Interview Interview: Chris Conte - Designer of Satellite Reign

[Whisky]

Tags: 5 Lives Studios; Satellite Reign

Chris Conte, designer on Satellite Reign, has been kind enough to allow us to ask him a few questions about the game and its Kickstarter.

On the Kickstarter page, it describes Satellite Reign as a strategy game. Would you consider Satellite Reign to be more strategic than Syndicate or Syndicate Wars? If so, how? Will Satellite Reign have a strategic layer to it, such as research in Syndicate?

Satellite Reign will have a lot more depth in all aspects of the game. Everything in the world will be simulated and intertwined. If you assassinate scientists and doctors of the opposing organisations you can cripple their weapon and augmentation output. Or, if you decided to bribe them instead of killing them you could get benefits on your own research and development.
The player will be able to research weapons and augmentations, do deals on the black market, raise propaganda and steal money and gear. Satellite Reign will have a complex web of simulations that all feed into each other creating some very deep strategic options for the player.

Read the full article: Interview: Chris Conte - Designer of Satellite Reign

 

[Infinitron]

They're very optimistic, aren't they?

 

[Sensuki]

I'm gonna be a bit pessimistic about this one, I smell some Massive Chalice in here.

 

[Diablo169]

Sounds great in theory.

 

[Space Satan]

Problem is that funds are not coming anymore. They'll need a good deal of hype to meet minimum goals.

 

[Infinitron]

Problem is that funds are not coming anymore. They'll need a good deal of hype to meet minimum goals.

It's the middle of the pledge drive. Funds aren't supposed to be coming in now.

Check out the history of any Kickstarter and you'll see: http://www.kicktraq.com/

 

[Space Satan]

Yeah, I know, the biggest influx happens at the beginning and near the end but still - that marks the difference between greatly explected project and just nice one. It's 13 days, and they still need more than 122 000$ - not a small sum to begin with. Still, I hopefor the best.

 

[Sensuki]

I've been a bit underwhelmed by their campaign so far.

 

[Zed]

Mike said he wasn’t entirely happy how players ended up only ever selecting all of the agents and effectively using them as a tank with 4 guns.

In Satellite Reign we have given the agents individual roles which have different base strengths and weaknesses.

We wanted to give enough variation in the characters so that players will want to issue orders individually to the agents

Instead of this, why not let the player chose which class each character will be? This allows for both game styles: "all 4 are tanks" and "everyone's a unique snowflake". It also allows for "all 4 are sneaky" or "all 4 are fast" and so on.
Personally I would prefer to play it like Syndicate Wars, which essentially played like Cannon Fodder in GTA2 or something.

If they add more player customization like what I described above, I would definitely back them. As it is now, it's simply something I would have to play first. I wasn't a particularly big fan of Commandos and that western Commandos-clone, and that's what this game sounds like now.

 

[Branm]

Eh I'm a firm believer that pounds is killing this campaign. They have provided the same amount as details and concept as a bunch of other successful kickstarters.

Will obviously get funded maybe end at like 425k poundsbut id say it would of hit 1m USD without too many problems.

 

[MurkyShadow]

They have just added the possibility to pledge over paypal. I don't know if they will get a relevant boost through this.
Anyways, pledged 35$, as I still enjoy replays of Syndicate and Syndicate Wars. Also like to hear that they will release
it on gog. It wouldn't trouble me too much if it would be available on steam only, like Shadow Returns. But I like to
have the option.