"SHAZBOT

Here is a brief update on what’s been happening at HiRez Studios.

Those of you that have been playing Global Agenda know that over the last year we have been consistently adding new features/content and releasing it at no charge to the Global Agenda community. We plan to continue doing this on an on-going basis as much as possible and over the next couple of months everyone will see new maps, raids, flair, and weapons (starting with the Halloween event next week).

As most of you know, Global Agenda is an ambitious project that incorporates many different gameplay modes (PvP, PvE, AvA, Raids, Open Zone, DA). Over time we had many requests for additional game play modes, especially larger spaces and fights. Earlier this year we released the Sonoran Desert quest zone as an area that would help players ease into the game while testing our technology limits for having large areas and many players in the same zone. Our plan for a first paid expansion was to continue on that path with Warzones which were designed as large open areas where players can PvP.

As we worked on Warzones we found too many design and programming issues to make it practical. Global Agenda was designed around 10v10 team play and there was no practical path found to scale it up in a significant way (to large scale numbers like 100 players in a single area). As a result we plan to continue releasing more Global Agenda content but only in the formats players are already familiar with. (Special Ops, Raids, Merc Missions, etc)

While we know that some players will be disappointed in the lack of warzones, we also have some good news.

We can’t transform Global Agenda to a large scale battle format but since we liked this concept a lot, we decided to create a new game based on large scale fighting. In order to develop the new game many significant steps had to be taken, including: A significant rewrite to the unreal engine servers to allow for 100+ players to be fighting in the same map, a new UI system that is more efficient, a different implementation of character visuals, a new terrain system, etc. In addition the combat gameplay required many significant changes as well.

While working through the design we kept coming back to one old and loved game that represented many of the concepts we where incorporating into the new game (Jetpacks, vehicles, large open space, three armor types, futuristic weapons, etc). Many of you will know this game as Tribes, the original on-line multiplayer shooter. As of now, HiRez Studios is the proud new owner of the Tribes franchise.

We now have two groups in the studio, one working on continuing to build Global Agenda and a new group working on the Tribes Universe project. We are also moving to a new larger office space in another month that will help us accommodate our growth.

I’m sure many of you have questions, so here are a few quick highlights for Tribes Universe:

* Three Tribes (factions)
* Full clan (agency) support
* First person view (third person for some vehicles)
* Full vehicle support (ground and air)
* Full persistent world with territory control (no instances)
* PvP focused
* Huge outdoor maps (about 10x the area of sonoran desert)
* Large scale fights (100+ players)
* Jetpacks, skiing, lots of weapons, etc

Alpha testing will begin at the start of the year (about 3 months from now) and Global Agenda players with level 50 characters will have priority in entering Alpha and Beta testing

Thanks for your support

Erez.

P.S. More information on Tribes Universe will be coming in the near future along with an Alpha/Beta registration web site."

http://forum.globalagendagame.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=27767&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Methinks I love Hi-Rez.  What a great idea.  Can't wait to see what they come up with.

Do you guys know what game engine they will be using for Tribes ? I really hope it is not the current one they use for GA.

predicting a failure 

Originally posted by SaintViktor

Do you guys know what game engine they will be using for Tribes ? I really hope it is not the current one they use for GA.

If I read it right, I think they are using a heavily modded unreal 3 engine?   I could be wrong.  

Sounds like a lot of fun and I look forward to see what they come up with.  Global agenda is fun enough.

     Tribes 1 was so much fun.  I wasted many an hour on the modded servers.  Tribes 2 not so much. 

     Setting up and flying the unmanned rockets with different payloads was one of the coolest things I've ever done in an MMO. 

I think GA will move towards being a more pve based game with future content heading in that direction while tribes universe will be their pvp focused game. 

Originally posted by choujiofkono

     Tribes 1 was so much fun.  I wasted many an hour on the modded servers.  Tribes 2 not so much. 

     Setting up and flying the unmanned rockets with different payloads was one of the coolest things I've ever done in an MMO. 

 

 

I LOVE Tribes 2 much more. I guessed I started out with T2 so it was natural for me to loved it. Its alittle slower pace but the team base and role was great. I guessed thats why I followed the Dev who worked on T2 to Planetside when they developed it.

Originally posted by Mykell

...

* Three Tribes (factions)
* Full clan (agency) support
* First person view (third person for some vehicles)
* Full vehicle support (ground and air)
* Full persistent world with territory control (no instances)
* PvP focused
* Huge outdoor maps (about 10x the area of sonoran desert)
* Large scale fights (100+ players)
* Jetpacks, skiing, lots of weapons, etc

...

Sounds awesome...wait, I know why, because it sounds like Planetside 

Well, it does, and all kidding aside, I was hoping Global Agenda would be the next Planetside while it was being developed, but I was disappointed when I found out it was not to be.  Maybe you guys can pull this one off successfully.  You seem to be a good development team who keep their ear open to player concerns.  

Keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

To the HiRez Dev team, DO NOT visit Tribalwar or sign up asking for suggestions!

This is how the last two teams failed and we ended up with T2 and T:V.

Avoid TW!

I warned you HiRes, don't register at Tribalwar, but you did... Now you have Jinx'ed the whole thing. This is how it all starts and ends.

Don't let HiRezErez ask TW how they would make the game better... It is a TRAP.

Oh noes!

For those of you who do not know Tribes, let me tell you that I've been playing videogames since the Amiga and tribes was the most intense FPS I've ever played.

It was also a very difficult game to master but there is nothing more satisfying than a flag capture that ends with you scoring with 3 enemies on your back, chasing you until the last meter to the flag stand. If you call yourself a gamer you must at least try once: take your shrike to the enemy base at full speed, make a 90° turn in the sky, aim for the enemy flag and eject, to finally throw yourself at the flag and escape by  jumping over the mountain around the enemy base.

You can try this game for free, there are instructions on how to do it on the forum. Tribes is a must have for any gamer collection. If HR is able to recreate even 20% of the fun that Tribes gave to us, then they'll make ton of money and it will be well deserved.

The acquisition of the license wasn't unnoticed. Good luck with this project. You have the full support of the Tribes community!

SHAZBOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    :D

Tribes, oh have i missed thee.