Mr. Rankinfile's Ace of Angels Preview and Q&A
posted at 7:40 PM on Tuesday, December 26th, 2000
| Publisher |
| Flying Rock Enterprises |
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| System Requirements: |
Pentium/AMD 300mhz
20MB HD Space
64 MB Ram
8 MB video card
33.6 modem |
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Being the expert that I am (pardon the shameless self-promotion) on Massively Multiplayer Online Games, I jump at the chance to delve into that odd universe of ambitious games and strange players willing to give up life in the real world for a life interacting 0s and 1s with real human personalities. Which, really, is no different than me, minus the human personalities. But I digress. A lot.
Well, another MMOG has entered my little world recently (though it’s been under development for quite some time), the space combat sim Ace of Angels. Being put together by a coupl’a good ol’ boys from down in Georgia (their company is called Flying Rock Enterprises, LLC), the game is billed as "A Living Game…" and is meant to be what the developers dreamt of in an endless list of "What Ifs" after playing the Wing Commanders and Tie Fighters of the world..
The game itself is being developed in three phases: The Arena, Outerchange, and the Campaign. A quick gander at each:
ARENA
This is currently open, albeit in beta. It generally amounts to free-for-all (or team) fighting raging at all times in the one zone (which is supposed to be about the size of space between the earth and moon). Think Quake 3, but in space ships, and without the IQ maximums. And with safe zones. And it’s in space. Did I say that already? It’s worth retelling, I think. There will also be NPCs flying around which can be toasted. Teams can control their own territories, the boundaries of which are marked by those little rubber sticks that they use at grocery stores to keep customers’ food from mixing together while in line. This concerns me, as I wonder if anyone will dare cross over them. That is something that only time can tell.
OUTERCHANGE
The petri dish for the Campaign mode. Clans can continue to form. Players can earn points through victories in combat and buy different spacecraft. Teams can pool resources and construct large bases or capital ships. Teams can also destroy each other’s large vessels for large point gains as well. These large vessels will also cost points to maintain, so teams with the most stuff have to be out killing the most people to maintain their wealth and properties. The "ya gotta kill to pay the bill" philosophy is where the "sim" part comes in (just ask your local Crip representative). I believe the game will have an ESRB of "E" but I’m not sure. But, since points, like money, cannot alone bring happiness (Americans, sorry for the spoiler), the happy family (Bryan, Linda, Curt, Jamey, Ahmed and a slew of others) at Flying Rock is giving us…
THE CAMPAIGN
Now it’s for real. Players will sign up for the varying nations that exist in the Known SphereTM (yup, that’s trademarked), and war is on. Each nation has its own extensive background and history, political structures, periodicals and other whatnot that you might find in a governed group. The races vary from humanoid, to some Barney-esque dinosaurish peoples, to the feline "Rukira" (Bryan suggested "Kilrathi" but was voted down) to the non-carbon-based Drake. Each has its own political goals and motivations, they say, that drive the nations throughout the war.
In the campaign mode, players can ascend the ranks to lead squadrons, battalions, armies, whatever. Newspapers - run by the staff at Flying Rock - report the latest goings-on to the game world so citizens are kept up on the politics and war events. Each nation actually has a few different papers run from different viewpoints which, if done well, kicks arse. They compare it to World War I, but, of course, in space. Don’t forget, this is in space. Not Europe. Although Bryan at one point wanted to call the Known SphereTM "Europe" before he realized it was already taken. Linda doesn’t let Bryan talk anymore, though.
Bryan and Curt were gracious enough to give me a tour around the game world (NOTE: You can go their web site at any time and download the client FREE and participate in the beta FREE - they run scenario-based games nightly, tres cool, check it out) to show me how things work, not hype it to me.
They have quite a few ships available already, and if you go in there at any time you’re bound to find some people happily killing away. I chose some ship, named "Tsfa;'`sdf’esj8/34rhls" or something like that, and followed them around to see what was up. A lot of good things were going on there.
For one, the game is stellar with high ping. I have, according to my own exhaustive research, the worst 56k connection in Colorado (it’s a state in the Union if you’re not sure), but never once experienced any noticeable lag or jump in the game due to lost data transfer. Flying was smooth sailing, so to speak. But in space, not on the ocean. The music is dynamic, changing from generally bright in tone to more intense and dark when the action starts revving up. The controls made pretty good sense, and the HUD - which is crisp and for the most part readable - can be customized simply be clicking-and-dragging the different parts to wherever you prefer them. Don’t know why, but I loved that. The flight model is not your typical Wing Commander/Tie Fighter sort, but rather something more realistic…there is no air friction (remember: it’s in outer space), so turning does not change the direction of your movement. I sucked with this, but getting the hang of it would provide a plethora of new combat techniques, many of which were used to blow me to little, tiny pieces. Don’t worry, I killed Bryan once while he was still and explaining something to me. Haha! That reminds me…there is in-game chat as well, the perfect way to get yourself killed. Type fast, Young Skywalker.
The graphics were…not distracting. These were my one major disappointment at this point in the game (haven’t played it a whole lot to give an opinion on deeper aspects of gameplay, so for once I’ll withhold my uneducated assessment). Sure, sure, gameplay over graphics any day of the week. And yeah, the framerate was high running at 1024x768x16 (no major accomplishment on an Athlon 900 and GeForce2 GTS). Still, the textures were small in size, low in resolution, and sparse in variety. The game could survive without any visual improvement, I just wish they’d spruce it up. Us guys, after all, are highly responsive to visual stimuli. Me like pretty colors.
I have reservations about the Campaign mode simply because I could not find nor get any real clarification of what the individual nations’ "goals and motivations" would be, or what the purpose of the friggin’ war in general is. Seems like just a bunch of nations fighting. They did say it would end, but said little else. We can only sacrifice small animals in hopes that they do not end up with a bunch of digital hippies and Space Academy dropouts burning flags and taking drugs to protest the senseless war. That is a tragedy no one wants to see.
Of course, they could’ve just not told me what the point of the fighting is. If nothing else, they’ve got awhile to map it out, since the Campaign is still well out of sight for the time being so far as we gamers. I also think it would be nifty if players, not their staff, were able to print the different periodicals in each nation to really let the propaganda fly, with major, mandatory headlines for the game’s purposes put in by the staff as needed. But such is life. Hell, there may not be a demand for that kind of thing, though surely any good human being would jump at the chance to manipulate others.
But…the thing is free (once ready, they will charge a subscription fee, but not for the initial software install). It’s available now to test drive. There is a lot of developer involvement with the players which is never, ever, ever a bad thing. Ever. Really, ever. Little (if any) lag, good ideas, dynamic music...and it sounds fun. So here’s hoping they pull it off, and sooner rather than later.
They were also kind enough to answer a few of my stupid questions, the sweeties.
How long have you known each other? And what the heck is up with Curt?
Bryan and Jamey both went to the Walker school, a Private school locally, graduating in 1988. Bryan, Linda, and Curt met in College, at Florida Tech, in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, with Bryan and Linda starting to date in 1990. Curt brought Ahmed into the group shortly after its inception in 1996. Curt and Ahmed were both working on the Student Satellite for UAH.
I am not sure what you mean about Curt’s bio. It seems perfectly normal to me. Well, except for that part about being mistaken for a shaved ape. He is in no way “shaved”.
How big is the dev team? For those interested in getting onboard, how big are you looking to get? Are you all within a certain geographic area (and would newcomers need to be as well?)?
The Team consists of the five owners and two new staff members. Ahmed and Curt have done all the programming up to December. Linda has maintained the books, while Jamey and I have developed the in depth backstory. Timothy Spanjer was hired in mid-November as a Graphical artist, and Michael Wymer was hired at the start of December as a development programmer. The new look of the Webpage is their first big contribution to the AoA project.
All of us are in the Atlanta area, and the FRE offices are in Marietta, Sherman’s last big stop before lighting up the big city.
How are you handling distribution...are you seeking a publisher or selling direct once the game is ready to go?
We plan on giving the game away for free directly over the Internet. Our model for making money will be to charge a modest subscription each month for access to our game servers.
How long has AoA been in development? How in the world do you find time to do this on top of your day jobs (which are what?). Is everything in the game being built from scratch, or have you licensed any of the technology?
AoA have been in serious development for the last 4 years. At the outset, we all had “paycheck jobs”. Curt and Ahmed worked for a company designing embedded systems, for instance. Today, Linda is an Health Inspector, and I am a Psychotherapist. Curt, Jamey and Ahmed all continue their 80 hour weeks, it just all goes into Flying Rock.
As for the technology, we have developed flight, graphics, and communications engines from scratch, but we make as much use of API libraries as possible. DirectX has been quite helpful, however, given time, we expect to be able to port the game to use the GL libraries.
Right now the beta is thankfully open...anyone came come download and jump in the fray, especially during your nightly scenario games (tres cool). Is there a limit to the duration of the beta or the number of people you'll let play?
There is no limit to the number of people who can play Beta, or log in for at one of our hosted times. Come on in and join us at 9:00pm Eastern Time weeknights, and 8:30 Eastern Time Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Of course, the turn out is highest on the weekends, but we have been getting a lot of players on weeknights too.
You say this came up in a discussion while on the highway about what type of game you'd like to play. What games have you liked that brought you to this point? The games that you really liked, but thought, "if only..."
We had played Wing Commander, Battle of Britain and Tie Fighter, and enjoyed them a great deal. Still something has always been missing. While the branching story-line in Wing Commander means different players can have different missions, the sense of doing something unique is just not there. Of course, 4 years ago, the MMPG was not around at all, and we wanted to fight other players, not just AI’s. Finally, we all hated the “box ‘n’ sell” approach to gaming. Once a title has sold well, support vanished and a new product is created. I really liked the Battle of Britain series, but Lucas no longer supports that game. Imagine an AoA-like Campaign set in World War II!
The flight model is very different and will initially be a challenge to us Wing Commander brats. What made you decide to go with the more realistic physics?
We have always wanted a more “realistic” flight model for these space games. In space you do not bank, and you do not have a top speed. Besides, we were all fans of Babylon 5 and wanted to fly like a Starfury does. (Not that anyone will now get to ever *fly* a Starfury with the B5 game’s cancellation). We find that players quickly adapt to this model and have been told . “There’s no going back!”, which is good news for us: Players will have to get their space flight sim “fix” from us.
The campaign mode, where players fight for one of the given nations...is there an attainable overall goal? Can the war be won? What reward, if any, comes from a big-picture victory?
Yes, each nation has its own goals, objectives, and grievances. However, as the war changes, their goals and the means to achieving them may also change. Think of the Campaign as World War One on a galactic scale. Player Characters will also have the opportunity to participate in numerous subplots and intrigues among their own governments and races by joining various special organizations. They will be unique to each race and range from religious organizations to academy fraternities, each with their own goals and agendas, and not all of them are good or in line with the desires of their government.
As for winning; yes, all wars must end. We will see what happens; but as far as battles are concerned, “winning” can be a matter of perspective. Each side will have Victory conditions that will be more complex than an win/loss mechanism. In Ace of Angels, as in real life, Outstanding Victories, like say at Midway, will be uncommon. The Campaign will cover *years* of real time.
In campaign mode, players can rise in rank. Will higher officials set war agenda (where to wage war) or actual battle strategies? If I rise to power, can I seek vengeance for personal wrongs, regardless of the lives that must be lost in the process?
Tactical decisions will be made by Squadron Commanders and Commanders of Aerospace groups (CAG’s) based upon the objectives for missions. Higher ranked characters will receive additional information about the mission on which to base their thinking.
At some point, a Character’s rank will move him or her from being a pilot to being “shipbound”. At this point it would be time to create a new pilot, as his or her Character becomes an Non-Player Character (NPC). This NPC might continue to be mentioned within the on going storyline. Eventually, we would like to have a set up for Players to Captain Starships, and the like, using a different type of interface, as the Campaign progresses.
The “big decisions” will be carried out by FRE staff, acting on the part of the Nation’s Civilian governments and Generals. Each Nation has its own character, military policies and doctrines, as well as the culture of its populations.
Speaking of lost life, what happens when you die?
In the Arena you lose the Bounty you had accumulated and that is all.
In the Outerchange, again you will lose Bounty, but otherwise continue.
In the Campaign, having your fighter destroyed is another matter. Fighter’s in the Campaign will be more robust, and when your damage display is all red, it is time to bug out. If your fighter does get destroyed, take heart, characters will have a very decent chance of surviving with your ejection pod. Of course, you might get captured if your side does not control the field at the end of the fight, but then, there are always prisoner exchanges.
Also speaking of lost life, how much would someone have to play to have a reasonable rank and score? Will the highest-ranking players be 13-year old dropouts with DSL connections and nothing else to do?
In the Campaign we will be organizing large groups of players for each battle. Players will come to scheduled events, much like a Soccer game is a scheduled event. When you sign up for the Campaign, you will select which event-times will work into your schedule. While those players who play more often will have more chances to advance, this will prevent the “I play for a living” player from overwhelming the game. The most important battles, spread across a solar system, could easily be fought across several nights of a week, with the final tally unknown for several days. Much like real war.
In addition, on the DSL comment, AoA is very tolerant of high pings. Players have no problem with using 56k modems to date.
Obviously this won't have the same PK crises that Everquest 'N Friends have. Will there be any limits on killing? Penalties for friendly fire? Benefits to killing higher-ranking players?
Well, you cannot accidentally fire missiles at targets you consider Friendly or Aligned Disposition. Of course, you can always set them to hostile and fire away. The penalties for shooting a buddy are you hurt or lose a teammate. Just like in real-life air combat, flying alone is a fast way to die. Remember kids, Friendly Fire isn’t!.
As an employee at this god-forsaken hellhole [consider your pay docked- ed], I'm concerned about employee rights and rules. When a player signs on to play with a certain nation, are they bound to that nation (i.e. can they defect?) and its rules (can they disobey?)?
The characters are going to be bound by the rules and regulations of their military as much as is any solider. Defecting, however, might be possible depending on that Character’s circumstances. We have some story ideas in this area once the Campaign gets up and running.
The newspapers sound like a great idea for keeping the gamers up-to-date on game happenings. Do the players get to control their war propaganda or does Flying Rock take care of all that?
As with National Government, FRE will write the headlines. We also will be adding War Posters to the Web Site to add to its overall feel.
What features/elements that aren't in the game yet are you hoping to put in still?
Well, as we speak we are working hard on the creation of the Outerchange. The Outerchange will be a constant arena, where players and squadrons will be able to have a lasting impact. There will be hosted scenarios and missions, as well as "automatic" scenarios that act like "wandering monsters. It will also have a credit system will be employed that is based upon points scored and accumulated within the Outerchange by individual players and squadrons. These credits can then be spent personally or jointly on things ranging from better than standard missiles all the way up to squadron bases. The Outerchange should be in place sometime in early Spring of 2001.
Of course, we are working hard on the software to support the Campaign, and expect its release in the Summer or Fall of 2001.
Daddy, when will it be done?
Don’t make me stop the car!
Seriously, AoA will never be “done”. We are not a “box ‘n’ sell” company. AoA will have constant support and upgrades and the Campaign will last several years in real life. Players, though their Characters, will each be able to play their part in weaving a great tapestry the will occur once. What a story that will be.
You can make fun of Mr. Rankinfile's puny modem, and discuss the game, here.
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