Hal Spacejock PC Game FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions:

What's the game about?
Exploring the galaxy and making money. Or vice versa.

Is it an FPS? A space sim? A business management game?
Yes. With robots.

A little more detail?
Each planet in the galaxy is a microcosm, with its own economy and challenges. You'll do well if you study planets to work out what they need, then set about supplying them. As the game opens up you'll be able to set up trade routes between planets and star systems. I don't want players to get bogged down in detail, though. It has to be challenging and fun, not challenging and frustrating.

I don't really play 3d games
That's cool. I'm working towards having the business elements accessible without the first-person stuff.

Can I download a copy?
Not yet. Development only started in April 2012, and I'm still working on the game engine.

Do you need beta testers?
No, since the game is not in a playable state. At the moment it's full of bugs, and a lot of the artwork is temporary.

When are you going to release the game?
As soon as there's something playable and relatively stable. Being able to start your empire, trade goods and explore would be a good start.

Will it be a commercial release, or a free game?
I'll probably release two versions - a freebie which anyone can download and play, and a full version with extra features. If you enjoy the freebie and want to play the expanded game, the full version will be $10 or $15 tops.

Any multiplayer?
Unlikely, but I won't say never. The galaxy is so big you could put twenty or thirty players in there and they'd never meet, but a multiplayer game where you're all restricted to the same star system (or planet) could be fun.

What's the game written in ?
I'm using Dotnet and XNA 4.0, which means it'll be Windows-only. (XP SP3 and above). You'll also need a DirectX 10 video card with shader 3.0