High Octane software developing a decent-like game?

Skyalmian · Post by **Skyalmian** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:26 pm

What is the title of this game, or is it still pending?

Gooberman · Post by **Gooberman** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:55 pm

Excellent News, good thread to come home too.

My $0.02. Having been at this BB for eons longer then I had ever planned when choosing this charasmatic nick name....take all "advice" with a grain of salt, cuz we can't agree on anything around here

good luck

Ned · Post by **Ned** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:10 pm

Zach and Rice?,

That is an exciting project. I hope it will make it to the end. Just a note of encouragement: there are MANY people who loved the Descent(s) who have never set foot in a bb like this. Also there are many millions of young people world wide who would like a game like Descent, who have never seen one, ie in a "new product setting," ie where they shop and buy. Like clothes, games have to be hip, fashionable and have word of mouth allure. Hopefully advertising can get the word out.

I, for one, have cruised by the games isle at the store and shaken my head in digust at the crap there for years. Some of us don't want to see blood, cast spells, or walk around a big simulated waiting room. Descent is like Atari on megasteroids - a hand eye coordination visual fantasy. It pushed the limits of programming creativity and hardware ability. That is why 'the general concept' is SO ripe for a come back. If the game is done very carefully, creatively, with input from original thinking people, and not released too soon with a million bugs. . . I could easily see it sweeping the gaming world and making huge sums of money. I think the market is way over ripe for this.

Best wishes to you, and do consider making some of these competent people here your trusted advisors.

Ned

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:21 pm

Given the constant push/pull this BB makes on anybody who does anything Descent-related, I'd suggest making sure they remain advisors and not directors. Descent was innovative for its time. A 100% clone of Descent wouldn't be innovative at all. I'd love to see what these minds can cook up to bring new twists to the genre of flying shooters.

WarAdvocat · Post by **WarAdvocat** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:17 am

Word!

But by the same token a game sequel can end up being not enough like it's predesceeors too. For example, BattleZone by Atari was a great game had great physics, lots of fun to play in DM mode or Strategy mode.

In Battlezone 2 they ruined the physics. What happened is they lost literally 1/2 of their audience, because the physics were so bad. Only the strategy players stuck around.

And Battlezone 2 Strategy mode OWNED the pants off of Battlezone 1, but when 1/2 the community is busy badmouthing it, ahh well. Dead Game.

bash · Post by **bash** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:26 am

Lord save us from our friends. Good luck, HO-Team.

Jaz · Post by **Jaz** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:30 pm

Good evening, folks.

My name is Jaz with HighOctane Software and it's a pleasure to meet all of you.I'm glad to see so much interest in our game that we're creating and we appreciate all of the feedback we are recieving from everyone here.

Within the next couple of days, we will have a forum up where you can ask questions and offer your ideas, feedback, and even vote on game aspects (such as the game title). When the forum is completed and ready to use, I will post the address here for all of you.

We appreciate your enthusiasm!!!

Skyalmian · Post by **Skyalmian** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:34 pm

(such as the game title).

That's for you to decide, not us. Your game is your game, not ours.

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:55 pm

Looks like a vote to me

Welcome to the DBB HO !! While I'm here -- don't change the D1/D2 physics too much and don't make the game easier to control. I think everyone here remembers Forsaken..

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 6:46 pm

We do not call Forsaken "Forgotten" for no reason.

llClutchll · Post by **llClutchll** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:05 pm

Forsaken died because Acclaim released multiplayer cheats. After they realized their mistake it took them almost a month to get a patch out to correct it. By that time no one was bothering to even look for a multiplayer game because of the cheating.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:13 am

Multiplayer cheats? rofl... had those guys never played games online before?

WarAdvocat · Post by **WarAdvocat** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:37 am

It boggles the mind that anyone could be that naive about online gaming, even back in the mid-90's.

lol

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:39 am

O.K. fan boys lets throw a dose of reality here. I'm wondering if High Octane has a marketing plan somewhat more enlightened than the makers of Descent had. While we all here will be rooting for HO to succeed (me included), success and longevity will be measured in copies sold. While it is nice to see all the positive responses (and it seems a number of new cadets have signed on that may have been lurking around), the key here will be to attract new players so when we go to play on line there will be packed servers filled with mayhem seeking pyroposers talking smack better than they can fly.

zbriggs · Post by **zbriggs** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:11 am

Marketing> We have a seven point marketing strategy that should be more than sufficent. At this time due to the powers that be and are currently reading this forum I would prefer not to discuss it in the open like this. If you have any suggestions on ways that you would like to see it marketed please email them to suggestionbox@highoctanesoftware.com. We appreciate everyone's input and the community portal is almost completed. I look forward to see you there.

Sincerely,
Zachary Briggs, Executive Producer
HighOctane Software

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:30 am

Store standees. Must have store standees.

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:25 am

Collector items -- must have little plastic models of the ships

bash · Post by **bash** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:48 pm

A racey calendar of The Women of HO.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 1:01 pm

Hell yeah, cleavage can sell almost anything. Tomb Rader anyone?

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 1:07 pm

Grendel wrote:Collector items -- must have little plastic models of the ships

Thats a MUST!!

bash wrote:A racey calendar of The Women of HO.

ROTFLMAO!!

Krom wrote:Hell yeah, cleavage can sell almost anything. Tomb Rader anyone?

aint that the GD truth!!

Suncho · Post by **Suncho** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 1:10 pm

if you wanna see man boobs...

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:11 pm

lets see, we have to start of with hype. No scratch that, the first thing is a well made game. Depending on where the game is at completion wise, good marketing is going to need:

1) A downloadable playable demo

2) Critiques and articles by well known game mags. Hopefully they may put the demo on their monthly game disk

3) Exposure at the E3 expo thingy

4) Well publicised lan matches with some nice prizes. Perhaps qualifying ladder matches via the internet.

Once interest is established then the chain stores will be more interested in carrying it. We here at the DBB could help by going to the stores and asking if they have the game in yet.

Just my 2 cents.

Testiculese · Post by **Testiculese** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:33 pm

I would like to ask for rotational velocity in all axis's made available on the keyboard.

I won't play BF1942 because I can't use the X axis on the keyboard. I can only turn with the mouse. I use too low of a sensitivity on the mouse to turn with it. I think Halo had that problem too, not sure.

Evil Bob · Post by **Evil Bob** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:05 pm

Hey guys, this is my first post here, i came here on a link from PD, and this seemed worth taking the time to register for. At least i recognize a few faces here

Anyway, I think this is a great idea, HO! My question is this, what kind of weapons are going to be used? Ive only seen 2 mentioned so far, the fusion and md.

And since noone posted on this topic yet, I would like to see the following weapons, if it makes a difference. They are only suggestions, however, youre the programmers.
-plasma (bp style)
-fusion
-md or gauss, preferably gauss
-omega, perhaps enhanced a bit?
-microwave
-spread or helix
-if lasers are used, make them act like lasers
-UT2004 style flak gun
-an energy weapon with a blast radius kinda like UT2004's shock combo
-----
-some form of conc-type dumbfire
-mercuries
-homers
-smart mines and missiles
-napalm
-frag
-faster but less persistent cyclone
-flash

And no one-hit-kill weapons that take no skill, like the mega, shaker, or blackshark. I dont mind the concept of a one-hit-kill, but I think "fire in the general area" ruins the game. Make 'em aim to get that kill, like a nap or frag.

Just suggestions.

GL

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:15 pm

Evil Bob wrote:Hey guys, this is my first post here, i came here on a link from PD, and this seemed worth taking the time to register for. At least i recognize a few faces here

Evil Bob · Post by **Evil Bob** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:17 pm

Shot down.

Nexus_One · Post by **Nexus_One** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:45 pm

i do love that pic

Skyalmian · Post by **Skyalmian** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:23 pm

Thank you.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:52 pm

Yes, credit for that screenshot goes to Skyalmian, I only edited the pause screen to say "Welcome to the DescentBB".

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:16 am

EB, hate to break it to you but this isn't a weapon suggestion type thread.

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:31 am

I also don't think we want to rip off every single weapon in the game... too many copyright issues, more than likely. There is a line between subtlely taking inspiration and blatantly stealing ideas.

Also, I think people should take some thought about abbreviating High Octane... not that it's not funny in a twisted way, but...

As for publicity, something unbelievably outlandish usually attracts attention... like the idiots paying people to change their names to 'Turok' for a year. But this approach may not be acceptable.

Edit: For instance, getting a mob waving placards saying "Buy <name of game> NOW!" to march through some city or other chanting slogans and firing guns into the air... sure, it'd get them in prison, but some people would go to those lengths to see this game succeed!

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:12 am

I'd be up for a guerilla marketing campaign in NYC.

El Ka Bong · Post by **El Ka Bong** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:42 am

Then there's the "Desciple of D3" marketing method whereby we dress up in Spaceship-Pilot's clothes and hang out in front of computer stores and retail sales points, chanting:

"6DOF ... Hare Hare... ! 6DOF... Hare Hare" ... as we hand out demo copies of the new HO game, and we offer invitations to local LAN Parties planned to celebrate 6DOF !...

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 11:29 am

Hmmmm, you know that is not such a bad idea.

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:00 pm

On the other hand, any self-respecting parent wouldn't let their kids within a mile of the game.

Diti · Post by **Diti** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:11 pm

Besides game magazins: here exists a tv-station especially for games. It's placed within NBC:

http://www.giga.de/

Is there anything in America/England/Netherlands/anywhere that is similar to it?

The principle of this station: while you watch the NBC GIGA-hosts you can take a look at their website for more informations/downloads.

Greetz, Diti

[AuDiO] · Post by **[AuDiO]** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 1:43 pm

Diti wrote:Is there anything in America/England/Netherlands/anywhere that is similar to it?

G4techtv[.com]

Flashnet · Post by **Flashnet** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:29 pm

High Octane, I dig your groove!

All I can say for marketing is that whatever you do, do not spend all your marketing budget on a $50,000 tournament like Interplay did!

On another note, will there be single player? and if so, will there be a guide-bot? and if so, will he be killable?

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:37 pm

Now this thread is exciting. It's even better then that new video-card smell! Count me in for any beta testing.

El Ka Bong wrote:I would suggest that "proportional" sheild orbs might add some flavour when choosing different ships to fly and blow up: for eg. the hard shelled Magnum ( Tank) could spew sheild orbs that have 1.2 times the "value" as a Pyro type ship's sheilds, and the Phoenii type sheild orb is only worth 0.8 times the sheild power up of a "pyro". That way the extra effort it takes to blow up a tank offers a slightly bigger "prize" in the sheild orbs. ..

Now that is a mofoing inovation! I like.

By the way, H. O. dudes. If youre looking for potential people to play your game, look no further then the Desert Combat mod for Battle Field 1942. People litteraly "stand" in waiting lines to fly the planes and helicopters.

Oh, and we need our customizeable audio taunts(like D3)!

snoopy · Post by **snoopy** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:38 pm

E-mail sent out... pretty much repeated what others have said, but hey I suppose you can add another vote for this or that. Best of luck on it HO!!

[Edit] I'm not sure how my computer managed it, but I think it got sent 4 times (I got 4 autoresponses) yet on my end it still says it never got sent...

High Octane software developing a decent-like game?

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