Secret space combat project - off rails or not?

[Redgiant]

SWTOR stated at the convention that they are working on a secret project for space combat.

Now, the obvious thing that sucks about the current space combat system is ... it is just an on-rails shooter. And coming out with a true off-rails, 3-d flight sim ala X Wing vs. Tie Fighter, or SWG had seems lika a big DUH to do.

But that is a lot of effort, unless they happen to have done work towards that already and decided to not ship it. Or they have been working on it all along in parallel with the original release, knowing it wouldn't be ready for launch but maybe in the first year.

If I had a wish list (sounds more EVE or SWG-like):
- true 3-d free flight
- zoom out of the ship for exterior view
- multi-player ships (pilot, co-pilot, gunners, etc)
- space PvP
- ship to ship boarding
- land directly on planets and fleet, not via menus

It does seem that their on-rails system is already rendering in 3-d, but the flight path is just locked and the view restricted. It doesn't strike me as something like Zaxxon that needs a totally different 3-d engine; it just needs them to relax the flight and view constriants they are currently imposing.

I can't imagine a 'secret project' worthy of the name short of a 3-d free flight system of some sort.

I might try playing that if it really happened.

[eldaec]

I really wouldn't get your hopes up.

[luckton]

If this game survives to put out an expansion or two, I could see free-style space-faring as a nice expansion feature, along with guild battleships and what not.

But in a stand-alone patch.  Yeah...

[Merusk]

I'd say it's more likely the on-rails part will be modded to allow multiple users.

[Jherad]

Trying to think about things they could do that require as little modification as possible -

I'd say they are just going to link space combat with ground quests (maybe FPs).

Beat the fighter squadron, dock with a space station, and kill everything in an instance. New 'content' without needing any serious new systems.

[Sky]

I really wouldn't get your hopes up.

[Fabricated]

I really wouldn't get your hopes up.

This really. The absolute most I expect is group-based space combat on rails, or free-flying space combat solo.