So Where to From Here?

from Sins Forums

Hi,

          It  has been a while since i was here, in the modding or the writing. I've been up to my neck in school and work, but wanted to ask, since i see the main page hasn't been updated since May, So where is Sins headed from here?

Any news on the horizon of a Sin's 2?

Or is IC planning another kind of game?

Or perhaps take a few years off and relax?

I have always been a fan of Solar Empire, and it would be interesting to see a new chapter, maybe a full blown expansion instead of the mini-expansions, or perhaps a newly reworked version, in effect a new game with modern physics and new ideas,  certainly a possible answer as to "what" is chasing the Vasari.  :)

Just wanted to ask if anything was officially in the works, or officially announced as to what IC and Stardock plan?

Take care,

:)

 

-Teal

 

 

32,811 views 11 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Or is IC planning another kind of game?

They're working on some sort of secret game at the moment. All we know is that it will be an RTS and it won't be in space, which is very vague, I know. If you listen to the podcast in the OP here https://forums.elementalgame.com/386989 there is a little bit about Ironclad's next project and Sins 2, but nothing much. It's mostly about Elemental, but they touch on other stuff. IIRC the Sins stuff is about halfway through.

According to Brad, IC is a little burnt out on the space stuff at the moment, but he expects their will be a Sins 2 at some point.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

That sounds like good news.  It would be nice to see a Sins-2 produced with a larger development budget and hopefully more publicity, dual core optimization, a campaign, a campaign editor, and much improved online multiplayer features.

That's a great interview, just about Stardock's business in general and not so much about elemental.  I love it when he talks about how Stardock makes games for more mature gamers who could care less about fancy cut scenes. 

"The thing is I like making games for people who want to play the game.  I mean, none of our customers are gonna go and say, 'Oh my God, there's no three minute cut scene that looks like something from a movie.  I guess I'm not going to play it.'  I mean, they don't care about that kind of thing."

"Yeah, we're not making games for teenagers.  There isn't anything wrong with them.  If you're listening and you're a teenager, please buy our game."

"My position on DRM isn't that I don't like DRM as a principle. I just don't like punishing people who buy my stuff. Right. People are giving our company their hard-earned dollars and they should not be treated like criminals. I mean why should they be harassed? They shouldn't be obviously. So with restrictive DRM, I don't want my customers to ever feel like they're a chump for playing by the rules while their friend who pirates it doesn't have to jump through those hoops."

Love it!  Thank you for trying to save PC gaming, Brad.

 

Object Desktop - Get all of our enhancement utilities in one suite
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting DirtySanchezz, reply 2
That sounds like good news.  It would be nice to see a Sins-2 produced with a larger development budget and hopefully more publicity, dual core optimization, a campaign, a campaign editor, and much improved online multiplayer features.

That's what i was thinking. First I was disappointed that they weren't immediately doing a Sins two, but then I realised they were probably waiting for the technology and resources to catch up with their ambitions. It is certainly what I would with my video game series in their position.

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

well, cutscenes would be nice for story purposes

sins has a nice backstory but its a pity it doesnt go anywhere

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting aaa11, reply 4
well, cutscenes would be nice for story purposes

sins has a nice backstory but its a pity it doesnt go anywhere

 

Instead of cut scenes, they could use the game itself to tell the story. Build a campaign mode and tell the story as you play. That is infinitely better than cut scenes for me since not only do you get the story but you're directly living through it. It's like watching an action scene compared to you performing those actions yourself.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

       I think they would be making a mistake to do another project at this time. While you have a active interested audience, keep it active. It seems the turn around time for games is about three years, if they are working on a new game now thats a completion date around 2012. After a Sins 2 development, your talking 2015 release date. We will all have arthritis or carpel tunnel by then. :\

  Is Ironclad being forced to lay low so that Stardock can promote Elemental ?

 Couldnt  Ironclad outsource and hire some modders to work in the meanwhile? Any of the mods with a little stablity polish would sell lots. Think Requiem, SOGE, as a commercial release.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

According to Brad, IC is a little burnt out on the space stuff at the moment, but he expects their will be a Sins 2 at some point.

Well if thats the case then they totally made the right choice to start something fresh, no good game ever came out under such circumstances.

Exciting times ahead then, with IC having independence it will be interesting to see what scenario they have chosen for RTS.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

I think they would be making a mistake to do another project at this time. While you have a active interested audience, keep it active. It seems the turn around time for games is about three years, if they are working on a new game now thats a completion date around 2012. After a Sins 2 development, your talking 2015 release date. We will all have arthritis or carpel tunnel by then.

No, I agree with TFLBigBandTheory. It's a good thing they're working on something else. When Sins 2 does come out, it shouldn't be rushed and it should be something that their hearts are fully into. Even if that means it takes a little longer for it to come out, the wait will be worth it. The Sins audience isn't just going a disappear if there isn't a sequal ASAP. Sure, people will eventually drift off to other games, but that happens with every game. It's not like an MMO where the game's entire future is determined by how active it is. And there is the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder":P

Is Ironclad being forced to lay low so that Stardock can promote Elemental ?

Why would they be doing that? They're in two different genres. And at best whatever IC is working on is probably a couple years out, even if Elemental and the secret project were the same kind of game it wouldn't affect sales of Elemental. Plus, how long can they have been working on it? Diplomacy only came out ~6 months ago. Even if they wanted to show anything, they probably don't have anything to show.

Couldnt Ironclad outsource and hire some modders to work in the meanwhile? Any of the mods with a little stablity polish would sell lots. Think Requiem, SOGE, as a commercial release.

I doubt that would work, because those mods are both based on lisensed property. IC would have to purchase the rights to make a Star Wars game from LucasArts. The same would go for any other similar mods (Star Trek, BSG, etc). And IC is a small company and probably can't afford to hire a bunch of modders (even more so if they also have to buy the rights to sell those mods).

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting aaa11, reply 4
well, cutscenes would be nice for story purposes

sins has a nice backstory but its a pity it doesnt go anywhere

I agree. The opening video for Sins is excellent, but without something to back it up it... I guess I lost interest in the story of it :'(

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Lol we probably have to wait another 12 years for Sins 2

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Supabish, reply 5

Quoting aaa11, reply 4well, cutscenes would be nice for story purposes

sins has a nice backstory but its a pity it doesnt go anywhere
 

Instead of cut scenes, they could use the game itself to tell the story. Build a campaign mode and tell the story as you play. That is infinitely better than cut scenes for me since not only do you get the story but you're directly living through it. It's like watching an action scene compared to you performing those actions yourself.

i implied that it could include both

a campaign with a few cutscenes in it