Clang - Neal Stephenson's swordfighting game project (Subutai)

[Kageru]

You forgot to also hook them up so they take physical impacts when they get hit. I know there was a commercial product that did something along those lines but it can probably be made meatier.

... then the game won't need hit points. You'll know if you are losing.

[HaemishM]

1) Hook player up with electrodes along their entire arm
2) Send jolts of electricity when player's attack is blocked/impacts (vary the amount based on what happens)
3) ? ? ?
4) Seriously damaged nerves in arm over time from too much virtual sword-fighting

I'll be starting a new kickstarter project to make this happen, any day now.

If you let me shock people through the internet for being stupid, I will pledge any amount you want.

Attach it to League of Legends and you'll make a fucking mint.

[Yoru]

So this thing is now on hold. More accurately, there's a bunch of nonshockers:

* They haven't been able to secure further investment, because videogames investors are looking for near-sure-thing returns, not massive gambles on niche titles
* $500k is not enough to actually fund a decent-quality 3D videogame, as anyone who's run the spreadsheets knows.
* Anyone with cash who looks at the business prospects of a new PC title that also requires a new hardware peripheral is basically going to laugh.
* Some people invested just to get to talk to the famous author backing the project.
* This is basically not happening now. (Okay, okay, it's a "nights and weekends" pet project. Whaaaatever.)

With any luck, a high-profile failure like this will get people to think twice about investing in any gaming Kickstarter project that isn't already in advanced development stages. Because that's just what Kickstarter is - an investment, and a risky one in a risky field that's extremely prone to failure. Kickstarter is more a marketing tool these days than anything else, and those who use it otherwise (see above) are on very shaky ground.

[Strazos]

Welp, I don't think I'll be getting my $15 back, or whatever I kicked to them during their campaign. Oh well.

[Nebu]

Proof that coming up with a cool idea is far easier than building a game containing said cool idea.

I hope that this thing becomes reality. Would be fun for a diversion.

[Speedy Cerviche]

But where was the best lightsaber combat in a star wars game?

A: Jedi Knight (II)

What was the control scheme?

Forward/Back/left/right + attack

3 different styles.

I don't see why you need a motion controller to make an interesting, robust, and authentic fighting game. In fact, I don't see why its going to enhance things as compared to just building a standard fighting that is robust and authentic

You can add M&B Warband to this, where a basic melee control scheme (mouse direction + button) produced a very successful melee combat game, still pretty popular 3.5 years later. Spice it with a bit of depth with riposte moves, kicks, bashes, that can be learned but not 100% necessary. The rest of the key to success is that the other stuff (the guts of the game) works well too: Solid physics feel, responsiveness, aesthetics, bug free, gameplay balance, variety of scenarios, etc.

[Merusk]

The problem with those schemes is you're trying to sell Guitar Hero to a guitarist.  At some point Stephenson forgot his target demographic.

[Severian]

You can add M&B Warband to this, where a basic melee control scheme (mouse direction + button) produced a very successful melee combat game, still pretty popular 3.5 years later. Spice it with a bit of depth with riposte moves, kicks, bashes, that can be learned but not 100% necessary. The rest of the key to success is that the other stuff (the guts of the game) works well too: Solid physics feel, responsiveness, aesthetics, bug free, gameplay balance, variety of scenarios, etc.

See also War of the Roses and Chivalry, two new entrants which did away with almost everything from M&B except the combat and the equipment you use for it, and have both been fairly successful.

Clang seems to be pinning some hopes on yet another controller from Sixense now, called "STEM", which has its own, new Kickstarter. I'm guessing it's what what drove the timing of the Clang announcement. I'm not optimistic, unless that peripheral, and maybe Clang, can ride what might be a new wave of gameplay coming with the the Oculus Rift. So not just flailing around in space with no physical feedback, but doing it while blind to your actual environment. Yeah, maybe not.

[Ingmar]

While I didn't back this, I was originally pretty curious about the project. Between then and now, though, I've actually done a little sword fighting, sort of, and now I think anything they could produce would fall into a sort of uncanny valley for me - I'd know what I was missing, and it would bug me more than just pressing X.

[WayAbvPar]

This sounded interesting, but I would rather have Stephenson writing novels than fucking around with this stuff. Leave this to the experts like Curt Schilling.

[lamaros]

Doesn't make it good though. I expect it to be a waste of money. The comparison with gun warfare is especially pointless.

I'm shocked at the recent turn of events.

[Tale]

At least we got a cool video out of it.

[Kageru]

Some projects fail, ambitious ones with limited funding doubly so.

If they document lessons learnt and can release some libraries others could use for potentially more accurate sword-fighting that could be useful. The hardware interface was always a long-shot for any sort of commercial future.