Stargate: Timekeepers (PC Strategy Game)

[Elite Anubis Guard]

https://www.gateworld.net/news/2021/...tage-revealed/
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...epers-gameplay

I can't say I was too familiar with the real-time tactics genre, but having seen the footage it makes more sense to me than the RTS I think we'd all been thinking this was. I still think we're dying for more action orientated games that don't get canned, but I'm certainly interested!!

I hope we can zoom in for some more detail. My only real concern from the footage we've seen is the animations and transition between the actions are a little stiff and unnatural. Hope they smooth that out as development progresses.

Looking forward to seeing more of this one.

[Falcon Horus]

You know what struck me as odd... or fascinating maybe... the starting point for this, the battle of Antarctica, is nearly the same as the starting point for the RPG game. Neither venture into Ori territory and stay well within Goa'uld limits. Why is that?

[DrMckay]

I'm interested and probably going to buy and play it.
But on the other hand, I'm also disappointed.

Have a look at this game series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandos_(series)

It's basically exactly the same concept, but set in the Stargate universe.
I think the game looks really bland and generic: I almost need to take out my binoculars to see that those playable and non-playable characters are indeed dressed as an SGC-member or a Jaffa. Otherwise, you might as well be playing a military mission here on earth during the second World War.

I had expected that there would be a bigger Stargate-aspect to the game.
Currently it just looks like the classic Commandos game with a Stargate sticker slapped onto it.

[Falcon Horus]

Ah, someone mentioned that game series in the chat during the preview, and said the exact thing.

[mparsons1981]

Ah, someone mentioned that game series in the chat during the preview, and said the exact thing.

Its what occurred to me as well, mentioned in the other thread.

Look, any new Stargate in any form is of interest to me. I'll certainly investigate this game on release.

Unfortunately, I don't think the brand has the recognition it needs at the moment for a developer to get behind a Stargate AAA game franchise. It would be great of course!

[NickEast]

I'm going to start this off a little positively: I think this is a pretty good step in the right direction of a proper Stargate game. But I do still think it isn't taking full advantage of the IP. In the first ten seconds of the video I immediately went to "Commandos" (or "Desperados", same gameplay style), which isn't bad per se, but does limit the scope, or rather depth, of gameplay IMO. While Stargate surely centers on guerilla-style combat, due to the small human teams against overwhelming armies of Jaffa, it's only roughly one-third of what it's truly about. With 14 announced missions and Commandos-style gameplay, I just don't see much depth in it.

I had been hoping for a game like XCOM (though real-time instead of turn-based). The formula is practically spot-on. For those not in the know, in XCOM you play as a commander of a top secret military organization fighting against an overwhelming alien invasion. You take control of a secret underground military base that you must expand and manage, and send out teams of 4-6 customizable soldiers on missions. These missions usually entail defeating aliens, or rescuing VIPs, and gather resources to further expand the base and develop new technologies to use against the aliens.

I think I said this before that while I think a Mass Effect-style "Action RPG" is one perfect way to present the Stargate IP, such a game would be prohibitively expensive and difficult to develop for such an IP. It would be hard to attract a developer, publisher, and funding (I still think Stargate Worlds was far too big and complex to have been feasible and maintainable). A smaller game, like a Telltale-style adventure game (presently being reimagined with The Expanse and Star Trek Resurgence), would likely be a more feasible alternative. But I also think Stargate is a good IP for a strategy game, in which case I think an XCOM-style game would be very feasible. And unfortunately I think this just isn't it.

But aside from my "usual" points of criticism, I'm also terrible at these kinds of games, worse than at XCOM. And they are also a tad too boring for me (as stated, the game will have 14 missions, with each roughly taking over an hour for experienced players to finish). That alone is enough for me to pass on it, sadly.

[Falcon Horus]

I'm with Nick.

[Elite Anubis Guard]

I think the game looks really bland and generic: I almost need to take out my binoculars to see that those playable and non-playable characters are indeed dressed as an SGC-member or a Jaffa. Otherwise, you might as well be playing a military mission here on earth during the second World War..

I do hope we'll be able to scale the view. I thought it was a little too high myself as well.

[NickEast]

Something I forgot to mention is that the actual developers (CreativeForge Games) also made Hard West and Phantom Doctrine. Two games heavily based on the XCOM formula, which makes the choice of gameplay style for this game even stranger. Maybe they wanted to do something different, I'm just a bit sad that I just can't find anything worth investing in post-SGA these days.

With every new announcement, from Origins to the D&D-based tabletop roleplaying game, to this game, I just keep hoping it'll be something I can enjoy, and always get disappointed. I'm sure there's otherwise plenty of interest in this game. I guess I'll just have to go back to dreaming, and try and make something myself (low chance that'll ever be feasible, and even then, fat chance it could be released).

[TheBlueLotusBlossom]

I will probably buy the game, but I don't have very high expectations.

I'm surprised they decided to go for a RTT and not a first person or third person shooter. The two cancelled games (worlds and alliance) were based on this format, and it is easy to see why. It is a shame that MGM went with no name companies for the 1st two games, as they probably wouldn't have collapsed if they went with a more established company.

Slitherine is a more reputable company, but it doesn't seem like they put a whole heap of resources into timekeepers. The footage is rather disappointing.

I had recently came across this Stargate mod for Sins of a Solar Empire: https://www.moddb.com/mods/stargate-races Pretty amazing job for a fan-made mod.

Asgard-ONeill-v2-1.jpg Goauld-Osiris-Carrier-v2-1.jpg WindStrike-Tauri-BC304-1.jpg Ori-Deliverance-v3-Bloom1.jpg

[Falcon Horus]

I think MGM going with no-name (in a manner of speaking) developers is probably due to the yes-name developers not being interested in the potential of Stargate.

But that's just a guess...

Anyhoodle, we'll see what 2022 brings in terms of games or things in general.

[DrMckay]

I think MGM going with no-name (in a manner of speaking) developers is probably due to the yes-name developers not being interested in the potential of Stargate.

But that's just a guess...

Anyhoodle, we'll see what 2022 brings in terms of games or things in general.

I've been thinking about this too.
I'm wondering if the fact that the game looks so simple and bland is because of lack of funding.

If you look at other games published via Slitherine, a few of those do look awesome.
Have a look at:
- Battlestar Galactica Deadlock (published by slitherine, developed by black lab games) (https://store.steampowered.com/app/5..._7_7_230_150_1)
- Modern Naval Warfare (published by slitherine, developed by the maslas bros) (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1...Naval_Warfare/)

The Stargate game is published by Slitherine and developed by creativeforge. (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1..._7_7_151_150_1)

So I have the impression that some games from Slitherine do look very nice. I have played Battlestar Galactica Deadlock myself and loved it.

Maybe the amount of money that was made available to make this (by MGM directly?) didn't warrant a better game than this one?

Honestly, I'm not sure if "interest by developer company X or Y" really plays a part, after all, those are companies in it for the money.
Even if it's a game which involves a simulator for baking cookies in a kitchen, if you put enough money on the table, any big developer will make it.

It's my suspicion that in this case, the principle of "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" applies: low budget made available by MGM and this is what you get.
If you look at Stargate: Origins and you extrapolate from there, well... Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me. That also definitely was a very low-budget initiative.

I have the impression that MGM is trying to keep Stargate alive in some way or form, I will give them that. But to me it looks clear that it's being kept alive on a shoestring budget.

If you consider the RPG game from Wyvern too: correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that funded/started by the community using a kickstarter campaign?
Sure, MGM endorsed it and officially licensed it, but they had none of the financial risk involved.

Maybe this will all change once Amazon has ownership, who knows.

But of course I could be wrong, just my impression

[Falcon Horus]

It's my suspicion that in this case, the principle of "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" applies: low budget made available by MGM and this is what you get.
If you look at Stargate: Origins and you extrapolate from there, well... Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me. That also definitely was a very low-budget initiative.

Stargate Origins was almost entirely funded by Mercedes Bryce's production company. Or at least the one she works for. 1/4 of the budget came from MGM so they are all about the low stakes and let the production company pay the lionshare... and loose the most of it all goes down the drain.

If you consider the RPG game from Wyvern too: correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that funded/started by the community using a kickstarter campaign?
Sure, MGM endorsed it and officially licensed it, but they had none of the financial risk involved.

It was indeed kickstarter funded.

Also, their licences do not come cheap.

[TheBlueLotusBlossom]

It's my suspicion that in this case, the principle of "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" applies: low budget made available by MGM and this is what you get.
If you look at Stargate: Origins and you extrapolate from there, well... Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me. That also definitely was a very low-budget initiative.

Might be slightly off topic, but I completely agree with this.

I might be in the minority of people, but I found Stargate Origins quite enjoyable because I came in with the expectation of it being very low budget (I put off watching it due to the negative reviews). Given I knew it was low budget, I tended to overlook its cosmetic defects, and focused more on the story etc, and I quite enjoyed it.

My point is that they had a recipe for success with the Stargate Origins, but MGM wasted it due to the lack of resources and funding.

[NickEast]

From what I've seen, the graphics of Timekeepers look rather as is expected of these types of games. And I wouldn't consider these "no-name" developers, that's very unfair to them. They're peanuts compared to for example Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, but are definitely not unknown. They've made some rather popular and successful games. I have no doubt budget and licensing caused them to think differently for a third-party IP, but that doesn't mean this is worse than their other games. Battlestar Galactica Deadlock doesn't look much "better" either, just different. There's also a big difference between Slitherine as the publisher, and whatever studios actually make the games.

FYI, the RPG was said to already have been funded. The Kickstarter was for community support and any extras to improve what was already there. They were already far into production by the time they started crowdfunding, meaning they already had to have quite a bit of funding to get that far.