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I designed and started to develop my first game, Battlecruiser 3000AD, back in the late eighties. You all know the history surrounding the first game, which was released while still in late Beta by Take Two. So no need to rehash that. You can read more about that and more, in this blog. After I went to Interplay to release v2.0 of the game, and which did very well, I went back to think outside the box in an attempt to finish my original ideas which I couldn't do at the time due to lack of tech, inexperience in some areas etc. In the interim, I released two more titles, Battlecruiser Millennium and Battlecruiser Millennium Gold while still working on other tech. The culmination of those efforts, led to Universal Combat released through Dreamcatcher in 2004. I renamed the franchise because the publisher felt that the "Battlecruiser" name was too tainted as being niche, the drama of the original release still loomed etc. I rejected a bunch of names (e.g. Battleforce) they came up with. So as a compromise, I settled for Universal Combat seeing as I had moved the game from a single carrier (the Battlecruiser) to the command of every single asset (ship, vehicle etc) in the game IP, along with adding full blown fps on planets. The game did well, and so I continued to work on improving it, thus leading for four derivative works in the Universal Combat IP. Due to the direction that the industry was going in, and seeing as game dev became more and more expensive, while not yielding the same financial rewards as the past, I decided to retire the Battlecruiser/Universal Combat IP. To that end, in 2009 I released a compilation of all the games in both IP, as Universal Combat Collectors Edition. That same year, have branched off to do a fighter combat game for Turner's GameTap service as Galactic Command Echo Squad, I ported the graphics and other updates from that more modern GCES engine kernel into UCCE and released it as Universal Combat Collectors Edition v2.0, but without multiplayer (too much work for very little gain). I have always had a fondness for that original IP; but unfortunately it became clear that the decline of the space combat genre, not to mention complex games themselves, was not exactly going to be something to spend money on if the core audience simply wasn't there anymore. Then 2012 came around and for some reason a bunch of space combat games started to appear. Including that on-going train wreck Star Citizen, as well as the outstanding Elite Dangerous. Though they were getting all the attention even though neither one was really doing anything different or which I hadn't done before, I was already committed to doing Line Of Defense (SA thread) which I started designing since 2009 and which went into development in 2010. Then people started contacting me and asking why I was MIA from the great "space combat game resurgence". Including my old fans. So I went back and cleaned up UCCE v2.0, added a bunch of new stuff to it. Then released it for free on Steam in order to gauge interest. The response was enough to convince me to, at the very least, go back and overhaul the old gal. Also, I wanted to prove to those Star Citizen White Knight assholes who kept harassing me, that they game they were attacking me over, wasn't doing anything groundbreaking, that I'd done all before - though at much lower visual fidelity - and thus knew the challenges that awaited them. Plus, they didn't have the tech that I had built from the ground up and which completely overshadowed anything croberts could possible dream up. That interest led me to draw up plans for, not a new game, but a complete overhaul of the UCCE 2.0 graphics, fix some underlying nagging bugs, tweak a few features etc and add a few features that had gone into the All Aspects games. That was how Universal Combat - The Lyrius Conflict came about. And I branched the entire engine suite to v3.0x that it's now on. Then I released it on Steam Early Access as a $29.99 DLC for those who want to follow the development through to release, via regular updates. I will be increasing the price to $60 at the end of the Early Access period. In keeping with the tradition of the original Battlecruiser game, it is still the most advanced space combat game ever built; and is the only space combat game to date that has a complete modeling of an entire capital ship command, complete with crew modeling, persistent space/planetary universe etc. Even though it is still a massive sandbox, it still has various open-ended missions which take place in space and on planets. Nobody - to date - has ever built this sort of tech or this type of game. And they won't because it takes decades of toil, research and experience to do it. And it's costly. Apparently even $100m isn't enough. But that's largely due to the incompetent clown they gave the money to. The premise of the original Battlecruiser 3000AD game still holds true today, but amplified by x100 due to the slew of options and new tech implemented over the years and right up to the 2009 Universal Combat CE. quote:Total command and control So if you are playing Universal Combat CE v2.0 on Steam, you are playing the original Battlecruiser 3000AD on steroids and with over two decades of technology improvements and tweaks. That's how you build this kind of game. You can't do it all in one shot. And that's why I have made the comments about Star Citizen since my first blog in July. My plan for this DLC is to completely upgrade the graphics engine, fine tune the GUI, replace the entire asset database with new and improved models for every single model in the game. This includes characters, weapons, vehicles, aircraft, planetary buildings, starbases, stations etc. Everything. Since all my games share the same IP, newer assets from more recent games such as All Aspect Warfare / Angle Of Attack, as well as Line Of Defense, will be used so as not to have to re-create them from scratch. And the planetary terrain engine, which is procedural btw, isn't going to be replaced because it works just fine. However, all the texture assets are going to be replaced with higher quality versions. One thing I would like to do is add a 3D bridge to the game. With 28 capital (transport, carrier, cruiser) ships in the game, it's a lot of work, but it's just one of those things that you either do it or you don't. I would have like to build all of these capital ships similar to the multi-deck Starguard carrier we built for Line Of Defense, but that's over $600K to build all of them; and I don't have $100m of other people's money to do it with. So with the 3D bridge, at least you get a more immersive feel. Depending on how things go with this Lyrius Conflict DLC (aka UCCE v3.0x) which I hope to complete and release by end of 2016, I will then do Universal Combat Advanced in which, using the UCCE v3.0x engine kernel, build all 28 capital ships, and all stations so that from start to finish, the entire game takes place in first person mode like in LOD. This will allow commanders to run through their ship fighting alongside their NPC marine crew against intruders. Also with the ability to board other ships (since all will be build in 3D now) and stations. With at least 128 client multiplayer, similar to what I did with All Aspect Warfare/Angle Of Attack. Not an MMO as that's too much work. Make no mistake, at no point in time am I ever going to dumb down these Battlecruiser/Universal Combat games. They will remain as complex and niche as they have always been, and with zero compromises on my part. Game Info Game Docs Game Commands Game Tutorial Galaxy Map (color) Galaxy Map Links (color) Galaxy Map (standard) Game Cheat Codes Game Galaxy Maps Game Appendix Changelog // v2x paid & freeware Changelog // v3x The Lyrius Conflict DLC Sometimes Steam client won't run the executable that creates shortcuts to the above docs. This KB article shows how to manually install it. If you prefer the Blackness of space, download this skybox file and copy it into the .\gfx folder. Be sure to rename the existing skybox.zip file in there! This file works with both the freeware and The Lyrius Conflict DLC. Also Captain Lazychan has a slew of mods and tutorial videos. D_Smart fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Jan 3, 2016 |
# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:20 |
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# ? Apr 28, 2024 13:27 |
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Universal Combat posts culled from other threadsquote:
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:22 |
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D_Smart posted:Depending on how things go with this Lyrius Conflict DLC (aka UCCE v3.0x) which I hope to complete and release by end of 2016, I will then do Universal Combat Advanced in which, using the UCCE v3.0x engine kernel, build all 28 capital ships so that from start to finish, the entire game takes place in first person mode like in LOD.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:34 |
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Derek I could never get anything to happen except CTDs in the free release of BC in like 1997, so as I install this I am asking if I should hook up my joystick or is this mainly mouse driven. It's been like 20 years since the last time I've tried one of your games I hope it goes better this time!
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:37 |
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Space, Land, or Sea Air, the choice is yours
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:41 |
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Omi-Polari posted:
One of the things I want to do with this is that, since the whole game is in fps, if you get boarded, you can just grab your weapon and go fight alongside your marines wherever intruders happen to be on your ship. Also, the most requested feature, the boarding of other ships as well as fps inside all the stations. Just like I did in LOD, but for this far more advanced game.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:42 |
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Posting in the same thread as a PC gaming legend. Never tried one of these and I've always been a sucker for sims (I lusted after Steel Battalion, but the folks never relented). What's your input device/combo of choice for this?
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:45 |
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Hillary Clintons Thong posted:Derek I could never get anything to happen except CTDs in the free release of BC in like 1997, so as I install this I am asking if I should hook up my joystick or is this mainly mouse driven. Yeah, UCCE 2.0 is generations more advanced than that original game. Give it a shot. Also, note that the freeware version on Steam is using the v2.0 engine, while the DLC using the v3.0 engine which has various improvements and will continue to be updated as development continues through 2016.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:46 |
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Kraven Moorhed posted:Posting in the same thread as a PC gaming legend. You can use anything you like. It supports keyboard, joystick, mouse and controllers. I prefer joystick of course.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:47 |
these games seem too complicated for me tbqh
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:48 |
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Let me get this out of the way: Will I be able to marry my space waifu of choice? Is there romance? You might be pushing boundaries in the space-war simulator genre but I haven't seen your emotional side, Derek.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:50 |
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Blacktoll posted:Let me get this out of the way: Will I be able to marry my space waifu of choice? Is there romance? You might be pushing boundaries in the space-war simulator genre but I haven't seen your emotional side, Derek. Can my space waifu be a former slave that I raped on the regular after stealing her from a ship and forcing her to be a prisoner and she is actually another PC
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:52 |
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D_Smart posted:Make no mistake, at no point in time am I ever going to dumb down these Battlecruiser/Universal Combat games. They will remain as complex and niche as they have always been, and with zero compromises on my part. A lot of time is spent trying to figure out engineering tricks or problems, tinkering with subsystems, managing crew, and that seems to be by design. Other than that, it's up to the player to figure out what they want to do or where to go. You could play it as a space trucking simulator, if you wanted. If I had to describe the game universe, it'd be chaos. There's something like a dozen different alien civilizations, and they're all fighting wars with coalitions of other aliens. And each civilization seems to be fighting its own civil war. So if a hostile ship pops up on the radar -- you have to figure out, what kind of ship is that, which alien species is it from, and are they from the government or the insurgents? And then you can make an informed decision about whether to fight or run away screaming. Hillary Clintons Thong posted:Derek I could never get anything to happen except CTDs in the free release of BC in like 1997, so as I install this I am asking if I should hook up my joystick or is this mainly mouse driven. D_Smart posted:One of the things I want to do with this is that, since the whole game is in fps, if you get boarded, you can just grab your weapon and go fight alongside your marines wherever intruders happen to be on your ship.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:52 |
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Omi-Polari posted:
That makes sense. Like when Riker has to pilot the enterprise.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:54 |
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Hillary Clintons Thong posted:That makes sense. Like when Riker has to pilot the enterprise. Yes.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:55 |
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If you prefer the Blackness of space, download this skybox file and copy it into the .\gfx folder. Be sure to rename the existing skybox.zip file in there! Also Captain Lazychan has a slew of mods and tutorial videos.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:56 |
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Blacktoll posted:Let me get this out of the way: Will I be able to marry my space waifu of choice? Is there romance? You might be pushing boundaries in the space-war simulator genre but I haven't seen your emotional side, Derek. Yes, you can. But you would need the multiplayer version of the original UCCE for that, since v2.0 and v3.0 do not have multiplayer. Since you can deploy yourself and your entire crew onto planets, nothing is stopping you from having a virtual wedding on a planet.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:58 |
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I'm still downloading this. Can I name my crew members????
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 21:59 |
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I'm talking Tali zorah vas Normandy levels of waifu, Derek.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 22:01 |
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Omi-Polari posted:
The tech is already there (you have played LOD, right?). It's more about time and money, than it is about the tech.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 22:01 |
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Hillary Clintons Thong posted:I'm still downloading this. Can I name my crew members???? Not yet. I am planning on adding that in the DLC since it's also one of the most requested features. It's trivial to do honestly, I just never found the time to do it. I was planning on just adding a text file, then read the user created data from it which then overloads the game's own built-in names. I didn't do it. So the proper way to do it would be from within the game's UI when you are creating a new game. Right now you enter your name and ship's name. In the DLC you would be able to name your crew (all 100+ of them) if you wanted to from that same screen.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 22:03 |
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You werent kidding, this game is oldschool as hell. I'll need to read a lot to even figure out tutorial free roam.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 22:23 |
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This is a pretty good (chaotic) video of a fleet battle with Derek Smart co-piloting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCQwpHh4s-0&t=2670s D_Smart posted:The tech is already there (you have played LOD, right?). It's more about time and money, than it is about the tech.
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# ? Dec 6, 2015 22:40 |
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I have played such games as X3TC, DCS World, Falcon BMS, and vanilla Dwarf Fortress. Is this game for me?
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 00:22 |
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BMan posted:I have played such games as X3TC, DCS World, Falcon BMS, and vanilla Dwarf Fortress. Is this game for me? Absolutely. Just check out the game manual in the first post
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 00:51 |
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I'm going to give this a whirl but goddamned if it doesn't look as hard as nails to figure out.
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:14 |
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Gilganixon posted:I'm going to give this a whirl but goddamned if it doesn't look as hard as nails to figure out. It can be. But once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. The entire game can be played using only a mouse and keyboard. But you should play the tutorial first.
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:15 |
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I finished the new blog (which the first post in this thread is based on).
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:17 |
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I'm going to play this just so I can say I did so on Derek Smart's personal recommendation. You're like a less insane Cleve Blakemore who actually releases games. Never stop.
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:20 |
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I read tjat long rear end post
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:21 |
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gotta say I just fired that game up and it is extremely my poo poo. I had no idea what I was doing but I'm going to read that manual and find out.
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 15:25 |
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D_Smart posted:The entire game can be played using only a mouse and keyboard. Wow, I wish more games did that.
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# ? Dec 7, 2015 16:08 |
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Do you still do most of the programming/art/sound yourself like back in the BC3K days? How much collaboration do you engage in on a project? Any interest in tablet/mobile development, or would you rather leave that up to the Galaxy on Fire crew and similar arcade-like takes on the genre? Also, any thoughts on the forthcoming VR devices? Any plans for supporting them?
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 10:52 |
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I had UC, god, maybe a decade ago? Was completely mystified by it. But I'm glad it exists Maybe when I get some time I'll have another go, if it still runs. duck monster fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Dec 8, 2015 |
# ? Dec 8, 2015 11:08 |
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Agent Escalus posted:Do you still do most of the programming/art/sound yourself like back in the BC3K days? How much collaboration do you engage in on a project? Any interest in tablet/mobile development, or would you rather leave that up to the Galaxy on Fire crew and similar arcade-like takes on the genre? Yeah, I still do quite a bit of programming. Not as much as back in the day though, since I now have various teams and projects to run. I actually wrote a blog about this yesterday. Since I tend to do all my game design work, act as producer etc, I collaborate quite a bit with my team leads, as well as interface with my content providers (art, modeling, writing, audio etc) on all my projects. My first foray into mobile/console was with Line Of Defense Tactics, the RTS companion game to Line Of Defense MMO. I had put together a separate team to build that game back in 2013 with Unity4. We shipped it in 2014 for mobile (ios/android) and on PC (where it got lambasted on Steam for being a "mobile port", which it wasn't). I then did a deal with Microsoft and an improved version is coming out on Xbox One this Friday, Dec 11th. This is the trailer for that version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p7LzdFlkZc I have been keeping up to date with VR, but for me, it's still more of a novelty that only the big boys and hobbyists can engage in. I still don't believe that it will go mainstream in games. I actually owned several Occulus devices, but sold them at a tidy profit last year. Naturally if the landscape changes, I will take a closer look. But until then, I simply don't have the time and resources to waste on it.
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 15:02 |
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duck monster posted:I had UC, god, maybe a decade ago? Was completely mystified by it. But I'm glad it exists Maybe when I get some time I'll have another go, if it still runs. Yeah, UC first came out in 2004. Don't bother installing that one though. The free UCCE 2.0 on Steam is far more advanced, runs better etc though it has fewer (it's free, and you need the DLC to get all the missions) missions.
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 15:03 |
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posting on the first page of an unironic dsmart gaming thread (mods please change my name to coke machine)
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 15:05 |
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Gotta make an honest post and say that I've always admired what your games have always tried to accomplish, DSmart. Probably moreso since you keep on making them no matter what bullshit goes around. It might just be the mark of delusional insanity, but whatever, you've gotta admire it and I've never gotten the feeling that you're in it for any reason other than just making the kinds of game you've always wanted make. I've laughed about the shenanigans surrounding your games and Internet presence over the years sure, but in all honesty I'd love nothing more than to see one of your games match your ambition for them. I mean, they're complicated esoteric simulators, and that there's my poo poo, man. I could point to various reasons why I find all your games almost entirely unplayable regardless of my tolerance for impenetrable simulators, but there's no point, that poo poo's been talked to death. Keep on truckin' man. I always check out your releases if only to get those glimpses of what could've been if games like the ones you wanted to make were even possible to make. All that aside, could you give a quick ballpark on how many people were involved aside from you in each of your releases? Just the actual game stuff, not marketing or whatever external factors. I'm actually kinda interested.
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 21:51 |
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Request: Change all computer voices in the game to Derek Smart's voice.
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 22:29 |
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# ? Apr 28, 2024 13:27 |
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Here's a question. How did the different main battlecruisers/carriers (MK1, MK2 and MK3) come about? The MK3 seems like the Starship Enterprise of the franchise. When I see people playing the game, they're usually piloting MK3s. And I started playing UC ... this year. So I don't know the history.
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# ? Dec 8, 2015 22:41 |