Battlecruiser Generations E3 Preshow Report

Battlecruiser Generations, the sequel to Battlecruiser Millennium and the fourth game in 3000AD's space series, will be on hand at Dreamcatcher's E3 booth. The game is a space simulation of epic proportions, designed to let you go anywhere in a vast dynamic universe. While the focus of Battlecruiser Generations may be the interplanetary flight and combat that puts you in control of a giant starship, the game also lets you go down to planets' surfaces. On the surface, you can drive around in vehicles and even lead action-packed first-person assaults on enemy bases.

The new game will include a wide range of technical and gameplay improvements over its predecessor. The graphics engine has been updated to feature a range of special effects that take advantage of current graphics card features, with advanced lighting, damage details, and dynamic level-of-detail adjustments for improved realism. There's also an all-new special effects engine for ship weapons, cloaking, and hyperspace travel. The engine has been enhanced to improve gameplay in other areas, adding flight dynamics for entering into orbit and a physics engine for ground vehicles. To make the game more accessible, 3000AD is adding mouse support for direct flight control of your starship.

Like the previous game, Battlecruiser Generations has several single-player play modes, letting you play through a structured campaign or explore the universe in a free-form way. The game will also have multiplayer support for up to 64 players. There's support for persistent-world multiplayer on dedicated servers, and online modes can be played in the massive single-player gameworld or in eight smaller worlds. Battlecruiser Generations is scheduled for release later this year.