Homeworld: Shipbreakers - From the Creators of Homeworld - Games

[B]EDIT:[/B] The name have been changed to Homeworld: Shipbreakers, currently working on a banner. [B]Developers:[/B] Blackbird Interactive Inc. [B]Release:[/B] Q4, 2013. [B]FAQ[/B] [B]What is Homeworld: Shipbreakers?[/B] HARDWARE: Shipbreakers is a 3D RTS game set on the planet of LM-27. [B]What do you do in Homeworld: Shipbreakers?[/B] The player "owns" a corporation and units, such as support vehicles, aircraft, combat scouts etc. that you use to find and loot shipwrecks on LM-27's surface. Each ship contains cargo, hardware and other things that gives the player credits if extracted. [B]Sounds easy enough, what's the catch?[/B] The catch is that every other player also wants those credits, prepare yourself to fight for every credit that you find on LM-27. [B]Who are the guys at Blackbird Interactive?[/B] Blackbird Interactive Inc. consists of not only the creators of Homeworld, senior EA staff and founders of Relic Entertainment but also many other veterans from the gaming industry. [B]Sounds promising, when can i buy Homeworld: Shipbreakers?[/B] Homeworld: Shipbreakers is currently under development, if you'd like you can sign up for the beta at the official site. However, if you want to support the game and the guys at Blackbird Interactive i suggest pre-purchasing the Prospectors Guide (More info below, check second video.) and/or the First Wave VIP package for guaranteed beta access! [B]Media:[/B] [B]Images (Currently only from the Prospectors Guide):[/B] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2001.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2002.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2003.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2004.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2005.png[/IMG] [IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71236376/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers/FP/HARDWARE%20Shipbreakers%20Pic%2006.png[/IMG] [B]Videos:[/B] [I]Announcment Trailer:[/I] [video=youtube;hgylViCFHAs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgylViCFHAs[/video] [I]Episode 1 - The Prospectors Calling[/I] [video=youtube;G37cFbkArlw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G37cFbkArlw[/video] [I]Episode 2 - Baserunner - The Legend[/I] [video=youtube;NmcSMAuo8OI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmcSMAuo8OI[/video] [I]Episode 3 - First Contact (Gameplay Preview)[/I] [video=youtube;0kqNp1fZ9xQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kqNp1fZ9xQ[/video] Not interested yet? Read more about Homeworld: Shipbreakers and Blackbird Interactive Inc. here: [url]http://blackbirdinteractive.com/[/url] Sign up for the beta: [url]http://blackbirdinteractive.com/contact/beta/[/url] Pre-purchase and read more about the Prospectors Guide: [url]https://blackbirdinteractive.com/store/[/url] [B]News regarding the game:[/B] 2013-09-03: [QUOTE=S31-Syntax;42066014][url]https://twitter.com/DuvalMagic/status/374575147547496448[/url] [quote= Randy Pitchford's Twitter]@Giolon With our investment, Homeworld Shipbreakers can be a proper commercial release. No need for F2P.[/quote][/QUOTE]

It's a shame it's an F2P MP game. I'd rather have an excellent singleplayer RTS again. Oh well, at least the art direction is excellent.

Oh I can definitely see the Homeworld art origins in here.

You can tell it's from the creators of homeworld because it uses The same cinematic art-style The same setting (desert world with curious starships in the sand) The same clan-esque setup The same colours The same font The same UI The same angular and blocky ship designs The same narrator (probably) The same music The (exact) same UI sound effects Homeworld 3.0 in the guise of a corporate war sim. It's like a dream come true. [QUOTE=Zezibesh;41860591]It's a shame it's an F2P MP game. I'd rather have an excellent singleplayer RTS again. Oh well, at least the art direction is excellent.[/QUOTE] I kinda like the idea. I mean, it wouldn't compare to another great Homeworld, but this has still got me decently hyped.

[QUOTE=Pilotguy97;41860659]I kinda like the idea. I mean, it wouldn't compare to another great Homeworld, but this has still got me decently hyped.[/QUOTE] I just don't enjoy RTS multiplayer and I haven't played a single F2P game that didn't turn into a tedious grind either. While Homeworld probably had good MP and great gameplay elements, I played it for the singleplayer experience. I can see why they did this, I just hope they can release a Hardware SP game some time in the future.

That i agree with you, i really hope there will be a SP mode as well.

Be sure to tell any of your friends that love Homeworld of this, the guys at Blackbird will need the support.

Fuck it, I'll bite. Signing up to the beta. Now I'm going to reinstall HW2.

I don't quite understand the whole prospector guide thing. Is it like a companion to the game, the game itself and some extras. Or is it access to some extra information for the game.

I have two thoughts about this game; 1) I wish I was born in an era where I could fly/strip and manage starships like these. and.. 2) Am I one of the only few that is edgy on the F2P concept that seems to have taken the game industry by storm? I'm beginning to long for the time when I could put down a flat-rate on a game and receive [u]everything[/u] it is supposed to offer without having to pay 'micro' transactions to unlock stuff and progress 'normally'. :[ This does look good though.

Makes me think of a combination of Homeworld and good ol' Ground Control. I'm gonna hold off until I start seeing some in-depth gameplay and what kind of customization and replayability to expect.

[QUOTE=Tomthetechy;41864836]I don't quite understand the whole prospector guide thing. Is it like a companion to the game, the game itself and some extras. Or is it access to some extra information for the game.[/QUOTE] Yeah, it gives you extra information, a unit catalog and a map of LM-27 where the biggest ships are marked. The other players that don't have the PG will have something else if i recall correctly, not entirely sure about this though.

I was watching the videos and thinking about how absolutely awesome this is going to be, but I wasn't paying attention until I read Zezibesh's post. Fuck. Why can't they just make it like Homeworld again? Why is that such a problem?

So, anyone else besides me that bought the Prospector's Guide and the First Wave VIP package?

Man, I want this to be good but the fact that it's free to play makes me cautious. I'll wait until I see a nice piece of gameplay and how it actually works. The art is really nice though. Same style as Homeworld. Let's hope the game is anywhere near as good.

[QUOTE=Viper123_SWE;41874481]So, anyone else besides me that bought the Prospector's Guide and the First Wave VIP package?[/QUOTE] I'm really considering it.

It's been renamed to Homeworld: Shipbreakers

I'm going to repost this here from the news thread: [quote] Hunt for riches among a graveyard of derelict starships [b]on the mysterious planet, LM-27[/b]. Reclaim precious cargo and adopt exotic technologies from the space-wrecks littered across the desert wasteland. Combat hostile competitors equally desperate for wealth. Survive harsh storms and burning temperatures. Endure the poisonous and grinding dust that wears down man and machine alike. If you survive these, fortune can be your reward. If you can’t, death in the sand will be your lonely fate. [/quote] [quote] [b]EXPLORE the mysterious desert planet, LM-27.[/b] Join the ranks of the Starship Prospectors, and find your fortune hidden in the decaying hulks. [/quote] From: [url]http://blackbirdinteractive.com/games/[/url] If Homeworld really does turn into just another ground based RTS then I'll be really disappointed. The game was popular due to it's massive space combat. If they don't use that then It's basically just another RTS. [quote] This is Hardware: Shipbreakers, a new Free to Play (F2P) real-time strategy (RTS) game for the PC from Blackbird Interactive. [/quote] This also makes me nervous as I don't see a F2P RTS game working out extremely well since they would be fairly limited on the number of things they can add to a cash shop that wouldn't effect gameplay. It's not the same as an FPS where you can use things like "custom weapon/armor camo" or anything like that since smaller details like that aren't usually cared about in an RTS. Also, in an interview, these statements were made: [quote] M: Is Hardware’s universe related to Homeworld’s at all? DI: Is there a connection to Homeworld in our game? It’s a personal connection only — for myself and for many others who came to be good friends, colleagues and developers of award-winning, commercially successful game franchises as a result of that one game. But this is the next chapter of what we can do together. Hardware: Shipbreakers shares some DNA with Homeworld for sure, but any gameplay connection to that IP is purely stylistic at most. We’re inspired by that franchise and all that it delivered to fans over the years, but today it is a new world, new business models and new player expectations. We’re planning to deliver on a new promise of an awesome RTS experience set in a unique sci-fi backdrop of deep fiction. Just like Homeworld was groundbreaking in its day, Hardware is being setup to usher in the next era of RTS revolution. M: Hardware has been described as having a “massive fleet of vehicles” for players to use. What kind of variety can we expect to see in Hardware’s units? DI: Pure RTS standards – long range, air units, ground units, short range, fast fire, repair, resourcers, etc. . You name ‘em, we’ve got them coming out of the factory… [/quote] From: [url]http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/04/...nged-his-life/[/url] So basically, it's not really a "Homeworld" game at all, it just looks like it because they really liked it forever ago, and decided to make this game which, as far as I've read and seen, has no "space" aspects at all. Edited: And also, this is their way of "ushering in the next era of RTS revolution": [quote] M: Homeworld revolutionized the RTS with its fully functional 3D mechanics, story, and soundtrack. How does Hardware seek to innovate the genre? DI: Hardware seeks to innovate and usher in a new era of RTS gameplay by using our terrain technology as a backdrop of fun gameplay. The same way that Homeworld ushered in the era of pure 3D RTS in space, we’re expecting hardware to innovate gameplay and style with its massive terrain and opportunity for meaningful choices for the players. [/quote] They say one of their points is "massive terrain" but quite a few games are doing that now anyways such as Supreme Commander. Since everything is on a desert planet, I think the potential for the "massive terrain and meaningful choices" aspect will also be fairly limited. Based on the information revealed at the moment, [b]Don't expect an actual Homeworld, 3D space RTS, sequel, just a game that looks similar.[/b]

[QUOTE=Zezibesh;42050952]It's been renamed to Homeworld: Shipbreakers[/QUOTE] Was just going to post about that, i'll have a OP rename the thread and edit the OP description.

[QUOTE=LittleDogX;42052183]Based on the information revealed at the moment, [b]Don't expect an actual Homeworld, 3D space RTS, sequel, just a game that looks similar.[/b][/QUOTE] No shit. It's pretty damn obvious that it's not a space RTS.

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;42055912]No shit. It's pretty damn obvious that it's not a space RTS.[/QUOTE] I don't see the reasons for the dumb ratings. With "Homeworld" in the title, a lot of people are going to be expecting something completely different. The title "Homeworld" is basically known as one of the best space RTS games of all time. People have always been asking for another Homeworld sequel, and they've almost always been referring to another space RTS. Even when I first heard of some game getting the official title of "Homeworld", I was overjoyed knowing it would finally have a sequel, only to find out after looking it up that in the end, it's not much like the original games at all. A game with "Homeworld" in it, coming from the people that bought the Homeworld franchise, is obviously going to come with the connotation that it's going to be a space RTS. My post was basically telling people not to be excited because it's probably not what they expect. The only opinionated thing in my post was about them claiming that their "massive terrain" was going to change RTS games, which I pointed out that Supreme Commander has already done the "massive terrain" aspect.

I'm excited because it's a land-based RTS that grounds itself in the Homeworld lore. It's refreshing to see it in a different point of view. I can easily imaging taking the driver's seat on heated conflicts on Kharak.

[QUOTE=LittleDogX;42057162]I don't see the reasons for the dumb ratings. With "Homeworld" in the title, a lot of people are going to be expecting something completely different. The title "Homeworld" is basically known as one of the best space RTS games of all time. People have always been asking for another Homeworld sequel, and they've almost always been referring to another space RTS. Even when I first heard of some game getting the official title of "Homeworld", I was overjoyed knowing it would finally have a sequel, only to find out after looking it up that in the end, it's not much like the original games at all. A game with "Homeworld" in it, coming from the people that bought the Homeworld franchise, is obviously going to come with the connotation that it's going to be a space RTS. My post was basically telling people not to be excited because it's probably not what they expect. The only opinionated thing in my post was about them claiming that their "massive terrain" was going to change RTS games, which I pointed out that Supreme Commander has already done the "massive terrain" aspect.[/QUOTE] first off, the game is NOW Homeworld. It was not homeworld. It was Hardware. It was a different concept entirely because they didn't have access to homeworld. Now that they do, I think it's probably time to stop talking like we know what's happening because a great deal will probably have to change due to them having their IP back in their hands. Give them some time and a benefit of the doubt for at least a while.

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;42057391]first off, the game is NOW Homeworld. It was not homeworld. It was Hardware. It was a different concept entirely because they didn't have access to homeworld. Now that they do, I think it's probably time to stop talking like we know what's happening because a great deal will probably have to change due to them having their IP back in their hands. Give them some time and a benefit of the doubt for at least a while.[/QUOTE] It's only a name change. They aren't going to completely change the entire game. Some things will most likely change, but the core mechanics and gameplay of it will stay the same - It's going to be a game set in the Homeworld Universe, not a game like the previous Homeworld titles. It wasn't a different concept because they didn't have access to Homeworld, that is irrelevant. They could of made a space RTS that was similar to Homeworld if they wanted, but they went for something different.

[QUOTE=nightlord;42057441]It's only a name change. They aren't going to completely change the entire game. Some things will most likely change, but the core mechanics and gameplay of it will stay the same - It's going to be a game set in the Homeworld Universe, not a game like the previous Homeworld titles. It wasn't a different concept because they didn't have access to Homeworld, that is irrelevant. They could of made a space RTS that was similar to Homeworld if they wanted, but they went for something different.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]I think it's probably time to stop talking like we know what's happening[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;42057391]first off, the game is NOW Homeworld. It was not homeworld. It was Hardware. It was a different concept entirely because they didn't have access to homeworld. Now that they do, I think it's probably time to stop talking like we know what's happening because a great deal will probably have to change due to them having their IP back in their hands. Give them some time and a benefit of the doubt for at least a while.[/QUOTE] And I'm saying the connotations with the name "Homeworld" are "Space RTS". That's also exactly the reason I put this at the end of my post: [quote][b]Based on the information revealed at the moment,[/b] Don't expect an actual Homeworld, 3D space RTS, sequel, just a game that looks similar.[/quote]

Plenty of franchises have changed genres. Halo for example.

[QUOTE=LittleDogX;42052183]I'm going to repost this here from the news thread: From: [url]http://blackbirdinteractive.com/games/[/url] If Homeworld really does turn into just another ground based RTS then I'll be really disappointed. The game was popular due to it's massive space combat. If they don't use that then It's basically just another RTS. This also makes me nervous as I don't see a F2P RTS game working out extremely well since they would be fairly limited on the number of things they can add to a cash shop that wouldn't effect gameplay. It's not the same as an FPS where you can use things like "custom weapon/armor camo" or anything like that since smaller details like that aren't usually cared about in an RTS. Also, in an interview, these statements were made: From: [url]http://www.dualshockers.com/2013/04/...nged-his-life/[/url] So basically, it's not really a "Homeworld" game at all, it just looks like it because they really liked it forever ago, and decided to make this game which, as far as I've read and seen, has no "space" aspects at all. Edited: And also, this is their way of "ushering in the next era of RTS revolution": They say one of their points is "massive terrain" but quite a few games are doing that now anyways such as Supreme Commander. Since everything is on a desert planet, I think the potential for the "massive terrain and meaningful choices" aspect will also be fairly limited. Based on the information revealed at the moment, [b]Don't expect an actual Homeworld, 3D space RTS, sequel, just a game that looks similar.[/b][/QUOTE] And I'm gonna go ahead and restate this: That interview you're quoting is [I][B]5 months old.[/B][/I] GBX didn't have the IP in their possession yet, THQ was still in its death throes. Variables have changed, intentions have changed, most if not all of that information is now out of date and inaccurate.

This was going to be F2P? I don't know, I want to buy it but at $100 for it later to be F2P. What do I get from that? The invite but wtc.

I don't care if it's taking place on Kharak or on this previously unknown desert planet. I like this new addition to the Homeworld franchise, and I'm curious how the original developers will fare with "normal" RTS development. If this does well financially, I wouldn't be surprised if they announce Homeworld 3 shortly after, especially if the developers start getting crazy ideas doing this game. Maybe a crossover? Homeworld 3 that also has ground-based missions in addition to the space gameplay we know and love?