By Jim Rossignol on August 13th, 2011 at 8:19 am.
Remember dieselpunky web-based airship defence game Guns Of Icarus? Well it turns out there was more to that project that we might have imagined. Developers Muse Games have announced that they are developing an MMO based on the idea, with players able to enter a post-apocalyptic world in which airship combat is the norm, and where sky-bandits threaten to plunge you into the barren world below. Players take on the roles of various crew archetypes aboard the airships. Sounds intriguing! There’s a website here, although no in-game shots yet, and it talks about airship PvP and exploration of the wider world. There’s also a cinematic trailer which I’ve posted below. Lovely stuff.
13/08/2011 at 08:34 KauhuK says:
I have been wanting a game like this. MMO if done right might work but that remains to be seen. I have read Retribution Falls (and reading Black Lung Captain now) can you lot suggest a book that has steampunkish flying ships?
13/08/2011 at 09:28 LuNatic says:
The Mortal Engines quintet?
13/08/2011 at 08:48 Mhorix says:
I’m gonna watch Porco Rosso until this game comes out :)
13/08/2011 at 08:55 KauhuK says:
You should also watch Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Laputa Castle in the Sky for the weird flying ship things. Gotta love Hayao Miyazaki.
13/08/2011 at 09:06 Mhorix says:
Yes, Laputa was probably the one I was thinking of ;) I’ve seen them
Edit: Steam Boy is also a good one :)
13/08/2011 at 17:37 Synesthesia says:
if you guys love miyazaki, you’ve got to read Starting Point, it’s sort of a compilation of his letters and thoughts on his movies, and a lot of it is about airships. Good stuff, it’s stupid cheap in amazon too i think.
14/08/2011 at 10:46 Protagoras says:
I <3 MIYAZAKI!!!!!
Just felt like saying it. Also the music in his films is fantastilicious!
13/08/2011 at 08:52 CaspianRoach says:
Silly MMO games for kids, in my days we had singleplayer games only, splitscreen if we were lucky and damn we enjoyed it!
13/08/2011 at 09:20 TheDreido says:
It’s a circle! First, we had multi-player table top games. Then, we had single-player table top games, playing through a glowing portal into another world (I still hold true that if I were to hold my monitor, whilst powered on, and spin round two hundred times at the same time as falling into an upside down, inside out volcano which spews ice, then I would be transported into a Tron-like computer world). And now! We have multi-player table top games! Playing through the same glowy portals!
I like steampunk. It’s like normal steam, but with a mohawk and big boots.
13/08/2011 at 09:29 CaspianRoach says:
Tabletop games are for old™ people!
13/08/2011 at 10:01 Squishpoke says:
I’m curious, would it be anything like Air Buccaneers?
13/08/2011 at 10:24 Malawi Frontier Guard says:
Sounds a bit like it. With larger ships I reckon.
13/08/2011 at 11:28 Dyst says:
I’ve played quite a lot of Guns of Icarus, and I actually really enjoyed it. It’s not a good game by a long shot, but for some reason I find it oddly compelling. Looking forward to see what they can do here.
I think if Guns of Icarus had the combat stuff, but then had trading and stuff too, then it would pretty much better my perfect game.
15/08/2011 at 08:46 lightswitch37 says:
this.
13/08/2011 at 11:32 Dozer says:
I don’t think these will reach 13,000mph Jim.
13/08/2011 at 12:03 Davee says:
Looks very interesting. With some luck, maby it will be the next Crimson Skies? :)
13/08/2011 at 13:21 jellydonut says:
Our fires high and the airbags tight
Food’s low but the skies are bright
Props spinning all through the night
We’re low on cash but seen another target
Goggles down and the cannons up
My blood starts pumping as I drain my cup
I give the wheel a spin and I turn this girl around
We’re way above ground but we’re closed in on our target
Flying Jib is filled with air
East India ships filled with despair
We even up, her broadsides bare
Our cannons flair but it’s just a show of muscle
Steady on, she doesn’t need to burn
She tries to flee and she tries to turn
Grappling fire, we latch her hull
She’s starting to roll, but we’ve got her on a leash
With a crew of drunken pilots
We’re the only airship pirates
We’re full of hot air and we’re starting to rise
We’re the terror of the skies, but a danger to ourselves now
Expendable crew starts to reel her in
Our swords are sharpened and we’re ready to sin
I’m three miles up, we’re about to swing aboard
My tether’s made of leather so I’m not about to fall here
A swish of air and my boots hit deck
No cash, no fuel, no not a speck
Our grape shots made this bird a wreck
And a glance below deck shows a crew of nuns and orphans
With a crew of drunken pilots
We’re the only airship pirates
We’re full of hot air and we’re starting to rise
We’re the terror of the skies, but a danger to ourselves
13/08/2011 at 17:18 Davee says:
I applaud this. :)
13/08/2011 at 15:14 DdCno1 says:
Anyone here remember Project Nomads (floating islands in the sky with guns, basically)? I really liked the demo back then, nice concept and execution.
13/08/2011 at 15:17 Iskariot says:
Oh hell, not again an MMO.
I am so totally and utterly sick of MMO’s.
I think it must be an allergy of some sorts.
-
I would have loved a cool single player action/rpg game of this kind.
To hell with it.
13/08/2011 at 17:15 DrGonzo says:
Why wouldn’t they just shoot the balloons from a coupla miles away and just wait for it to crash? I don’t understand.
14/08/2011 at 03:05 Daiv says:
Because a gentleman knows that is unsporting. The only proper way to solve disputes between airships is with the airship equivalent of fisticuffs: Broadside to broadside action, grappling hooks, grapeshot, and boarding parties swinging from ropes with swords clenched in their teeth.
Or, shorter, because awesome, that’s why.
14/08/2011 at 15:02 Koozer says:
I was thinking that Gonzo. We would be despotic governors within weeks in a steampunk world.
15/08/2011 at 06:16 Wraggles says:
@DrGonzo
Well in the age of sail, ships at sea had a hard time getting elevation and angle on cannons right from a long distance, not to mention windage from substandard cannon manufacturing, along with limitations in elevation due to cannon positioning So in general it was hugely inaccurate and costly to fire from distance. This was dealt with to some degree in the age of steam, thanks to turrets being developed which could obtain greater elevation and a wider degree of angles (even during maneuvering), along with improved guns.
But in general,the common tactic even in the early19th century ,was to concentrate fire on a general area, rather than to try and hit a particular ship unless at close range. It was mostly the development of the mine and torpedo that forced these standoffish scenario’s even then (there was a lot of talk about ramming each other for a long time).
Now take into account the difficulties of aerial combat, airships have variable elevation, and you would be under considerable weight restrictions. The amount of ammunition and guns you could bring to bear in combat would be considerably less than a ship of similar size in the water.
So close range combat, I imagine, would probably be the standard for airships, especially with the need to carry close range fighter defenses……hrm I now need a Gratuitous Airship Battles (complete with boarding actions).
13/08/2011 at 17:32 Nilokey says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WrPWFn7e2c
I think this video is appropriate
14/08/2011 at 04:09 lorddon says:
It’s a fact this is the greatest Abney Park song ever http://youtu.be/05rR7nozsYg
14/08/2011 at 08:21 Matt says:
More like dieselCLUNKY, right guys??
…I’ll get my coat.