EmpiresMod for HL2DM and NS grew in the same hatchery. A shame that Emp stayed stuck where it is now. Battlezone series was simply glorious and ARMA2 "When diplomacy Fails" Warfare mission is my favorite. Multilayered gaming is hard to balance but when done right it is, at least to my opinion, the best gaming experience on both terms of immersion and player agency.
Natural selection 2 comes to mind as another FPS/RTS hybrid. One player is essentially playing a strategy game as the commander of either side while other players that join make up the units in each side’s army. You can research new forms, build more stuff, unlock abilities and weapons etc.
@@ilynomad Tremulous was one of the most innovative total conversions of all time. Natural Selection never quite clicked. One day there will be a worthy successor.
There were also some "dungeon" themed games where you play as an evil overlord, you build/manage a dungeon, with economy & making combat units, and you can also go into first-person perspective of units to fight. That's pretty close to an FPS/RTS hybrid.
I played a game called "Savage 2" back in the early 2000's which was an RTS third person multiplayer shooter hybrid, it was free to play, and it was fantastic. Basically you had one player playing the game as an RTS, and other players would follow the order, build where the RTS player would set up buildings, it was awesome. Quite a forgotten gem sadly.
@@adamofblastworks1517 that game died sadly, they even tried a comeback with Savage Resurrection (third iteration of Savage), and it still stayed dead.
I love games that blend genres. I know this is probably an early look, but the gunplay looks legit, which is what usually lacks in the FPS aspect of these blended genre games. Looks great!
Thank you so much! Developer here, so sorry for dropping in like this. Regarding the feel of the game, it was why I decided to approach this game by making a clear distinction of not doing half-FPS and half-RTS. Instead, the game is literally two games in one. The RTS is true to its genre, inspired by the likes of Dune II, StarCraft and other classical strategy games, in all aspects. The FPS is true to a shooter, you can drive vehicles, use weapon scopes, crouch, move around and jump as one would expect from the likes of CS:GO and CoD. The hardest part was unit detection, and a good balance has been struck, where out in the open you are exposed vis classical fog of war view distance, but farther out and near cover you must have a direct line of sight. It is biased for me to say so of course as its developer, but I feel it does work as one would expect. When playing as RTS Commander, it feels like a classical RTS. When running around first person (or third person as a vehicle) it feels like a classical shooter. There is no compromise, just a ton of work to make it work :D All units are physics driven, so vehicles can flip (they auto-flip back for simplicity), jump over dunes, bump into each other, and so on. In any case, I hope the expectations are met and it is enjoyed! Cheers! Martin Melicharek
@@DramTheThief that’s great man thanks for the insight. I’m an aspiring developer (super green though so nothing to show for it yet) and I have an idea for an RTS blended game, so seeing your work is inspiring. If you have a link to the game’s main page I would be glad to subscribe!
@@DramTheThiefIs it like Battle Zone or somewhat different? I have always hoped someone would make a modern version of that game genre, with a lot more content.
Nice find. I love these blendings of genre. Natural Selection made an attempt. It was very cool but very limited. There were mods too like some HL2 mods. This looks like it can do a full blending properly. Also shoutout to Battlezone.
as a fps games fan this looks so interesting and fresh. It's so cool that you can fight hords of angry spiders and in the same time build massive structures as in classic strategy games
I don't have a big budget and nowhere near this level of developer skill but i love this genre and have been working on a game like this for years and seeing this just inspires me to actually try and finish it, the genre is niche but very satisfying to play
Dude I don't even REMEMBER the last time someone mentioned C&C Renegade aside from talking about the remakes that nobody actually talks about. Renegade was absolutely incredible, I'll definitely have a look at this, cheers for always recommending interesting projects Bluedrake
Honestly not sure what to think. So far, I found something "missing" in every hybrid that I've tried, from gameplay of both genres they try to emulate. I can see why and don't blame the devs for this as they have a job of literally making two games and merging them seamlessly together, but every time I played a game like this I'd be thinking "man, I want to play because that particular aspect is so much more defined in that game". Will def still give this a shot, but again, don't know what to think or whether I'm excited much for it.
Hi! Completely understand! Sorry to drop in like this, dev here. What you mention is exactly why I decided to approach this game by making a clear distinction of not doing half-FPS and half-RTS. Instead, the game is literally two games in one. The RTS is true to its genre, inspired by the likes of Dune II, StarCraft and other classical strategy games, in all aspects. The FPS is true to a shooter, you can drive vehicles, use weapon scopes, crouch, move around and jump as one would expect from the likes of CS:GO and CoD. The hardest part was unit detection, and a good balance has been struck, where out in the open you are exposed vis classical fog of war view distance, but farther out and near cover you must have a direct line of sight. It is biased for me to say so of course as its developer, but I feel it does work as one would expect. When playing as RTS Commander, it feels like a classical RTS. When running around first person (or third person as a vehicle) it feels like a classical shooter. There is no compromise, just a ton of work to make it work :D All units are physics driven, so vehicles can flip (they auto-flip back for simplicity), jump over dunes, bump into each other, and so on. In any case, i hope once you see the gameplay that it will alleviate some of your concerns. Cheers! Martin Melicharek
I subscribed to you bc I like a new fresh info about potentially good games and maybe forgotten old ones. Everyone is doing the famous ones to be safe. Thank you for this find!
It looks hype, I've wanted a game like this since Halo Wars. I'm interested in the multiplayer. If its a battlefield commander thing (with more RTS) with other players on the ground or, a 1v1 RTS while you FPS, vice versa. My main concern is that most RTS games I've played devolve into who can get units out faster or get resources faster. Its worth a try but, the tense decision making of a turn based tactical really appeals to me.
Just gonna throw this out there, you guys are gonna love this game, the combo of RTS and FPS and AI and Human commanders and units, all in one giant epic battle is AWESOME! 😃
Battlezone was so ahead of it's time, loved both 1 and 2 and always tried to get my friends play it but for whatever reason none did. This game looks awesome, here's hoping it does well
"Battlezone 2 Combat Commander" was one of my childhood games. Also what would be, in my opinion, the BIBLICALLY underrated PC game, "Urban Assault" by TerraTools. I also love the generally unexplored landscape that is the RTS-FPS genre. While I admire indie's and AA's attempts (Freeman: Guerilla Warfare and Call to Arms come to mind), I'm a bit sad that even to this day, they are effectively making the same mistake that the developers of BZ2 recognized in their retrospect. There was this interview article posted from the main dev's personal website(I can no longer find it, must be out now. Understand, I stumbled onto this all the way back in 2007!), somehow, I can't forget the main points the guy raised. I'm paraphrasing here heavily so I could be misremembering some thoughts, but here goes; For them, initially, they thought they have something special when they were developing Battlezone 2 Combat Commander, because "come on! it's both an RTS and an FPS, how cool is this!". But on release, it didn't sell well. At all. Only then when he started to lurk on places talking about the game(IRC groups, fan forum sites) he realized their mistake; They initially thought they could make a hit by making a game that would attract the two camps(FPS fans and RTS fans). The reality is that they only attracted the people that already likes both (a fan of RTS AND FPS games), and, as outspoken and dedicated they are tho this specific niche, you'd be surprised how tiny the population actually are. On further investigation(which means, he started talking to both the people that loved the game, and the people that eaither noped out early, or didn't have fun at all in their experience), they got into an interesting point. They thought a hybrid game could bridge people into liking "the other half"(e.g. fans of FPS or action games would find the fun in the RTS aspect, and vice-versa to RTS/strategy fans). But in reality, folks of respective genre fan disliked the aspect of "the other half". That for them, the thing they like is soured by the thing they don't like. In a - - as admitted by the guy himself - - incredibly crude and simplified analogy; "FPS fans don't like to think, RTS fans don't like to lose." Now mind you, this was from 2005. So maybe "time's have changed". But still, I feel the dev's point has merit to this day. That one; you can't drag a pure FPS/action game fan into liking strategy games, and vice-versa. And two; Be aware that by making a hybrid genre, one MUST be able to understand how big an undertaking it is, at understanding AND implementing what makes the two genre's fun from a fundamental level(great gun feel and snappy action, plus ergonomic UI, great AI and optimized pathfinding system).
Only rts game i enjoyed was ironically brutal legend because i expected a action adventure but having that hack and slash element felt more personal and contributing to the action I'm really excited
I’ve played almost every rts/action/sci-fi/simulation game out there and Battlezone was the one which could mix all those genres in a masterful way. So, looking forward for this one.
Executive Assault 2 does this and takes it to another level through multiplayer gameplay. It really does make for some really fun gameplay solo or with friends. One guy basically takes on the RTS management and your friends take charge of units. Or you can play solo as RTS manager or as a unit for the AI manager. Any Executive Assault 2 fans here?
I tried the first one, not confident about trying the second one, since I still feel like 1 could have been polished more, not to perfection but enough to at least ensure 2 would be as good as it could possibly be.
Hell yes about time we had another FPS/RTS game, love this type of game. Petroglyph is working on one similar to C&C Renegade called Earthbreakers but its been put on hold :( Nuclear Dawn and Natural Selection 2 were some of my favoutite games in this genre, Iron Grip: Warlord was similar and good fun also, really need another one like yesterday.
Super excited for this! The last good FPS/RTS I played was Machines by Acclaim way back in 99. That game had 50 units that could be controlled by either overlord view in RTS mode or in first person mode and it was amazing. Would love to see this type of game come back.
I used to be a huge Battlezone fan... I'm talking about the one from 1998 developed by: Big Boat Interactive, Activision, Activision Blizzard, Climax Studios. What an absolute under-appreciated marvel of a game for that time... very underrated. Was also an RTS / FPS . Very complex for its time, with a very very rich story and campaign.... USA fighting Russia in the solar system.
Yessss...I have been looking for a good RTS /FPS hybrid for a long time. Renegade, Natural Selection, Battlezone, Savage, Executive Assault, Machines, etc. Loved them all. Need more like them. (both SP and MP)
I really wanna be excited for this: But looking at SIMILAR games, I can't help bu be worried that it will only collect a small dedicated comunity, that will result in the game being shuttered. It's usually not that their bad games, but without a wide community, the games never really seem to grow and instead just kind of slowly die off
Looks like one hell of a game. Maybe could use a few powered armors or decently sized giant robots, starship troopers style. I might be biased towards them though
They need to make another Natural Selection. I remember back in the days of old when LAN parties were big, Natural Selection was a hot game to play. Natural Selection 2 was another good one, but for those of you looking for an RTS/FPS style game, that is the benchmark imo.
This game is very heavily inspired by the Natural Selection and Natural Selection 2 series that was sadly abandoned by the Subnautica devs, plays extremely similar
Hi! Sorry for the random drop in, developer here. Natural Selection 2 is a game I absolutely love and always recommend. It is most certainly an influence though I have wanted to make this project since 2008 based mainly on Dune II and StarCraft and the fact that I loved FPS games as well. I saw the mix in NS2 and it, I think, is the greatest modern proof that the concept works really well. I would never want to step on the toes of such a wonderful game and thus it is why Silica differs in one or two fundamental ways. Silica is exterior while NS2 features close-quarters corridors where twitch reactions are key, so this means Silica gameplay is not as fast-paced as NS2 outside of engagements. Thanks to the outdoors, Silica has vehicles that greatly vary in size and thus even here the play is different. I do believe, based on myself at least, that even after playing Silica, one will still love jumping into an NS2 game as well, and vice-versa. But I am of course biased :D Take care
@@DramTheThief I hope there will be some claustrophobic areas to mix in with the open fields, I'm thinking like how some Universe at War maps, infantry units can walk between buildings to dodge fire (like I've seen Ohm Robots duck in-between buildings to limit Grunts and their shotguns which actually prefer more open areas where they can hit more units at once).
@@TheFearsomeRat Indeed there are, buildings are not small but large complexes, so combat can happen within their premises. Plus some areas in maps are valleys and crevasses, so yes you do get bugs jumping at you from above :D
@@DramTheThief I'd imagine that'd make fighting in buildings pretty dangerous especially if you can fight in the buildings that produce vehicles (assuming base buildings can be entered and the vehicles aren't built in open air), since it means if something with a MG is built it could theoretically start spraying down enemies inside the building with it.
@@TheFearsomeRat Oh against the enemy definitely, you get pretty fun engagements in factories against infantry or other vehicles. Though the most heart-pounding is an alien attack in the night :D Those bugs crawl over everything :D
I loved the battlezone series (and have recently reacquainted myself with the re-releases), so this one is exciting. This game almost looks like starship troopers a bit. :) This looks like something to check out for sure...!
You mention BattleZone and I immediately agree with you. For the last twenty years I have been hoping someone would remake BattleZone with new tech. This may be it!
There was a game called Savage and Savage 2, RTS-FPS hybrid, I fell in love with the genre, never seen any good RTS-FPS hybrid since those fore mentioned games died.
Hoping this project doesn't turn into another Eximius, the main issue with rts/fps hybrids is that they try to do both but end up doing neither well enough to gather a large player base.
I loved battlezone!! It was my first PC game I ever played back in the day. Loved how you could build a base and control the ships. Such a great game. Wish the made a remake of it.
I bet there are a quite a few concepts that were tossed aside over time due to capabilities of engines and hardware, that can now be revisited for success.
There are times when I genuinely ask why something hasn't taken off. Maybe its a technical hurdle, but there was an explosion of surivival FPS games where you had RTS elements like base building and resource gathering while you could be killed and looted. You also had stuff like some of the older battlefield titles that had a commander slot that a player could apply for, using radar scans, issue troop orders, and deploying ammo and vehicle drops for the team. I have played a few games that were hybrids, heck there was even a fantasy version of this where you played a dungeon overlord where you had to build a lair that had to repel adventurers that came to kill you and loot your gold. I think dungeon keeper 2 allowed you to venture out and take the fight to them.
Wow youtube just recomemded me this and i'm so glad, i never knew about the Battlezone series I started played them and they're a blast! Divinity: dragon commander was kind of like this and loved it... wish there were more games like this
Wow, I was wishing for a game like this, imagine play StarCraft like this, or command and conquer Tiberius wars, or many many other tittles. I agree with many people here in the comments, this is a really great concept and I really like a lot. Even whit all the years than has passed I still play c&c renegade whit my friends, and have many good fights. But we wish to have a more modern engine and more variety of vehicles, maps, weapons and a more smarter AI who puts a challenge to all the 30 people which play in LAN connection because internet connection is over for those old games.
i think i know how rts fps games could do well, for example you have a game master making the world and making it interesting , if the ai voice could become just a bit better you could have the characters/cutscenes sound and look really good. it's like infinite replayability, ofc you'd need a command center where you direct the troops playing fps as well where they're needed the most. just a simple drag a box over a few people and give them a target to either defend or capture or both etc. some people need airsupport, they'd call in one with red smoke or laser pointer and command need to get on that asap, for ease you need 2 people or even 3 in the command center.. 1 for directing troops 1 for support tools and 1 to give info to all troops what the goal is etc.
Looks dope af and there isn't much of an FPS/RTS hybrid. I still remember waiting on Command and Conquer Tiberium i think it was called (the game that had a very much RTS/FPS but got canceled) on top of that a massive Warhammer 40k RTS/Hybrid would be fucking amazing, playing as Imperial Guard, Astartes, the militant wing of the inquisition like Death Watch, Sisters of battle, Grey Knights, Custodes, Traitor Astartes, Tau, Eldar, Druhkari, Chaos Daemons, Necrons, Orks, or Tyranid. Each race has many notable factions and vehicles and equipment, they all have their strength and weaknesses and you can go first person or third person or RTS. Man I wish I had millions of dollars and a dedicated dev team that had an immense passion for Warhammer.
it’s like being able to jump into action in StarCraft, the frantic fear whilst unloading full auto into the swarm, muzzle flashes, explosions, trench war horrors…hell of an experience.
You got my attention at Battle Zone. This is the first time I've come across someone mentioning without me specifically searching for it. I'm surprised that my N64 cartridge still works with how much I played it (still do every now and then). I'm keeping an eye on this now!
In general I really wish more game companies had the balls to create hybrids like this. Not just FPS / RTS, but in general the games where you control an avatar are separate from the games where you manage a big picture.
I played and loved Battlezone 1 and 2 and C&C Renegade and wanted more of that. there was never a follow up of those 2 games from late 90s and early 2000s in the later years.
cant wait to see an rts third person rpg hybrid, where city owners can hand out zone quests for gathering resources, hunting, building, defending the city, or raiding other cities
Yeah this genre has so much potential its phenomenal and yet that there's not that many titles to cover it. Currently I've no life'd on Natural selection 2, its not nearly as RTS feel but oh boy. The best gaming experience I've had in all the 20 years of playing games makes this one feel so great! I hope that this title turns out as big as its expectations have set on it!
I think that an fps/rts hybrid might work if the rts aspect managed only where it was not interacting with opposing players directly. For instance if economic mechanics, troop deployment and strategic movements were something the rts player directly controlled and then have the player cede some of the control over units under their control to the pc when engaging enemy players so that the identified fps enemy player might have a chance to engage in extended combat rather than be focused down by the rts player's units. Maybe the rts player could influence the engagement by sending reinforcements to their engaged forces or using limited support abilities as not to deprive either player of involvement. As it stands most pvp fps/rts hybrid games put the fps player at a tactical disadvantage to the rts player which can only be countered by making the fps player ridiculously overpowered compared to the rts player's units making the game a repetitive meat grinder for both players. I think giving the pc some control during fights might allow for more randomized unit behavior that would make combat more entertaining in general.
Natural Selection 1 & 2, Eximius Seize the Frontline, Nuclear Dawn (RIP), Void Destroyer, all the Battlezones, Warshift (RIP, it never made it and is almost unplayable), Executive Assault 1 & 2, Urban Assault, ZAR, Starhawk (not exactly an rts, but it might be close enough for some people), Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (bad, unfortunately; this is not the same as the recent Carrier Command 2), From the Depths (though it's much more than just a hybrid of fps and rts, and as far as I know, it's pretty light on actually shooting in first person), and more that I have forgotten about or still don't know of. Does C&C Renegade X count? I don't actually know if there is an rts component. Technically LEGO Rock Raiders counts too. There actually have been a number of fps/rts hybrids throughout the years. I have been hunting for them, for almost a decade now. I've just now also learned of more such games: Savage/Savage 2 and "Machines."
I loved the ability of being able to setup base and turrets use those turrets and then hop into different vehicles and even on foot with the ability to snipe the drivers of other vehicles in Battle Zone. the concept was great and if this game is on the same line of resource management, base building with FPS or even 3rd person combat with ability to command vehicles and structures then it will be great.
yea this is a true decent sci fi horror game, yea its not meant to be a horror game but its still shooting up alien creatures in the form of action i love it!
An RTS mode would be a great inclusion for OHD. Large barren maps are quick to produce & if you're going to add camp building into OHD, you're only a menu away from having an RTS mode.
I remember playing an old multiplayer title almost exactly like this. Generic name, but an awesome third person shooter base builder vs rts boi game. Even was with bugs!
super cool idea, seems gaming industry run out of ideas, noticed already couple dev teams doing such 'idea laboratories". But i think thats good signs that those idea groups starting to appear.
the closest I've played and which this do remind me of a bit is Natural Selection. All though with WAY better graphics and general improvements on all levels! Can't help to see a Starship Troopers kind of vibe to it either XD I'm very curious on this one now!
Loved the battle zone game you’re talking about. One of my most favorite rts/fps games. I thought I was the only one, lol. I think it was the first hybrid game I played like that.
even if this game fails it'll still help develop the RTSFPS genre. it really hasn't been explored to its potential so even if it doesn't land we can still learn from it.
I'm not exactly huge in the RTS kind of stuff, the only games I've played that fall into that description is the 40k Dawn of War games. That being said, I am a really big fan of FPS games, especially FPS games that focus on non-traditional aspects of the wider FPS genera. For example, Natural Selection 2 and Primal Carnage Extinction are two of my favorite FPS games out there because of their ability to allow the player to play as Aliens/Dinosaurs respectfully - it makes things way more interesting and if that was more focused on in a game I'm sure there could be a lot of customization in gameplay between the two various factions.
Couldn't agree more. I've always been kind of fascinated by this hybrid of games and think it deserves more love. I bought Nuclear Dawn back in the day and liked it quite a bit but unfortunately the game never really took off. I will keep my eye on this one, it looks good.
I have been dreaming of this for years. RTS/FPS PVP battles will be so awesome. Commanders commanding AI units while send orders and objectives to real FPS players... Perect Game.
Interesting. One of the things I really enjoyed about Battlefield 2 and 2142 was the commander position which allowed one of the players from each team to do certain actions effecting their team or the opposing team. I really missed that when they dropped it from BF3 and onwards. Never played the Batlezone games, but this sounds interesting.
These kinds of hybrids (which I consider to be any rts game where you can take direct control of or otherwise become a unit on the ground) always sound neat in theory, but are a lot harder to pull off in practice. Battlezone did a decent job of it, but in most cases you get one of the following: A: The AI and other automation is dumb enough that you kind of have to manually control things all the time. See cases like Carrier Command: Gaea Mission. B: A shooter component which is superfluous because every moment you're running around in the FPS layer, you're not controlling your units - and that gets you killed on the strategic layer. See cases like Executive Assault. Battlezone did it right, having practically started the whole idea. Men of war: assault squad 2 also did it right, by letting you take control of units in a top-down shooter fashion. Most games that try it end up being either shooter or RTS at its core, with the other side effectively being a gimmick that just isn't practical to use.
I saw that you can descend from a drop pod and I’m already interested and subscribing for future updates of this game. Descending from a drop pod and going into battle is literally a dream of mine since Halo: ODST.
I would mention a game called Allegiance. This was a kind of space based RTS / FPS hybrid. One person on the team would be the commander that controlled how the team resources got spent and ordered around NPC gatherers and construction ships, while the other players flew around in various kinds of spacecraft. It was really quite well done with pretty deep space combat. There were capital ships that could have multiple players manning turrets. It had a really detailed modelling of stealth. Microsoft tried to make it a subscription service that really killed the interest in it, but the gameplay was so good that a dedicated group of players kept it alive for years. It might even still exist as fan supported abandonware.
Honestly as a kid when halo wars came out this is what I thought it would’ve been hope this game will allow mods to make that happen 🤞🏻
thats also what i was hoping halo wars to be but alas, massive disappointment struck
@@3CODKing halo wars wasn't a dissapointment. It's the best halo spin-off. The Banished introduction was awesome.
@@alduinfr that style of game just ain’t for everyone. I think it sucked cause I don’t like rts games. But I know it was a great rts game.
Dude, same! And this is what halo infinite should've been. Also, I'm your 117th comment! 😅
yes
Battle Zone was a unicorn of a game concept, and I played it to death. I'm glad to see the concept is coming back in force!
Same, I want Battlezone 3
Savage: The Battle for Newerth was alot of fun too
Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War was great and i still play it from time to time
Jumping out of your tank and sniping a friend out of his was incredible! Loved that game too.
@@graeliengrayson937 absolutely! The sense of freedom was incredible.
Natural selection was amazing, also NS2. This looks amazing, Thanks for bringing this exposure
i was also thinking on NS2, very nice game :D
Holy shit you just unlocked a memory for me that I had totally forgotten! NS and NS2!!
@@emperorofchicken hah glad to hear, underrated games for sure.
EmpiresMod for HL2DM and NS grew in the same hatchery.
A shame that Emp stayed stuck where it is now.
Battlezone series was simply glorious and ARMA2 "When diplomacy Fails" Warfare mission is my favorite.
Multilayered gaming is hard to balance but when done right it is, at least to my opinion, the best gaming experience on both terms of immersion and player agency.
good times..
Natural selection 2 comes to mind as another FPS/RTS hybrid. One player is essentially playing a strategy game as the commander of either side while other players that join make up the units in each side’s army. You can research new forms, build more stuff, unlock abilities and weapons etc.
Tremulous
@@ilynomad Tremulous was one of the most innovative total conversions of all time. Natural Selection never quite clicked. One day there will be a worthy successor.
@@gavinmccandlish3063 Hopefully, Tremulous was my childhood
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, Natural Selection 1 also comes to mind as a great FPS/RTS hybrid
There were also some "dungeon" themed games where you play as an evil overlord, you build/manage a dungeon, with economy & making combat units, and you can also go into first-person perspective of units to fight. That's pretty close to an FPS/RTS hybrid.
I played a game called "Savage 2" back in the early 2000's which was an RTS third person multiplayer shooter hybrid, it was free to play, and it was fantastic. Basically you had one player playing the game as an RTS, and other players would follow the order, build where the RTS player would set up buildings, it was awesome. Quite a forgotten gem sadly.
Oooh, thank you. I have another game to add to the list.
Played this back in the day and I can confirm it was a blast.
Oh man i forgot all about that game. those were good times.
Me too! what a blast from the past, I have a vague old memory of it at a lan party in my school years.
@@adamofblastworks1517 that game died sadly, they even tried a comeback with Savage Resurrection (third iteration of Savage), and it still stayed dead.
I love games that blend genres. I know this is probably an early look, but the gunplay looks legit, which is what usually lacks in the FPS aspect of these blended genre games. Looks great!
Thank you so much! Developer here, so sorry for dropping in like this.
Regarding the feel of the game, it was why I decided to approach this game by making a clear distinction of not doing half-FPS and half-RTS. Instead, the game is literally two games in one. The RTS is true to its genre, inspired by the likes of Dune II, StarCraft and other classical strategy games, in all aspects. The FPS is true to a shooter, you can drive vehicles, use weapon scopes, crouch, move around and jump as one would expect from the likes of CS:GO and CoD. The hardest part was unit detection, and a good balance has been struck, where out in the open you are exposed vis classical fog of war view distance, but farther out and near cover you must have a direct line of sight.
It is biased for me to say so of course as its developer, but I feel it does work as one would expect. When playing as RTS Commander, it feels like a classical RTS. When running around first person (or third person as a vehicle) it feels like a classical shooter. There is no compromise, just a ton of work to make it work :D All units are physics driven, so vehicles can flip (they auto-flip back for simplicity), jump over dunes, bump into each other, and so on. In any case, I hope the expectations are met and it is enjoyed!
Cheers!
Martin Melicharek
@@DramTheThief that’s great man thanks for the insight. I’m an aspiring developer (super green though so nothing to show for it yet) and I have an idea for an RTS blended game, so seeing your work is inspiring. If you have a link to the game’s main page I would be glad to subscribe!
@@DramTheThief dev updates like this are so rare in the aspect of being so direct with your upcoming community keep it up
@@DramTheThiefIs it like Battle Zone or somewhat different? I have always hoped someone would make a modern version of that game genre, with a lot more content.
@@DramTheThief natural selection was a good game showcasing rts/fps blending
Nice find. I love these blendings of genre. Natural Selection made an attempt. It was very cool but very limited. There were mods too like some HL2 mods. This looks like it can do a full blending properly.
Also shoutout to Battlezone.
as a fps games fan this looks so interesting and fresh. It's so cool that you can fight hords of angry spiders and in the same time build massive structures as in classic strategy games
I don't have a big budget and nowhere near this level of developer skill but i love this genre and have been working on a game like this for years and seeing this just inspires me to actually try and finish it, the genre is niche but very satisfying to play
Im very interested
Dude I don't even REMEMBER the last time someone mentioned C&C Renegade aside from talking about the remakes that nobody actually talks about. Renegade was absolutely incredible, I'll definitely have a look at this, cheers for always recommending interesting projects Bluedrake
Honestly not sure what to think. So far, I found something "missing" in every hybrid that I've tried, from gameplay of both genres they try to emulate. I can see why and don't blame the devs for this as they have a job of literally making two games and merging them seamlessly together, but every time I played a game like this I'd be thinking "man, I want to play because that particular aspect is so much more defined in that game". Will def still give this a shot, but again, don't know what to think or whether I'm excited much for it.
Hi! Completely understand! Sorry to drop in like this, dev here. What you mention is exactly why I decided to approach this game by making a clear distinction of not doing half-FPS and half-RTS. Instead, the game is literally two games in one. The RTS is true to its genre, inspired by the likes of Dune II, StarCraft and other classical strategy games, in all aspects. The FPS is true to a shooter, you can drive vehicles, use weapon scopes, crouch, move around and jump as one would expect from the likes of CS:GO and CoD. The hardest part was unit detection, and a good balance has been struck, where out in the open you are exposed vis classical fog of war view distance, but farther out and near cover you must have a direct line of sight.
It is biased for me to say so of course as its developer, but I feel it does work as one would expect. When playing as RTS Commander, it feels like a classical RTS. When running around first person (or third person as a vehicle) it feels like a classical shooter. There is no compromise, just a ton of work to make it work :D All units are physics driven, so vehicles can flip (they auto-flip back for simplicity), jump over dunes, bump into each other, and so on. In any case, i hope once you see the gameplay that it will alleviate some of your concerns.
Cheers!
Martin Melicharek
I subscribed to you bc I like a new fresh info about potentially good games and maybe forgotten old ones. Everyone is doing the famous ones to be safe. Thank you for this find!
It looks hype, I've wanted a game like this since Halo Wars. I'm interested in the multiplayer. If its a battlefield commander thing (with more RTS) with other players on the ground or, a 1v1 RTS while you FPS, vice versa. My main concern is that most RTS games I've played devolve into who can get units out faster or get resources faster. Its worth a try but, the tense decision making of a turn based tactical really appeals to me.
A few of them already out. Tag RTS and FPS and you'll find some.
Just gonna throw this out there, you guys are gonna love this game, the combo of RTS and FPS and AI and Human commanders and units, all in one giant epic battle is AWESOME! 😃
You sound like an insider? Do tell.
If I know Bohemia, then the mod support here is going to be GOD TIER.
Battlezone was so ahead of it's time, loved both 1 and 2 and always tried to get my friends play it but for whatever reason none did. This game looks awesome, here's hoping it does well
This idea has been around for a very long time to combine FPS and RTS. It's great to see someone finally make it happen and make it look great.
I fucking love asymmetric games like this. It's like Natural Selection goes onto battlefield size maps
We could say that Ravenfield's conquer mode is a pretty good depiction of RTS-FPS hybrids.
Ravenfield is a gem of a game
There is a game called Eximius: Seize the Frontline. This game looks like that
Natural Selection 1/2 also was kinda rts/fps :D i still play it and wish there would be more like it
"Battlezone 2 Combat Commander" was one of my childhood games. Also what would be, in my opinion, the BIBLICALLY underrated PC game, "Urban Assault" by TerraTools. I also love the generally unexplored landscape that is the RTS-FPS genre. While I admire indie's and AA's attempts (Freeman: Guerilla Warfare and Call to Arms come to mind), I'm a bit sad that even to this day, they are effectively making the same mistake that the developers of BZ2 recognized in their retrospect.
There was this interview article posted from the main dev's personal website(I can no longer find it, must be out now. Understand, I stumbled onto this all the way back in 2007!), somehow, I can't forget the main points the guy raised. I'm paraphrasing here heavily so I could be misremembering some thoughts, but here goes;
For them, initially, they thought they have something special when they were developing Battlezone 2 Combat Commander, because "come on! it's both an RTS and an FPS, how cool is this!". But on release, it didn't sell well. At all. Only then when he started to lurk on places talking about the game(IRC groups, fan forum sites) he realized their mistake; They initially thought they could make a hit by making a game that would attract the two camps(FPS fans and RTS fans). The reality is that they only attracted the people that already likes both (a fan of RTS AND FPS games), and, as outspoken and dedicated they are tho this specific niche, you'd be surprised how tiny the population actually are.
On further investigation(which means, he started talking to both the people that loved the game, and the people that eaither noped out early, or didn't have fun at all in their experience), they got into an interesting point. They thought a hybrid game could bridge people into liking "the other half"(e.g. fans of FPS or action games would find the fun in the RTS aspect, and vice-versa to RTS/strategy fans). But in reality, folks of respective genre fan disliked the aspect of "the other half". That for them, the thing they like is soured by the thing they don't like. In a - - as admitted by the guy himself - - incredibly crude and simplified analogy; "FPS fans don't like to think, RTS fans don't like to lose."
Now mind you, this was from 2005. So maybe "time's have changed". But still, I feel the dev's point has merit to this day. That one; you can't drag a pure FPS/action game fan into liking strategy games, and vice-versa. And two; Be aware that by making a hybrid genre, one MUST be able to understand how big an undertaking it is, at understanding AND implementing what makes the two genre's fun from a fundamental level(great gun feel and snappy action, plus ergonomic UI, great AI and optimized pathfinding system).
Only rts game i enjoyed was ironically brutal legend because i expected a action adventure but having that hack and slash element felt more personal and contributing to the action I'm really excited
Zerg, Arachnid, Tyranid, BETA...gotta love a good bug war
i loved Battlezone & Renegade... thanks for highlighting this =)
I’ve played almost every rts/action/sci-fi/simulation game out there and Battlezone was the one which could mix all those genres in a masterful way. So, looking forward for this one.
THis is like the Starship Troopers game we deserve but never got! HYPE
Executive Assault 2 does this and takes it to another level through multiplayer gameplay.
It really does make for some really fun gameplay solo or with friends. One guy basically takes on the RTS management and your friends take charge of units. Or you can play solo as RTS manager or as a unit for the AI manager.
Any Executive Assault 2 fans here?
I tried the first one, not confident about trying the second one, since I still feel like 1 could have been polished more, not to perfection but enough to at least ensure 2 would be as good as it could possibly be.
Hell yes about time we had another FPS/RTS game, love this type of game.
Petroglyph is working on one similar to C&C Renegade called Earthbreakers but its been put on hold :(
Nuclear Dawn and Natural Selection 2 were some of my favoutite games in this genre, Iron Grip: Warlord was similar and good fun also, really need another one like yesterday.
You can probaly gave up on Petroglyph as they still didnt finish that rts game.
Like you, this hybrid type interests me enormously.
Thanks for this, and for the link - I'm checking it out for real.
Super excited for this! The last good FPS/RTS I played was Machines by Acclaim way back in 99. That game had 50 units that could be controlled by either overlord view in RTS mode or in first person mode and it was amazing. Would love to see this type of game come back.
I used to be a huge Battlezone fan... I'm talking about the one from 1998 developed by: Big Boat Interactive, Activision, Activision Blizzard, Climax Studios.
What an absolute under-appreciated marvel of a game for that time... very underrated.
Was also an RTS / FPS . Very complex for its time, with a very very rich story and campaign.... USA fighting Russia in the solar system.
Yessss...I have been looking for a good RTS /FPS hybrid for a long time. Renegade, Natural Selection, Battlezone, Savage, Executive Assault, Machines, etc. Loved them all. Need more like them. (both SP and MP)
I really wanna be excited for this: But looking at SIMILAR games, I can't help bu be worried that it will only collect a small dedicated comunity, that will result in the game being shuttered. It's usually not that their bad games, but without a wide community, the games never really seem to grow and instead just kind of slowly die off
Looks like one hell of a game. Maybe could use a few powered armors or decently sized giant robots, starship troopers style. I might be biased towards them though
I remember when Savage: Battle for Newerth dropped. It was the first RTS/FPS that I remember on the landscape. Rad game.
how dare you hype me up for something I will absolutely buy when it comes out.
They need to make another Natural Selection. I remember back in the days of old when LAN parties were big, Natural Selection was a hot game to play. Natural Selection 2 was another good one, but for those of you looking for an RTS/FPS style game, that is the benchmark imo.
This game is very heavily inspired by the Natural Selection and Natural Selection 2 series that was sadly abandoned by the Subnautica devs, plays extremely similar
Hi! Sorry for the random drop in, developer here. Natural Selection 2 is a game I absolutely love and always recommend. It is most certainly an influence though I have wanted to make this project since 2008 based mainly on Dune II and StarCraft and the fact that I loved FPS games as well. I saw the mix in NS2 and it, I think, is the greatest modern proof that the concept works really well. I would never want to step on the toes of such a wonderful game and thus it is why Silica differs in one or two fundamental ways. Silica is exterior while NS2 features close-quarters corridors where twitch reactions are key, so this means Silica gameplay is not as fast-paced as NS2 outside of engagements. Thanks to the outdoors, Silica has vehicles that greatly vary in size and thus even here the play is different. I do believe, based on myself at least, that even after playing Silica, one will still love jumping into an NS2 game as well, and vice-versa. But I am of course biased :D
Take care
@@DramTheThief I hope there will be some claustrophobic areas to mix in with the open fields, I'm thinking like how some Universe at War maps, infantry units can walk between buildings to dodge fire (like I've seen Ohm Robots duck in-between buildings to limit Grunts and their shotguns which actually prefer more open areas where they can hit more units at once).
@@TheFearsomeRat Indeed there are, buildings are not small but large complexes, so combat can happen within their premises. Plus some areas in maps are valleys and crevasses, so yes you do get bugs jumping at you from above :D
@@DramTheThief I'd imagine that'd make fighting in buildings pretty dangerous especially if you can fight in the buildings that produce vehicles (assuming base buildings can be entered and the vehicles aren't built in open air), since it means if something with a MG is built it could theoretically start spraying down enemies inside the building with it.
@@TheFearsomeRat Oh against the enemy definitely, you get pretty fun engagements in factories against infantry or other vehicles. Though the most heart-pounding is an alien attack in the night :D Those bugs crawl over everything :D
I loved the battlezone series (and have recently reacquainted myself with the re-releases), so this one is exciting. This game almost looks like starship troopers a bit. :)
This looks like something to check out for sure...!
Warlander is a free to play rts fps that came out over a month ago and is fully cross play.
"I'm here to kill the bugs sir"
You mention BattleZone and I immediately agree with you. For the last twenty years I have been hoping someone would remake BattleZone with new tech. This may be it!
Stoked! Added to my wishlist. I loved Renegade and Battlezone so many years ago. Thanks for sharing!
There was a game called Savage and Savage 2, RTS-FPS hybrid, I fell in love with the genre, never seen any good RTS-FPS hybrid since those fore mentioned games died.
Hoping this project doesn't turn into another Eximius, the main issue with rts/fps hybrids is that they try to do both but end up doing neither well enough to gather a large player base.
That drop ship made me think how dope a Halo 3 ODST Remake would be.
I loved battlezone!! It was my first PC game I ever played back in the day.
Loved how you could build a base and control the ships. Such a great game. Wish the made a remake of it.
I bet there are a quite a few concepts that were tossed aside over time due to capabilities of engines and hardware, that can now be revisited for success.
There are times when I genuinely ask why something hasn't taken off. Maybe its a technical hurdle, but there was an explosion of surivival FPS games where you had RTS elements like base building and resource gathering while you could be killed and looted. You also had stuff like some of the older battlefield titles that had a commander slot that a player could apply for, using radar scans, issue troop orders, and deploying ammo and vehicle drops for the team. I have played a few games that were hybrids, heck there was even a fantasy version of this where you played a dungeon overlord where you had to build a lair that had to repel adventurers that came to kill you and loot your gold. I think dungeon keeper 2 allowed you to venture out and take the fight to them.
Wow youtube just recomemded me this and i'm so glad, i never knew about the Battlezone series I started played them and they're a blast! Divinity: dragon commander was kind of like this and loved it... wish there were more games like this
Wow, I was wishing for a game like this, imagine play StarCraft like this, or command and conquer Tiberius wars, or many many other tittles.
I agree with many people here in the comments, this is a really great concept and I really like a lot.
Even whit all the years than has passed I still play c&c renegade whit my friends, and have many good fights. But we wish to have a more modern engine and more variety of vehicles, maps, weapons and a more smarter AI who puts a challenge to all the 30 people which play in LAN connection because internet connection is over for those old games.
I have been waiting for this since 20+ years!!
i think i know how rts fps games could do well, for example you have a game master making the world and making it interesting , if the ai voice could become just a bit better you could have the characters/cutscenes sound and look really good. it's like infinite replayability, ofc you'd need a command center where you direct the troops playing fps as well where they're needed the most. just a simple drag a box over a few people and give them a target to either defend or capture or both etc. some people need airsupport, they'd call in one with red smoke or laser pointer and command need to get on that asap, for ease you need 2 people or even 3 in the command center.. 1 for directing troops 1 for support tools and 1 to give info to all troops what the goal is etc.
Meanwhile at RUclips: "Yep, it's definitely Star Citizen!"
I love the zerg looking creatures.
I was a huge fan of the original Battlefront games back in the day.
Anyone else remember an older FPS RTS Hybrid called Savage? Early 2000s, I think.
FPS-RTS best hybrid mashup ever!
Yeah, RTS + FPS hybrid is always tricky. Most dev either leaned more to the FPS side or the RTS side, let's hope this one nailed the balance right.
Looks dope af and there isn't much of an FPS/RTS hybrid. I still remember waiting on Command and Conquer Tiberium i think it was called (the game that had a very much RTS/FPS but got canceled) on top of that a massive Warhammer 40k RTS/Hybrid would be fucking amazing, playing as Imperial Guard, Astartes, the militant wing of the inquisition like Death Watch, Sisters of battle, Grey Knights, Custodes, Traitor Astartes, Tau, Eldar, Druhkari, Chaos Daemons, Necrons, Orks, or Tyranid. Each race has many notable factions and vehicles and equipment, they all have their strength and weaknesses and you can go first person or third person or RTS. Man I wish I had millions of dollars and a dedicated dev team that had an immense passion for Warhammer.
it’s like being able to jump into action in StarCraft, the frantic fear whilst unloading full auto into the swarm, muzzle flashes, explosions, trench war horrors…hell of an experience.
StarCraft 3 with this would be sick
Not to mention if shooting huge swarms isn’t your taste (like mine) there is also two human factions and one swarm. You can play as all
ARMA Warfare mod was in my opinion the best mashup of rts and fps.
You got my attention at Battle Zone. This is the first time I've come across someone mentioning without me specifically searching for it. I'm surprised that my N64 cartridge still works with how much I played it (still do every now and then). I'm keeping an eye on this now!
In general I really wish more game companies had the balls to create hybrids like this. Not just FPS / RTS, but in general the games where you control an avatar are separate from the games where you manage a big picture.
I played and loved Battlezone 1 and 2 and C&C Renegade and wanted more of that. there was never a follow up of those 2 games from late 90s and early 2000s in the later years.
I am so excited about this I grew up on C&C and have been dying for a first person RTS
cant wait to see an rts third person rpg hybrid, where city owners can hand out zone quests for gathering resources, hunting, building, defending the city, or raiding other cities
The original post-arcade Battlezone was fantastic, and this looks great.
I've seen some of those alien assets being used in the Squad mod for Starship Troopers, very interesting
Mods for this would be gold. A Tiberium mod for this would be super easy by the looks of things.
Yeah this genre has so much potential its phenomenal and yet that there's not that many titles to cover it. Currently I've no life'd on Natural selection 2, its not nearly as RTS feel but oh boy. The best gaming experience I've had in all the 20 years of playing games makes this one feel so great! I hope that this title turns out as big as its expectations have set on it!
Glad to say that Battlezone 2 is what brought me into pc gaming, holy moly it was awesome to see 98 and Combat Commander get some love on steam
I think that an fps/rts hybrid might work if the rts aspect managed only where it was not interacting with opposing players directly. For instance if economic mechanics, troop deployment and strategic movements were something the rts player directly controlled and then have the player cede some of the control over units under their control to the pc when engaging enemy players so that the identified fps enemy player might have a chance to engage in extended combat rather than be focused down by the rts player's units. Maybe the rts player could influence the engagement by sending reinforcements to their engaged forces or using limited support abilities as not to deprive either player of involvement.
As it stands most pvp fps/rts hybrid games put the fps player at a tactical disadvantage to the rts player which can only be countered by making the fps player ridiculously overpowered compared to the rts player's units making the game a repetitive meat grinder for both players. I think giving the pc some control during fights might allow for more randomized unit behavior that would make combat more entertaining in general.
Battlezone and Urban Assault were some of my favorite PC games of the late 90s
Natural Selection 1 & 2, Eximius Seize the Frontline, Nuclear Dawn (RIP), Void Destroyer, all the Battlezones, Warshift (RIP, it never made it and is almost unplayable), Executive Assault 1 & 2, Urban Assault, ZAR, Starhawk (not exactly an rts, but it might be close enough for some people), Carrier Command: Gaea Mission (bad, unfortunately; this is not the same as the recent Carrier Command 2), From the Depths (though it's much more than just a hybrid of fps and rts, and as far as I know, it's pretty light on actually shooting in first person), and more that I have forgotten about or still don't know of.
Does C&C Renegade X count? I don't actually know if there is an rts component.
Technically LEGO Rock Raiders counts too.
There actually have been a number of fps/rts hybrids throughout the years. I have been hunting for them, for almost a decade now.
I've just now also learned of more such games: Savage/Savage 2 and "Machines."
I loved the ability of being able to setup base and turrets use those turrets and then hop into different vehicles and even on foot with the ability to snipe the drivers of other vehicles in Battle Zone.
the concept was great and if this game is on the same line of resource management, base building with FPS or even 3rd person combat with ability to command vehicles and structures then it will be great.
That drop pod looks extremely similar to The ODST Drop pods, not complaining I love It
yea this is a true decent sci fi horror game, yea its not meant to be a horror game but its still shooting up alien creatures in the form of action i love it!
An RTS mode would be a great inclusion for OHD. Large barren maps are quick to produce & if you're going to add camp building into OHD, you're only a menu away from having an RTS mode.
I remember playing an old multiplayer title almost exactly like this. Generic name, but an awesome third person shooter base builder vs rts boi game. Even was with bugs!
This feels very much like a spiritual successor to Natural Selection II, and I'm super excited.
super cool idea, seems gaming industry run out of ideas, noticed already couple dev teams doing such 'idea laboratories". But i think thats good signs that those idea groups starting to appear.
the closest I've played and which this do remind me of a bit is Natural Selection. All though with WAY better graphics and general improvements on all levels! Can't help to see a Starship Troopers kind of vibe to it either XD I'm very curious on this one now!
Battlezone 2 was one of my favorite games as a kid, that shit was WAY ahead of it's time
I loved battlezone as well, been wanting to write something like this game for a long time. This looks great.
Loved the battle zone game you’re talking about. One of my most favorite rts/fps games. I thought I was the only one, lol. I think it was the first hybrid game I played like that.
even if this game fails it'll still help develop the RTSFPS genre. it really hasn't been explored to its potential so even if it doesn't land we can still learn from it.
I'm not exactly huge in the RTS kind of stuff, the only games I've played that fall into that description is the 40k Dawn of War games. That being said, I am a really big fan of FPS games, especially FPS games that focus on non-traditional aspects of the wider FPS genera. For example, Natural Selection 2 and Primal Carnage Extinction are two of my favorite FPS games out there because of their ability to allow the player to play as Aliens/Dinosaurs respectfully - it makes things way more interesting and if that was more focused on in a game I'm sure there could be a lot of customization in gameplay between the two various factions.
Couldn't agree more. I've always been kind of fascinated by this hybrid of games and think it deserves more love. I bought Nuclear Dawn back in the day and liked it quite a bit but unfortunately the game never really took off. I will keep my eye on this one, it looks good.
Love when when rts is blended with fps or third person gameplay. Thanks for showing the game, never heard of it until now.
I have been dreaming of this for years. RTS/FPS PVP battles will be so awesome. Commanders commanding AI units while send orders and objectives to real FPS players... Perect Game.
at 0:05 I thought saw what looked like a titanfall drop pod, got super excited....then indifference quickly took over.
C&C: Renegade was highly underrated. Sucks it never got the exposure it needed.
Interesting. One of the things I really enjoyed about Battlefield 2 and 2142 was the commander position which allowed one of the players from each team to do certain actions effecting their team or the opposing team. I really missed that when they dropped it from BF3 and onwards. Never played the Batlezone games, but this sounds interesting.
You know what I miss? Empires Half Life 2 mod. That was my FPS/RTS hybrid experience and I loved that shit.
Harvesting crystals, big insect looking aliens reminds me of the game Starcraft. Yeah like 2 games in one, fps and an rts. I like it.
These kinds of hybrids (which I consider to be any rts game where you can take direct control of or otherwise become a unit on the ground) always sound neat in theory, but are a lot harder to pull off in practice. Battlezone did a decent job of it, but in most cases you get one of the following:
A: The AI and other automation is dumb enough that you kind of have to manually control things all the time. See cases like Carrier Command: Gaea Mission.
B: A shooter component which is superfluous because every moment you're running around in the FPS layer, you're not controlling your units - and that gets you killed on the strategic layer. See cases like Executive Assault.
Battlezone did it right, having practically started the whole idea. Men of war: assault squad 2 also did it right, by letting you take control of units in a top-down shooter fashion. Most games that try it end up being either shooter or RTS at its core, with the other side effectively being a gimmick that just isn't practical to use.
Executive Assault did this concept and it deserves more people making these types of games.
This!
I saw that you can descend from a drop pod and I’m already interested and subscribing for future updates of this game. Descending from a drop pod and going into battle is literally a dream of mine since Halo: ODST.
Tell me you’re an “edgy” 12 year old suburbanite without telling me you’re a “edgy” 12 year old suburbanite.
You: mein kampfy couch
@@bertellijustin6376 😂😂😂
That drop pod looks suspiciously familiar
I would mention a game called Allegiance. This was a kind of space based RTS / FPS hybrid. One person on the team would be the commander that controlled how the team resources got spent and ordered around NPC gatherers and construction ships, while the other players flew around in various kinds of spacecraft. It was really quite well done with pretty deep space combat. There were capital ships that could have multiple players manning turrets. It had a really detailed modelling of stealth. Microsoft tried to make it a subscription service that really killed the interest in it, but the gameplay was so good that a dedicated group of players kept it alive for years. It might even still exist as fan supported abandonware.