Sim Speak: Space Combat Goes Hardcore

Despite the popularity of '90s classics like Wing Commander, X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, and Freespace, the combat space sim genre has been as dormant as a white dwarf for more than a decade. Thanks to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, however, there may be some light at the end of the wormhole for Luke Skywalker and Buck Rogers wannabes.



The splashiest of the recently announced crowdfunded space shooters are Chris Roberts' Star Citizen and David Braben's Elite Dangerous, but the one that really caught my attention is a small indie project from an ambitious USAF veteran with 14 years of game-development experience (who only just taught himself how to code in C++ four years ago). You might even call Michael "Scott" Juliano's Rogue System space combat sim "Falcon 4.0 in space," because that's the level of realism and system fidelity he's striving for. Here's the Rogue System Kickstarter page for those of you who are already sold. For the rest, keep reading.

Responsible Piloting

"On many levels, yes, that is a spot-on description of what I'm trying to achieve -- it's been my target goal from day one," agrees Juliano. "While I've always been a fan of space sims I've also always felt disconnected from the ship I was flying, like nothing I did really mattered other than aiming and pulling the trigger. So, I wanted to create a deeper experience that mimicked real aerial combat. The key component to this is that there is a pilot inside the cockpit who has to operate their plane as a virtuoso plays their instrument. Rogue System is a space-combat/trader in which the player is responsible, and in full control, of their ship and all its systems. Combat isn't just point and shoot, the pilot will need to think about what they are doing to their ship, and the pilot avatar within, in order to keep them combat-effective for the duration of each dynamically generated mission."


This accuracy level includes not using glass panels on any of his ships. RogSys instead uses canopy monitors -- in this universe, the armor plating where the glass would normally be contains hundreds of embedded optical micro-sensors to capture the view outside -- and these panels are independently damageable in combat. "Every function in the clickable cockpit can be mapped to a hot key," Juliano continues. "Also, when you mouse over a control we have pop-up text to assist you in their recognition and function. Likewise, the EFD – Eyes-Front Display -- is color-coded to help you know what systems you can interact with. Finally, your SOI -- Ship's Onboard Intelligence -- will be there to help you as much as possible [with] system status updates."

Keeping it Real

Juliano doesn't plan to dumb any of this down for the arcade crowd either. "There are accessibility options like having the ship up and running when you enter the cockpit, unlimited ammo, and invulnerability," he acknowledges. "But no, there is no easy level. The ships' functions are what they are, and we do not simplify them [to appeal] to a larger audience. This isn't a twitch shooter, it's a simulated approach to science-fiction space exploration and combat -- and science-fiction doesn't have to mean science-ignorant. We're not pretending to be anything else."


Another intriguing wrinkle is Rogue System's focus on the person behind the controls. "There is a pilot in that ship who is as intricate in function as any ship system, and probably the most important of them all," Juliano explains. "So, not only am I setting out to create a deep simulation of the ship, I'm doing so for the player's pilot avatar as well. We monitor the heart rate and every inhale and exhale is tracked so we can properly handle the mixture of the air. Both of these change depending on the situation at hand. We track physical exertion and provide feedback when you are pushing the pilot's limits. When your pilot is too cold, you'll see the condensed breath. We also track mental condition [so] if they're losing a fight and starting to panic, you'll know it."

Space Funding

Rogue System's core module places you in the fully clickable, interactive cockpit of an interceptor or strike fighter involved in a hybrid, story-driven military campaign. Scripted missions will change based on player performance to advance the story and dynamic missions will fill the void for variation and replayability. Depending on Kickstarter results (Juliano has a base funding goal of $300,000 to enlarge the development team beyond just himself), the planned ship date for the opening module is the first or second quarter of 2015. "Even working at the smallest team size we won't have to ask the community to wait for the entire project to be finished," says Juliano. "We can offer them the initial module and then build on that, releasing new assets and play modes as we go. This will allow us to keep up interest by keeping the simulation fresh over the course of its life."


Planned future EMs (Extension Modules) include enhanced FPS gameplay with breaching actions, an open-ended "Maverick" module, new ship hulls and ship systems, multiplayer, and new military campaigns. The core module's detailed single solar system will also expand to delve further into myriad star systems. "We can and will be releasing smaller elements along the way, such as new ships, new campaigns, and single missions. We'll be updating shaders to keep up graphically and of course we'll have the usual maintenance updates," says Juliano. "The only thing we plan on charging for is the core module and the larger Ems, but even this would be minimal. I don't see a need for monthly subscriptions. The goal for Rogue System is a long life in which it can grow and evolve, and this should allow it to support itself long term. I don't want to get rich or milk my community of their money. I just want what I need to support whatever team I can develop for Rogue System over the course of its life."

Return on Investment

Falcon 4.0-level control systems fidelity, unprecedented player-avatar modeling, and minimal glad-handing for community cash as the simulation evolves. For hardcore simulation fan hankering to venture deep into hostile space, RogSys looks like the project to get behind. Hell, a modest twenty-dollar stake at the sim's Kickstarter page will even score you a digital copy of the initial release module.

If you're a space combat sim fan with the moxie to handle it, Rogue System promises to test your extraterrestrial "right stuff" like no game that's come before.