Star Conflict officially leaved beta on the 4th of September, 2014, and has been available ever since but can you please give an overview of it for those who have yet to try it? What is it about, how does it work?
Stanislav Smirnov (PR manager): The history of our project started in February 2012. After a long closed testing stage we progressed to OBT. Initially, Star Conflict only had PvP battles in space locations full of asteroids and debris of mysterious designs. Then we added PvE missions, new ships, new weapons and modules that allow you to tweak your ship.
Last summer we started closed beta of the new game mode, called ‘Attacked Sectors’. In this mode, pilots can move freely in all locations, explore space, perform various tasks and fight other pilots as well as NPCs.
September 4, 2014, we announced the release of the game and opened access to ‘Attacked Sectors’ for all pilots. The mode is named this way because according to the plot the sectors suffered a massive Alien invasion.
At the moment, the invasion is gaining strength ...
It had a 2 year long beta - why was it necessary to have such a long testing process? What did you learn from it, how did it enhance the game?
Nikolai Seleznev (project manager): We never planned such a long stay in ‘beta’ status. First we released the ‘combat module’ with PvP battles and kept working on the rest (PvE scenarios, an open world), while planning to tune the balance together with the players. But in the process it became clear that some basic decisions were not entirely successful (for example, the majority of ships in terms of gameplay were very similar to each other, and the development process was very confusing). We had to devote a lot of time to these things. This is how we added a development tree and more pronounced ship roles.
Despite the theme and the framework it is based on, Star Conflict is flying under the radar. Why is that? What keeps it from becoming a well-known title?
Nikolai Seleznev: The subject of space battles is rather niche and grabbing attention of a wider audience is quite difficult (unless you’re Chris Roberts or David Braben). The sci-fi theme is less interesting to the game audience than for example fantasy or World War II. Our goal's completed and we are currently working on expanding of our gamebase.
Gaijin has a really great track record when it comes to free-to-play action games: War Thunder did the impossible and really cornered the king of the genre, World of Tanks. Where did the idea of a similar game came from, especially the sci-fi part? Why did you choose this theme?
Stanislav Smirnov: Just would like to clarify that Gaijin is a game publisher and StarGem is its developer. Besides this Star Conflict was released before War Thunder therefore there's no causal relationship here.
Nikolai Seleznev: At the time of launch of the game there weren’t any good space shooters on the market. They were mostly offline singleplayer projects, or serious ‘trade’ or ‘economic’ games, while we ourselves wanted uncompromising battles with other players.
Andrei Katorgin (game designer): We always wanted to make a game about space in the sci-fi genre. We realized that a space game could be completely different from air-sims. Different flight dynamics, with acceleration (boost) and lateral movement (strafe), lots of futuristic weapons and modules. All of this can be enjoyed not only the fans of space, but also by players looking for new experiences.
You have several options to unlock content. How does it work? What can't be unlocked in the game with standard credits, making it necessary to use real money?
Andrei Katorgin: Our game is not as complicated as it seems. Mechanics unlock only with the player’s progress through levels — Ranks. You buy new ships and modules for in-game currency. Real currency can only make getting new items and ships faster.
Nikolai Seleznev: Some ships with unique looks can only be obtained when buying DLC. The same applies to ship coloring, player avatars — anything that can help you ‘stand out from the crowd’. There are some modules that increase your comfort while traveling (without affecting the balance of combat). Generally, we try to give players alternatives to the in-game ‘Gold’ products. For example, you can make your own ‘crafted’ special ammunition, or simply quickly buy them for Gold.
When it comes to free-to-play games there is always a vocal minority calling it pay-to-win. What do you think about that hostile behavior? Can Star conflict be honestly called pay-to-win?
Nikolai Seleznev: We faced this phenomenon. Often, these charges are unfair to many games, and similar topics can be created out of pure hatred. Since we never intended the economic model to be pay-to-win, we’re not concerned with such statements and try to understand the reasons that could make players think this way, and if necessary adjust the game design.
What is nice, our players often defend us from such accusations, explaining the person what he could have been mistaken about..
Andrei Katorgin: There are no power advantages for paying players. Payments are only help levelling speed, and offer ships that are not different in power, but only in a combination of other features. Has premium subscription ever helped anyone win?
The T4 cup recently finished: can you do a postmortem? What went wrong, what was good about it? Was it successful?
Pavel Samarin (community manager): The Tournament segment has been active since May 2014. We had the idea to systematize tournaments, make the team segment a well-established phenomenon. As a test of the first tournament mode, we started doing fastcups. Quick tournaments are ideal as training, both for organizers and players. Players needed the habit to initiate training between the teams, for rosters, engage in tactics and ship fitting selection. The organizers had an aim — create a format that would be interesting to look at and play at the same time, and organize comfortable events for everyone. As soon as intermediate goals have been achieved and we saw the result, which satisfies us, we launched the first intercorporate championship, which took about two months and was quite successful.
At this point events like ‘T4 Cup’ are tournaments for skilled pilots and corporations who believe that they are ready to fight on equal terms with recognized veterans. I am glad that the demand for such events is growing steadily.
Do you plan to expand the eSport side of Star Conflict in the future? Is the game and the genre tailored to that?
Pavel Samarin Development of eSports always contributes to the development of the project.
The process is very long and hard, and it’s never complete — there always are changes. Creating a foundation requires as much effort. The process has already started, we are developing formats for subsequent testing and implementation in championships.
Star Conflict and eSports is a dream, but unfortunately, hardly achievable. eSports segment in SC is in its infancy. The key challenge now is the lack of teams with constant rosters. As a rule, teams participate in a specific tournament, and then run disappear. This is fundamentally wrong and contrary to the principles of eSports. There also isn’t enough teams involved, though there’s been a positive trend lately.
At the moment, we are actively testing the tournament call to arms. Development and improvement is planned. We believe that this system will instill a culture of teamwork, and will forge future worthy teams.
Nikolai Seleznev: We have no specific plans. Yes, we try to make the game well balanced, dynamic and entertaining — in short, suitable for eSports, but whether we can get into this niche, and whether the game needs it is difficult to say.
Star Conflict had a "Season 1". What is that about, what is a season in your world, and what can we expect from the second one?
Stanislav Smirnov: We consider our project as an interactive fiction series, in which the main role is played by the players — pilots and mercenaries. As befits a modern series, the plot is divided into parts that we called seasons. Everything that happened in the game before release, we believe to be the background. Release of the game itself and opening of the ‘Invasion’ was the beginning of the first season. It’s nearing completion at the moment.
The second season — not just a new round of global plot of the game, but also a large, important change of the whole project. New contracts, new locations, new enemies, areas destroyed by the war with aliens and much more. And most importantly — the new Sector Conquest, which will begin simultaneously with the start of the second season.
The new battle unfolds between the stronger corporations for control of real and accessible sectors in the Invasion. Corporations will be able to control resources of locations and receive an income, fight with other corporations to expand their influence. And a major role in this new war should played by dreadnoughts.
Nikolai Seleznev: Game ‘Seasons’ are major updates, which further develop the narrative, and рфму very large туц features that significantly affect gameplay. For example, the central theme of Season 2 will be a significant expansion of the gaming world, further alien attacks and the search for ways to deal with them, as well as corporation battles for influence and control over the planetary systems of the game world.
Obviously, the biggest thing on the horizon right now is the Dreadnought update. What is that about?
Andrei Katorgin: First of all, it’s about player control and redistribution of space with its inexhaustible resources, then there is a new round of corporation wars. You’ll also see a new mode of PvP combat with new rules, since some players are with us for 2 years, and they always want something new.
Stanislav Smirnov: Dreadnoughts are a huge warships that will be available only to the most powerful corporations. Using this ship will only be possible for battles with other corporations for control of the sectors in ‘Sector Conquest’. To build dreadnoughts players have to collect a valuable resource — Iridium. It is this substance that allows the use of alien technology.
The power of a dreadnought is so great that they can only fight each other. Regular attack ships are doomed to fail.
Dreadnoughts are expensive toys of powerful corporations. But without it it’s impossible to establish control over sectors. Only by controlling enough sectors, corporations will be able to prosper and further develop their influence.
Nikolai Seleznev: Huge Dreadnoughts are flagships of corporation fleets, like aircraft carriers bearing ships and engaging in battle only with their own kind. This is the main argument of each corporation in the battle for territories. If you do not have such a colossus, well you’re destined to be a mercenary — corporations can only hire you to participate in such battles
You are also planning to have galaxy-wide battles for sector control. Can you describe that? Do you have an ETA for it?
Andrei Katorgin: As I wrote above, ‘Dreadnought update’ will be the evolution of war for control of territories. Now the war will take place in Attacked Sectors. First of all, the war will be between corporations and not sides of conflict. The fight itself will take place in the form of a duel between corporation wings. Most corporations will get to own star systems and constellations.
Stanislav Smirnov: Sector Conquest have long been in our project. After the start of the second season, it is the mode that will change the most. Now corporations will battle each other for control of the actual locations in the game. Control over the location will give corporations an additional financial income and additional resources for the development of pilots. Honor, respect and fame.
In order to take part in Sector Conquest, a corporation will have to build a Dreadnought. Only with it you can try to seize control of the area. But it’s even more difficult to maintain control in long term. Too many corporations, and a limited number of locations. Everyone wants to grab a bigger bite.
Nikolai Seleznev: This will happen in Season 2. First, corporations need to prepare by building Dreadnoughts. Then they can start dividing the world, do not miss it!
Taking into account the first year of the game, what state is Star Conflict in? Is it profitable yet, or is it still ramping up? How long are you planning to support it?
Stanislav Smirnov: We have lots of ideas. We're going to continue to work hard on the game, with new content and balancing. We’ll Introduce new ships, modules and weapons.
Nikolai Seleznev: In general, the f2p model is economically justified. In addition, the development of such a model is a very, very interesting process, you are working with a live community that reacts violently to the changes you make, your own views and plans are transformed under their influence, you make changes — in short, the game lives, not just being sold. It's very exciting.
We plan to support the project until it runs out of ideas for development. But there are still 100 times more of them than there is development time. So we're here for a long time :)
What kind of new features can we expect in the future?
Stanislav Smirnov: We will continue to engage in the development of Sector Conquest. There will be new locations and maps. Aliens may strike again in border sectors. We will build a living world with political and economic life. Corporations fight for control of sectors. Pilots fight each other for resources. Mercenaries perform secret missions. Space observes it all. Silent and still it holds many undiscovered secrets.
Nikolai Seleznev: We do not want to make revolutionary changes that can destroy the established player experience. Mostly, we plan to refresh the project with new content such as maps, ships and weapons. However, interesting experiments are also planned, they include physics 2.0 for ship battles, and interesting new economic model of interaction populars.
Thanks to games like Elite: Dangerous or Star Citizen, space games are finally back and getting more and more popular. What do you think about the state of the genre and your competitors? Surely, the two titles I've mentioned are totally different from Star Conflict, but Dreadnought from Yager is very similar to it!
Nikolai Seleznev: Nice to see that interest in space is back into the minds of players. And yet, despite the very loud announcements, still there is a lack of quality in live projects. And it's bad for the genre as a whole. If there isn’t enough to choose from, nothing to compare, you lose interest in such games as a whole. So that new projects can only be happy, because it is akin to sharing experiences and ideas, because we follow all the news and see them live, they inspire interesting reflections and new solutions. Look at shooters: although there’s a huge amount of them, they are all based on the same recognizable combat mechanics and it allows authors to focus on the development of the unique features that distinguish them from the rest. This means that players easily adapt to each new game and do not get bored, it is easier to switch between games and come back to them again, to see interesting new mechanics (instead of simply swearing on the forums that the game ‘is not progressing’). Dreadnoughts from Yager is a great game, judging by the video. We see recognizable combat elements, similar to ours, and quite different ideas that do not intersect with our personal concept of Dreadnoughts, designed to demonstrate the epic clash between the two fleets.
Stanislav Smirnov: We are very happy that interest in the theme of space exploration is growing again. We believe that our future and the future of humanity as a whole, is inextricably linked with the possibility of the conquest of outer space. With the development of space technology, with the possibility of development of other planets. With interstellar travel. History of mankind is the conquest of new territories. And without the possibility of space exploration mankind will enter the narrow edge of survival as an intelligent species. We, the game industry, tried to show our players what the future may hold. Broaden the scope of imagination, infect others with our love for space and the development of the universe.
We are grateful to other games about space and space adventure. The game ‘Elite’ once became the bridge by which we come to the video game industry and have been creating games about space and the future...
