SolarFront - Genre wise is a cross genre game. Its part star-trader, part RTS, and part simulation.
Back in the day I have created an RTS game:
http://www.digitalneo.net/cantabless1.png (Delphi)
An online RPG:
http://www.digitalneo.net/rz4/scrnshot1.png (Byond)
http://www.digitalneo.net/ody12.png (Delphi)
And some OpenGL demos in C++:
http://www.digitalneo.net/blend.jpg (MVC6)
The purpose of that is to show you that I do indeed have a few games -- online and offline -- under my belt. This is the one I hope will make me some money (although I made some from my RancerZero 4 online project).
I have spent the last 3 years looking for a fun online rpg to play, and have found none. Why? Because the genre itself is lacking. The single fun aspect of online RPGs can be simulated by talking in IRC. You spend hours upon hours training on the same annoying enemies to get stronger. Why? So you can go fight stronger enemies -- which at that point are the same difficulty as the ones you were fighting before. BORING.
Games like EVE Online try to break free from that but still fall behind. I mean, do you seriously like watching your ship hover around an asteroid mining, or watching your ship take a 4 hour ride from station to station? Didn't think so.
SolarFront is the game that will get it right. Its hard to describe all the aspects of the game in a linear order, but I will attempt to do so.
The game world is set in a galexy. The galexy contains many many solar systems. The solar systems contain many planets. All of which are explorable and enhabitable by players.
You start off on a planet in a 'starter' solar system with special protection (wouldn't want to die 5 minutes into the game for sure). Planets are not owned by single players, but by corperations. You start off with the NPC ran newbie corp.
When you click on the planet, a roll-out map will come up and will show you the regions on the planet. The regions are layed out like a grid. Each grid is a 'map'. If you click on a region you personally own, it will then take you to a 3D terrain view of that region, where you can manage your base.
Although this view is mostly for the RTS aspect of the game, its not just RTS style; it has simulation elements too.
For example, You can have a chunk of that region with tech buildings (defended with your best turrents and units of course ^_^). Those buildings will contain people researching technologies to impliment in your base, units and ships.
You also have your typical region-type-unit creation buildings, as well as defencive and storage buildings, and resource collection buildings (like production plants and extractors).
You can also have ground units. Your typical assault/defense units, as well as others. For example, You can have transport ships that are large and capable of carrying cargo (such as your ground units, or resources). Ships like that can be launched (or fly -- depending on your tech) into space, and fly to another planet or region (for attacking, stocking, trading, etc).
You can also have units and buildings in space. Things like defencive satalites or fighter ships (great for preventing assult cargo ships or defending your own ships during risky space areas).
Theres a lot more information than this, but most of it is rather technical.
[Edit]
I should also note that even when you are offline, your planetary regions can still be entered by other players and attacked (or defended) so you should make sure you are in a good corperation so you'll get the protection you need
Dark Basic Professional
