An interesting new "promo" for Interstellar Marines

[weemadando]

The Vault

I must say I like this as a way of looking at a game. Not sure if I prefer it to a trailer - but I'm glad that they are innovating.

[Stark]

The way they keep saying 'AAA Indie' and 'emphasis on realism' doesn't really inspire me.

[weemadando]

AAA Indie is a crap name for an interesting concept.

Effectively, you pre-purchase the game directly from the developer (and can choose to pay additional amounts) in order to help fund the development.

It's an experiment in new economic models for games development and I'll be intrigued to see how/if it works out.

[Companion Cube]

Why do I keep getting reminded of Gunman Chronicles?

EDIT: Though in all fairness it does look a fuckload better.

[Hotfoot]

Why do I keep getting reminded of Gunman Chronicles?

EDIT: Though in all fairness it does look a fuckload better.

Candygram!

I mean shit, talk about realism then throw in Landsharks? Wow.

[General Zod]

Candygram!

I mean shit, talk about realism then throw in Landsharks? Wow.

I thought people would have realized "realism" is just a marketing buzzword these days by now.

[Zixinus]

I mean shit, talk about realism then throw in Landsharks? Wow.

The ships will run off zero-point energy. I'm not kidding.

Apparently "realism" means to stick to the pistol, SMG, Assoult Rifle combo, judging by the Vault content.

The development team may or may not be bankrupt or be on the verge of bankruptcy.

That said, the development team has some very interesting development ideas. Namely, for one, they intend not to try fighting piracy but use it as a sort of marketing tool. If you buy the game, you'll get an account and access to a bunch of extra stuff like co-op.

[Oskuro]

Interstellar Marines is an AAA, FPS, Sci-fi, action and adventure game with an original and unpredictable storyline featuring single and cooperative gameplay, with heavy focus on realism. Planned as a trilogy and targeted at a 17+ audience, the game is currently being developed for PC. In time it's aimed at the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Oh my god, it's full of buzzwords!

[Stark]

I thought people would have realized "realism" is just a marketing buzzword these days by now.

In the 'AAA Indie' space, 'realism' means 'we furiously wank to our pet milwanker/simhard tropes while not being realistic at all'.

I bet they'll talk about THRILLING CQB BATTLES WITH REAL TACTICOOL PICATINNY COMMANDER'S CUPOLAS... when you fight sharkdogs.

[chitoryu12]

AAA Indie is a crap name for an interesting concept.

Effectively, you pre-purchase the game directly from the developer (and can choose to pay additional amounts) in order to help fund the development.

It's an experiment in new economic models for games development and I'll be intrigued to see how/if it works out.

I'd much rather rent a complete game or watch videos of it on YouTube before buying it, as opposed to paying for an incomplete game that has a chance of never getting finished.

Hence why my friend and I share a copy of Cortex Command. I didn't want to pay full-price for an incomplete game.

[Vympel]

I can't believe they're saying they're making an "original" game that's called Interstellar (aka SPACE) Marines.

Fuck me dead the standards for "original" are low.

[andrewgpaul]

I'm missing something; AAA? I'm assuming by context it's not Automobile Association of America.

[Ryan Thunder]

Clearly they must mean Anti-Aircraft Artillery.

That, or they're talking about their monthly barbecue...

[Oskuro]

I mean shit, talk about realism then throw in Landsharks? Wow.

It is just a deep philosophical reflection on the nonexistance of God because an intelligent designer would create something as awesome as Landsharks.

[Covenant]

Meh.

Sharkdogs and foolish realism claims! Okay, basically, realism has two purposes. First, it's to appeal to the player by making clever things they think of possible. Monsters chasing? Bar the door with boxes! Hide in the dark to avoid being spotted! Use your cellphone to contact NPCs instead of having to do it on foot!

The second is a marketing buzzword to attract people because they simulate the kind of entirely nonrealistic 'realism' that people claim to have. It's a wink-and-a-nod style 'realism'. Honestly, unless you want people to use realism to respond to their environment interestingly, it's useless.

It doesn't matter if your guns are realistic or not unless it suits the setting. But a realistic setting isn't inherently better than a nonrealistic one except that a realistic one should allow you to do more intuitive things. However, if your guns are homing lasers and nuclear hand grenades, and you can still do clever intuitive things, you gain all the benefits of 'realism' without the action being 'realistic.'

I am a big fan of realism in games, but only because it lets you do things that make sense and opens things up in a very interesting way. Even in games and mods I've done, realism is not a nebulous design goal, because a simulation is only as entertaining as the reality it's meant to simulate. Realism is handy if you're training soldiers how to fly a F-22, but your average gamer doesn't need to require, or even benefit, from reality most of the time. Reality would be "You get shot, you get bit by the Sharkdog, you fall over and start gushing fluid" and that's not very fun. I wish people would stop confusing 'realistic' with 'suitable for a modern setting.' A setting isn't realistic just because the guns shoot bullets, unless those bullets perform like real bullets, and allow the player to interact with the world in a realistic way.

[Stark]

Yeah, I read 'realistic' to mean 'contains huge swathes of self-justifying military trivia'.

[Oskuro]

I lately read 'realistic' to mean 'plays like Gears of War'.