Hostile Space

Hostile Space

Developer: InterAdventure
Publisher: InterAdventure
Release date: Winter 2001
By T. Byrl Baker

Hostile Space will let you captain your own starships in a vast, persistent online universe when it's released. You will be free to play the game however you choose, taking on or avoiding quests, banding together or going solo, and choosing to excel as a peaceful trader, violent pirate, or anything in between.

At the beginning of the game, you will choose from one of three classes: engineer, mercenary, or telepath. Engineers are good at keeping their ships together and getting a crippled ship up and running as soon as possible. Mercenaries are masters of combat, able to use all the ships and weapons in the game to their fullest extent. Telepaths are like the Jedi Knights of the Hostile Space universe, as their minds are their greatest weapons. Starting out relatively weak compared to the other classes, telepaths who are skilled enough to gain levels will eventually be rewarded with skills that let them teleport, hold large ships in place, and even crush the hulls of enemy vessels.

Skills are gained with experience, and the earlier you choose a skill, the more powerful it can become as you climb in levels. There are many offensive and defensive skills that help ships in combat and some skills that will help you make more money, like mining and trading. Telepaths have access to some of the most exotic skills, like pyrokinesis for creating energy out of nothing and meditate for regaining psi points.

Once you reach level 60 in your base class, you will be able to continue on in the same class up to level 70 or choose what InterAdventure calls a "prestige" class. The prestige classes combine elements of the base classes, so a mercenary could, for example, gain some telepathy skills by choosing the marauder prestige class. Once level 60 is attained in a prestige class, another set of prestige classes is made available, letting advanced players continue to expand their power. New races and classes can easily be added if InterAdventure decides they are necessary.

A separate rank system will be incorporated along with the experience levels. When you sign up you must join a faction, and destroying ships from rival factions is the only way to increase rank. Although it will be more likely for experienced players to have a higher rank than a beginning player, it's possible for a highly skilled beginner to take down high-ranking rivals and quickly gain rank.

One unique feature in Hostile Space is its recipe system, which adds an exciting twist to the trading aspects of the game. It's possible to mine for minerals or buy parts on planets and sell them elsewhere to gain money, but by combining those elements and parts, you can create unique and powerful items. For example, hydrogen, aluminum, and titanium can be combined to make piercer missiles, which then can be traded for much more than the individual elements would have fetched or can simply be used against enemies. The designers have tried to encourage experimentation as much as possible, and most of the game's most powerful objects and weapons will be available only when all the components of a recipe are assembled.

Most commands are typed, and you will have plenty of ways to interact with the game. Planets can be scanned and mined; you can transfer money, goods, and fuel to other ships you encounter; and it's even possible to put a price on the head of an enemy. There also are a lot of messaging options, and you will be able to chat with specific ships, send group messages, and initiate trade sessions. A separate auction channel has been implemented as well. Doug Cobb, co-owner of InterAdventure and co-designer/developer of Hostile Space, recently answered our questions about the finer points of Hostile Space and about creating such an ambitious game as an independent developer.

Next: Venture fearlessly into our Q&A with Hostile Space's Doug Cobb

Q&A With Hostile Space Co-Designer Doug Cobb

GameSpot: Are there any games that influenced Hostile Space?

Doug Cobb: Our original inspiration came out of our love for Starflight, a game that Binary Systems developed and Electronic Arts marketed.

GS: Psionics are an interesting addition to this game. What psionic skills will be implemented in the final version of Hostile Space?

DC: Well we have four major psionic-related skills: telepathy, pyrokinesis, telekinetics, and meditation. The first three represent the three major disciplines of psionics, and the meditation skill is a skill all psionicists eventually learn and helps them recover psi points. These psi points are used for casting psions. There might be a few cosmetic/balance changes in the current psionic setup, but otherwise we're quite happy with how the psionics are working right now in the alpha test.

GS: What kind of AI-controlled threats can players expect to face?

DC: Normal foes consist of alien ships and huge life-forms. Various ships have different levels in strength, hostility (aggro), bravery (how quick they flee if at all), and psionic abilities. Also, special-named mobs (aka mobiles) have additional bonuses like an increased firing rate, toughness, resistance to psionics, etc. All in all, players should find a variety of different foes to conquer that require them to use different strategies. Also, later, we'll be introducing epic mobs, which will require numerous players to take down. They will have special AOE (area of effect) abilities like fear, force blasts, and summoning/teleportation. These large baddies will also carry some of the best items.

GS: How are kills handled? If several players take down a powerful enemy, how is the experience divided?

DC: Experience is awarded to the player who did the most damage to the enemy.

GS: Will it be better to have a high rank or a lot of experience?

DC: A lot of experience will increase your effectiveness in combat, while a higher rank gives you increased social prestige on the server.

GS: Is the game based entirely on skill, or does rank factor into the gameplay? In other words, could a skilled beginner take out a seasoned admiral?

DC: Rank is completely separate from combat. So, yes, a level 20 mercenary lieutenant could beat a level 10 telepath fleet admiral.

GS: Is there any hope for lone-wolf players to succeed in the game?

DC: Hostile Space is geared for solo playing, with the exception of epic mobs and some highly dangerous areas where mobs tend to group and help each other. In most cases, a typically equipped player can escape from an unwanted confrontation by fleeing to the closest base. Hostile Space does allow grouping (sharing experience), but otherwise a player can solo to the max level (70) in any classes.

GS: What kind of special equipment and technology will be available to players, and how will they affect gameplay?

DC: All players will have access to dry docks, supply depots, armories, and paint shops (you start with a gray ship, and you will quickly want to paint it with your favorite colors). Also, players can arm/armor themselves with various weapons, armors, sensors, computers, and electronic warfare devices like cloaking devices.

Next: The auction system, acquiring money, and chat channels

The key weapon types are beam, disruptor, bolt, missile, and fighter. Each has its strengths and weaknesses; for example, beam weapons are better against unshielded targets, where disruptors have a better chance of causing an enemy's weapons to jam or system to come offline.

GS: How does the auction system work? Is that the main way players get money?

DC: Players can auction items using the special auction chat channel. It might be the main way to get money at the higher levels, but typically players can earn money by exploring planets, mining minerals, completing quests, and most typically slaughtering enemy ships and selling the surviving cargo.

GS: What other elements have you integrated into the game that really take advantage of its online aspect like the auctions do?

DC: We built the game from the ground up to be an online persistent-world game. We allow grouping, various chat channels, clans, clan bases, clan advancement, secure trading, and other player-interactive stuff.

GS: Are there plans to add more races or classes as the game shapes up?

DC: Maybe. I'm always open to new ideas on classes and races. The server supports unlimited amounts of races and classes.

GS: Tell us a little more about recipes. Are there limitless combinations?

DC: Like many aspects of the Hostile Space architecture, the number of recipes is not limited by the server code. I simply have to add another entry in the recipe table. Ideally, I'd like anything and everything that is found in Hostile Space to be some sort of weird ingredient to some bizarre (and not necessarily useful) device. I'd like to cater to the players who just want to sit there and try different combinations until they create something that no one has ever seen before. For example, "/shout Anyone know what a Xacturian evaporator does?"

GS: How many people were involved in the development of Hostile Space, and what were their roles?

DC: Eric Robertson and I are the only developers of Hostile Space. Eric primarily codes the game client and server. I code the patching utility, develop and maintain the Web site, and manage the business aspects of the company. We both create art for the game, although we have also received contributions from several individuals in the form of art and models.

GS: How much testing has it taken to bring Hostile Space up to its current level?

DC: Hostile Space has been in development since 1997. We are rapidly approaching the completion of game functionality and will enter beta in 2001, with a release projected for the end of this year as well.

GS: How much input do fans and beta testers have on your project? Do you use them to help guide the game's content or mainly to test its features?

DC: We listen closely to our testers and fans for both content and gameplay suggestions and for bug or feature-defect information.

Next: Being independent--is it all it's cracked up to be?

GS: Do you have time to play other computer games?

DC: Although I tend to concentrate my time on simulation-style games, Eric is the RPG expert of our team. He has played EverQuest, Diablo, and Ultima Online extensively. If anything, I think the separation of our backgrounds has helped us to keep a fresh perspective on developing Hostile Space. I think that with both styles of games, the reason they're so addictive is the immersion factor. The appeal of building a character in a persistent RPG and following a progression of play that improves that character are very rewarding experiences.

GS: What's in store for Hostile Space players in the future?

DC: We are soon to enter beta testing (currently in alpha testing). The vast majority of functionality of the game is done, while there is still a large amount of the creative aspects (populating the universe with content, adding quests, implementing mobs, improving the graphics, etc.) left to do, but nearly having the basic mechanics of the game accomplished is a very exciting time for us, and we look forward to moving into the next stage of development.

GS: As an independent developer, what has been the biggest obstacle you've faced in producing your games?

DC: It's a challenge to balance your time and keep focused on your goal with a project as large as this. It's not an undertaking to be taken lightly.

GS: Any advice for other independent teams who want to publish a game on their own?

DC: I think being original and creative in your design is a key ingredient to making a successful game, even more so for independents, because you have to be different to get noticed.

GS: Did technology hinder the development of Hostile Space in any way?

DC: We've seen tremendous leaps in technology as we've worked on this game. That is both a help and a hindrance, as you try to take advantage of the latest technology yet not let it consume your development to the point that you are off target on your original goals.

GS: What tools did you use in the creation process?

DC: We've used Microsoft Visual Studio as well as a variety of graphics packages to develop the game.

GS: What do you think the future looks like for independent developers?

DC: I think the future is very bright for independent developers. As technology and the Internet have advanced we have seen knowledge and the availability of tools continue to expand, making it much easier to get a start in the industry.

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