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Sequel Idea


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After I received Project Update #30 I felt I needed to come here and post my opinion. Most notably due to the remark that there was not many places to go after the first game. I find this to be rather limited in thinking. While I am not promoting a "Terror from the Deep" scenario, there are places to go after defeating the alien invasion story and game-wise.

Imagine if you will... 

The first Alien war is over. The Xenonauts have successfully repelled the alien invasion and Earth is safe once more, but the world has changed. In the aftermath of the invasion countries now have alien inspired tech and resources. The world moves forward into a new era of development with this new technology. Though unable to replicate the Alloys or Alenium, there is enough supply that new tech is supplied to the civilian sector. New power sources are brought online and fossil fuels run out. The peoples of the world become dependent now on the alien tech that brought them destruction at the hands of the aliens. Alas, though plentiful, supplies are limited. The Xenonauts are now tasked with using this alien technology to go beyond Earth, to go beyond our solar system and locate and find more resources before Earth's dependency on alien materials causes it to wither and decay.

Moon bases and the colonization of Mars begins in earnest, stepping stones to the grand plan. From here the Xenonauts spread out to the galaxy searching for the right resources needed to keep Earth alive and well. Outposts are built outside our solar system, even the beginnings of colonization of other worlds. The Xenonauts had reached its golden age and funding was near unlimited, but nothing lasts forever, not even Alenium.

The rare power source is overused and suddenly begins to run out. The only short supply left is in the hands of governments and the Xenonauts. Citizens begin to rebel as the world collapses and runs out of power Countries fall into chaos and governments begin to blame the Xenonauts for their lack of progress. Funding is cut short which slows progress even further and the world begins to collapse. The Xenonauts lose connection with their ships and outposts beyond Earth. Without supplies from Earth, Mars becomes a barren wasteland once more and all contact with the colonies beyond Earth is lost. The second Dark Age has descended.

But beyond the veil of darkness, the Xenonauts  have succeeded in their mission. A source of Alenium and Alloy is discovered and quickly they begin to extract the materials for the return trip home. Unfortunately for them, their mining efforts do not go unnoticed. Alien ships of unknown origin begin to decimate the Xenonaut forces. With superior technology, the aliens nearly wipe out the Xenonauts except for one ship that flees back to Earth to warn them. Something was coming.

And with that flight, they have lead the enemy straight back to a devastated Earth. The last and only force capable of fighting off this new invasion is the now skeleton crew of Xenonauts...

 

Ok so the point is, there IS a place that a sequel could go and its not limited. It does not have to be a direct sequel after the first or on an Earth we see today, using tech from before the fall (ie Xenonauts 2) against an enemy far more powerful than the last alien invasion. The distance to Earth is the reason the invasion starts out slow at first as supply lines are stretched. Or even set the invasion in space (aka Interceptor story-wise). There is room for more Xenonauts beyond just rehashing the same invasion again and again. Sure the same mechanics could be used in a new game but the story itself could change and by doing so change the feel of the game itself not just in game play but context itself.

I'm not a developer or game builder. I do not know what goes into game design, but I know a story will give any game potential. There is, in my opinion, so much more that could be done with a game of this sort. All you need is a good story and you have a point at which to start.

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That Game is still in Development and in Beta-Phases. There is no time to think about that. First Xenonauts 2 and evtl. DLC´s with Missiong Content for only Xenonauts 2 Base-Game have to be finished.

Then and I repeat then can be thought about such an Idea, if XCOM 3 or XCOM 4 from Firaxis haven´t the same Idea with more Elements. And there is such an Idea is already realised in the older 2007 UFO Extraterestial Game, with only one Difference. You start on Esperanza, and the Aliens need Ressources. After you getting to Earth at the End of the Storyline, Erath is completely Empty from Humankind.

But Goldhawk is a smaller Game-Developer, which can only produce 1 full Game at the Time. And Xenonauts 2 will get like already mentioned DLC´s. So the Idea for a full Game is about 15 Years in the Future. Maybe some of your Ideas can be implemented in the Base-Game or the DLC´s. But not a full new Game with an complete new Map.

A Game-Development need about 6 to 8 Years from the Idea, first Handcrafted Pictures etc. over the Main Coding for the Baseline and much more. And then the Steps over Alpha-State, Beta-State (like we are in Xenonauts 2 now, which much Refits, Reworks and so on), where the Beta-Testers beginn in some Parts from 0 on, today Early Access-State later on (in the 80´s, 90´s and 2000´s that State were not there) and then the first full Base-Version (mostly 1.0.0 or 1.0.x).  

In that time we have already XCOM 3 as well as UFO ET2. Maybe XCOM 4.

 

Edited by Alienkiller
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I think you miss understand the point of the post. Or I simply did not make it as clear as I could have.

The story for Xenonauts 2 is the same as it was for Xenonauts 1. For all intense and purpose, Xenonauts 2 is basically a version 2 of the first game, with more game options. Do not get me wrong, I'm all for it. I have played both and enjoy them immensely.

What bothered me was the game developers idea that there was no place to go after Xenonauts 1. That the conclusion of Xenonauts 1 was, story wise, the end of the series therefore the only option was to remake Xenonauts 1 with more bells and whistles. Upgrades from the first game and very well done and implemented so far, I must say. Again I am no game designer nor programmer, but to say there is not many places to go after the first game, is limiting ones own creation. Even the original X-Com recreated the first with pretty much the same feel and game play into Terror from the Deep. Most of the game play mechanics were the same, yet it was a different story that made it a true sequel.

I am a fan and will still love and play the game. I am not here to reproach to the developers on their choice to reexamine the first game, but simply open their eyes to the possibility that the end of the game does not mean there isn't a way forward, a story to tell. For all games tell a story that can extend beyond its own boundaries and live on.

Alas Xenonauts 2 is what it is and I am grateful to be able to play it, but never limit yourselves to one line of thinking. Always think beyond...

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I understood the Post, but the Team is small and have to end that Game with announced DLC´s first. Then we can think about that what is next with an Xenonauts 3 (if it comes). Maybe it will be like X-COM: Apocalypse with producable things (like the Engerything and the Alien-Metals) and X-COM Interceptor in 1 Game.

We all don´t know it, but we can watch what Firaxis is doing in XCOM 3. Maybe we get such an Scenario you have said and Goldhawk can do an similar or better Version of it. The Devs are showing of the old X-COM-Series and look what they can make better there. But from the newer Series (Phoenix Point, XCOM 1, 2 and Chimera Squad) as well as UFO2ET they can learn. That I mean wait and see. Integrate the best Ideas from the others in the existing Product or later in a newer one.

That´s an big Part of Gamedevelopment. The new Series from older Games were not possible with that you learn from others and the forbear.

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