derek-smart posts

The man behind the Battlecruiser/Universal Combat series of space sims, Derek Smart, is going in a different direction for his next game. Smart and his developer, 3000AD, have just announced plans to publisher All Aspect Warfare. This title combines sci-fi first/third person shooter gameplay with high flying vehicle action.

The game takes place on an alien planet where a group of elite space marines have crash landed. The problem? The planet has a massive nuclear device that is counting down to detonation. The marines have to find a way to fight through enemy lines on the planet in order to escape before the planet goes "BOOM"! All Aspect Warfare is supposed to have six character classes, over 20 weapons, 30 player controlled units and both a branching single player campaign and multiplayer modes. The game is due out in the first half of 2009.

Welcome to a new weekly column here on Big Download! Independent Minds aims to take various aspects of indie gaming and present them to you each week. From game round-ups to design elements to interviews with prominent members of the scene, it's an exploration of what makes indie gaming great as well as what makes someone an indie. The very first topic of conversation is something that, given the failure of Eternity's Child and the success of Braid, has been on a lot of minds: criticism. How do you respond to people tearing apart your most beloved works?