Ground Branch (by Blackfoot Studios)
- Thread starter Psychomorph
- Start date
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No surprise there, and it doesn't change anything really, given it's not possible for me to be any more excited about GB 
. Don't forget to contact BU, PU, and any other site you feel like once the official press release is out - GB deserves all the publicity it can get.
. Don't forget to contact BU, PU, and any other site you feel like once the official press release is out - GB deserves all the publicity it can get.
Will this game have the same kind of development trajectory as Infiltration had ?
'cause reading the forums over there looks like Infiltration in the good old days.
There are so many (good) ideas that it'll take a decade to implement and the endresult will look seriously outdated when compared to the competition (if it ever gets released that is).
As much as I'd love to see a real game/simulator with the kind of dedication to realism that the Inf-team had I really wonder if something like that can be done within the confines of a studio that needs to survive in the real world.
I also wonder what publisher would be willing to risk a game like this when there's dozens of projects that have a better chance of getting finished.
Good luck though, you'll definitely need every ounce of it.
'cause reading the forums over there looks like Infiltration in the good old days.
There are so many (good) ideas that it'll take a decade to implement and the endresult will look seriously outdated when compared to the competition (if it ever gets released that is).
As much as I'd love to see a real game/simulator with the kind of dedication to realism that the Inf-team had I really wonder if something like that can be done within the confines of a studio that needs to survive in the real world.
I also wonder what publisher would be willing to risk a game like this when there's dozens of projects that have a better chance of getting finished.
Good luck though, you'll definitely need every ounce of it.
Nah.
Inf was a spare time project. A mod. It was being made by people as a hobby and had to fit into real life which meant they either had to compromise or take forever. There were also certain limits as to what could and could not be done because of the engine they were using and to what extent they could change it.
This is more like... well I guess it's the videogame equivalent of independent cinema or music or something. It is being professionally made, just outside of the mainstream system. They are using the same state of the art engine as you'll see on plenty of AAA releases from the top publishers and have the same level of control over the engine.
Several/most of them are working on their current project full time even though they do have help from what I guess you'd call modders.
Crucially when they have a finished release they have an engine license from Epic to sell it which Sentry never did.
They do have the capability of self publishing too, via Steam (and whatever the other one is... Stardock?) and/or PlayStation Network. Once they've got one release out there the whole thing gets a lot easier for future releases too.
This is definitely a positive since the wrong publisher would almost certainly compromise the standards they are trying to meet ("It's good, but we need a desert eagle and why can't I hit them while I'm jumping? "). These days internet delivery opens publishing up to smaller teams.
I also have to say they seem quite realistic about what they can and cannot do as a studio.
They do know how to get a product out of the door. GB isn't their first project either as developers or as a company. There's some old hands from RSE (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six) in there.BFS have been bought in to do various work for other developers on other games before now so I'd say they probably have the design and project management side of things down which is where mod teams usually fail gruesomely.
Barring mishaps I'm definitely expecting to see something concrete before the year is out.
Inf was a spare time project. A mod. It was being made by people as a hobby and had to fit into real life which meant they either had to compromise or take forever. There were also certain limits as to what could and could not be done because of the engine they were using and to what extent they could change it.
This is more like... well I guess it's the videogame equivalent of independent cinema or music or something. It is being professionally made, just outside of the mainstream system. They are using the same state of the art engine as you'll see on plenty of AAA releases from the top publishers and have the same level of control over the engine.
Several/most of them are working on their current project full time even though they do have help from what I guess you'd call modders.
Crucially when they have a finished release they have an engine license from Epic to sell it which Sentry never did.
They do have the capability of self publishing too, via Steam (and whatever the other one is... Stardock?) and/or PlayStation Network. Once they've got one release out there the whole thing gets a lot easier for future releases too.
This is definitely a positive since the wrong publisher would almost certainly compromise the standards they are trying to meet ("It's good, but we need a desert eagle and why can't I hit them while I'm jumping?
"). These days internet delivery opens publishing up to smaller teams.I also have to say they seem quite realistic about what they can and cannot do as a studio.
They do know how to get a product out of the door. GB isn't their first project either as developers or as a company. There's some old hands from RSE (Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six) in there.BFS have been bought in to do various work for other developers on other games before now so I'd say they probably have the design and project management side of things down which is where mod teams usually fail gruesomely.
Barring mishaps I'm definitely expecting to see something concrete before the year is out.
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Might aswell toss this one up here aswell as it's been out in the open for the better part of a week now.
Higher resolution .gif, 2.5Mb 800x600
Simple breakdown shot showing in order from the start.
*Game resolution mesh, what you will be using and seeing ingame.
*It's wireframe, just the triangles that it's made up of.
*The highpoly mesh used to bake a normal map from.
*Game resolution mesh with the resulting normal map applied, baked plus painted details.
*Game resolution mesh with normal map and colour map applied
*Game resolution mesh with normal map, colour map and specular map applied.
Neither the Colour or Specular maps were finalised when I did that animation as they were still missing wear and tear.
Higher resolution .gif, 2.5Mb 800x600
Simple breakdown shot showing in order from the start.
*Game resolution mesh, what you will be using and seeing ingame.
*It's wireframe, just the triangles that it's made up of.
*The highpoly mesh used to bake a normal map from.
*Game resolution mesh with the resulting normal map applied, baked plus painted details.
*Game resolution mesh with normal map and colour map applied
*Game resolution mesh with normal map, colour map and specular map applied.
Neither the Colour or Specular maps were finalised when I did that animation as they were still missing wear and tear.
Lethal Dosage
Serial Rapis...uh, Thread Killer
OOOH! Siggy! God the weapons in this alone will be outstanding! I hope the movement system will be able to compete.
Sky Gods is aimed at a May 2009 release (Q2), which is about half a year to go.[PDX]StevenGarcia;2207980 said:
Ground Branch (their main title) release date is open for now, roughly assumed fall 2009 - early 2010, but do not quote me on that.
One thing to mention; right now BFS plans to have an early Alpha testing for Sky Gods in Decembre, if it will be an open testing, a donators only feature, or inhouse testing remains unclear sofar.
So, stay tuned.
phatcat
akward cat
- Dec 29, 2000
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Captain Lib mentioned this over on my forums, so I had to come take a gander.
He also said Bepo is a programmer!
My work on SMOD Tactical was just a way to bring back what I loved about INF, so seeing alot of the community and creators from INF going to this project is awesome
He also said Bepo is a programmer!
My work on SMOD Tactical was just a way to bring back what I loved about INF, so seeing alot of the community and creators from INF going to this project is awesome
phatcat
akward cat
- Dec 29, 2000
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Not really.
I have hear people hack the models I use... but thats just looks, none of the actual meat and potatoes.
I have hear people hack the models I use... but thats just looks, none of the actual meat and potatoes.
...so seeing alot of the community and creators from INF going to this project is awesome
Who else is working on GB besides Beppo ?
S
StevenGarcia
Guest
Before Christmas they plan to release some content/info, that must be in some days.
Not sure if I'm allowed to say that yet, but they switch to a blog system instead of the previous PDF format, regulary updating what's goin on there, including media and infos.
As they plan to make a beta test run, which didn't make it for Decembre, they will do it somewhere around Q1 2009. No promise on that as things always change, but if everything goes to plan in the next three months there might be a playable Sky Gods version for testers. I have no idea though if people will be chosen, can apply or will be the donators, no idea.
Aside this, I can say John (The Boss) is on the forums all the time, responding to suggestions and other stuff, so it is not an empty board like most forums are (where the community is literally having pointless selfconversations).
In short:
- Holiday time may bring some goodies
- Early 2009 can bring some (hopefully only) positive changes, infos, events, milestones
- If everything goes to plan we will have a playable Sky Gods beta in early 2009
- If everything goes to plan Sky Gods will see a release Q2 2009, around summer
Nothing else sofar
Not sure if I'm allowed to say that yet, but they switch to a blog system instead of the previous PDF format, regulary updating what's goin on there, including media and infos.
As they plan to make a beta test run, which didn't make it for Decembre, they will do it somewhere around Q1 2009. No promise on that as things always change, but if everything goes to plan in the next three months there might be a playable Sky Gods version for testers. I have no idea though if people will be chosen, can apply or will be the donators, no idea.
Aside this, I can say John (The Boss) is on the forums all the time, responding to suggestions and other stuff, so it is not an empty board like most forums are (where the community is literally having pointless selfconversations).
In short:
- Holiday time may bring some goodies
- Early 2009 can bring some (hopefully only) positive changes, infos, events, milestones
- If everything goes to plan we will have a playable Sky Gods beta in early 2009
- If everything goes to plan Sky Gods will see a release Q2 2009, around summer
Nothing else sofar
S
StevenGarcia
Guest
An interview was released. Beppo gets a (very positive) mention there too.
Interview
In the past weeks few pictures were released too.
John says that right now they are working on the core features, that's why the engine has mostly original UE3 colour settings which look a bit clean and sort of cartoony, toward the end they will massively work on to get a gritty, dirty and realistic look in the game.
[screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/Screen_001.jpg[/screenshot][screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/BFS_Objects_01.jpg[/screenshot]
[screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/BFS_TrainCar_Scene_01.jpg[/screenshot]
Interview
In the past weeks few pictures were released too.
John says that right now they are working on the core features, that's why the engine has mostly original UE3 colour settings which look a bit clean and sort of cartoony, toward the end they will massively work on to get a gritty, dirty and realistic look in the game.
[screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/Screen_001.jpg[/screenshot][screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/BFS_Objects_01.jpg[/screenshot]
[screenshot]http://www.blackfootstudios.com/blogimages/BFS_TrainCar_Scene_01.jpg[/screenshot]
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S
StevenGarcia
Guest
Thanks Psych. Man, i fear this game is going to take looonggg... It's Infiltration all over again.