The Mandate Kickstarter Combines FTL with XCOM

Fanghawk

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The Mandate Kickstarter Combines FTL with XCOM

The Mandate's co-op RPG seeks to answer a question: What would happen if Tsarist Russia colonized space?

Most gamers know <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/127989-Neal-Stephenson-Pauses-Kickstarter-Swordfighting-Game>that not all Kickstarter projects can be success stories, but there are still many ideas we'd love to see completed. One example is The Mandate, Perihelion Interactive's latest contribution to the crowdfunding scene. Starting with a combination of FTL's spaceship management and X-Com's isometric strategy, The Mandate hopes to expand into something much larger. If successful, players can expect customized spaceships, procedurally-generated environments, and even co-op RPG gameplay that lets you take on the galaxy with friends.

The Mandate is set in an alternate universe where Tsarist Russia thrived into an era of space colonization, creating an empire across the stars. As rebellions at the outskirts threaten the empire's security, a grand fleet designed to restore order is lost thanks to malfunctioning jump-gate technology. In desperation, the player, a prisoner jailed for crimes against society, is given a ship and ordered to restore the empire's former glory.

Using procedurally-generated galaxies, The Mandate sends players across various star systems, each harboring factions, bases, and other unique encounters. Players take on the role of ship captain, guiding recruits and officers through spaceship combat, boarding missions, and even ship defense. Captains must be careful not to waste the lives of crew members unthinkingly, however. Like XCOM, you'll be provided with a limited number of recruits that can easily be wiped out in enemy attacks, or sucked into space through hull breaches. Thankfully, you don't have to play alone - up to six Steam players can work together across the entire campaign, or called in periodically via panicked distress calls.

Assuming Perihelion reaches its $500,000 Kickstarter goal, The Mandate would have an expected release in 2015. In the meantime, Perihelion has released an early version of the engine's ship designer, allowing anyone to create unique starships and then blow them up for pure visual spectacle. That's still a long way before we're close to a finished game, but as 750 backers within the first few days prove, there are many fans hoping that this project can become a reality.

Source: <a href=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1964463742/the-mandate>Kickstarter

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mad825

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ehhhh. After seeing the "season pass" as part of the package (define "content update" please, is it DLC? If so, what kind of DLC?) and the focus on Multiplayer I have to touch this only with a barge pole for time being. From experience, implementing Multiplayer mechanics into a single player and vice versa will make the gameplay fairly weak.
 

veloper

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Awesome idea.
Too bad it seems impossible for a mere 500 K. With the visual quality they are aiming for a squad-based tactical + FTL-clone and optional coop RPG all rolled in one, it's seems too ambitious.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

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Sep 10, 2008
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Not too shaby.

With 60 days to get the pledges needed they just might make it.

Also you're not playing as some ex-con, you are a disgraced former naval officer given a second chance.
 

Drummodino

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Jan 2, 2011
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Seems like $500,000 may not be enough for the scope they are suggesting. Still the idea is too awesome to not back!
 

Phrozenflame500

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Huh, fantastic X-Com combat mixed with FTL style ship management in a unique communist russian setting?
http://i.imgur.com/UYWDD.gif
Hope they can get funded, and that they can pull it off with $500000. I hope the gameplay demo means that they at least have an early build.
 

LetalisK

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I really hope this turns out to be what they plan it to be, but I'm a pessimist and kind of wary of it. Still, kudos to those who do donate for taking the risk.
 

Ed130 The Vanguard

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LetalisK said:
I really hope this turns out to be what they plan it to be, but I'm a pessimist and kind of wary of it. Still, kudos to those who do donate for taking the risk.
If it doesn't reach its goal (which at this point its uncertain if it will) we don't get charged.

If it does but falls through, whats life without risk?

Besides, the concept is good and they've already got the ship designer avalible for messing around with. It isn't like some other Kickstarters I've seen.
 

Erttheking

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It looks like an interesting idea. I might drop a few bucks on it if I can spare them.
 

RyQ_TMC

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Phrozenflame500 said:
Huh, fantastic X-Com combat mixed with FTL style ship management in a unique communist russian setting?
Tsarist. Which is basically the same, but with less genocide.

I could probably say "scoop'd!", because that sounds like a combination of two ideas I've been toying with for a while... But then again, I would never have done anything with them, so instead I'll say "good luck with that, will probably buy it once it's released."

I'm still waiting for three of the projects I've backed to deliver, probably a good idea to keep my money for now.
 
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It sounds like a great concept, but I'm worried that they won't be able to carry it out. By the looks of what they've shown it seems like it'd be very easy for it to turn out to be messy or underwhelming. If it ends up succeeding it's a game I'd definitely like to get though.

Shame about the character though, I was hoping you'd get to play as the new Tsar Emperor who was narrating instead of as a generic general
 

Smooth Operator

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Well they took the story straight from 40k, except Empress this time.
What they had of the game however looked real cool, sadly I can't work out what the game actually is, and since so many things are going one at once for and unproven dev with that low budget this is a complete shoot in the dark, I can't see this going well.

But hey if end up with a complete package then this is very welcome in my collection.
 

Erttheking

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Stabby Joe said:
Also like FTL and XCOM, should I not expect my team to live?
Judging by what the article said, you should really give it everything you've got to keep them alive, but them dying is very much a possibility.
 

1337mokro

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Must sell house to give money to game!!!

A little bit 40k-ish, though no magic and no genetically perfect time travelling space wizard to lead mankind to the stars. However the combination of space combat and tactical close quarter contacts looks extremely appealing to me. I am genuinely interested to see just how they would ever be able to balance the two though.

They would need some seriously impressive AI for this or like they do mention make this COOP. Be the captain and have senior officers that take orders and execute them.

You'd have your friend who is an X-com fan deal with the defensive and offensive boarding and your FTL/SINS fan friend deal with the space combat whilst you manage things in between and direct support fire and economics. Kind of like what they intended to do in earlier space combat games where you had a captain and coop officers.
 

CJ1145

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Jan 6, 2009
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Oof, I could not watch that trailer. That woman's voice felt like jamming wet, warm knives into my ears.

Still though, it looks neat, but X-COM gameplay is pointless unless it has X-COM's charm of being punishing as hell and slaughtering all the individual soldiers you named, customized, and trained. If this game can deliver on that, I might give it a look.