Descent (game series)
Descent is the name of a series of computer games from the 1990s . These are 3D shooters in which the player controls a spaceship through different environments from the first person perspective and shoots down enemy robots. In 1995, Descent was the first computer game with an unrestricted 3D maze and free mobility of the unit controlled by the player in three axes and six directions.
| 1995 - | - Descent | |
| 1996 - | - Descent II | |
| 1997 - | - Descent I + II "The Definitive Collection" | |
| 1998 - | ||
| 1999 - | - Descent III | |
| 2000 - | - Descent IV (project canceled) | |
| 2001 - | ||
| 2002 - | ||
| 2003 - | ||
| 2004 - | ||
| 2005 - | ||
| 2006 - | ||
| 2007 - | ||
| 2008 - | ||
| 2009 - | - Descent I, II, III (republication of digital distribution ) | |
| 2010 - | ||
| 2011 - | ||
| 2012 - | - Descent for WiiWare (announced) |
Development history
The series was distributed by Interplay and developed by various studios. 1997 was source of Descent by Parallax software under a non-commercial license released later the source code for Descent 2 . After Interplay initially let the trademark rights expire in 2002, the company renewed them in 2008.
Game mechanics
Descent can be classified into the computer game categories of first-person shooter and flight simulator. It has properties of first-person shooters , such as fighting with firearms against a large majority of weaker opponents and collecting power-ups , but also properties of flight and spaceship simulators such as controlling an aircraft and free mobility.
Game engine
The Descent game engine follows a different concept than usual first person shooter engines (e.g. Half-Life). In these, geometric bodies are typically placed in an empty space. Descent, on the other hand, simulates cavities in which the player can move. These are divided into spades , the surfaces of which must always be flush with one another, but can be distorted as desired.
Since the spades represent the hyperplanes here, binary space partitioning (BSP) is not necessary to accelerate the calculation of the space. The advantage over a CLT is that vaulted, "carved into the rock" rooms can be represented better. The disadvantage is that detailed objects such as furniture and windows cannot or can hardly be displayed. The engine is therefore a good fit for Descent's setting, as, unlike first-person shooters like Counter-Strike, it does not take place in buildings, but in underground mines.
game piece
In contrast to first-person shooters, the player does not control a person, but an aircraft the size of a car. The aircraft hovers and can move ( straighten ) and turn freely on all spatial axes . In contrast to flight simulators, the movements stop when the buttons are released. This great freedom of movement is difficult to control completely, which is why it is recommended to use an individual key assignment or suitable additional input devices at higher levels of difficulty. A central element of the game is hanging out (ger .: to dodge ) of heat-seeking missiles , including on many fan pages manuals exist.
weapons
The player always has a primary and a secondary weapon, which he can fire independently of each other. The primary weapons are mostly futuristic weapons that fire visible energy (plasma, laser) from a common supply. Fired shots fly in a straight path at sub-speed of light, so that they hit the vehicle with a delay that is observable. In the case of secondary weapons, only ammunition (rockets, mines) is collected without the need for a launching device.
Descent 3 has another weapon category. In this tactical weapons are separated (mines, self-firing systems, decoys).
Games
Descent
Descent was developed by Parallax Software in 1994 and distributed by Interplay Entertainment . The game was designed for DOS , but also appeared for the PlayStation . The game is about the fact that aliens have taken control of the Post-Terran Mining Corporation (PTMC) mining robots in their mines on the moon and the planets of our solar system. The few human employees were captured or killed. It is the player's task as the mercenary Material Defender to clear the mines of the robots, to free the prisoners and to destroy the main reactors of the mines. The game consists of 27 levels, each representing a mine, in which the reactor or boss of the mine must be destroyed and the area must then be left before a countdown is over.
Full freedom of movement (360 degrees), if only within the limited space of mine tunnels and chambers, high speed and groundbreaking graphical features made Descent an influential title in the era of three-dimensional computer games. Many events were controlled by hidden switches and, once triggered, took place independently of the player's actions. In Descent, for example, there were numerous places where robots penetrated the wall and attacked as soon as the player moved past a defined point. Unlike in comparable games at the time, such as Doom , the opponents were not just two-dimensional sprites, but three-dimensional objects, which made them look much more realistic. The control of the enemy robots was sophisticated and superior to other games in this genre. Nevertheless - or maybe because of it - Descent was left with a relatively small number of fans who deal with the disorienting freedom of movement and the correspondingly more complex controls compared to the popular 3D shooters, in which one moved along two axes knew.
Descent was largely received positively by the trade press, for example it achieved a “super” rating of 81/100 points in the Power Play Review 3/95.
Descent 2 / maximum
| Descent 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Parallax software | ||
| Publisher | Interplay | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1996 | ||
| platform | PC ( DOS , Linux , Mac OS , Windows ), PlayStation | ||
| genre | Ego shooter | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard , mouse , joystick | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
Pentium 60 MHz, 16 MB RAM, graphics card with 1 MB | ||
| medium | 1 CD-ROM , download ( GOG ) | ||
| language | English | ||
| Current version | 1.2 | ||
| Age rating |
|
||
| information | The PC edition was released from the age of 12, while the PlayStation variant (SLES 00558) was released from the age of 16. | ||
Descent 2 (orig .: Descent II ) appeared in 1996 under the same label as Descent and was also a DOS program. With a patch , Descent 2 could also be played under Windows 95 and Windows 98 with DirectX 2.0. Specially adapted versions of the game were released for the first graphics accelerator, which appeared shortly thereafter, which achieved significantly higher image quality and speed on these cards. The 3dfx version for the then sensational voodoo graphics accelerator from the now dissolved company 3dfx should be mentioned here. In America, the Descent 2 implementation for the PlayStation was called Descent Maximum , while in other countries it was still called Descent 2. This was necessary because Sony forbade porting PC games; For this reason, Descent 2 for the PlayStation does not contain the same levels as for the PC, but completely new missions.
action
The story corresponded to that of the predecessor and was simply extended to interstellar distances, for the bridging of which the player's ship was equipped with the warp drive. The mission briefing ("briefing") from the first part was omitted, instead all four levels of the warp flight to the next planet were shown as a film. In the credits, the Material Defender tries to return to his employer, but the warp drive malfunctions, which injures him and damages his spaceship and “warps” close to a star where it threatens to burn.
Gameplay
Again it was a matter of navigating his spaceship through mine tunnels contaminated with hostile robots, which in turn were divided into 30 levels (24 + 6 secret levels). The engine allows, among other things, larger levels and shootable textures. The scripted processes are often integrated into the level goal, so that the player often has to operate switches (by shooting consoles in the wall) to open doors and force fields (also new), while in the previous version the script processes were mainly used for ambushes. The player now also has an allied robot ( Guide Bot ) at his disposal, which - similar to a search dog - can guide him to objects (e.g. keys). New functions such as gunshot lights, searchlights, dazzling or earthquake-generating weapons give both the player and the opponent the opportunity to impair the perception of the respective adversary. The secret levels also allow a return to the starting level and are more numerous.
Weapons and powerups
In addition to the old weapons, ten new ones are now available, which can be selected by repeatedly pressing the selection key. The new primary weapons are mostly better versions of the original ones. The new secondary weapons sometimes have exotic functions (e.g. a guided missile that can be controlled by the player). New equipment has also been added, e.g. B. Energy-to-Shield Converter, Afterburner or the full map of the level.
opponent
The opponents are completely new (the old ones practically no longer appear). You can attack with multiple weapons and have improved AI . This allows both better autonomous behavior - such as setting up ambushes or calling in reinforcements - as well as more tactics that can be preset in the map - such as snipers. Some also have special tasks, such as stealing equipment from the player, draining energy or performing kamikaze attacks. The end bosses are more numerous (all four levels) and in some cases can only be wounded in a certain way (which is explained by the Guide Bot).
Multiplayer
- Capture the flag
In Descent existing modes were also Descent 2 available, but we with a new game mode ( Capture the Flag - adds CTF): Here are the enemy flag must be collected and brought to a specific area in the level. However, the implementation was immature due to the lack of some important details. In addition, Descent 2 had been expanded to include many more configuration options than Descent . With the Vertigo game expansion for Descent 2 you got two more game modes, called "Hoard" and "Team Hoard". Here you lost a green energy ball if you were shot down. These balls could then be collected by the other players and brought to a target area. The more balls you collected before you flew to the target, the higher the bonus you received - but of course also the risk of being shot yourself and giving all the balls to the opponent.
Descent 2: Vertigo (add-on)
Descent 2: Vertigo is an add-on for Descent 2 . In addition to 20 new levels, it offers new opponents and two new multiplayer modes called "Hoard" and "Team Hoard".
In Germany, Vertigo was only available with the Descent I and II: The Definitive Collection game package . With the Descent Mission Builder , this also contained a Windows-based program for creating new levels for Descent and Descent 2 , which competed with the DOS-based level editor DEVIL , which was developed by fans .
Descent 3
Descent 3 (spelling: Descent³) was released for Windows in 1999 and was developed by Outrage Entertainment after Parallax Software split into Outrage Entertainment and Volition . The plot starts where it ends in Descent 2 : After a reactor damage to his ship, which makes it impossible to maneuver and drifts towards a sun, the player is barely saved. It turns out that the damage was deliberately caused by the player's employer, the PTMC. It also becomes clear that the PTMC is abusing the computer virus-infected robots to usurp world domination. The player joins a resistance movement that tries to bring the truth to light and warn the population.
Descent 3 received a newly developed graphics engine with the Fusion engine and introduced some innovations. A third weapon category was introduced with repellants. There are also new types of opponents and new, more complex tasks, such as E.g. stealing secret documents from a research laboratory or freeing a researcher from prison. Another new feature is the availability of three different ship types, two of which will only be available during the game. The Guide Bot introduced in the second part has been upgraded, is now integrated into the player ship and can be upgraded. The AI of the opponents has been improved.
In 2000, Descent 3: Mercenary, an add-on covering the history of Descent 3 , was released. The player is an agent of the PTMC and has the task of putting the evil plans of their chairman S. Dravis into practice. In this add-on, the player receives another ship, the Black Pyro GX, which is more similar to the ships from Descent and Descent 2 .
Descent 4
The planned sequel Descent 4 was discontinued in 2001, parts that had already been developed were used for the first-person shooter Red Faction .
Descent: Underground
In 2015, game developer Eric Peterson and his company Descendent Studios raised just over 600,000 US dollars on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter . Peterson, who had previously worked on the fan-funded Star Citizen , left Cloud Imperium Games to work on his own shooter with the working title Ships That Fight Underground (STFU) with a free six-axis control system. Descent rights holder Interplay made Peterson an offer to develop the game under the Descent license. The game was released on October 23, 2015, but was removed from the program and, just like the official Descendent Studios homepage, was taken offline because there were financial and legal problems and the company had to close for this reason.
Game collections
Descent I and II: The Definitive Collection
A bunch of the following games:
- Descent
- Descent: Levels of the World (levels created by fans on the occasion of an official competition)
- Descent 2
- Descent 2: Vertigo Series
- Descent Mission Builder II
Descent: Venture Pack
A bunch of the following games:
- Descent
- Descent 2 (including add-on)
- Descent 3
- Descent 3: Mercenary
Descent today
The last edition of the Descent series was a game package called Descent: Venture Pack , which includes Descent parts 1–3 and the add-on Descent 3: Mercenary .
Fan projects that appear regularly to revive Descent or to develop a new Descent variant have just as regularly disappeared from the scene. The last projects (as of 2006) are a completely new development with the name Core Decision , a modification for Doom 3 named Into Cerberon , as well as the Mod Orion Wing for the Source Engine of Half-Life 2 .
This was preceded by the open source joint projects D1X and D2X with the aim of converting Descent and Descent 2 to an OpenGL renderer. These projects were reasonably successful and led to versions of Descent 1 and 2 that were playable under MS Windows, Linux and MAC OS. However, due to a lack of continuing interest, the continuation of these projects stagnated, so that numerous more or less disruptive errors are contained in the programs.
A resulting because of this grievance branch development called D2X-XL has now become a very stable Descent 2 version for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X out. It offers numerous corrections, improvements and enhancements to the original game, but also the possibility of reproducing its 'Look & Feel' true to the original; In addition, Descent missions can be played with her. D2X-XL can be localized freely and there is a German translation for it. D2X-XL is fully compatible with the original game and offers most of the functions, the greatest stability and, due to numerous optimizations, the highest speed of all currently available Descent 2 versions.
In addition to D2X-XL, another project called DXX-Rebirth has developed, which continues both the D1X and the D2X project. In contrast to the D2X-XL, it does not try to expand the original game, but rather to offer a feel that is as true to the original as possible and to maintain the classic Descent atmosphere. DXX-Rebirth runs on Linux and MS Windows. One focus of DXX-Rebirth is the development of a software renderer that allows porting to environments that do not offer OpenGL support, such as B. Game consoles.
There is also an emulator called DScent that enables Descent to be played on the Nintendo DS . In addition to the normal control buttons, a touchscreen is also used to control the direction and weapon selection, which makes the game feel more realistic, similar to controlling with a joystick.
There are several utility programs for all Descent versions. The level editors DLE-XP (Descent 1 and 2) and D3Edit (Descent³), which are still maintained, developed and used by fans free of charge, are particularly worth mentioning.
To date, there is an intact Descent - community , which is mainly on online multiplayer meets -Play. The most well-known collection points are the German Descentforum.de. (This is primarily about Descent 3. ) And the English-language Planet Descent and Descent BB.
Web links
Official sites
- Descent series at MobyGames (English)
- Descent 3
Ports
- D2X-XL In addition to a port of Descent 2 for MS Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, the successor to the official level editor can be found here; plus a lot of background information about Descent and a large level archive.
- DXX-Rebirth (English page) Port of Descent 1 and 2 for MS Windows, Mac OS 9 / X and Unix / Linux directly based on D1X and D2X.
- DScent Descent Port for Nintendo DS (link expired - 10/2014)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alan Dunkin: Descent Source Code Released ( English ) In: Gamespot . January 26, 1998. Retrieved January 13, 2013: “ Parallax Software, the software developer that created the popular three-dimensional action games Descent and Descent II, has released Descent's source code (version 1.5) to the public domain for noncommercial purposes. "
- ^ USPTO entry for the Descent game trademark . Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ^ USPTO entry for the Descent game trademark (2008) . Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ↑ Instructions for the level editor "Descent Mission Builder"
- ↑ Size specifications of the enemies indicate the size of the player. In the opening credits to Descent 3 you can see the size in relation to a person.
- ↑ FAQ from the 1997 package "Descent - The definitive collection"
- ↑ Instructions for the games
- ^ A b Volker Weitz: Totally detached - Descent ( English ) Power Play (magazine) 3/95. March 1, 1995. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ↑ Asrale's Volition Interview . planetdescent.com. September 11, 2000. Archived from the original on January 20, 2010. Retrieved on May 15, 2012.
- ^ Descent: Underground
- ↑ The man who left behind $ 78 million to revamp a classic space shooter
- ↑ Descent: Underground Steam page
- ↑ Former website of Descendent Studios (Archive: Wayback Machine)