Introducing White Stars: Asynchronous Co-op with PvP elements and Corporation progression
I've written before about potential star types we're evaluating. Today I'm happy to announce an upcoming new star type that I think will be a great fit for the game. As usual, keep in mind gameplay details are subject to change as we playtest and tweak.
The White Star is a multiple day activity players go into with their Corporation. This mode will bring much deeper co-operation: Corporation members will need to discuss fleet allocation and tactics extensively, before and during the mission. There will also be a strong competitive element, as there's a hostile Corporation operating in the same star, going after the same resources.
If you've been involved in the community, you may have heard about or taken part in heated "PvP" discussions, and whether such a mode would be a good or bad thing for the game. Regardless what you think about PvP, I encourage you to find an active Corporation and try this optional mode when it's online, especially if you care about the game's design pillars. As I explain below, White Stars have been specifically designed to enhance each of the pillars, providing another layer of progression, more meaningful interaction between players, and deeper strategy.
White Stars last for many days (while not final, the star will live for around 7 days). Time passes by very slowly: A route that takes 30 seconds on a Red Star may take 5 hours on the White Star. You don't play this mode in one sitting: Instead, you check developments 2-3 times a day and update orders, if needed.
This slowness is what gives this star its asynchronous nature. A high number of players can play on the same star, without all having to be online at the same time. It also allows planning and updating tactics in a way that's not possible in Red Stars. The long times give ample time to discuss tactics with Corporation members, create and update plans, and adjust them when the circumstances demand it.
The goal in the White Star is to claim Relics for your Corporation. Relics spawn automatically on the planets over time. All 3 ship types will have a unique role to play in the White Star. Transports pick up Relics and have to move them to safety before they can be claimed. Miners can speed up Relic generation by depositing Hydrogen on the planets. Battleships are needed to defend against, or attack the other Corporation's ships. Each participating player will be allowed to send 2 ships in the White Star, one of which can be a Battleship.
Working with and against real players adds a completely new dimention to tactics, that is simply not possible against Cerberus ships. Human players have access to all regular ship types and modules. They can lure you in traps, let you down or come to your rescue when you least expect it.
White Stars will pose many questions that Corporations have to answer together. What ships to send, and when? What modules make the most sense for the specific map and enemy we've been matched against? Which key spots on the maps will we try to control, and how? Which are we happy to leave to the enemy? What is our mining strategy in the early game? Will we play aggressively or defensively? Answering these, and many more questions should result in a fun experience in well-organized Corporations. I am also certain that it will result in a very frustrating experience in loose, unorganized Corporations that don't like to use the chat screen. It will be interesting to see where most participating Corporations will fall in terms of the White Star exprerience they offer to their members.
As players participate in White Stars and collect Relics, those Relics are stored on the Corporation regardless of victory or loss. Relics will play a key role in progressing a Corporation and giving it distinct history in the game.
While the first version will just treat Relics as a bragging rights number (similar to Influence), we have future plans to allow Corporations to use their collected Relics over time and gain distinct advantages. In that way, the game will gain another layer of progression: People working together over time to build a Corporation that truly stands out compared to a newly created one.
Our game was influenced and inspired by excellent asynchronous social strategy games like Neptune's Pride and Subterfuge. With White Stars, this influence will be more pronounced. If you've played those games, you'll immediately understand the time slowdown and social mechanics. In some ways, I believe Hades' Star is better positioned to offer a great and longer lasting social asynchronous game mode:
- White Stars will be introduced a bit later to the game (roughly around RS4), where players will presumably be more committed to the game and are more likely to finish a full multiple-day match. Player engagement will make a big difference in the experience, and players quitting in the middle of a match can be a big problem.
- The Corporation vs Corporation nature gives the White Star a genuine cooperative part - not the frustrating and predictable "let's be friends now so we can betray each other later" "cooperation" found in similar games.
- We plan to keep supporting and evolving the game, with new modules and balancing existing modules, to ensure a great experience over the months and years ahead.
White Stars will be on the next major update, which we expect to come sometime in November.
The White Star is a multiple day activity players go into with their Corporation. This mode will bring much deeper co-operation: Corporation members will need to discuss fleet allocation and tactics extensively, before and during the mission. There will also be a strong competitive element, as there's a hostile Corporation operating in the same star, going after the same resources.
If you've been involved in the community, you may have heard about or taken part in heated "PvP" discussions, and whether such a mode would be a good or bad thing for the game. Regardless what you think about PvP, I encourage you to find an active Corporation and try this optional mode when it's online, especially if you care about the game's design pillars. As I explain below, White Stars have been specifically designed to enhance each of the pillars, providing another layer of progression, more meaningful interaction between players, and deeper strategy.
Slowing down time to allow better tactics and social gameplay
Red Stars offer some opportunity for tactics and co-operation, mainly in Private stars when you are part of a good Corporation. But the fact that the real action lasts only 5-10 minutes or so means things are always a bit hectic: there's rarely time to evaluate alternate strategies and weigh pros and cons.White Stars last for many days (while not final, the star will live for around 7 days). Time passes by very slowly: A route that takes 30 seconds on a Red Star may take 5 hours on the White Star. You don't play this mode in one sitting: Instead, you check developments 2-3 times a day and update orders, if needed.
This slowness is what gives this star its asynchronous nature. A high number of players can play on the same star, without all having to be online at the same time. It also allows planning and updating tactics in a way that's not possible in Red Stars. The long times give ample time to discuss tactics with Corporation members, create and update plans, and adjust them when the circumstances demand it.
The goal in the White Star is to claim Relics for your Corporation. Relics spawn automatically on the planets over time. All 3 ship types will have a unique role to play in the White Star. Transports pick up Relics and have to move them to safety before they can be claimed. Miners can speed up Relic generation by depositing Hydrogen on the planets. Battleships are needed to defend against, or attack the other Corporation's ships. Each participating player will be allowed to send 2 ships in the White Star, one of which can be a Battleship.
Working with and against real players adds a completely new dimention to tactics, that is simply not possible against Cerberus ships. Human players have access to all regular ship types and modules. They can lure you in traps, let you down or come to your rescue when you least expect it.White Stars will pose many questions that Corporations have to answer together. What ships to send, and when? What modules make the most sense for the specific map and enemy we've been matched against? Which key spots on the maps will we try to control, and how? Which are we happy to leave to the enemy? What is our mining strategy in the early game? Will we play aggressively or defensively? Answering these, and many more questions should result in a fun experience in well-organized Corporations. I am also certain that it will result in a very frustrating experience in loose, unorganized Corporations that don't like to use the chat screen. It will be interesting to see where most participating Corporations will fall in terms of the White Star exprerience they offer to their members.
Corporation Progression
The White Stars will offer much deeper social gameplay and strategy - but what about the third pillar of the game, Progression?As players participate in White Stars and collect Relics, those Relics are stored on the Corporation regardless of victory or loss. Relics will play a key role in progressing a Corporation and giving it distinct history in the game.
While the first version will just treat Relics as a bragging rights number (similar to Influence), we have future plans to allow Corporations to use their collected Relics over time and gain distinct advantages. In that way, the game will gain another layer of progression: People working together over time to build a Corporation that truly stands out compared to a newly created one.
Hades' Star and other asynchronous social strategy games
Our game was influenced and inspired by excellent asynchronous social strategy games like Neptune's Pride and Subterfuge. With White Stars, this influence will be more pronounced. If you've played those games, you'll immediately understand the time slowdown and social mechanics. In some ways, I believe Hades' Star is better positioned to offer a great and longer lasting social asynchronous game mode:- White Stars will be introduced a bit later to the game (roughly around RS4), where players will presumably be more committed to the game and are more likely to finish a full multiple-day match. Player engagement will make a big difference in the experience, and players quitting in the middle of a match can be a big problem.
- The Corporation vs Corporation nature gives the White Star a genuine cooperative part - not the frustrating and predictable "let's be friends now so we can betray each other later" "cooperation" found in similar games.
- We plan to keep supporting and evolving the game, with new modules and balancing existing modules, to ensure a great experience over the months and years ahead.
White Stars will be on the next major update, which we expect to come sometime in November.