Questions

[Serian]

Hi Again Vance,

You are quite quick with your responses! Thank you once again.

1.) Your overview of a conquest game was pretty much exactly what I was looking for. It did however make me think of another question. Will the opposing forces attack planets that you currently control? If they do, how exactly is it decided what units you will have under your control to repel the invasion? For instance, let us say that I just took over a planet and only had one unit left in my force. The computer immediately counter attacks to try to reclaim the planet, so what forces will I have at my disposal?

2.) I guess that brings up another point. Do you specifically decide what units you want to use to attack a planet?

3.) How do you know you won't be completely outnumbered when you go to attack? If you decide for yourself what troops to use.

4.) Do you physically load your troops onto specific ships?

Thanks again!

[theswitch]

uh oh


. . . . .



is there going to be no store version?



. . .. .


I would like to pick up my game at eb (electronic boutique), I live in Canada

will the game ever be availible in stores, I thought this was going to happen?

[:(][:(][:(]

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: Serian

under your control to repel the invasion? For instance, let us say that I just took over a planet and only had one unit left in my force. The computer immediately counter attacks to try to reclaim the planet, so what forces will I have at my disposal?

When you first gain a planet, it will not be able to execute a turn (during which you could make planetary units or space vessels) until your next player turn. This means that if your opponent has freight ships nearby, they may be able to take it back. However, whatever force you had on the planet when you won it will remain (and have full health) for the next battle, so you may not be in bad shape if your attack force survived. Once it's your turn again, you can make a large defense force if you have the funds to do so.

2.) I guess that brings up another point. Do you specifically decide what units you want to use to attack a planet?

Yes. You load troops onto freighters, and bring those to the planets you wish to conquer. The defender decides his troops by what he keeps on each planet.

3.) How do you know you won't be completely outnumbered when you go to attack? If you decide for yourself what troops to use.

Normally, you don't know. But there are several reconaissance upgrades available from the space stations that let you scan enemy units (including planets).

4.) Do you physically load your troops onto specific ships?

Yes. A freighter docks at a friendly planet, and may transport units aboard.

Thanks again!

You're welcome again.

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: theswitch

is there going to be no store version?

I would like nothing more than a copy of Supremacy on store shelves. But at release, it will be available as a downloadable, and then later available to purchase online in box form. I've heard rumors about a store box version through the grapevine, but I take them with a grain of salt right now. We'll see how it goes.

- Vance

[Serian]

Hi Vance,

Any new progress reports?

How big of a download will the game be when released?

Do you have a price point set yet or is that still in the works?

Thanks Again!

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: Serian

Hi Vance,

Any new progress reports?

How big of a download will the game be when released?

Do you have a price point set yet or is that still in the works?

Thanks Again!

There were a few minor bugs that Matrix found, and we took a look at them. We should have a new gold to them in a day or two. At that point, it's my understanding that they will have the game available for purchase in 1 to 2 weeks. None of this is set in stone, but that's my understanding at this point.

The game is approximately 300mb.

I believe the price point is around $35, though I am not directly involved in that. So it could be more or less.

- Vance

[Serian]

Thanks again Vance!

Another few questions for you. [;)]

1.) Will there be a manual included with the game? What format will it be in (I'm hoping PDF)?

2.) What other game(s) would you compare Supremacy to for likeness?

3.) Are you happy the game is almost available? [:D]

[DanS]

Supremacy is designed for 1 to 2 players. The game types are player vs AI, player vs player on same machine, and player vs player via network (e.g. internet).

Just to clarify - My assumption is that this means 1-2 human players. How many AI can you play against? Do they fight eachother?

Thank you - very nice looking game BTW.

DanS

[praetorblue]

Hi DanS,

It is always played 1vs1 style, so you can play one AI opponent or one human opponent.

- Vance

[DanS]

Thank you for the quick response (on a weekend no less) - I am very much looking forward to the game. Your team must be very proud right about now.

DanS

[Serian]

I've got a quick new question. Is there music in the game?

I guess I've got another question too, any chance of seeing some screenshots of the various before-game menus and interface? For instance, the start menu screen, the options screen, etc. [:)]

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: Serian

I've got a quick new question. Is there music in the game?

I guess I've got another question too, any chance of seeing some screenshots of the various before-game menus and interface? For instance, the start menu screen, the options screen, etc. [:)]

Hi Serian,

There is adaptive music, and a massive array of sound-effects in Supremacy. Our audio guru Michael Sweet did an amazing job. As your enemy's troops start to amass in your territory, the music will grow more tense. Once battle starts, it becomes frantic. Just lose a planet? There goes the music. Don't do much for a long time, and it dies down again. It's really great.

The game is coming out so soon that I don't believe I will be posting more screen shots.

- Vance

[Serian]

ORIGINAL: praetorblue
Hi Serian,

There is adaptive music, and a massive array of sound-effects in Supremacy. Our audio guru Michael Sweet did an amazing job. As your enemy's troops start to amass in your territory, the music will grow more tense. Once battle starts, it becomes frantic. Just lose a planet? There goes the music. Don't do much for a long time, and it dies down again. It's really great.

The game is coming out so soon that I don't believe I will be posting more screen shots.

- Vance

Thanks again Vance.

I looked around and noticed an old preview on Gamespot, so I got a few more screenshots that way. I have a couple of more questions for you now though.

1.) In a gameplay video on Gamespot the sound effects sounded very generic, such as machinegun fire noises instead of laser type noises. Were these just place holder sounds?

2.) I noticed that you can play just a ground based battle. Is there a mode to allow just space based battles too?

3.) I read in one of the press announcements that there were 45+ units in the game, but on your website there are only 33 listed. Are there more units that just are not listed on your site?

4.) What format will the manual come in for the download version? How big of a manual is it?

5.) Will there be a download/physical shipment option available when purchasing the game? If yes, will the physical shipment differ from just getting the download?

6.) I tried looking for a previous question I thought I asked, but I couldn't find it, so I will just ask again and ask for your forgiveness if I have already asked this. Will we decide what troops are currently stationed on a planet? Will there be a limit to the maximum number of troops on a planet? On the opposing sides turn (AI), will they attempt to capture planets that I currently control? Is it possible then to attack a planet and whittle down the defenses and then attack again before the other side has time to build more units?

7.) Is it possible to heal spaceships either at planets or space stations?

8.) Do ground units return to full health after a battle?

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: Serian

1.) In a gameplay video on Gamespot the sound effects sounded very generic, such as machinegun fire noises instead of laser type noises. Were these just place holder sounds?

You should disregard the screenshots and videos at Gamespot, most are very very old. The videos were not created by us, and are from an ancient (and buggy) build. I assure you all of our gameplay is filled with music and stunning audio effects.

2.) I noticed that you can play just a ground based battle. Is there a mode to allow just space based battles too?

No, due to the way planets are gained (via ground combat) it's not possible to play a space-only game.

3.) I read in one of the press announcements that there were 45+ units in the game, but on your website there are only 33 listed. Are there more units that just are not listed on your site?

There are some units not listed on our website. You will have to see them in-game.

4.) What format will the manual come in for the download version? How big of a manual is it?

Sorry, I don't have this information.

6.) I tried looking for a previous question I thought I asked, but I couldn't find it, so I will just ask again and ask for your forgiveness if I have already asked this. Will we decide what troops are currently stationed on a planet? Will there be a limit to the maximum number of troops on a planet? On the opposing sides turn (AI), will they attempt to capture planets that I currently control? Is it possible then to attack a planet and whittle down the defenses and then attack again before the other side has time to build more units?

Yes, you can build units on all of your planets that have factories during your turn. You can also transport units between planets using freighters. Planets have a maximum unit storage capacity (which is much larger than freighter capacity). The AI actively plots against you during its turns, including attempts to capture your planets. You can attack an enemy planet multiple times in one of your turns, if you have several freighters in orbit.

7.) Is it possible to heal spaceships either at planets or space stations?

Vessels that are adjacent to planets or Science Ships heal a bit each turn.

8.) Do ground units return to full health after a battle?

I don't want to give false information on this, as I believe it may have changed at least once towards the end of development. So I'm going to hold off.

Thanks for the questions,
Vance

[Serian]

Wow Vance, you are quite fast at answering these questions. Thank you once again. I was hoping you could clarify the issue of units on a planet a little more though. Let's say I have X number of units on a planet and I am attacked. I suffer Y number of loses. Then the AI attacks me again before it is my turn again, so I will be facing the new threat with X - Y units? Does anything else happen between the first attack and the second? Do I gain any additional bonuses or things like that since it is my planet?

Thank you again for answering all of my questions and all of the other questions posted here. I really didn't have a full appreciation for this game until I started asking questions about it and now I see that it is a much deeper and complex game than I originally thought. Definitely on my must buy list now!! [:)]

Good luck with the impending release! I hope it goes well. Keep us updated.

New Question:
It seems easier to acquire the Battle Cruiser, which is supposed to be the most powerful spaceship, since all you have to do is capture one planet from each race. On the other hand, to acquire the Mothership you need to capture all of the planets corresponding to your specific race, which seems like a harder task. So, which of the ship types really is more powerful? Also, is it really easier to capture one of each planet than it is to capture all of one type? I guess it will depend on how the maps are structured as well.

I feel an important announcement is not far off on these boards. Just a hunch. [;)]

[Serian]

I have four more, probably easy, questions in addition to my questions in my previous post:

1.) What language was used to program Supremacy?

2.) What graphics library was used to make Supremacy?

3.) Did you use any specific toolkits or graphics packages to make Supremacy?

4.) How long has Supremacy been in development?

[praetorblue]

Hi Serian,

Then the AI attacks me again before it is my turn again, so I will be facing the new threat with X - Y units? Does anything else happen between the first attack and the second? Do I gain any additional bonuses or things like that since it is my planet?

Yes, if your enemy has brought several freighters near one of your planets, they can bring down the troops from each freighter in succession (each set will initiate a new ground battle). Whatever survives on your planet after each battle will face the new set of troops. I want to say that your troops heal on your planet between fights, but I am uncertain about that without checking. I'll have to get back to you on that one. However, you have the advantage of going first in a ground battle (as a defender).

It seems easier to acquire the Battle Cruiser, which is supposed to be the most powerful spaceship, since all you have to do is capture one planet from each race. On the other hand, to acquire the Mothership you need to capture all of the planets corresponding to your specific race, which seems like a harder task. So, which of the ship types really is more powerful? Also, is it really easier to capture one of each planet than it is to capture all of one type?

This is a good question. And you are right, the ease of gaining either the battle cruiser or one of the motherships depends largely on the map configuration. But it also depends on your strategy. In a Conquest game, you need to capture all of the planets; why not capture them in an order that gives you significant rewards along the way? It takes a lot of planning to pull it off.

That said, it's impossible to say whether the Battle Cruiser is better than any of the four Motherships. The Battle Cruiser is more heavy-handed in battle, but the Mothership has the ability to produce space and ground units (like a small mobile planet). You could say that the Battle Cruiser is more tactically useful, while the Motherships are more strategically useful.

- Vance

[praetorblue]

And now for your next set of questions...

1.) What language was used to program Supremacy?

C++

2.) What graphics library was used to make Supremacy?

We used Ogre, which is an open-source 3d engine. I would recommend it to anyone (or any company) working on a 3d project; the group of people working on this engine are very responsive to questions and feedback, and the engine itself is above and beyond effective. You can find out more about the engine by clicking here.

3.) Did you use any specific toolkits or graphics packages to make Supremacy?

We all made heavy use of Adobe Photoshop. The 3d artists were using 3D Studio MAX, Aftereffects, and Lightwave. They also surely used other software that I am not aware of.

4.) How long has Supremacy been in development?

The project started around May '03. It's hard to say when development "finished" since we're still doing tweaks even until today. But the public beta finished at the end of last year -- since then the fixes have been very small, and only to prepare it for publication.

- Vance

[Serian]

Thank you once again Vance! Your dedication to this project really shows and I'm sure it is going to be a great game. I think you've answered every question I could think of, at least until the game is released. [;)]

How could I possibly not order the game at this point? I'll be awaiting the official Gold announcement and the ability to order the game.

Thank you for pointing out Ogre as well. It looks very interesting and I plan to look at it more closely soon.

Thanks again!

Well, I did think of some new questions, but they should be really quick and easy too:

1.) Are there different resolutions available to play the game in?

2.) Can you turn off sound effects?

3.) Can you turn off music?

[praetorblue]

ORIGINAL: Serian

1.) Are there different resolutions available to play the game in?

2.) Can you turn off sound effects?

3.) Can you turn off music?

You can play the game in any resolution your 3d card supports. You can play in 16 bit or 32 bit modes as well. When you start the game, a configuration console comes up that lets you alter your graphics settings before you enter the game (thank you Ogre). You can control all sorts of things here.

Once in-game, you have full volume control of the sound effects and music. You can also customize various other things such as camera movements (e.g. should it zoom in dramatically during battles?), and mouse behavior (e.g. do you want to use certain command shortcuts?).

We've played and played Supremacy, and anything that one of us found distracting/uncomfortable, we made an option to turn it off. You should be able to fully customize Supremacy to meet your needs.