Meet Me Midway (February 28, 2007)

[Bandit LOAF]

Speaking stylistically, though, I think that's exactly what they're going for -- an "evil" Midway. This is the ship (class) thirty years later, after an alliance with the Kilrathi (almost certainly where the red comes from!). It's lived through a terrible war, been patched together a dozen times and is still out there kicking.

 

[Zorch]

Zorch:

I worked on Counter-Strike Beta 5 and Global Operations. I have dealt with EA on numerous occasions as an employee of one of their agencies (I created the C&C3 site and know the person who did the WC: Arena page which you've yet to see). I have about 10 friends in various positions in EA ranging from PR to design to QA.

(I deleted the rest).

Wow! Thats so cool. Im sorry if I came at you. I'm listening!

Allyou designers and programers should get together and make a wing commander game that has a story and everything.

 

[Cam]

I was speaking from my point of view as a professional designer. I deal with business decisions on a daily basis which affect the visual outcome of my work. I brought up EA's business approach because it is entirely germane to that discussion. My point was that the look was unexpected for some of us, but I understand how they arrived at that look because I understand how EA operates. I understand how EA operates because I've worked with them, and people who work there are my friends and tell me. Perhaps it's not the same in all EA offices, but it's generally accurate.

The fact that it looks different isn't a bad thing at all. But I don't like the look because to me, it isn't taking the WC brand in a good direction. That doesn't mean I don't think it will be a great game, but from an initial impression, the aesthetics are not impressing me.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I don't know, it seems overly negative to me. As far as I can tell, the direction is from no Wing Commander games to a Wing Commander game -- that's a positive step.

 

[Cam]

Yeah, it may be a bit negative, but I am pretty stoked about the game even though I won't be able to play it (no 360). I think the fact that there IS a new Wing Commander game is amazing news. I'm hoping it leads into some big games outside of XBLA.

 

[Pedro]

Allyou designers and programers should get together and make a wing commander game that has a story and everything.

Me and Quarto both worked on Unknown Enemy back long before we entered the industry. Sadly once you get into it time is more limited (and that project truly made me comprehend the gap between what we would like to do, what we would settle for and what can actually accomplish with no budget). Still I'll be announcing a small scale project with a few screenshots in a month or two once I have chance.

 

[gevatter Lars]

From the few last arguements I think people are more then happy that their is a new WC game. They are more expressing that the ship design isn't to their likeing...for different reasons.
At least that is my impression.

As for me personaly. I don't have much left for arcade games...so I will let it pass with that much of a notice gameplay wise. People who like arcade games can better tell if its a good one or not.

What I am more interested in is the ship designs. The fighters as far as I have seen are looking well done..from the few I saw in the little movies.
They fit well with the style established by the older games.
The caps on the other hand don't look that good in some cases.
WC ships had a lot of stuff that could be damaged or blown away without adding these, partial strange details..mostly I dislike the antennas, or whatever they are.
Taking the Midway as an example...you got the Bridge, engines, hangarbays, lunchtubes, turrets, bussard collectors and maybe the one or other random part of the hull like the back structure that was somehow connected to the bridge.

I feel a little bit like in MWDA...first release got you the grebbled strange agro-mechs and later you got real battlemechs. Maybe with new WC titles...if their are more then just Arena we might see a similar development. In the first game you got the old wartorn ships and later newer shipclasses come online.

Overall I am a little bit splitted. One part is happy the other is quite sad. The future will tell whats next.
Else I still got all the great mods like Unknown enemy, Standoff, Saga, the upcomming Pioneer and HW2 WC mod. Reminds me that I have to get a copy of HW2.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

I think you're putting too much stock in the word arcade -- Wing Commander has always been an "arcade game" in this sense. The ships act the same way in Arena as they did in previous titles -- shields, armor, devices, maneuvers, weapons selection...

If hearing the word 'arcade' makes you think it's a one-shot one-kill Galaga-style blast-fest, then put it out of your mind: it is not.

 

[gevatter Lars]

Thats isn't exactly what I connect with arcade...as beeing extremly simple.
Its more that when I played the other WC games I couldn't turn them off and go away because I wanted to know how the story continues. Whats happening next...like a good book.
Except the part of MP in Arena, that would keep me playing because I want to beat some certain friend, their is, as far from what I heard, very little storytelling in the way I know it from WC1-5.
Its like Battlefield. I like to play it for the competition but I realy don't have any problem to log out and start again at a later point because it will allways be more or less the same.
When playing the old games I couldn't turn off just because I was ordered to/have to...it was allways this "just one more mission" thing.

I think that is the point I am worried about when it comes to hearing arcade. A simple story that dosn't catch me.
As said I think if people like this stuff its no problem for me but I would feel sad if their wouldn't be any other storydriven WC games and only just gameing titles.

 

[Dyret]

But the spindly antennas and such just don't really look like they belong on that ship.

That is what I think is so great about it, though. It is serving on the frontier of a severely weakened Confed, so it makes perfect sense that it would undergo various improvised upgrades and repairs, and that the crew would add parts that doesn't really go to well with the original design just to keep it running.

Just think about the Corvette in End Run that had (among other things) two extra kilrathi engines weilded to it.

 

[gevatter Lars]

I think if these parts are realy improvised you could add some clamps or struds that show more clearly to not WC fans that its not part of the original design. We know it but others don't do so.
Reminds me of the Ferret I once made, adding an extra engine to it that was just that an egine with some struds to hold it in place.

Just noticed...where the lunchtubes for fighters removed? I can only see one at each side if they are lunchtubes at all. Would be interesting to see the downside of the ship.

 

[Ggmesquita]

some of the objects (and I'm thinking especially of the large cylindrical thing that reminds me of an old oil tank) seems to really throw the scale of the ship off - makes it look small.

You're right. Something was bugging me and I didn't know what.
Those large cylindrical things sure make it look small, keeping in mind that it is almost 2 kilometers long! And about the color scheme, it does look "evil".

 

[NinjaLA]

I think when you fly by one of those "tanks" and it dwarfs your little fighter, the scale will no longer be in question.

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

Hmm, just a thought I had: maybe that's not an upgraded Midway for battle but some sort of special Command&Control version, which focuses more on fleet coordination, communications, jamming and detecting. The concept of mobile HQ taken to the extreme. It could explain why they removed launch tubes and weapons.
Though it's just a random idea.
And while the paint scheme seems odd for Confed, I do like it. Makes it somehow sleeker (in spite of the extra fat on the hips).

 

[Pedro]

That is what I think is so great about it, though. It is serving on the frontier of a severely weakened Confed, so it makes perfect sense that it would undergo various improvised upgrades and repairs, and that the crew would add parts that doesn't really go to well with the original design just to keep it running.

Damn giant jousting spears are fantastic alternatives to missile launchers and engine upgrades

 

[Dundradal]

Speaking stylistically, though, I think that's exactly what they're going for -- an "evil" Midway. This is the ship (class) thirty years later, after an alliance with the Kilrathi (almost certainly where the red comes from!). It's lived through a terrible war, been patched together a dozen times and is still out there kicking.

So, basically this Midway class ship makes the Victory look like the St. Regis Hotel. It's since to know Com. Blair helped design a ship that sure could go through it all and stay afloat.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Damn giant jousting spears are fantastic alternatives to missile launchers and engine upgrades

You realize you're talking about the ship that they grafted a giant crystal space tube to, right?

 

[gevatter Lars]

Speaking of weapons...I don't see any in the image. I mean no turrets at all. Now are they so small that I don't see them or are they just not in the render.

 

[DaBrain]

And look at all the game designers that have so nicely joined in to grace us with there presense! What games have you guys worked on?

NDA atm. I'll gladly reveal it when I'm allowed to.

Wow, you guys like to have heated debates. Normally I lurk on this forum but I am going to have to put my 2c into the conversation to defend DaBrain.

Thanks.

I know the effort required to make a game--I used to do that. I think the designers are doing a great job with the IP, and doing everything well that is within their scope. But that doesn't mean I agree that it's taking the WC brand in a good direction. EA is about making money, and they do so with fun games--not necessarily innovative, and not necessarily with a great story. Their bread and butter is franchises, with tried and true formats. It's not good business to dump all your cash into being totally innovative with every title--time is money.

Very good point.
Offered the chance to work on a WC title, the devs just had to take it.

 

[LeHah]

Speaking of weapons...I don't see any in the image. I mean no turrets at all. Now are they so small that I don't see them or are they just not in the render.

I don't believe the original render of the Midway had turrets on it either.