deliver the game, that lead to the Toxine B and C problem, they were op and made the game much too easy.
Will have autofire, just bring enough amunition on your soldiers!

We have now a FAQ page, more answers will follow soon: http://www.terran-shield.com/faq/faq.htm

And also a subscribe to newsletter page here: https://community.terran-shield.com/newsletter/

Any of the toxin was absurd because it went straight through shields. Towards the end, when the Cult was running around in alien shields, I had my guys pump them full of Toxin A until they drowned and harvested the shields.

I will definitely be following this one with interest.

 

[_Arhaeus_]

Ud'Glee
Reaper, Killer, Monster!

 

[Cael]

Ud'Glee
Reaper, Killer, Monster!

Oh, I can see that as a reporting name: "Command, I see 2 Ugh-lees to the south and 1 Bono's Dream to the east!"

 

[Grif]

A always considered that Apocalypse has one of the most revolutionary games of his time, TU or real time, prowling movement, the aliens that infected and metamorphose themselves in the hidden location of buildings, the aliens AI etc...
The main problem it had it was the rush to deliver the game, that lead to the Toxine B and C problem, they were op and made the game much too easy.
Will have autofire, just bring enough amunition on your soldiers!

We have now a FAQ page, more answers will follow soon: http://www.terran-shield.com/faq/faq.htm

And also a subscribe to newsletter page here: https://community.terran-shield.com/newsletter/

Any of the toxin was absurd because it went straight through shields. Towards the end, when the Cult was running around in alien shields, I had my guys pump them full of Toxin A until they drowned and harvested the shields.

I will definitely be following this one with interest.

That just means it's prestigious to play without toxins and use only energy/ballistic weapons. Who needs energy shields when you toss in five alien grenades?

 

[lightbane]

It seems in this game your units start with actually advanced and fanciful gear, instead of dive suits and repurposed hunting tools.

 

[Cael]

A always considered that Apocalypse has one of the most revolutionary games of his time, TU or real time, prowling movement, the aliens that infected and metamorphose themselves in the hidden location of buildings, the aliens AI etc...
The main problem it had it was the rush to deliver the game, that lead to the Toxine B and C problem, they were op and made the game much too easy.
Will have autofire, just bring enough amunition on your soldiers!

We have now a FAQ page, more answers will follow soon: http://www.terran-shield.com/faq/faq.htm

And also a subscribe to newsletter page here: https://community.terran-shield.com/newsletter/

Any of the toxin was absurd because it went straight through shields. Towards the end, when the Cult was running around in alien shields, I had my guys pump them full of Toxin A until they drowned and harvested the shields.

I will definitely be following this one with interest.

That just means it's prestigious to play without toxins and use only energy/ballistic weapons. Who needs energy shields when you toss in five alien grenades?

You wasteful, wasteful thing...! Stun gas, walk over, pick up the shields, THEN shoot them with devastators or disruptors while they are asleep on the ground...

 

[_Arhaeus_]

It seems in this game your units start with actually advanced and fanciful gear, instead of dive suits and repurposed hunting tools.

We don't stand a chance in current diving gear both in depth and in the amount of time that a diver can stay underwater, so the aquanaut gear and capabilities are mandatory. However, the early weapons are weak like in TftD. They work vs Ka-um-la, but don't try to use them vs an Ud'glee because it will tear your team apart in no time.
We will have the toxic damage and toxic weapons, but they won't be overpowered like they were in Apocalypse. In fact Ud'glee is almost immune to toxic damage and also to sonic damage.

 

[Agesilaus]

I don't like diving, sorry.

Is there a way to just deploy small robot submarines to do all the fighting?

 

[lightbane]

HWP/mini-tanks will be a thing at some point, I bet.

 

[mastroego]

Following thread.
Godspeed.

 

[_Arhaeus_]

Our first pre-alpha sequences: TS pre-alpha 01



The 2D sonic gun model is there, too.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Looks surprisingly good.

I already like the impression of depth of the water, the blue etc, the crisp graphics and a setting that I would love.

Getting such a game done however is not easy, so I would think hard how you could find shortcuts without creating another linear fastfood game.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

I like the look. I'll keep an eye on it.

Can't have enough quality turn-based tactics games.

 

[_Arhaeus_]

We launch a series of gameplay story-driven demo episodes with the new game features as we implement them. Enjoy!