Author Topic: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title  (Read 49723 times)

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Offline Mongoose

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Quote from the AMA relevant to earlier discussion of D3 source code:
Quote from: Matt Toschlog
We may release the Descent 3 source code. Right now we want get a bunch of changes finished and release a version 1.5. Once that's done we can figure out what has to be done to release the source code. We'll have to remove anything that's owned by Interplay, and we'll want to clean up some other part of the code. So I guess the answer is: we'd like to, but don't hold your breath. We're all busy with other things and we do what we can.
Heh, Kevin Bentley's been promising that 1.5 patch for literally more than half a decade, but he actually posted in there about it too.  It'd be great to finally get that, but the source itself would be a far bigger prize.

How much use, realistically, is the Descent 3 source code going to be these days? It's 16 years old; hardware and software standards have long passed it by.
One could have made a similar claim about the FS2 source (though its release was admittedly much sooner after the game's original ship date), but the answer would be pretty similar: modern hardware compatibility, expansion/removal of hard-coded engine limits, and as many new features as are possible.  D3's starting to get somewhat flaky on new hardware running Windows 10, and it's built on some truly ancient versions of DirectX and OpenGL, so there's definitely huge room for improvement there.  (Actually, from everything I've heard, D3 always looked its best in good ol' Glide.)  Hell, the same holds true for the first two Descent games, and there are multiple active projects available for each of those: D2 has two competing source ports that focus on different overall goals, and there's a fork of the main D1 project maintained by the competitive multi community that's focused on that aspect.  There's no reason that D3 shouldn't receive the same attention.

 

Offline CP5670

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
It seems to work fine on OpenGL and Glide. I use OpenGL with it. The D3D mode has a lot of issues, but is the only one that supports 32-bit color properly and some features like bump mapping. I agree that the source needed to have come out a long time ago to get any big project like FS2 Open going, but it would still be useful for bug fixes and minor compatibility updates.

  

Offline Hunter

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
I already own a copy of the 1.5 patch, and it does indeed work much better. But the probelm I see with a source release is there just might not be enough interest after all these years. Who knows though, maybe in 5 years time we'll be playing a HD version of D3... ;)
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Offline Ulala

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
I'm in for $25 but going to bump up my pledge after pay day if I can. Would love to get access to the beta. :D Looking forward to seeing this funded! Spread the word!

[edit] Increased to $120 after watching this stream on Volition's twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/dsvolition/v/52165322) [/edit]
« Last Edit: March 03, 2016, 05:33:53 pm by Ulala »
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Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Received access to the playable teaser. Streamed a bit of it earlier today for the IRC folks.


It plays nice, it sounds nice, it looks nice, it feels nice. Not necessarily in that order. I've upgraded my pledge from 35 to 90 bucks.

Really hope it goes through. There's 4 days left and 130k to go, sidekick predicts 87% probability of success. Go donate peeps!
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Offline Sushi

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Playable teaser is now available for all:

http://playoverload.com/playable-teaser/

Go go go!

 
Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Can't up my pledge more, but I wish the team the best of luck. From the teaser it feels like they've already hit the high notes of Descent, so I'm really looking forward to the end product!

 

Offline Mongoose

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
They got the teaser on Steam too, which can only help.  And man it is already rock-solid to play through.  Really hope this squeaks by.

 

Offline 0rph3u5

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Another reminder: The KS at 18 houres and Revival is streaming until the finish line @ https://www.twitch.tv/revivalproductions
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Offline AdmiralRalwood

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Sidekick's success prediction has dropped to 30% and kicktraq's uppermost projection is $241,500. Things aren't looking good. :(
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Offline 0rph3u5

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Sidekick's success prediction has dropped to 30% and kicktraq's uppermost projection is $241,500. Things aren't looking good. :(

Considering the KS is already past $ 243,000, take that with a grain of salt ... fundraising has really picked up since the stream began
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline AdmiralRalwood

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
It should be noted that it hadn't passed that point when I made that post. :P
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Codethulhu GitHub wgah'nagl fhtagn.

schrödinbug (noun) - a bug that manifests itself in running software after a programmer notices that the code should never have worked in the first place.

When you gaze long into BMPMAN, BMPMAN also gazes into you.

"I am one of the best FREDders on Earth" -General Battuta

<Aesaar> literary criticism is vladimir putin

<MageKing17> "There's probably a reason the code is the way it is" is a very dangerous line of thought. :P
<MageKing17> Because the "reason" often turns out to be "nobody noticed it was wrong".
(the very next day)
<MageKing17> this ****ing code did it to me again
<MageKing17> "That doesn't really make sense to me, but I'll assume it was being done for a reason."
<MageKing17> **** ME
<MageKing17> THE REASON IS PEOPLE ARE STUPID
<MageKing17> ESPECIALLY ME

<MageKing17> God damn, I do not understand how this is breaking.
<MageKing17> Everything points to "this should work fine", and yet it's clearly not working.
<MjnMixael> 2 hours later... "God damn, how did this ever work at all?!"
(...)
<MageKing17> so
<MageKing17> more than two hours
<MageKing17> but once again we have reached the inevitable conclusion
<MageKing17> How did this code ever work in the first place!?

<@The_E> Welcome to OpenGL, where standards compliance is optional, and error reporting inconsistent

<MageKing17> It was all working perfectly until I actually tried it on an actual mission.

<IronWorks> I am useful for FSO stuff again. This is a red-letter day!
* z64555 erases "Thursday" and rewrites it in red ink

<MageKing17> TIL the entire homing code is held up by shoestrings and duct tape, basically.

 

Offline Snarks

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Does Kickstarter ever allow for an extension? I feel like this would be funded for sure if they just had another week. It's a shame a lot of their preview content got put up so late in the crowdfunding.

 

Offline 0rph3u5

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
FYI Mike Kulas is giving away his Descent: Freespace jacket on the steam (but only if they make more money)

Does Kickstarter ever allow for an extension? I feel like this would be funded for sure if they just had another week. It's a shame a lot of their preview content got put up so late in the crowdfunding.

At least for me it is not an issue of time, but of payment options ... They allow only credit card payments :/
« Last Edit: March 10, 2016, 04:08:25 pm by 0rph3u5 »
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline Mongoose

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Yeah, it's gonna come right down to the wire, but if we wind up not squeaking by, I think it's almost solely due to how late in the campaign all the goodies came out.  If they'd had the teaser ready right from the get-go and announced the VR support earlier, I think we could have been pushing $100k in that first day easy.

 

Offline 0rph3u5

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
8 hours to go and its at 273.040 of 300.000
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline Sushi

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title



 

Offline watsisname

Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
We're at the point now where goal will be reached if all backers raise by $5!  So close!  Raise pledges!
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Offline BirdofPrey

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
Yeah, it's gonna come right down to the wire, but if we wind up not squeaking by, I think it's almost solely due to how late in the campaign all the goodies came out.  If they'd had the teaser ready right from the get-go and announced the VR support earlier, I think we could have been pushing $100k in that first day easy.
Indeed.
First week momentum is one of the most important things.  They really should have had the demo ready to go before starting a kickstarter.  Despite the fact no money is taken if a kickstarter fails, a LOT of backers always seem to have a wait and see approach and won't actually back unless it looks like a project might, potentially, make it.
And, again, a large portion of the potential backer pool already donated to Descent underground and just doesn't want to fund another project just yet.
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Offline 0rph3u5

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Re: Mike Kulas & Matt Toschlog working on a new Descent-inspired title
3 hours to go, and less than 9000 USD unfunded

EDIT: below 5k to go
« Last Edit: March 11, 2016, 06:40:17 am by 0rph3u5 »
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."