When you think of Brazil, you do not instantly think of video games. You think of soccer and carnival and amazing barbecue. Tarquinio Teles is trying to change that image. We got a chance to sit with Tarq and take a look at his game Taikodom here at AGDC. The game is live right now in Brazil and will soon be going global as part of Gamerfirst with K2 Network. Taikodom is a space fighter game with all the bells and whistles. Not only does the game look cool, this guy even has a book series and graphic novel ready to go with launch.
Taikodom takes place in the twenty third century. You have been woken up after years of hibernation and look to begin your career as a space pilot. There are two factions in outer space, the Spacers and the Belters. The Spacers are a bit more industrial, looking at expansion in a more economic way. The Belters are pure fighter pilots with fast ships and wild weapons. These two factions operate in an ever expanding universe with lots of options to explore.
Characters have the chance to specialize in any skill set they like. If you want to be a fighter pilot or the head of a space mining operation you can do both, it just may take you some time. Tarq mentioned that the game keeps a very strong freedom of choice philosophy for players. You are not bound by class or one specific skill set.
Obviously, space combat is at the forefront and the game plays fast and furious in this regard. Players are not limited by their skills and the space combat is more about your abilities as a player than simply character stats. Players can chose from long range bombers, fighters, or even ships designed as explorers for long expeditions into space. The keys to space combat are mastering the maneuverability of your ship while perfecting your aim with the various weapons on board. In the video we saw, the ships move fast and blast away with heavy fire power.
If combat is not your cup of tea then the mining and industrialization of space is also on Taikodom's menu. You can start off in your explorer or freighter and go out and look to build up your status in the economic game. Mining elements like gold or exotic materials will help build better ships and give you a strong spot on your team as a crafter style class. The great thing about Taikodom is that you can switch from combat to industrial simply by switching ships. Characters are free to choose in that way.
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Another area of the game they are working to enhance is the Tactical Game. Here you are not just flying one ship, you are commanding several in an epic space battle. You are the admiral of your own armada and can direct ships in a huge battle. This feature sounded very cool as players can set up their battle formations and fight it out. Most space games remain on the first person shooter path, Taikodom is taking things a step further by adding this tactical element to space fighting.
Players can also network and build relationships in the huge space stations. If you want to work on team building and creating strong alliances this is the place to do it. The social networking of the game is very important and the stations provide that setting. If you want to simply remain the lone ranger of space, you can fly out there and never come back, the choice is in the hands of the player.
Tarq explained that they really wanted to build a history with this game. The books and graphic novel are there for fans and developers alike to have a source material about the universe they have built. When the game goes global you will not just be able to play, but you can explore the universe on your own time as well. It is critical to a game to have solid source material for your lore and background, Taikodom comes with a rich history that is outlined in its books that players can explore when not online.
Taikodom looks impressive and adds some great new features to the space genre. The game is exciting and fast paced just as space combat should be. With a rich lore and some great graphics, the game should be hitting the global market with a blast. I just want to say that it is also great to see video games being developed all over the world, Brazil is now on the map in the game design industry and we're happy they are here to stay.
