Weird World’s Rich Carlson gives a tour of this fast-pace space vehicle
By Michael Lafferty

“You can go wherever you want and do anything you want in any order you want.”

Hey, got 30 minutes? Then how would you like to explore new worlds, meet exotic aliens, discover black holes, witness the deaths of stars, encounter drifting space hulks that promise untold riches or untimely death.

The name of the game is Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, and this is a fast-paced space opera in which players begin as down-and-out starship captains and can become an intergalactic hero. Developed by Digital Eel, Weird Worlds will be published by Shrapnel Games.

According to the game’s descriptor: “Players start off with their choice of one of three ships to explore the universe with, each ship completely customizable through the acquisition of new components, either via trade or encounters. The majority of the game takes place turn-based style on the gorgeously rendered star map (always newly generated each game), and uses a simple one-click system that even your grandmother can quickly master. When your starship encounters hostile aliens the action moves to real-time, and while players have dozens of weapons and tactics at their disposal, the combat system manages to provide this great depth while still maintaining the highly intuitive system of play found elsewhere in the game.”

Rich Carlson, of Digital Eel Games, chatted with GameZone.com about Weird Worlds.

Question: This game seems to be ... well, weird. Where did you get the inspiration for it?

Rich: “It comes from Star Trek, first off. The original series that we watched in reruns when we were growing up. Five year mission... Discover strange new worlds... We always loved the idea of exploring deep space and other star systems and planets. I guess it's obvious that we still do.

“Also, the game was inspired by a book, A. E. Van Vogt's The Voyage of the Space Beagle, and an early paper microgame called The Voyage of the BSM Pandora. In fact, Pandora, which was released in the early 80's, was the first paper game that made me think ‘I want to make a computer game like that someday!’

“Much later, in 1999-2000, after Iikka Keranen and I had met we attempted to make a big 10-player 4X space game but it was too big for two or three people, so we pared it down, way down, and made Strange Adventures in Infinite Space, an ‘instant space opera’ game that lasts 5-20 minutes.

“Weird Worlds is the next step from that, with many things improved and many new features added.”

Q: Tell us a little bit about the game. What choices to players have in creating characters? Is this an arcade-style title, turn-based or ...?

Rich: “Weird Worlds is not a role-playing game. It's not a 4X game. What it is is a hybrid space adventure strategy starship combat game somewhat like Pirates! or Star Control 2. Strategic movement on one screen, the starmap view, and then real time movement and combat when you encounter alien adversaries, basically.

“At the beginning, the player chooses a ship type - military frigate, pirate corvette or a science vessel. As you play, you move your ship (eventually a flotilla of ships) from star to star while avoiding nebulae, supernova shockwaves and black holes. At each star, you'll explore a primary planet where an event of some kind will occur usually resulting in the acquisition of interesting items and lifeforms, which are then transferred to your cargo hold or installed on one of your ships.

“Of course, star systems may be occupied by alien adversaries whereupon you will need to fight and win battles to explore primary planets. Alliances are sometimes possible. Also, multiple alien races may be encountered at the same star, in which case larger battles occur with some aliens fighting the player's ship group and other alien flotillas fighting each other.

“At some point, if you survive your mission long enough, you will return your flotilla of ships to your home world. At that point, the success of your mission is determined and you retire. A mission breakdown is displayed and you are awarded X number of star bucks. Late penalties also apply. You can end up in the red.”

Q: Is there an online element?

Rich: “Nope.”

Q: Tell us a bit about how the combat in this game works?

Rich: “The player will acquire up to five different ships of both Terran and alien hull types, each customized by the player during the game with various weapons, shields and other ship systems and artifacts. Depending on circumstances (like arriving at an ‘occupied’ star system), the player's flotilla will face up to four groups of adversaries in real time combat.

“Alien ships usually possess the same weapons and ship systems as the player can find and install. Weapons do shield damage, hull damage and ship system damage. Battle gameplay is ‘naval style’ not like an arcade game and is very much in the vein of navy movies and films like Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan or the Star Wars series.

“Controlling space battles is really easy with a single-click & point interface that is very intuitive. You'll get it right away. Learning how to battle expertly against large numbers of adversaries will take practice and devious tactics. That's one reason why the battle simulator is included. So you can practice battles without affecting a game.”

Q: What is the goal of the game? Are players just concerned with becoming a cosmic legends, or are there side quests?

Rich: “Discover exotic star systems; seek out new technologies, artifacts and lifeforms; boldly blow up stuff where no one has blown up stuff before!”

Q: What do you consider the most important elements of this title, the ones that you think will be particularly appealing to gamers?

Rich: “Non-linearity. You can go wherever you want and do anything you want in any order you want.

“Everything is randomized each time you start a new game, so no two games are ever alike. This means that the game is highly replayable, which in turn means that it is a good value. It will stay on your hard drive a long time.

“It's a small game with a big game theme. Like its predecessor, you can play an entire game during a coffee break or lunch hour, or when you need a break from that longer shooter or online game you're playing. By the way, a single game session spans 10 to 30 years of game/mission time.

“Starship combat is a blast and it is different than any other space game out there.

“Weird Worlds is highly extendible. Modders can make new ships, new weapons, new gadgets, new alien races, anything really, even a total conversion if they are particularly ambitious.”

Q: What is your favorite part of the game?

Rich: “Battles for sure but also exploring black holes, transposing entire enemy flotillas into black holes and saving the galaxy by destroying Primordius' haunted battle station (a rare quest encounter).

Q: Is this game a digital download or will people be able to buy it in stores?

Rich: “I'm not sure if Weird Worlds is in stores or not but you can either order the CD from Shrapnel or purchase and download the game there.”

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Rich: “Only that happiness is a warm particle vortex cannon.”

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