Take On Mars - New BIS Game

[purepassion 22]

Absolutely :)

If the person responsible for creating the media for promoting the game has a chance to read this, please note that now after many people have shown initial interest, please focus on showing the "rover customization" and the destruction pysics combined with the moddability.

These features seem to be very interesting for many people even if they were just "kind of interested" at first since they weren't really apparent from the trailer alone.

Edited June 14, 2013 by PurePassion

[[aps]gnat 28]

Just so you know, Take On Mars is using the "Enforce" engine from Carrier Command, supported by the "Bullet" physics engine

LOL ..... Darn!

I was joking anyway.

But ..... would be nice if it was similar to Kerbal Space Program, using modules you could construct custom landers and rovers, maybe even UAV's

[mrcash2009 0]

please note that know after many people have shown initial interest, please focus on showing the "rover customization" and the destruction pysics combined with the moddability.

I agree on all counts, its been undersold from what I can see so far. When you see what it does have under the hood, thinking "roaming in mars is a bit boring" misses the point. I suppose much like thinking Arma is like COD or something like that.

All we need now is a budget to have some extra space exploration with MP world using our own created rovers and tech.

[krycek 349]

This could have been so much more instead of rover drag racing.Establish a small colony,fix things if they start to break down,running around like a headless chicken if your module is running out of air or the filters get clogged from a sand storm,manage your hydroponics garden,cut off air supply to one of your team members,go on expeditions with teammates(then bugger off with the vehicle and leave them stranded).Find prothean artifacts....ooops wrong game.

[mrcash2009 0]

Who said its just rover drag racing? So far we have the details of the modding aspect and this is BI & modding ... so scenarios and missions plus mods (did you see the vehicle mod on the E3 footage?) ... so in actual fact everything you might want, much like arma in many ways, might actually be available once the community have a go at it.

I can see many science based realism modders tinkering with this, just as much as "rover drag racing" mod/scenario.

[Flogger23m 2]

Would have preferred if it was an addon for either ArmA 3 (contemporary military/weapons) or improvements on Take On Helicopters.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Would have preferred if it was an addon for either ArmA 3 (contemporary military/weapons) or improvements on Take On Helicopters.

Releasing a DLC for a game that isn't even out would be something new. ToM is basically a CC team project if i understood correctly, so it will not harm any other game.

Edited June 16, 2013 by ProfTournesol

[dram 14]

Hello everyone, just returned from E3, so I'll happily answer as many questions as possible. I'm Martin Melicharek, the project's lead, and was presenting it at E3.

Absolutely :)

If the person responsible for creating the media for promoting the game has a chance to read this, please note that now after many people have shown initial interest, please focus on showing the "rover customization" and the destruction pysics combined with the moddability.

These features seem to be very interesting for many people even if they were just "kind of interested" at first since they weren't really apparent from the trailer alone.

We plan on releasing several videos after release showing how to create mods for the game. As I mentioned at E3, the buggy with MG will be released as an example, with documentation on how it was achieved. Just to clarify, the Enforce engine version in this game allows access to very low level functions, meaning you can easily have scripts that turn the vehicle into an RTS, for example (though that would obviously be an extensive change).

In the game itself, the vehicles can be customized in the rover lab, where you can also choose to test then in a JPL-inspired Mars yard.

Releasing a DLC for a game that isn't even out would be something new. ToM is basically a CC team project if i understood correctly, so it will not harm any other game.

The Take On Mars team is quite small, composed of several of the former CCGM members, so no, neither A3 nor DayZ will be affected (nor have been) by the creation of this game.

Kind regards,

Martin

[mrcash2009 0]

Hi Dram,

Thanks for posting here, I was very impressed for such a small team what you actually have here.

I have question(s) ...

1) depending on how this pans out, are you looking to "fire and forget" this project in terms of anything new for it? Or is the plan to make a sandbox enough for it to outlast itself so to speak? If you are looking how popular it is, will you carry on regardless and keep adding things to the project, and would it be supported (albeit smaller scale crew) like Arma in terms of updates and maybe content updates to help community mod it? Or is that the plan out the box on release?

2) Would you expand it to something broader in terms of "planets & start systems" (or at least a planet scaled) if it was popular and was that ever the plan if it was? How much broader "could" it be taken I guess is the question.

the Enforce engine version in this game allows access to very low level functions, meaning you can easily have scripts that turn the vehicle into an RTS, for example (though that would obviously be an extensive change).

3) So could we at least script to it like Arma (example) so people can add new functions to the rovers for more complex start up procedures/dialogues, camera designs and coupled with new models?

4) I have a ton of self made digital sounds and electronic FX and I wondered how about the sound in this game? Can the sound be modded and added too?

As regards RTS you need to nudge Monkalb and check what he did with WOO for Arma2 :) We need that as a mod for sure (Robot wars .. hint hint).

Edited June 16, 2013 by mrcash2009

[krycek 349]

Only one question,will it have base construction or small scale colony management or we're looking at basically NFS Mars?

[dram 14]

Hi Dram,

Thanks for posting here, I was very impressed for such a small team what you actually have here.

Thank you for the support, it has been a labor of love. Now, for your questions...

1) depending on how this pans out, are you looking to "fire and forget" this project in terms of anything new for it? Or is the plan to make a sandbox enough for it to outlast itself so to speak? If you are looking how popular it is, will you carry on regardless and keep adding things to the project, and would it be supported (albeit smaller scale crew) like Arma in terms of updates and maybe content updates to help community mod it? Or is that the plan out the box on release?

In terms of additional DLCs, that will be partially dependent on how it is picked up by the players, however support will continue, even if at least in the form of my personal additions. As the game is very close to the chest for me, and the theme interests me personally for at least 10 years now, I would very much like to see many things added in the future. I myself am a modder by background, which means I am never satisfied (designer's curse), thus, I plan on improving and adding things in the future. Additionally, as I wrote a large portion of the game, I will be available to help modders catch on and sort out issues which would take time for them to sort out alone.

2) Would you expand it to something broader in terms of "planets & start systems" (or at least a planet scaled) if it was popular and was that ever the plan if it was? How much broader "could" it be taken I guess is the question.

It has always been my dream to make an in-depth simulator for exploration with AAA graphics since Opportunity roved by Victoria Crater back in 2004, so as you can imagine, I personally would love to see this expanded into something all-encompassing. Without over-stepping the line, we do hope this is not a single-shot project.

3) So could we at least script to it like Arma (example) so people can add new functions to the rovers for more complex start up procedures/dialogues, camera designs and coupled with new models?

Yes, each vehicle skeleton config has a defined landing config, each instrument has its own config as well. Now, each config can have a large number of script modules assigned to it, which are compiled on spawn. This means that debugging (for example) of both configs and scripts, does not need a re-start, simply a respawn. Additionally, each script module has access to all parts of the game, be it the location entity, the campaign entity, the vehicle itself, physics objects in the world, everything. This means that making a vehicle that requires an extensive start-up procedure is child's play (save for writing the script itself :) ).

Just to give you an example, the racer with MG is composed of a skeleton (one config), the turret (separate config), and 2 cameras (2 separate configs). This does mean that if you define a "turret" slot on a rover, you can mount an MG on it. Next, if we look at the turret's OnSimulate script module, it checks for when the player presses fire. If that condition is met (and a sufficient delay has passed), it spawns a projectile with a defined model, effects config, speed etc, and gives an impulse to the turret. I can go into more detail if you wish.

4) I have a ton of self made digital sounds and electronic FX and I wondered how about the sound in this game? Can the sound be modded and added too?

Yes, sounds can be added as separate wavs or oggs.

As regards RTS you need to nudge Monkalb and check what he did with WOO for Arma2 :) We need that as a mod for sure (Robot wars .. hint hint).

I'll need to check that out :)

---------- Post added at 22:59 ---------- Previous post was at 22:57 ----------

Only one question,will it have base construction or small scale colony management or we're looking at basically NFS Mars?

No, there is no colony construction at this point, though adding it is possible in a mod.

I would not compare Take On Mars to NFS, the game is not centered around racing.

[mrcash2009 0]

Hi Dram,

thats great thanks for the reply looking more forward to this :) At least we know who was the passion behind it now :)

I can go into more detail if you wish.

I would just re quote what purepassion posted:

If the person responsible for creating the media for promoting the game has a chance to read this, please note that now after many people have shown initial interest, please focus on showing the "rover customization" and the destruction pysics combined with the moddability.

Even if thats some postings here of examples, if BI allow it and its not spilling the beans to much :)

The more guts about customising and modding with examples about the realism aspect would be great for anyone reading I would think, as it shows its scope and that it isn't some initial "boring rover game" as some may have seen it at first :)

[Shelestov 263]

How about some Take On Snickers?

[NeMeSiS 11]

Yeah i am convinced, price seems fair and i really like the idea, especially with the modability.

[mrcash2009 0]

How about some Take On Snickers?

I have a better idea:

Take On Marathon

"Become an agent in the confectionery world, your task? To take on the giants and rid the world of the most annoying brand changes".

UK joke :)

[dram 14]

Hi Dram,

thats great thanks for the reply looking more forward to this :) At least we know who was the passion behind it now :)

I would just re quote what purepassion posted:

Even if thats some postings here of examples, if BI allow it and its not spilling the beans to much :)

The more guts about customising and modding with examples about the realism aspect would be great for anyone reading I would think, as it shows its scope and that it isn't some initial "boring rover game" as some may have seen it at first :)

Duly noted. I'll see what can be done with regards to a follow up video, specifically regarding the customization and modding, as mentioned.

Also I've noticed that on several sites there have been some misunderstandings with regards to the pricing. Let me clarify that it is 10Euro, which is around US$15

[ProfTournesol 956]

Any preorder soon available ?

[Sealife 22]

Like the sound of this one and look forward to messing with it

Will it be available on steam ?

[Smurf 12]

It will have any type of MP?

[Flogger23m 2]

Will this have better quality and post release support than Take On Helicopters? The previous Take On game seemed dead of arrival and still seems to be rather sub par to date.

[chortles 263]

From the previous page:

In terms of additional DLCs, that will be partially dependent on how it is picked up by the players, however support will continue, even if at least in the form of my personal additions. As the game is very close to the chest for me, and the theme interests me personally for at least 10 years now, I would very much like to see many things added in the future. I myself am a modder by background, which means I am never satisfied (designer's curse), thus, I plan on improving and adding things in the future. Additionally, as I wrote a large portion of the game, I will be available to help modders catch on and sort out issues which would take time for them to sort out alone.

[jjknap 10]

Take on Mars looks great. Two questions: Can we land the Viking Lander from 1976? Also, can you explain a bit more about the "run your own space program" part of the game (i.e budgeting and launching probes)? Thanks!

[dram 14]

Take on Mars looks great. Two questions: Can we land the Viking Lander from 1976? Also, can you explain a bit more about the "run your own space program" part of the game (i.e budgeting and launching probes)? Thanks!

All of our vehicles are based on real vehicles, but made with customizable slots. This means that the large rover (similar to Curiosity) has many slots on top where you can mount instruments, antennas etc. With regards to the space program, I'll go into more detail on the Take On Mars forum, linked below.

It will have any type of MP?

Unfortunately not, the development time has been 8 months thus far, so not enough time to deal with multiplayer. I cannot rule it out for the future, but neither can I promise it.

Like the sound of this one and look forward to messing with it

Will it be available on steam ?

Yes it will.

Any preorder soon available ?

We're sorting that at the moment.

We've opened a new forum for Take On Mars, here:

http://forums.bistudio.com/forumdisplay.php?181-TAKE-ON-MARS