Return To Nightbridge

In my previous , I was discussing the ups and downs of doing massive game worlds while at the same time make the scenery looking as good as possible while taking performance into account.

Since each of the game’s four original bases () have a specific theme, what I envisioned for Nightbridge was an abandoned city in which a base was built. A base which, like the blown up city, had seen its own share of war.

Of course building it to my specs was an entirely different story. Especially given the fact that the new game engine (), as well as its editor, were still also in development.

But I think the content guys have done an amazing job of bringing it to life. Trust me, the screen shots do doing it justice.

And yes, it is. We’re talking nearly 2km x 3km massive. And that’s just the base extents. The entire scene itself – like the other three – is about 64km x 64km. A lot of space to run around in with weapons of mass destruction.

Apart from the fact that you can enter all buildings (e.g. those skyscrapers) from the ground floor, jetpack (if you have one) to the top of any of them etc there are numerous roads, canals, lakes, rivers, rubble mounds, busted buildings, alley ways etc to explore. And lots and lots of hidey holes, sniping coves, meeting points etc.

My single greatest concern at this point is that it is so huge that most gamers used to the “closed in” level based design of fps games, may just get lost in there. Or at best, be intimidated by the size of it all. Our friends used to [older] fps games like Planetside, will probably appreciate the scope of it all. But despite that, even if you had 128 people in a single world, that is still a heckuva lot of space to run around in. Sure there are all kinds of vehicles (incl. naval units), aircrafts, jetpacks and such to use, but for my part, running () around in these bases is a lot of fun. Especially if you know where you’re going ().

So what are your thoughts on the size and scope?

Nightbridge will be completed later this month once we have some final bits () and pieces in place. Until then, here to feast your eyes on. And no, shots simply don’t do it justice. Wait for the public Beta coming soon and draw your own conclusions.

Oh, please ignore the GUI elements; they’re all placeholders used for testing as we have not yet settled on a final GUI design – though I’m shooting for the minimalist style that is prevalent in newer fps games. I should have shots of that by the end of next month.

Also coming soon are shots of the Frostbite base which is set in an artic climate zone.

Also coming soon are shots of the space () section of the game world, along with the one: shots of the GCV-Starguard space carrier base. Yes, in addition to the four space stations – all of which you can hang around inside in fps mode – we’re building a base out of a 350m long carrier (an ) out in space and which is just as detailed as the planetary bases; complete with bridge, useable armory, various rooms etc. No, you can’t fly it. It’s a derelict ship with a busted autopilot, so like , it just flies around on a pre-computed path. But you can land on it and even use a DJP (Dynamic Jump Pad) to move between it and the planet below. We expect firefights within these stations and carrier bases to be chaotic – and absolutely claustrophobic.

It.will.be.crazy.