Why the resurrection of an older gaming genre could help develop a new generation of soldiers…
So-called management games were a staple format during the early PC era – but they’ve become more of a niche pursuit in modern times.
It is a shame – certainly from Soldier’s perspective – as these titles are not only great fun, they can help hone some of the decision-making skills relevant to military situations.
This was particularly true of 1990s classics such as Interplay’s Castles and Pirates from Microprose – where players had to respectively run a medievel kingdom and 17th century privateer ship, all while making tactical calls and political compromises.
But now sci-fi indie outing What the Stars Forgot marks a welcome return to the genre – with gamers playing a computer with oversight of a starship.
We quizzed developers Justin Fischer (above, left) and Brock Feldman (right), of Los Angeles-based studio Airlock Games, about the project’s origins.
What is the player’s role in the game?
You play the AI behind a spacecraft and have to manage and assign the crew on it. Everybody has skills at the start but they will develop in other areas if you empower them.
But it’s not a straightforward flight?
No – strange things start to happen and you have to try to keep your people alive. Later on, it is likely you will have to make decisions to put crew members in places where they are not best qualified just to keep the spacecraft running.
What were your influences in all this?
Obviously, classic TV and movie series such as Star Trek and Star Wars. The sci-fi horror genre, particularly the Alien films, were big influences as well. In terms of games, the Sims titles were a favourite.
You’ve both worked on some big games in the past. Why does the indie scene appeal?
We missed the creativity of more focused games. Here, we can focus on providing new experiences that interest us as players and developers with the freedom to take risks, push boundaries and tell stories.
Are you looking at a console version?
It is currently available for PC, on Steam, and we are being guided by feedback from our community. We can certainly look at other platforms down the line.
Interview: Cliff Caswell, Soldier
