That's my main thing too. It looks good.
They put a lot of work into that trailer. The kind of work that if they put a hint of that kind of work into MWO...would make MWO look decent again.
But in comparison.. MWO looks extremely uninspired. The graphics and animation deterioration between closed beta and now is...disturbing.
I'd hate to see it get any worse.
Did the Hunchback become a hobbling penguin?
PGI probably spent most of their time working (lol) on Trannyverse which is the reason for most of the delayed/bug filled releases they did manage for MW:O. They'll keep launching min viable products with cash grabs for gullible players (which, interestingly enough, seems like not a lot for this new game ftw!) while drawing out other dying games.
As a guy in my unit said the other night, this is the best Star Citizen press release in a while!
Oh my, a big copy and paste fest to rip off SC all the way. Well it's not like I had any hope for this new game anyway. Only problem is if PGI get sued for big bucks, it'll drag MWO down too.
Add to that the Rip off from Eclipse Phase! A space faring game where characters can transfer consciousness between prefab bodies...
Oh my, a big copy and paste fest to rip off SC all the way. Well it's not like I had any hope for this new game anyway. Only problem is if PGI get sued for big bucks, it'll drag MWO down too.
I don't think the folks running SC would even need to do that. These days, all they would need to do is make their case in the trade magazines and on social media, and PGI's game will never see the light of day because of the negative press. Sheesh, we're the folks who have funded PGI's first game, and we are bashing them into the ground. Can you imagine what SC's fans, and the gaming community in general, will do once word gets out?
Besides, suing would mean having to pay lawyers. And that is money better spent on development.
I am a backer to both Mechwarrior Online and Star Citizen. Like many others, I backed MWO early, hopeful on the promises I was given and the ideas of the developers behind the latest title. Like many others, I stopped playing Mechwarrior Online in frustration with the progress and direction of this development team. Once the game was officially “launched”, I simply could not stomach the half-finished game that PGI had called a finished product. That being said, I continue to check in on the slim hope that things are better, that my favorite franchise has gotten another game I would like to play.
I backed Star Citizen around this same time, in August of last year, after months of healthy skepticism and research. Since that point, it is safe to say I have “Drank the kool-aid”, as I have watched every video distributed by Cloud Imperium Games (The makers of Star Citizen), as well as regularly read their communiques.
When I first saw Transverse, I was taken aback. For hours, I literally gawked with friends on what I saw as the audacity of PGI. Upon reading numerous comments on the MWO and Transverse forums, finding people thinking about backing this project, I was flabbergasted. The more comments I read, the more I came to the belief that people had an inadequate amount of information to make a decision. With this in mind, I wanted to collate my ideas, thoughts, and relavant facts on the matter to help people reach an informed decision.
On the Comparison:
Many comments which first confused me are those that cannot draw a line between the Star Citizen Project and the Transverse Project. I, and many others, see a stark similarity between the two, which I hope to show you with a few pictures.
As you can see, these ships bear a very striking similarity to one another. This might be harmless enough, there can't be any other similarities, are there?
Bear in mind, this is an old picture of Star Citizen's store, they have since added MUCH more information on your purchase, as well as a holo-viewer to see every nook and cranny of your vessel before buying. It seems interesting that these two pages would have the same font, as well as the same pledge model. Bear in mind, this is after PGI has released three, soon to be four, founder packs using their own model.
As you can see, even the forum software, and the buttons used there-within are a replica of Star Citizen's. This, once again, seems odd as Mechwarrior Online contains forums with a completely different architecture.
Lastly,
Teaser Video
Transverse:
Star Citizen:
As you can see, both have the same general lay-out of space combat sequence followed by a personal appeal of the project director. However, I would like to note before moving on that the Transverse combat sequence is a pre-rendered cutscene, while Star Citizen's is an actual demo made by the creator Chris Roberts.
From these four facets of INCREDIBLY distinct similarities, with others available but not added for the sake of brevity, it is plain to see the Transverse takes direct inspiration from Star Citizen, on the border-line (And past my personal border-line) of plagiarism. At the very least, these similarities make it very simple, and necessary, to compare the two projects.
On Funding
Star Citizen began funding in late-2012, following Chris Roberts inviting friends and fans to a teaser site which required a password (sound familiar?). Mr. Roberts then opened the doors for backers through his own website and a kickstarter campaign. As this was, well and truly, the dream of Chris Roberts, his friends and family, it was his intention to finish the project no matter the results of this funding. If the funding had not been as generous, he was willing to seek a publisher for the project. However, because of its massive success, he instead self-published the game purely by crowdfunding.
Transverse has started its own crowdfunding campaign only after Star Citizen has reached $50 million in funding, in September of 2014. The coincidence of their similarities and timing makes one question the intention of this game and its final-product. Further questioning this intention is the medium with which Transverse is funding itself, strictly through its own website. By doing so, potential backers have no guarantee of a return on their investment with the failure of the product. In addition, basic gameplay mechanics (such as flight) are the stretch goals of the campaign. It would seem that PGI has no intention of creating the finished game if it is not immediately profitable.
On Pedigree
It is a well-known fact that the team at CIG represents a staggering amount of talent. Brothers Chris and Erin Roberts have created the Wing Commander universe, from One to Four and Privateer, as well as Freespace and many other gaming classics. Dan Tracy, one of CIG's technical designers, co-created Mechwarrior Living Legends, a mod which predates MWO and was renowned for its quality. Star Citizen's Mark Skelton has worked on Neverwinter Nights: 2, World of Warcraft, Diablo 2. People of equally incredible skill levels are creating content across four different countries and numerous time-zones.
The PGI team's largest success has been MWO. Every citizen of the community can recognize that this game has problems and a slow development pace. Other titles worked on by PGI include Duke Nukem : Forever and Bass Pro Shops: The Strike. They have no experience with a space sim, and very little positive experience as a studio. In addition, Russ Bullock has stated in a recent interview that his team could not work around a one hour time difference. PGI's personnel and company profile do not give the picture of a winning horse.
On Community Involvement
PGI promises an open dialogue with its customers about the production of Transverse, saying that it will be like “they were sitting next to us in the development studio.” Most players would agree that this is not the relationship they have had with Piranha Games. Posts are routinely deleted or moved to hidden portions of the MWO Site. Piranha Games executives have, in the past, said their community was “on an island” and have refused to accept player petitions and polls.
CIG has routinely communicated with their fan-base on nearly every subject. Weekly shows keep the community informed and answer questions, while community moderators (such as Ben Lesnick) routinely talk to their community through the forums and live-chat. In order to underline these differences, one could simply look at the difference in the two forums' code of conduct.
MWO: http://mwomercs.com/...nduct-expanded/
Star Citizen: https://forums.rober...updated-8-22-14
One of the Star Citizen rules is literally asking user's for input, challenging Citizen's to make their voice heard.
The last, and possibly most substantial difference between each company's policy is in freedom of information. In the MWO closed beta, NDA's were signed, and all information of the game was kept tightly under-wraps. Star Citizen, in a pre-alpha state, encourages its members to livestream and show both the good and the bad of the game. CIG staff actively watch gameplay videos in order to make their game better, rather than attempt to ostracize members of the community who want to help with the development process.
On Design
CIG has a close relationship with Crytek, with many of its team-members and contractors having helped build it. They have a solid idea of the universe they want to make, and have shared that vision with their community. From the tentative specifications of every ship to the ways that the flight model works. They aim for a living, breathing, immersive experience from cockpit to ground.
Transverse is using the Unreal Engine. This is a new engine for PGI, requiring them to re-invest time and money into licensing and then learning this new software. If you'll remember, this is the same company that cannot make mech collisions work after three years of working on Mechwarrior Online, and had significant problems learning to work with Cryengine's netcode. For them to pick up a new engine and learn how to make a deep and/or innovative game, I cannot see. The one “innovation” that PGI has promised is a game without NPC's. Is this innovation? Is it progress to remove the side-actors that make a living, growing universe? Games have tried this, and they have failed. EVE Players: Imagine all of space as nul-sec. WoW Players: Imagine Stormwind without any guards. This vision sounds much less fun now, doesn't it?
In Closing
I know what CIG wants. They say it day-in, day-out, that they are working on the “Best Damn Space Sim Ever.” They welcome criticism and look to improve on a daily basis. PGI has now shown us what they want to build “A space MMO”. They have shown us that they are willing to shuffle resources from one minimumly-viable product to another, hoping to exploit a market before it closes. I beg of you to not let them turn the Battletech Community into fools once again.
-See ya in the 'verse.
TL;DR: Please research this game, the company, and its competition before you fund, it might just change your mind.
Jack Gallows, on 09 September 2014 - 03:50 PM, said:
Competition is good, but it's a bit of a moot point if the developer has a horrible track record and is bad at handling everything they do. Add to the fact that most people have invested in ED and SC that anything near Trannyverse pay wise is going to flounder.
I've gathered some more information regarding this newcomer, and... on the forums, PGI are deleting threads that convey negative or criticising feedback. It's no surprise and I think the word "unprofessional" describes this behavior perfectly.
i refuse to dedicate any more money than i already did to a company of liars and thieves, i was a founder because they originally promised to stay true to the battletech universe keep the game as a first person mech sim as well as keep to the timeline on events, however all of that was just empty promises, some of the mechs they have been releasing over the years dont even look remotely like their original artwork (the artist/designer of them should be ashamed of themselves and shot in public) despite what many of the beta testers suggested, they released the game in a half complete state with only a few playable units and maps at the time (as much as i hate world of tanks even those lazy russians had more maps and units completeted and ready before they went live) i honestly hope that whatever this new game is that they are trying to crowdfund fails miserably from lack of player interest since most of us remember what you did to our beloved battletech franchise when you demanded our money
Blowfeld, on 10 September 2014 - 12:12 PM, said:
What would be cool, is if they would make a proper Mech game instead. With all those features MWO promised back in the day, when I helped funding.
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Koniving, on 09 September 2014 - 08:20 PM, said:
