Kinetic Void - Kickstarter project a la Elite, Freelancer

[kalelovil]

If you are unaware of it so far, Kinetic Void is an interesting current kickstarter project featuring free-form space combat and exploration game in the vein of Elite, Freespace, Freelancer, etc, with 9 hours left to go.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seanpollman/kinetic-void

The player can pilot a variety of ship, from single seat fighters through to massive dreadnoughts and carriers; trading, waging war or undertaking mercenary jobs, and exploring within a randomly generated galaxy and faction system.

The game will keep track of your past actions, as well as the relations between factions and between each faction and yourself. Conflicts between them will erupt dynamically and the missions you choose to undertake, and for whom, affecting these conflicts.

There will also be a galaxy-wide supply and demand based dynamic economy for the player to partake in (or not). Fluctuations and changes taking place in this economy will affect (possibly through the player's actions) will affect factional power and geopolitics.

What particularly sets the game apart is its completely customisable module-based ship builder.

Assemble the ship you want out of blocks including hull sections, cargo sections, engines, weaponry, aesthetics, and a bridge; and then place a variety of modules inside those hull and cargo sections such as crew quarters, reactors, cargo bays, drone bays, fighter hangars, communications, targeting, life support, infirmaries and more.

On larger ships you will manage your crew and assign them to various stations on the ship, to engineering, weapons systems, boarding craft, etc., in a manner which sounds similar to the Silent Hunter series. Officers can be recruited and will give particular bonuses to your ship.

Directional and modular damage will play a role too, e.g. you best have bulkheads between your reactors and where enemy weapons can reach, and crew stationed near where your ship has been hit can be injured or killed.

The 3 man team behind it have a Kickstarter project currently running, as well as a steam group and a website where more information can be obtained. There have been some interesting articles on RockPaperShotgun and elsewhere covering the game.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/24...f-kinetic-void/

Kickstarter Pitch:

Development Videos:

There are currently 9 hours left to go on the kickstarter. They've gained a lot of momentum, but it still looks like they'll need a late surge of support to get funded.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seanpollman/kinetic-void

There is a playable pre-alpha demo of the shipbuilder and some combat available at http://kineticvoid.badlandstudio.com/the-ship-builder/