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What's the future of Xenonauts?


BogdanM

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I've been reading this forum and the one on Steam for a week or so trying to decide whether to buy the game or not. I'm not a fan of X-com but I like tactical squad based games. The game being close to completion I'm interested to hear if Goldhawk Interactive will continue to work on this game in the form of DLCs or they are going to start a whole new project?

I know the game is quite complete even now but I would always welcome new content (and pay for it, the devs have to eat too).

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It's funny because I've probably read that same post just before creating this topic. But I would like the hear from someone informed, not just assumptions. Also, I'm not really looking for anything unseen before in the game. Things like an underwater expansion (like X-COM: Terror from the Deep), or in space +/- planets taking the fight to them (a mother ship orbiting the Earth, alien HQ on the Moon etc), or how about adding a new faction based in Asia or Middle East, surely once the invasion began, other countries would form task forces with a similar scope to Xenonauts but taking a different approach.

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Chris' last known official stance was that there would be no DLC (only patches as needed) but we shouldn't assume that this is set in stone.

Here:

What are going to do after Xenonauts? Will you upgrade, update and support Xenonauts (if so, for how long?), or you already have plans for some other project?

We’ll be monitoring the game and we’ll continue to release bugfixes and balance changes (and possibly map packs) after release if they are needed, but I don’t think we’ll be creating DLC or other new content. Unfortunately, the time it takes to do anything in the engine means that it wouldn’t be worth it.

Link: http://gamestar.ru/english/xenonauts_interview_eng.html

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I'd much rather see them work on a new game than spend 6 months working on a bit of DLC. My hope is the sales will be enough they can afford to license a better more flexible engine. Then they can get crackin on the Xcom remake we really want. Xenonauts: Enforcer.

Edited by Bhazor
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The dev team is a talented bunch, I'd be happy to see them start on a new project. I'd also be more than happy to see them release - after the project's official over - the game's source code, which would allow for community-based bugfixing. I have no doubts the community will be strong, and I have seen such an approach succeed with communities smaller than this one already is.

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I'd much rather see them work on a new game than spend 6 months working on a bit of DLC. My hope is the sales will be enough they can afford to license a better more flexible engine. Then they can get crackin on the Xcom remake we really want. Xenonauts: Enforcer.

Reading through the modding section I've noticed that the general attitude is that it is very hard to create new content for the game. I'm curious why is that because to my untrained eye Xenonauts gives the same visual effect as most of the RPGs done in the late 90' and early 2000 and many of those games released a sequel each year. Of course it could have been just as hard then also but those studios had a bigger workforce.

The dev team is a talented bunch, I'd be happy to see them start on a new project. I'd also be more than happy to see them release - after the project's official over - the game's source code, which would allow for community-based bugfixing. I have no doubts the community will be strong, and I have seen such an approach succeed with communities smaller than this one already is.

I wish the team good fortune as they seem like really passionate people but at the same time it would be a shame if the game doesn't continue to expand after the official release.

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I thought the Diner Dash reference was a joke. I had no idea it was true.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/ua9t8/iama_indie_video_game_developer_who_broke_into/c4tmz3b

Wow.

At first I thought you posted in the wrong topic. :))

Wow, it really is something when the lead developer admits they've used the wrong engine for a game. Call me old fashioned (me being 22 y/o btw :)) ) but even today I find these 2D visuals with fixed camera like in the 90's RPG games more realistic and easy on the eye than many of todays graphics seen in strategy games. I think it's the colors. I find X-com:EU to look a lot more cartoonish then Xenonauts and believe me it really annoys me when games with a mature theme goes with a that kind of visuals.

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There should be quite a thriving mod community for a while, given the activity we're seeing before the game has even shipped. I'm hoping a lot of our current community will carry over to GHs next game. I do expect them to take a break for a while though.

Then they can get crackin on the Xcom remake we really want. Xenonauts: Enforcer.

[blam] HERESY!

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The dev team is a talented bunch, I'd be happy to see them start on a new project. I'd also be more than happy to see them release - after the project's official over - the game's source code, which would allow for community-based bugfixing. I have no doubts the community will be strong, and I have seen such an approach succeed with communities smaller than this one already is.

This. Not because I know what to do with it, but because it'd allow a continuation for hobbyists and/or people who just wish to learn.

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It's a shame. I hope someday we'll get to see another XCom (or Xenonauts) remake that'll take advantage of a better engine. Xenonauts is a step up from XCom for the most part, but because of the engine, it's unlikely that the devs can make it two steps better.

Chris never said that they'd forever leave the Xenonauts universe. He just said that he didn't plan on making a sequal in the near (game dev years) future.

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Chris never said that they'd forever leave the Xenonauts universe. He just said that he didn't plan on making a sequal in the near (game dev years) future.

I was referring to Xenonauts the software, not the game universe. If we're talking really long term here, it's possible for Goldhawk to return to Xenonauts the game universe and redo the entire game on a new engine although I think it's fairly unlikely that it'll happen. I'm simply referring to the notion that Xenonauts could have been an even better game if the devs aren't so hamstringed by the engine.

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That was not exactly called for, was it?

It was quite a long time ago, when things were not going as smoothly as they have been for a while. There were problems within the team, and so forth. I remember Chris being quite stressed at the time, though it's entirely possible I'm remembering 'how' stressed he was in far too strong a nature.

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Eh, it would depends how you went about it. In this case, you could argue that we're facing an expeditionary fleet armed with standard technology, nothing overly special by alien standards. But invade them in turn and you'll face more serious resistance.

Or, perhaps easier, you timeskip ten or twenty years, or longer. Make new baseline technology derived from the alien tech with some R&D tossed on for good measure, have things recognisable but distinct, and do the same with the aliens. That it's so easy to get wrong isn't an argument for it not being possible.

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Eh, it would depends how you went about it. In this case, you could argue that we're facing an expeditionary fleet armed with standard technology, nothing overly special by alien standards. But invade them in turn and you'll face more serious resistance.

Or, perhaps easier, you timeskip ten or twenty years, or longer. Make new baseline technology derived from the alien tech with some R&D tossed on for good measure, have things recognisable but distinct, and do the same with the aliens. That it's so easy to get wrong isn't an argument for it not being possible.

Or maybe mash your two ideas together so that you get the makings of UFO: Apocalypse type scenario where the humans went "WE HAS UNLIMITED POWAH!" until the aliens went "You guys do know this is a scout fleet, right? The main armada is 15 years away... and it's far better armed."

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Freespace 2.

I keep the original box for that just because I love the blurb on the back. It hurts that even so recently as Saints Row 4 they're teasing us with the lack of any chance of getting FS3.

It hurts Volition. It stings, like lemon wedges stabbed into eyes wide open and yearning for spectacularly epic space dogfighting action.

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Eh, it would depends how you went about it. In this case, you could argue that we're facing an expeditionary fleet armed with standard technology, nothing overly special by alien standards. But invade them in turn and you'll face more serious resistance.

Or, perhaps easier, you timeskip ten or twenty years, or longer. Make new baseline technology derived from the alien tech with some R&D tossed on for good measure, have things recognisable but distinct, and do the same with the aliens. That it's so easy to get wrong isn't an argument for it not being possible.

That would mena coming up with even MORE magical technology and escalting BS-science.

It also means that the aliens employ a dozen different generations of tech athe same time.

That is redicolous.

It would be the qualent of using spears or muskets in modern armies.

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Or the equivalent of sending low profile regular forces as opposed to a full all-up war focused mobilisation. Political concerns screw over the men at the sharp end all the time, no reason that shouldn't be universal. And rather than spears, it could be more like using HMMVs, trucks, Little Birds and Blackhawks for tactical operations in hostile territory as opposed to Apaches and Bradleys, or AC-130s, Abrams and M113s. Although for a larger tech disparity, the Chinese police regularly equip crossbows over firearms, as they stand less risk of detonating suicide charges a target might be wearing.

Coming up with yet more technology is a concern, but not a particularly serious one. There's so much weird shit out there on the bleeding edge that we're in no danger of running out of craziness to extrapolate from. It's a great time to be a sci-fi writer.

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