, which is a new kind of mod that takes place in a science-fiction universe.
StarCry aims to take Crysis modding in a new direction. The mod will blend itself with the universes of several popular TV franchises. Originally planned to be a mod for Far Cry, it later switched to other engines due to the limitations of the original CryEngine before finally finding its way on Crysis. Throughout the mod, you will visit many interesting planets, and find interesting new alien technologies. There will also be a new melee combat system, which we will learn more about in future updates. They have released their first update, which can be found below.
In this first video, Master Chief somehow finds his way through a stargate. This will be one of many planned easter eggs scattered throughout the mod.
Our second video introduces the new melee combat system that will be in the mod.
Also, here are a few screenshots of the mod.
Here's how it went down.
Radcliff: Before we proceed, could you tell us a little about yourselves?
Dark_Wolf: : Hello I'm Dark_Wolf and I mostly do modeling (characters, weapons, vehicles...) and map designing. I recently started coding in C++/LUA which allows me to create awesome new features for the mod. I do a bit of animating too for the new weapons, I haven't tried animating characters yet.
MMX: Hello I'm Mick (MMX on crymod forums), and i'm in charge of the majority of UV/textures, some models (environment, objects?), bug fix, sounds, drawings, c++ compiling, level design?
We are two equal modders working together, totally mastering each steps of the mod development. We are watching a lot of movies and tv-series, and as video-games fans we finish between 35 and 50 games a year on all platforms, sometimes in coop when available.
Radcliff: Your earlier screenshots have given the impression that you are a mod that mixes different franchises like Halo, Stargate, and Star Wars, yet you say in your media release that you're not recreating any existing franchises. What makes your mod different from these?
MMX: We don't want this mod to be associated with a trademarked franchise. Consider it like a fan art. It's like a game with all the action figures you've got in your room, you bought each one and you can play with them like you want, putting together darth vador allied with a gi-joe against a transformer truck. Fighting allied cylons and stormtroopers, why not? These universes aren't so different. Squaresoft already made this with Disney, blending their two worlds for kingdom hearts, or the upcoming mortal kombat with DC universe. I think StarCry is more like a sci-fi fairy tale, and the story is totally coherent.
Radcliff: Can you tell us what features do you plan to have in this mod?
MMX: It's more an add-on because it's really a big mod, I think it will be between 2 and 4GB. Totally new adventure and environments, new hero, new gameplay? You can see on youtube a video with the food system, you can store food in your bag and use this like medikits, and restore your life with a fruit. There is the melee system, and others c++/lua coded interesting things. So, this will be a totally new crysis experience.
Dark_Wolf: Exactly. We can't reveal all of them, as some of them are surprises or would spoil the story.
Radcliff: Can you give us any details on what weapons will be in the mod?
MMX: There will be many new original weapons. I can see on forums dozens of same same looking guns, sniper rifles etc. We are coding our weapons in lua and C++, and adding new animations, so they are creating a totally different gameplay. I'm actually finishing the texture of a rifle similar of the main weapon of Gears of war, that Dark_Wolf modelized a few months ago. It is fully functional in game, with an integrated chainsaw for melee.
Radcliff: This is a question about the second video in your media release. Is that Master Chief coming out of the Stargate? Did we open some kind of 4th dimension? And is Darth Vader going to come out of the gate at some point, using candy to try to lure the hero to the Dark Side while using the Death Star to destroy the Asgard Homeworld?
MMX: I think he didn't take the right portal. This is not a crazy mod, all is coherent, you won't see a big pink rabbit with a machinegun? The videos aren't showing the mod finalized, we have only one or two minutes to show a few things we want to, not in there definitive place.
Radcliff: Your second video indicates that the mod will have a singleplayer campaign. Will there be a multiplayer campaign as well, will it just be the classic Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, etc., or will it be something entirely new?
Dark_Wolf: Multiplayer isn't planned for now, we prefer focusing on the singleplayer campaign. Some elements planned for the singleplayer could be used for Multiplayer maps though, maybe in the future we'll think about it.
Radcliff: Did that snake weapon in your first video spit rocks at the medeival knights?
MMX: It's a famous weapon, you should know it.
Dark_Wolf: The shot looked bad in the video, its particles weren't very obvious that might be why you didn't recognize it. It's supposed to be a stunning gun, it can paralyze your target for a little while, or kill it and disintegrate the corpse. Also, the knights are for a later level, they are in the video because our other enemies weren't ready yet when we recorded it.
Radcliff: What more do you have to add to the melee combat system?
Dark_Wolf: Dual wielding isn't fully implemented yet, you can't block when you have two weapons or a weapon+a shield. When that will be fixed, the basic system will be done and I'll start adding some complexity to it. Or maybe I'll just leave it simple since it won't be the main fighting style (after all it's sci-fi, guns are the primary weapons)
Radcliff: Where did you get the idea for this mod?
MMX: Five years ago I think, but I don't really remember how. I think we wanted to be free of modeling anything and use it in a game. We have fun with this mod, it's our motivation.
Radcliff: Does anyone have any previous modding experience? If so, where might we have heard of them?
MMX: Maybe. I started modding under Half life in 99, followed by Unreal, red faction, quake 3 arena? I was later a member of a team working on a total conversion of the game serious sam. This projects were never enough advanced to be released. I remember that we started working together on battlefield 1942 (2003?) and later battlefield vietnam for a mod with flying boats based on "skies of arcadia". We had engine/sdk difficulties so we started modding on FarCry with something new, and StarCry was born. But later we had difficulties with flying vehicules...
Dark_Wolf: More recently, we made a few assets for Oblivion and worked a bit on Battlefield 2, but nothing was released. It's only when Crysis came out that we went back on StarCry and working at full speed.
Radcliff: What do you intend to accomplish with the mod?
MMX: Something really different, fun, challenge, and mostly variety of content.
Be sure to check these guys out. You can also check out the above images and videos in their mod thread.