The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

The Ur-Quan Masters Re-Release => General UQM Discussion => Topic started by: Essence on September 23, 2003, 06:30:58 pm



Title: SC: Online
Post by: Essence on September 23, 2003, 06:30:58 pm
Picture this: A massive multiplayer game that uses the same simplicity as UQM, however the 2-dimentional universe is huge, allowing for hundreds of players.

It could be a game that revolves mainly arround resources and increasing your sides sphere of infuence. Different systems/planets would regenerate minerals at a diferent rate, making some systems more sought after than others. Making the game more fuel dependent can help restrict travel so that it doesnt become like in UQM, where travel becomes unrestricted after a while. The restriction could make the building of refuling stations all the more important.

The planetary exploration should be made more like the one from Starflight for Sega Genesis (I really liked it). Add the ability to build small bases/outposts both in space and on the ground.

Smaller, independant alien races could be allied with to gain technology and ships (just like in UQM but more expanded). With some game master supervising, diferent quests could be made available both smaller and bigger in scale, so small as to accomodate one starship captain or so big that it forces enemies to cooperate for a period of time

Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that take UQM, but add the massive multiplayer factor to it and it should become one of the greatest games of our time. Now only to find someone willing to make such a game...


Title: Re: SC: Online
Post by: Death 999 on September 23, 2003, 09:02:03 pm
I believe that other game makers have tried to do this sort of thing before. If you just want a simpler version... ::shrug:: I'm sure there's something out there already. If you just want it to be SC... well, that's rather specific.


Title: Re: SC: Online
Post by: Culture20 on September 23, 2003, 09:54:16 pm
Ralrith Munky suggested something recently on the timewarp forums (channel 44) which is similar to this.  He said that there was a command line game called stellar conquest (similar to trade wars if anyone here remembers the old BBS game), and that the only thing lacking was the space combat.  He suggested using SC melee as the combat for stellar conquest.  Granted, this would be a mostly command line game, and most people who play computer games now-a-days aren't too found of Adventure or Zork...


Title: Re: SC: Online
Post by: guesst on September 24, 2003, 04:42:09 am
Hmm, I was going to gently berate the newb for not doing a search for this topic, but I guess it's never really be discussed that much on this board. Maybe on the other boards.

You're not the first. Really, you're not. Actually, I kinda feel like it's been discussed to death on the other boards. And it's not a bad idea either, except that I'd hardly get to play it. (I hardly get to play any computer games as it is now. *P*L*O*M*)


Title: Re: SC: Online
Post by: Parker on September 26, 2003, 04:03:25 pm
Chris Nelson, the same as appears in UQM's Core Team credits (http://sc2.sourceforge.net/team.html), created an early alpha of a game whose goals were very similar to what you describe.  Incidentally, the game was called Star Control Online.  Furthermore, this game caught the attention of Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III (or maybe he just emailed them and they liked it).  They gave him an internship at Toys For Bob, and because of his extra help they were actually able to create The Ur-Quan Masters project.

The game itself was off to a great start, it was buggy as far as performance and stability were concerned, but the physics and the ship designs looked and felt perfect to Star Control 2.  You can download Star Control Online Alpha 0.2 from Chris' SourceForge Project Page (http://sourceforge.net/projects/lumingl/).