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Topic: StarCon (Star Control 4) - a followup to Star Control 3 that was never released (Read 3612 times)
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Ahmed
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StarCon
StarCon, which was the title for Star Control 4, was Accolades final attempt at the franchise. They contracted a company called Starsphere Interactive to produce the game for PS1, but handled the PC development themselves. When the game was about 70% done, it was cancelled and thus never released. For a long time very little was known of the game, save a few pictures that had been leaked during development. Recently, things have changed. A protype disc has been released to the community by forums member dreamer, which means that anyone with a ePSXe can now play the game at home.
The game is very different from the rest of the series, it is much more remniscient of StarFox and other such games. It pits you as a Captain working for the Hyperium, which apparently is what the Alliance of Free Stars has turrned into. They are fighting the Crux, a group of aliens defeated in SC3 but apparently back for more. No Crux are identified by other than name, so we cannot say which races are part of this organisation. You begin by selecting a mission on the mission selection screen, which is a 3d field of stars. This may or may not be homage to SC3 and SC1 and their 3D maps. The prototype only contains two levels.
Picture 1: To the left the player can select his missions on a 3D field, this is followed by a briefing by Ra-Gar, apparently an Ur-Quan Hyperium Commander.
After that, you are taken into battle. You navigate a single ship and your weapons are a beam energy weapon and some from of auto aiming cannons. Below are a few images of how this looks. While the 3D may seem dated now, remember that this game was originally supposed to be released around 1998. The missions available are simple shoot and kill mission, requiring nothing other than the destruction of key enemy vessels, sometimes within a time limit.
The gameplay is rough, as this is only a prototype. Most of the users who have tried it out to date have not found it very enjoyasble. It is of course very different from the original SC games, containing no adventure game whatsoever and being full 3D. Still, despite not being very enjyoable it is an important part of the SC series history, a thing that never was.
PNF does not currently host the ePSXe image for StarCon, but it is floating around in the community. StarController has written several in depths articles about Starcon, such as this, this and this.
I was copied this from:
http://www.star-control.com/sc4/
I just want your opinion about this followup to Star Control 3.
And I have one question:
Where can it be downloaded?
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« Last Edit: April 25, 2011, 06:20:30 pm by Ahmed »
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Alvarin
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I, for one, am happy it wasn't finished.
For me, Star Control is all about adventure.
Space battles are just boring. If you want it, go play Wing Commander.
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Ahmed
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I, for one, am happy it wasn't finished.
For me, Star Control is all about adventure.
Space battles are just boring. If you want it, go play Wing Commander.
I like both: battles and adventure. I more like adventures, but I also like battles.
I think it is worth to give this game a try.
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Ahmed
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I, for one, am happy it wasn't finished.
For me, Star Control is all about adventure.
Damn right. That thing would probably be the worse fail than the SC3, even on PS1. I highly doubt it could have outmatched popularity of epic PS1 franchises such as AceCombat or Gran Turismo. Also, all that stuff about transition of Star Control into 3D is particularly nasty thing since SC battles were made on basis of Spacewar! gameplay.
I still think that StarCon would not be worse fail than Star Control 3.
However, you are right in one thing:
They should not make the game in 3D. They should keep the same basis. For me, much better space adventure games are those made on basis of Spacewar.
I do not like SC3 for three reasons:
1st. Bad story (The story sounds a bit stupid.)
2nd. Melee and battles in 3D (It is hard to control a ship in 3D environment!)
3rd. Epic mode in 3D (I more like 2D graphics in such games as this one is.)
Also, the characters in SC3 are in 3D. They were better in 2D.
I would like SC3 was never released.
But, I would like to see that StarCon was released.
I support a new Star Control game!
Sorry if I have a lot of grammar errors in this post! 
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« Last Edit: April 26, 2011, 12:28:20 am by Ahmed »
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Anthony
*Smell* controller
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Star Control Lives!
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The prototype only has 2 levels in it. They're the GUI and level design aren't exactly user-friendly. There was originally supposed to be a PC version in addition to the PS1 game. When StarCon was cancelled, the PS1 team claimed that it was because of the PC team and not them.
At least they didn't use puppets this time. It's worth checking out for anyone who wants to see Accolade's attempt to make another Star Control without TFB. It's more proof that Star Control will always be awesome as long as TFB is behind it with full creative control.
http://starcontroller.com/?p=968
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Ahmed
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.... I was copied this from: http://www.star-control.com/sc4/I just want your opinion about this followup to Star Control 3. And I have one question: Where can it be downloaded? Er, while I appreciate you copying my SC4 article from PNF to educate the uncouth over here I'm not sure why you couldn't just link it?
I am sorry for copying your SC4 article from PNF if that makes you angry.
However, you are the author, not I, so I inserted this at the end:
I was copied this from:
http://www.star-control.com/sc4/
To let those people who never searched for a sequel of SC3 and who never saw your article know that I am not the author.
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« Last Edit: April 26, 2011, 12:42:44 am by Ahmed »
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Ahmed
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The prototype only has 2 levels in it. They're the GUI and level design aren't exactly user-friendly. There was originally supposed to be a PC version in addition to the PS1 game. When StarCon was cancelled, the PS1 team claimed that it was because of the PC team and not them. At least they didn't use puppets this time. It's worth checking out for anyone who wants to see Accolade's attempt to make another Star Control without TFB. It's more proof that Star Control will always be awesome as long as TFB is behind it with full creative control. http://starcontroller.com/?p=968
No one can make as good Star Control game as TFB can!
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onpon4
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Sharing is good.
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.... I was copied this from: http://www.star-control.com/sc4/I just want your opinion about this followup to Star Control 3. And I have one question: Where can it be downloaded? Er, while I appreciate you copying my SC4 article from PNF to educate the uncouth over here I'm not sure why you couldn't just link it? I am sorry for copying your SC4 article from PNF if that makes you angry. However, you are the author, not I, so I inserted this at the end: I was copied this from: http://www.star-control.com/sc4/To let those people who never searched for a sequel of SC3 and who never saw your article know that I am not the author.
I don't think he's angry, just confused as to why you would copy and paste it when it isn't necessary. It does take up a lot of room.
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Lukipela
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The Ancient One
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There are some quite couth people here, you insolent clod. 
Really? Mind pointing me in their direction then, there's a good chap.
As it seems our more than adequately couth forum admin has blessed the relevant blog post with his presence, I think I can link to it.
Cheerio, saves me the trouble of PMing this poor lad with my secret stash locations.
I am sorry for copying your SC4 article from PNF if that makes you angry. However, you are the author, not I, so I inserted this at the end: I was copied this from: http://www.star-control.com/sc4/To let those people who never searched for a sequel of SC3 and who never saw your article know that I am not the author.
Like onpon4 says, I'm not really angry, just a bit confused. It just seems it'd be easier to just link the article than to go to all this trouble. Technically I suppose you're hotlinking our images and consuming our precious bandwidth, but it's a small price to pay for the education of the unwashed masses (and Novus).
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What's up doc?
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