Some diversity in WC-universe

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Eugene Skripnick

Spaceman
Hello from Russia,

What I actually was wondering about is why on earth the Origin didn't expand the WC into different dimension like e.g. LucasArts did with their x-wing series.

I mean - all five WCs were quite the same in overall look. Yes, the technology has been changing but the rest was pretty same with all WCs. They claim 'We create worlds' but the WC-world consists not only from space flights (and trade in case of Privateer), ok?

They tried with strategy (what was that name - Armada?) which was pretty vague.
But stop there? Why not to give us a chance to play for a bad guys like LA did with their TIE fighter? Why not to take some fun as Terran Confederation Marine (Dekker-stuff) like LA did in their Dark forces? And not to forget enourmous expansion possibilities in adventure-type of the games within WC universe?
Frankly saying I'm sure that Origin did consider that, so I'm just interested why they decided not to go for it.

Regards,
Euge.
 
If you have kept up any with Origin in the past 10 years you would begin to realize that they dont really take chances and thats what companys like LA and Blizzard do and thats how they get their great games. Wing Commander is great but I do agree it could have been expanded upon.
 
I agree with you, Eugene. But perhaps Wing Commander did not have enough mainstream appeal like Star Wars, and so Origin decided to stay with what the WC fans were already used to, which is space sims.

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If I'm locked on, there's no such thing as evasive action!
 
And the whole spaceflight thing is what really made Wing Commander, Wing Commander. I mean like just look at the name.

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And I was stupid enough to think that us brotha's had to stick togetha. :p
 
Remember folks, unlike Star Wars, WC did not have a movie out (at that time when it was released). Publicity changes.

Here's a good Chinese Proverb which suits this:

Tell me of it, and I may forget.
Show me of it, and I may remember.
Teach me of it, and I may understand.
 
Craze said:
And the whole spaceflight thing is what really made Wing Commander, Wing Commander. I mean like just look at the name.
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Yes - it was first, second and arguably the third one. But then it's gone - you cannot innovate that much in five games in a row. So why not?
 
You've got Starwars games in every genre, but let's be honest and say that most of them are pretty crappy
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Furthermore, Wing Commander is about flying (as someone else already pointed out).
 
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Agreed - WC is about flying, but the WC-universe isn't (IMHO)

Just imagine how many interesting thigs happened there (could happen
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) with let's say Terran Marines? What about some adventure about Terran scientists? Or if you really want flights-only - ok, here is the Kilrathi Commander for you (see what the War was from another side).

I haven't done any market research
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but from what I read about people making total conversions (nearest is probably for Homeworld) into WC-universe I can imagine that there is a demand there.

I just would like to see it as really 'universe' not just spaceflight-sim like helluva bunch of the rest.
 
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Origin can't be faulted for not trying -- the problem being that all of their forrays into different takes on the Wing Commander universe sold poorly. When you can't add a strategy element or produce a mission builder, how can you justify developing a *completely* different RTS game? Remember that the team who brought us Wing Commander stayed more or less in-tact -- to develop a wholly different game would have been to risk doing something they had no experience with.

(To note, Armada allows you to fly for the Kilrathi).
 
No experience - yes, may be - but release of two or three WCs actually made the Origin a largely capitalised monster, so in this case they could just not bother and buy experience from outside - like most corporations do when they don't have any.

How to justify? Hey, just run some polls at CIC or within their registered users database and you have the answer.
 
I have to agree with the people who say Wing Commander should be flight only - I really can't image RTS for it - maybe just fleet command and stuff, like the conversion boys for Homeworld are doing.

The story's been left so open-ended in SecretOps, that Origin doesn't have to think hard for a storyline. Let's find out about the bugs, lets have that weird disease infect pilots and ships and make the renegade, let's have some Freespace2 type capship combats, with the dogfights of WC.

Sorry if all this has been said before, but I haven't posted here in a long time!
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- Arnav 'Dexter' Manchanda
http://jupiterhq.tripod.com
 
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Oh no, no more bugs/zergs whatever!!! That's the worst turn in WC that I can remember.

If talking about flights only - I would prefer e.g. re-release of WC I & II with new graphical engine and FMV (optional) or something like Kilrathi strikes back also taking us into Kilrathi conflict years before those damn and totally 'mainstream' bugs.
 
Eugene Skripnick said:
Oh no, no more bugs/zergs whatever!!! That's the worst turn in WC that I can remember.
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Yes, lets screw up the entire story in the WC series by forgeting about the bugs and fighting the Kilrathi again.
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The bugs aren’t exactly the most original aliens out there, but I’ve grown to like them. I also would like to fight the Kilrathi again, which would most likely happen if OSI continues the series, since after they finish their own wars to find out who’ll rule the empire they will most likelly want revange.

If talking about flights only - I would prefer e.g. re-release of WC I & II with new graphical engine and FMV (optional)
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Only few people would buy something like that. OSI would basicly have to make two new games which are just remakes, I’d rather they make two new games that continue the bug war. Besides, remaking those games would just be raping the classics. WC has always been more than just prety pictures.

or something like Kilrathi strikes back also taking us into Kilrathi conflict years before those damn and totally 'mainstream' bugs.
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Are you obsessed with the Kilathi or something? If OSI does make WCX, WCXI and more, we’ll most likelly be fighting the Kilrathi, but for now it will have to be the bugs.
 
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Yo, Dexter, are you still gonna finish the rest of your NaE story?

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The time is near.
There are still quite a few days remaining.

I don't care for fame, power or money...
I just want to FIGHT!
-Sanosuke Sagara
 
I'm sure you guys have covered this elsewhere, but I figure Origin's pretty much given up the ghost as far as Wing Commander games go. Which, btw, I think is really a shame. However, as long as we are on the topic of what if's...

I agree that the Bugs lack the depth of character that the Cats had, but it opens up the door for a few things I thought they might try to go with after WCIV and that is a Kilrathi-Confed alliance. I'd like to see perhaps more of the Kilrathi in-fighting that was talked about so much in the books, and have Confed come to the aide of Melek. You might get a chance then to have some of the missions like those in Secret Missions where you have a chance to fly Cat ships (preferably not a Dralthi, though that seems to be all they have left.) Not to mention, there is that coreward threat (the Mantu, I think) that is still left to be fleshed out. Perhaps skip a few more years and have a STNG-esque approach with some Cats (from places like Ghorah Khar) serving on Confed ships.

I always thought a more graceful way to retire Blair was to tie him into the post war Kilrathi government.

Heck, they could even have had a very cool Privateer-type game set up in the aftermath of WCIII or IV. Much as in the original privateer there are multiple factions that can be played against each other, different Kilrathi clans, perhaps a new mafia type organization that is hiring less than honorable Kilrathi (think post cold-war Soviet Union.) Of course, I think they should move away from FMV and go back to CGI, but that is a whole other agrument.

All in all, I think there is still a lot of potential in either the more tradition WC game or the Privateer approach. I think Origin has a different view.
 
Shane said:
I agree that the Bugs lack the depth of character that the Cats had,
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Don't forget that the Cats had as much depth, if not less in the first game and it's two add-ons. It wasn't untill WC2 that we really learned something about the Kilrathi.
Not to mention, there is that coreward threat (the Mantu, I think) that is still left to be fleshed out. Perhaps skip a few more years and have a STNG-esque approach with some Cats (from places like Ghorah Khar) serving on Confed ships.
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The Mantu are the race that fought the Kilrathi couple hundred years before Confed. The Cats were affraid of them because they were superior, but there was nothing to indicate that they are hostile.

I always thought a more graceful way to retire Blair was to tie him into the post war Kilrathi government.
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Blair did serve in the peace corps after the war ended. Anyhow, Blair getting old behind a desk doesn't sound as good as him dying while protecting Confed.
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Of course, I think they should move away from FMV and go back to CGI, but that is a whole other agrument.
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No, no no. The CGI from games like SL, or FS is very unrealistic. Even though FMV is more expensive, I'd rather the game developers stuck with it.

All in all, I think there is still a lot of potential in either the more tradition WC game or the Privateer approach. I think Origin has a different view.
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It's not as much Origin as it is EA. And what's in their view is money from UO games.
 
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No, no no. The CGI from games like SL, or FS is very unrealistic. Even though FMV is more expensive, I'd rather the game developers stuck with it.
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Ah, but WC has always been about more than just pretty pictures
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Besides, you still haven't seen StarCraft. Believe me, even if CGI is a bit worse off graphically, it can be far superior to FMV if its done properly. Those StarCraft sequences aren't just moving pictures - they're a work of art. Though the game comes from 1997, I've yet to see anything that damned brilliant. Compared to StarCraft, WC4 is lame
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Shane: Just how is the Soviet Union comparable to the Kilrathi? Merde, but I do not understand.
 
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I believe Shane is referring to the possibility of a Kilrathi mafia. A criminal (?) syndicate made up of disaffected and demobilised Kilrathi soldiers who have abandoned the old ways for power and profit in the power vacuum resulting from the collapse of the Kilrathi Empire.
This would in some ways be similar to the current Russia circle of oligarchs and mafia - the strongmen that emerged from the ruins of state communism with an entire nation's resources monopolised between them.
 
KrisV said:
You've got Starwars games in every genre, but let's be honest and say that most of them are pretty crappy
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Furthermore, Wing Commander is about flying (as someone else already pointed out).
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Some of them are crappy, yes, but there's alot of good ones. Dark Forces brought the Doom appeal to SW, something that would be cool to get the source code on and make a WC mod for. Jedi Knight continued on that idea, and once again making another hit, which garnered Game of The Year from select publications. Star Wars Rebellion was a great game, just had a few bugs. Force Commander looks awesome, and I can't wait to get it. The worst part about the SW gaming genere was its flight games. Xwing and TIE just weren't all to great in my book. Oh, and anyone ever play Yoda Stories? Great game too. Great way to kill some time.

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