Ultimate Space Commando

[Infinitron]

Steam Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=177153955

https://uscthegame.com

Spoiler

Ultimate Space Commando (USC) is a turn-based strategy/field tactics game revolving around a deadly conflict between human soldiers and the hordes of an unknown, ravenous alien race. USC features the ability to build, develop, and fully customize your squads, and combat your enemies in randomly generated, fully interactive environments, either versus the AI controlled alien hordes or your friends in multiplayer. For the full list of feautes, read the About USC section!



RPS post: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/17/the-last-of-usmc-ultimate-space-commando/

Oh no! With a name like Ultimate Space Commando, there’s a very real chance that this could be the last game ever created. Deep down, I always knew that gaming would end as a QTE caused a planet full of aliens to explode, the light causing lens flare and bloom to bounce and refract from the shiny bald head of the Ultimate Space Commando. Imagine my relief when the trailer for the final game revealed something entirely different. Turn-based tactics, randomised maps, destructible environments, a neat inventory system and oodles of crafting. It’s a far more fitting end for PC gaming than the shrieking grind of the gears of war and you can now register as an alpha participant.

The feature list and trailer were enough to make me sign up for the alpha. The form looks like this:

Very good, Ultimate Space Commando. I believe you and I may become firm friends.

 

[Hornawkawk]

I don't like the art direction and the general 'cheesiness', but the game looks very entertaining, complex, and rich in content nonetheless. I'm signing up for alpha.

 

[Indranys]

The concept sounds great, but the graphix is too LSD for me.
Why the hell did they do that!!11
Looks like normalcy is too mainstream nowadays.

 

[knightley]

I am playing and enjoying a couple of games with ascii graphics lately, but man, this game's art style really suck.

 

[Jack Dandy]

I got into the alpha.
Holy god fucking DAMN the UI is intimidating.

I really need to set a side a few hours just to learn it all. It'll be quite the undertaking. But it seems like something I can enjoy.

Also I hope they'll tune down the colors somewhat, the arenas look like disco stages at times.

 

[Hornawkawk]

I have to say, some tutorial mode would be very helpful.

Also, it's hard to tell walls/objects from floor tiles. And when the aliens move, it's very difficult to tell what's actually happening, so some text log of events could help with that. All I see now is just a bunch of digits and explosions somewhere in an unexplored section of the area.

The game is pleasantly complex, and offers a broad choice of weapons, items, ammunition types, and skills.

 

[Aliza Wenders]

Hi folks!

I'm the main dev. of Ultimate Space Commando, has been invited to join the conversation. Thank you all for your interest!

Let me start by emphasizing that the visual style of USC has been debated a lot, and a few changes/options have been already implemented to reduce the lighting & color intensity. You can read about this (with samples) at http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/177153955/1379003660 and http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/discussions/177153955. It is also very probable that various (mostly ground) textures will be replaced for the final release, though I'm almost alone with ALL tasks from the beginning (you can call 'us' a small studio :D), and trying hard to keep up with all matters at hand. One thing I can tell you is that I take public feedback very seriously and working constantly to make the game better in aspects widely mentioned by the community.

As for the UI and a tutorial mode, a yet not complete, but very detailed game guide and tutorial is available at the USC homepage, http://www.creatio49.com/usc/page_gg_basics.php, http://www.creatio49.com/usc/page_gg_tutorial.php. The Campaign will also have an in-game tutorial-ish starting mission. Until then, I've put a lot of work into the web-based game guide, please read it if you want to know more about the game system, controls, etc. Any Alpha feedback on controls / UI will be taken very seriously.

My main focus until now was making the game run smoothly and without bugs with all major game/combat features implemented. Difficulty and challenge levels have been also very thoroughly balanced.

Since the release of the trailer, a few changes were also committed to make enemy attacks more easy to follow. An update for Alpha 10 will soon come out, then I'll introduce the new features in detail on a bunch of forums.

Thank you again, and just ask me if you have any questions. With further opinions & recommendations, please also join the USC Forum at http://www.creatio49.com/usc/forum/!

Best regards,
Aliza
www.creatio49.com

 

[Infinitron]

You should tell Rock Paper Shotgun you are a woman, they will give you more coverage.

 

[Jack Dandy]

Oh! The 80% desaturation thing looks better to me.
Believe me, I love colors! Even in PC games! But the original version simply looks too nutty imo.

Will you send out a tweet when the new alpha is ready? Do you have to download it again, or will the version I downloaded patch automatically?

 

[Aliza Wenders]

The update will be a much smaller archive file than the initial Alpha 10 release, and will be available as a download from the USC Homepage. You'll simply have to put its contents into your USC folder (overwriting some files). I'll send out a tweet and also the USC Alpha newsletter. Expect it around the start of the next week.

 

[Overboard]

I'm somewhat interested but generally don't like to play games in alpha/beta, so Jack Dandy your impressions will be much appreciated.

Also yes tone down the colours.

 

[Hornawkawk]

As for the UI and a tutorial mode, a yet not complete, but very detailed game guide and tutorial is available at the USC homepage, http://www.creatio49.com/usc/page_gg_basics.php, http://www.creatio49.com/usc/page_gg_tutorial.php. The Campaign will also have an in-game tutorial-ish starting mission. Until then, I've put a lot of work into the web-based game guide, please read it if you want to know more about the game system, controls, etc. Any Alpha feedback on controls / UI will be taken very seriously.

Thanks, I'll check this out. What about alien activities? They take their turns way too fast for me.
I'll play the game some more today and ask questions the tutorial doesn't answer (although I hope things will be much clearer).

 

[Aliza Wenders]

There's a hidden option in the engine for the AI speed (at some point in the development I decided to make it faster :D), I'll make it accessible in the Settings menu to some extent. Also the next patch may solve this problem in another way (with the attacker/defender markers).

 

[Hornawkawk]

I have to say I can't understand a few things.

The 'star' targeting mode. Why not make it a simple line of sight? It seems odd that I have to sidestep like a maniac to hit two adjacent baddies.

What are the wunderwurms and what do they do? Sometimes I gain APs just by hitting them, sometimes they lose them, it seems to me like they just invoke some random effect?

No idea how the hacking minigame works too. It appears that I can't do anything, just highlight stuff with the cursor.

 

[Aliza Wenders]

Targeting modes: they're an integral part of the game, giving diversity to the weapons and tactics. If you can't stand weapons with the 'star' fire mode (it indeed has a disadvantage by rules), then you're free to use weapons with other capabilities. USC is not a combat simulator , more like a computer-aided board game, don't expect 'realism'. It's a game with its own rules.

Wunderwurms are a very weird species :D. You will be able to learn more about them in the Campaign. What they do is: they have much HPs, have a radioactive area effect attack, heal themselves and the aliens near them, and also have a fine Reaction, which may give them bonus APs when they crit by rules. They lose APs when you hit them really hard with a high-impact attack, see http://www.creatio49.com/usc/page_gg_combat.php#effects, 'slow down/knockback'. Note: you can also gain APs when landing critical hits if your Reaction is high enough. There's also a specialization linked to Reaction to boost this, if you prefer.

Hacking: yes, that's a bit tricky, will be updated soon! Basically you can do two things: click on a node with a junction either by LMB or RMB to rotate it, or click on a logical gate node (AND, OR, XOR) to select it and then you can put it in an empty node by left-clicking again. There's a power source emitting blue flow: it must reach the "OK" (green tick) node without reaching the "close" (yellow X) or "fail" (exclamation mark) nodes. But for now, I'd recommend you use a circuit cracker or just tear down the door. I have to come up with a more comprehensive look for the hacker and also a well-written tutorial. Please be patient .

 

[Aliza Wenders]

Update 10.0.4.1 is now available with lots of improvements to the Circuit Cracker, as promised.

 

[ColCol]

Saying it here also, the game is on sale at indie game stand, pay what want.

https://indiegamestand.com/deal/