News
Cliffhanger working on new Shadowrun game
Broswer-based RPG seeking publisher.
Cliffhanger Productions - developers of Jagged Alliance Online - are working on a brand new Shadowrun game.
Shadowrun Online, as it is dubbed, will be a browser-based action RPG in the fantasy cyberpunk setting. Details are scarce, but Cliffhanger is apparently working with the original Shadowrun creator Jordan Weisman on the title, and you'll be able to team up with friends to take on missions.
Cliffhanger teased a few details in its first, open newsletter. Highlights below.
"Here at Cliffhanger Central we have been busy sticking it to the megacorps and trying to go solo on developing the game. So far we have gained at least enough creds to go into pre-production and will kick off our development next month."
And what about the visuals?
"It will have a perspective camera in a 3D setting, much like our Jagged Alliance Online game. So, it will be a decent quality, but it won’t be what some call AAA. The reason for that is simple: We are doing a browser based game. This means anyone can access it at any time from their PC, no downloading, no hassle. But that also means we need to limit visuals. I hope you agree that gameplay is king, so we think the visuals are decent enough."
Cliffhanger is keen to make sure it pleases fans of the RPG - which the most recent Shadowrun game (a multiplayer FPS released for Xbox 360 and PC in 2007) didn't do.
"We have also secretly launched SHE – the Shadowrun High-Council of Elders, a group of current and previous editions writers and artists and Shadowrun alumni who have worked on the pen and paper game or had their hands in Shadowrun Mods or community work. They will make sure we don’t stray from the path of righteousness and continuity in adapting Shadowrun to the world of online games. We are going to work closely with Catalyst (American Shadowrun publisher)
"The game will feature two major parts – the action map, where you (and your friends) do missions from stealthily infiltrating a secret Renraku research facility to punching the lights out of a major Aztechnology outpost with guns blazing. Hacking, magic and gunfights are all part of that and will be done simultaneously (so nobody needs to go for pizza while your hacker battles Black ICE for two hours).
"The second part will be the legwork and mission preparation. This will happen on a city overview map, where you can try and use your contacts, skills or resources to gain info on the mission goal, acquire blueprints, bribe guards or prepare the right soft or spell for your endeavor. This will be closer to rolling the dice on an action and getting a short narrated outcome. Each of those actions will cost action points (and if you want to get better odds you may want to spend more action points on a specific objective).
"So if you don’t have the time for an extended session, you may just want to spend a couple of AP to prepare and make sure you get the most out of your mission when you actually want to tackle it."
Cliffhanger's website has the full scoop.
