Game News Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter Update #85: Hong Kong campaign concept art revealed

[Zombra]

I can dig it. I hope they get tons and make a huge awesome game too, bigger and maybe less linear than what we've seen. And if that's the plan, then they have a good reason to keep the barrier of entry as high as it was last time. I just don't want to see it artificially high for no good reason.

 

[Ninjerk]

Or maybe they'll CDP the game, use the extra budget for marketing, and go full popamole

 

[JarlFrank]

Using kickstarter money for marketing is the most retarded thing one could ever do.

 

[OSK]

Back when there was a vote for the second city, this is how they described Hong Kong:

Hong Kong finds itself now as an independent city/state in 2050. Both ancient and modern Hong Kong seems to be at peace on the same island. It's corporate sponsored City Center rivals any in the world for splendor and corporate intrigue. All the megcorps are there as well as all smaller ones that love to think they can play with the big boys (and maybe even steal a secret or two). Yet, just outside the city center you will find ancient temples and shrines. Each one situated on the many dragon lines that cross the island. Dragon lines are mysterious and powerful paths of magic that the monks claim hold the secrets of the great dragons themselves. Protecting the monks and running the underworld are the mysterious syndicate called the Triads - gangs that control their island, protect their secret masters and really really hate the Yakuza.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1613260297/shadowrun-returns/posts/224669

 

[Volrath]

Agreed. ANd *possibly* they could finally do an actual Open World design. That would be awesome.

Isn't that impossible with the current engine?

 

[Kem0sabe]

Isn't that impossible with the current engine?

Not sure open world is possible, but the engine can handle some big multi-level maps. The problem is that the engine has a lot of trouble keeping track of map persistence between visits.

Knowing that they will invariably release on mobile devices, I wonder how many of these limitations are self imposed for the sake of making it run on touch screens and inferior hardware.

 

[Jaedar]

Isn't that impossible with the current engine?

Afaik they modified the engine quite a bit to make dragonfall possible. I assume/hope they will continue to push it.

 

[Ninjerk]

Not sure open world is possible, but the engine can handle some big multi-level maps. The problem is that the engine has a lot of trouble keeping track of map persistence between visits.

Knowing that they will invariably release on mobile devices, I wonder how many of these limitations are self imposed for the sake of making it run on touch screens and inferior hardware.

The scenarios have global variables; I would assume they've merely avoided having a mess of globals to track.

 

[Infinitron]

I have not be very good at this but i bet they are going to have more.
If they make less i have the feeling the final sales are going to be a big failure.

The Codex crowd is not a good sample but there are much more people here aware/supporting/happy with SRR now than when the fist kickstarter campaign was launched (the unlimited ammo debate hehe).
I can see more codexers backing the campaign this time.

The Codex isn't the rest of the world. Shadowrun Returns had 36,000+ backers. What percentage of those people care enough to come back for a "more of the same" Kickstarter? How many of them were disappointed by SRR? How many of them were just hopping on the 2012 Kickstarter fad and no longer care about that stuff? We shall see.

Keep in mind that HBS have consistently failed to hype up their products since the initial launch of the game - Dragonfall was great but it seems few people noticed. Dragonfall DC dropped like a rock. I dunno man, it just seems like the fire isn't there. And that's why they might need to demand more money from those few people who do care.

Ultimately though, it all depends on how much funding they even need for this campaign.

 

[jdinatale]

Not sure open world is possible, but the engine can handle some big multi-level maps. The problem is that the engine has a lot of trouble keeping track of map persistence between visits.

Knowing that they will invariably release on mobile devices, I wonder how many of these limitations are self imposed for the sake of making it run on touch screens and inferior hardware.

I don't see how they did that. I've taken C++ and Java in college and I know you can just declare things as global variables and you keep track of all of the instances and just call methods for them. That seems really amateur to me.

 

[tuluse]

The scenarios have global variables; I would assume they've merely avoided having a mess of globals to track.

Better designed RPG engines don't need the developers to manually track everything with globals. Each interactive object (like NPCs) should have variables you can set and are not unset the moment you leave the map.

 

[Dreaad]

Lets hope they don't blow the funds on trying to do full voice overs.

 

[Jaesun]

Isn't that impossible with the current engine?

Yes (because of the F%&$#*@ reliance on Tablets).

BUT, they could have multiple large maps that all connect together. But that might get a bit confusing (instead of having ONE huge gigantic map). I.E. HALP I CANT FIND CAIUS!!!1111!

 

[Zombra]

Lets hope they don't blow the funds on trying to do full voice overs.

I can't even conceive of a situation in which they would try to do that. All it would be would be a CD of an actor reading a Shadowrun story because they wouldn't be able to afford anything else at all.

 

[naossano]

You also have to take into account the people like myself who weren't aware of the game during the kickstarter or even during the launch, and who became hooked when playing it. Those are likely to become NEW backers.

 

[Transfiguring Roar]

I'm with naossano, I hadn't heard of kickstarter at that time, and will probably back this time, unless HBS shit the funding goal in, in which case I will buy at full price after the KS.

 

[Spectacle]

I don't see how they did that. I've taken C++ and Java in college and I know you can just declare things as global variables and you keep track of all of the instances and just call methods for them. That seems really amateur to me.

Using a lot of global variables brings a ton of pain when you have a non-trivial program. The real world of software development is a bit more complicated than CS101.

 

[Semper]

hopefully hbs ain't that stupid to switch to another editor again. this drek shredded the community and a lot of modders lost incentive to start over or to port their runs.
they should also release an exporter/documentation to get new 3d art into the game. their approach with saving as source was a nice step in the right direction.

 

[Diablo169]

They should definately focus on the modding scene as much as possible. That shit adds longevity.

 

[Pony King]

Isn't the modding scene dead as a door nail?

 

[GarfunkeL]

No but close. The Director's Cut basically shat upon the older mods and required modders to port their stuff or start from scratch. Hopefully HK expansion/sequel/whatever will reinvigorate the scene.

 

[eXalted]

They should definately focus on the modding scene as much as possible. That shit adds longevity.

They really have to.

There are mods like Nightmare Harvest which (battles aside) for me is better than SRR.

 

[Infinitron]

Generally speaking, games that are highly "setting-specific" rarely have the most thriving mod scenes. The more generic and open, the better. Don't pin your hopes on the Shadowrun Returns modding scene.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Generally speaking, games that are highly "setting-specific" rarely have the most thriving mod scenes. The more generic and open, the better. Don't pin your hopes on the Shadowrun Returns modding scene.

If the engine wasnt such a clusterfuck i think we would have had a much more prolific modding scene

 

[LESS T_T]

Mod scenes in new RPGs (Shadowrun, D:OS...) are pretty underwhelming so far. (I know it's early to say this.)

Well, actually I'd like to see that some company release a dedicated "Construction Kit (or Set)" like the old days. (HBS? Larian? Obsidian? ...inXile?)