Will Human Resources ever return?

Hey Uber, will we ever see Human Resources again, and if we do will it be on Xbox and PS4

Do I want to see it return?

Yes.

Will it return?

Not in the near future.

Will it be on Xbox and PS4?

Arrogance aside, an RTS on a console device that requires a handheld controller is just a pain in the arse that you don't ever want to put up with.

Basically it's impractical and counter-intuitive

Arguably, there are ways to do it. It just involves different UI paradigms. Controllers evolve every generation, there is more room for nuance than developers had on the 360 / PS3, nevermind the PS2 / XBox generation.

The problem is spending the effort and developer man-hours investing in UI development for a product that might not be commercially-popular / successful. Good luck getting a sign-off on that.

Scathis did an interview on some obscure webcast or other that I'd have a hard time finding about a month after the Kickstarter ended. He was keen to iterate that "Human Resources, as it was pitched in the Kickstarter video, is dead" (probably paraphrased slightly).

He didn't rule out the possibility of something being done with the IP further down the line, but unfortunately I'm certain it won't be an RTS.

EDIT: apparently I won't have that hard a time finding it:

Well, as it was certainly a timing issue (well, they didn´t have much choice anyways...) I´d love to see a return of human resources---the trailer was gorgeous, probably the best game trailer I´ve ever seen in my live---and I love game trailers!

Well, it didn´t help, ( ) but why not try again? (although I´d recommend waiting for the ChronosVulkanAPI, HR becoming first game using the new OpenGL would be smashing...)

The game trailer ended with the use of an unimpressive I win button. Don't do that.

A win button (which wasn´t unimpressive BTW, as it´s essentially "monster is eating the map") is a great, but not easy to balance part in a strategy game.
It´s THE basic idea that´s also inside of "teching up" that is most present in such a button: You have to be WEAK on one front to be more successful on the long term! Of course, if it takes nothing to get to the "I Win"-Button it´s not interesting. But it looked like it took A LOT of resources to get to that point---which is how it should be designed!

An example of a wrong design can be easily described in PA-terms: It would be a metal planet with TOOOONS of metal on it and only one player starting on that one...
...example of good design would be a nearly Metal-Lacking-Annihilaser on a Mini-Planet on the one side and a big main planet where most of the fighting happens on the other side! Hard to balance, of course. But definitely awesome!

We didn't even see it eat the map though is the thing. We just caught a glimpse of it and then it ended.

But the implications were definitely there. I actually think that the concept for HR was more fun looking than PA's.

It seemed to almost go too far down the "looking like you can do cool **** > game mechanics" route, but I can't be too critical because I f"cking loved the art style

to me it looked more like "build the wonder" .. which is fine but i would want more ways to win than just that ..

god forbid people to interpet stuff ...

it´s rather a question of possible frequenzy

how likely is it to win through wonderbuilding
how likely is it to win through kill the king
how likely is it through total annihilation
how likely is it through domination

which of these win conditions will be/would be/would have been in in the first place and what would the game have been balanced more torwards to ..

they just need to re run the kickstarter now that pa is a fully functioning kickass game that actually meets 90% of their promises they will have much more support

Also they have to find ways to make it less expensive possible... Engine is here already, some mechanisms can be taken from PA...
What they just have to do is making floating islands maps (that we can cut and move), think at the ressource system, design new units and balance them !
No need of complete solar systems, random map generator or whatever...

Also if Uber needs money they should look at some smaller sized editors like Atlus, or CD Project...

Oh f*c*, thinking at Human Ressources and how cool this game could have been gave me nice ideas again...
Let's start my delirium :

I really see HR as how PA could have been on a flat map : no need to change cam to see behind the planet or around the solar system, everything is clear like in SupCom. But the floating islands and destroyable map give some new cool gameplay possibilities...

Maps :
- As seen on the trailer, earth-like looking but with floating islands. Players could start on the same island or on different ones.
- There could be some water, but no naval units. Giant units can cross lakes, small units can cross rivers. There should also be cliffs from different heights, and bonus for upper artillery.
- Maximum size should be around 20x20km FA like (tech 1 units having the same size), enough for 8 players and some cities.

Ressources :
- Cities and suburbs. Players start next suburbs and then expand to downtown which gives more humans, but is also more dangerous. Could be one city for the whole map, or one city per team, or more...
- Energy / mana generators that doesn't require map control but are priority target to desactivate defenses and superpowers.
- Two ways of harvest : durable or maximum : in durable a minimum population is left safe to regenerate, in maximum buildings are left empty.
- A color filter is displayed on buildings when harvesting units are selected : green when the building is full, red when there is the minimum population in them, and black when empty.
- At the last tech level, factions can build "incubators" to generate humans from their base. Map control is not needed anymore but superweapons can destroy them in a quick way.

Units :
- 3 types : infantry/robots, monsters/vehicles, and air.
- 3 tech levels, 3rd level is the "experimental" one. But 3rd tech units aren't as strong or big as titans or SupCom experimentals, should be more balanced (like 10 level 2 units are enough to kill a level 3). Slight variants between factions, especially for level 3.
- 1 or 2 tech level for harvesters.
- Units that can jump (jetpacks or whatever) above cliffs and small gaps between islands.
- Flying units with take-off and landing animations.
- Transports and unit cannons (fires single or a group of units)
- Various defense turrets and long range artillery
- Intelligence system with radars and furtivity generators and upgrades.

3rd tech level units and special powers :
- Special powers need to reloasd after use for each unit or building.
- Berzeker that can use a building to increase his close combat damage for a few time.
- Building launcher
- "Holer" unit that can dig small holes in the map
- "Cutter" as seen in the trailer, who will cut the map on a certain distance. May cut one island in two if not wide enough
- "Mover" building that can move a small island (if the island fits in its circular range) and bring it next to the enemy base.

Special weapons / powers :
- Nukes
- Map eater : eats a big zone of the map. The background under islands changes when used
- Teleporter : like the chronosphere in red alert, can teleport enemy units and make them fall.
- Counters ?
...



Hope you enjoyed the read. Feel free to complete

The consoles are getting mouse and keyboard support.

I would love to see Human Resources back
I think that i cant even exist without that.
I can not sleep, I can not eat and drink, its so stresfull.

And i can not stop thinking how to make it better. From trailer i fell in love of the ancient ones. and i have some units for them:
-Unit cannon- Ancients would use unit cannon to cross gasps between islands, when machines would use two gate teleporter like in PA. He would look like giant fat demon sitting in a coloseum like temple and he would always eat unit which would be ordered to get in him and when he is full then he will vomit then all to the other side... He could also fart during the process. When he is loaded with kamikaze bug he could also serve as a long range artyllery.
-Kamikaze- When Ancients are focused on melee they can have melee kamikaze unit, which will always burst into cloud of toxic gas and deadly magic power.
-Stormer- Counter to Ancients melee focus. When hes not actually attacking enemies from afar, he creates small storms which are orbiting around him when he sees enemies then he will launch them against him, but its still not a range attack, its a spell caster. H would not be ordinary unit but something bigger, about 3x size of ancient harvester.
-Spawner- Unit similar to stormer, but in change of storms he sends smaller versions of kamikaze on enemies.
-Big ones hunter- Small three legged monster with bulbous body, though its really bulbous, it still travels really fast. When normal units are only trying to destroy legs of titans and level 2 units (such as stormer or spawner ), this unit actually climbs them and tries to melt down inside of them and do maximal damage.
-Grimm- I do not know how to spell it normaly, but this one is named grimm. Giant humanoid unit with one nasty ability: it can make itself invisible and it can also climb on structures and jump from them on their prey. And they look like tall tumorous zombie.
-Thunder bringer (Darun) - A titan unit. Giant trilegged unit. From center of all three legs is growing a long neck covered in still moving legs and tentacles, which ends by a giant head. Head has one long verticall mouth and many hungry evil eyes. On back side of head are several tentacles or hands facing back, they are forming circle and creating small lightning orb. This is his power core, if i can call this a power core, because its still and organic race. This unit can use its abilities to teleport units across whole map, create force field and frying enemy units. It can also move with small isles, bigger=slower, and it can tear them appart, even big isles but it needs more energy then.
-Soul shrine- Practically generator of souls when are all humans dead, or harvested. it generates small amount of souls and it is vulnerable, but it is good late game option.

Also I have solution for humans loverage. What Ancients wants? Souls. And when any unit dies it releaes souls which will slowly wander map till they are collected. What Machines wants? Biomass. When is any units destroyed biomass stays there, till its collected, even its burned. There is proble when air unit fall into abyss, but most of resources are recyclable and also both races will have some countermeassure to this: Ancients=Soul shrine, Machines=Incubator (Tonius, please do not be mad at me that i little evolved your idea)

So theede are my ideas on units, if you liked do not forget to comment and if you would want, then i can make so interesting ideas on Machines units.

Awesome first posting!
Cool ideas for a cool project that HAS to return; but well, Uber, don´t rush it. Better to announce it a week or so before it goes live, so folks can get their bank stuff ready. It´s very important to get a big BOOM at the start of the project!

I just wanted to get my ideas in game, but thanks for your commended my first reply. Truly its totally first reply on my first forum.