Natural Selection Updates

[fizzlephox]

Natural Selection Information Update

The Natural Selection mod has a new website up and running. Along with this, Flayra, the lead developer at Unknown Worlds, made a post concerning the team's future plans for the mod on the Unknown Worlds website:[br]

So the next project is likely going to be NS on the Source engine. We don't know for sure if we're doing this, as we haven't had time to evaluate how much work it will be, but everyone on the team is excited to do it, so I think it will happen. We don't know yet if it is going to be a straight port over to Source, or if we're going to redo a lot of the artwork/animations, or if we're going to change a lot of the fundamental gameplay (flamethrowers, physics, etc.). We need to look into it more, see how many months it's going to take (the bad part) and then make a decision. As soon as we know, we'll let you guys know. NS on Source will be done primarily by the current NS team. I'll be doing the game design and overall direction, but the NS team will be doing all the actual work.

There's also mention of a full fledged retail follow-up to Natural Selection, aptly named Natural Selection 2, in the works. This project is sadly not going to be a free mod for Half-Life 2 owners, but it looks safe to say that an NS mod on Source is in the planning stages.[br]You can check out the new Natural Selection website here.

 

[AntiAnto]

I can't wait

By the way, make a wish.

 

[CyberPitz]

I'd play Natural Selection Beta 5...but really, I'm not skilled enough, and the only way I would enjoy the game is competetive play on NS maps...but yeah, good to hear from them again.

 

[Dreglor]

thats going to be one bad ass mod!

 

[ktimekiller]

man, ns on source is going to be a great mod! of course, next to sven coop

 

[Neutrino]

Oh lord in heaven, thank you. (And I'm an atheist.)

Natural selection is my all time favorite mod ever made. If they ported it over to source and updated the art content I would be one happy gamer.

In fact I think I'll head on over to their forums and let them know just how great this would be.

 

[fizzlephox]

Oh lord in heaven, thank you. (And I'm an atheist.)

Natural selection is my all time favorite mod ever made. If they ported it over to source and updated the art content I would be one happy gamer.

In fact I think I'll head on over to their forums and let them know just how great this would be.

Glad the news got your spirits up. I love the mod too, it's a tie between that and DoD for favorite, CS never really held a high place in my heart cause it didn't have respawn.

 

[Neutrino]

Glad the news got your spirits up. I love the mod too, it's a tie between that and DoD for favorite, CS never really held a high place in my heart cause it didn't have respawn.

Yup, DOD is a great mod too. I'm just a sucker for anything SciFi though.

Judging by your sig, you might enjoy the flamethrower they've been trying to work in since 2 versions ago
(but the lack of volumetric effects and a 30 weapon max in HL1 meant it was too big a pain to implement it)

Well, the sig has more to do with liking George Carlin than flamethrowers, but it might be interesting.

 

[bliink]

Oh lord in heaven, thank you. (And I'm an atheist.)

Natural selection is my all time favorite mod ever made. If they ported it over to source and updated the art content I would be one happy gamer.

In fact I think I'll head on over to their forums and let them know just how great this would be.

Judging by your sig, you might enjoy the flamethrower they've been trying to work in since 2 versions ago
(but the lack of volumetric effects and a 30 weapon max in HL1 meant it was too big a pain to implement it)

 

[aeroripper]

I figured they'd do this eventually... the was a lot of demand for it :-P

 

[Asuka]

Was never a fan of ns. But ill check out waht they do with ns:s

 

[theGreenBunny]

I also found this passage pretty interesting, although not related to HL2:

The OTHER project, is Natural Selection 2. The game design has been started (hoo-boy, fun stuff), but this will be a full-fledged $50 (or so) retail game, not a mod. It will use a next-generation engine (like Source, Unreal Engine 3, etc.) and will take years and millions of dollars to create. This is what I'm now spending the majority of my time on.

That's pretty ambitious if you ask me. A project apparently not under Valve's wing (he wouldn't have mentioned the Unreal 3 engine if it was) to create an AAA title. It seems that it's only in the planning phase though.

 

[WhiteZero]

Damn you news-stealing monkies!
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=67010

lol, but seriously, this is awesome stuff. Can't wait for NS:S!!

 

[Majestic XII]

I also found this passage pretty interesting, although not related to HL2:



That's pretty ambitious if you ask me. A project apparently not under Valve's wing (he wouldn't have mentioned the Unreal 3 engine if it was) to create an AAA title. It seems that it's only in the planning phase though.

He has worked on AAA titles before doing NS so i think he got some contacts around the industry to do something like this.

 

[Mac]

He has worked on AAA titles before doing NS

like what?

 

[Majestic XII]

like what?

Empire Earth if I remember correctly.

 

[Snowknight26]

Oh, I can't wait to see NS:S!

 

[riles]

hell yeah this is great news. this was my #1 hope for any source conversion. as for NS:2. i would pay for it.

 

[Ava3ar]

shame there site seems ot be having mysql server problems at hte moment

 

[Kamakiri]

Yep I'll pay for it. You have to admit they have done very well for themselves. Slowly building there own game company...

 

[BRODIEMAN2k4]

NS2 not a free mod?!?!?!


Shit

 

[CriYam]

I like NS.

But I can't see them doing NS2 retail and then NS:S the mod.

And by the looks of it they don't have anyone to support them. I think they're kicking up dust to get attention from valve. :/

 

[Neutrino]

NS2 not a free mod?!?!?!


Shit

Hey, they have to make a living too. Plus you get NS:S free in the mean time.

I like NS.

But I can't see them doing NS2 retail and then NS:S the mod.

And by the looks of it they don't have anyone to support them. I think they're kicking up dust to get attention from valve. :/

From the sounds of it they would do NS:S first and than work on NS2. Also I would imagine NS2 would have a single player component as well.

I don't see why they couldn't pull it off. They have a very talented and experienced team.

 

[CriYam]

OK, well even moreso I can't see them doing NS:S and then expecting people to buy NS2.

I would pay for NS:S IF it was sold on steam for a reasonable price. I wouldn't buy NS2 retail with or without NS:S existing.

 

[Namron]

Natural Selection 2 on the Source engine as a retail game that is also distributed through Steam = joy.

Valve should finance Natural Selection 2.

 

[Neutrino]

Natural Selection 2 on the Source engine as a retail game that is also distributed through Steam = joy.

Valve should finance Natural Selection 2.

I'd rather see it done on the Unreal 3.0 engine myself.

 

[Namron]

How come? The Source engine will probably get updated a lot more than any other engine, and because Natural Selection: Source (probably) is going to be developed simultaneously - that will help speed up the process of both projects (they can share code and solutions).

 

[polyguns]

well source seems to have some limitations i don't know that u3 has. plus you can't develop a game with the anticipation of what source might turn into, unless you get the source code and do it yourself.

for monsters tho, i would definitly think about inreal 3 engine

 

[Neutrino]

How come? The Source engine will probably get updated a lot more than any other engine, and because Natural Selection: Source (probably) is going to be developed simultaneously - that will help speed up the process of both projects (they can share code and solutions).

Unreal already has a lot source can't match. Like polyguns said, I think it would be better to work with an engine that already has what you need rather than with an engine that has to be updated. Plus it sounds like the project will take years so they will probably start on it soon, meaning if they use the Unreal engine they can get their hands on the latest tech right now instead of a few years down the road.

Also, I don't think the Source engine will be updated that quickly and I have my doubts about whether it will ever be given a unified lighting system.

 

[Namron]

Yes, you are right. The game will look nicer on Unreal Engine 3, but doesn't Source look good enough? Aren't there other aspects to think of? Like the time it takes to develop... I'm sure it will go faster if both projects (NS: Source and NS2) uses the same engine.