Squad, the hardcore, team-based shooter from former modders Offworld Industries (responsible for the excellent Project Reality mod for Battlefield 2[/url), has popped up [url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/offworldindustries/squad/description]on Kickstarter, with the team hoping for the rather specific amount of $184,000 in order to complete development on their project.
Back in April the shooter was greenlit on Steam after just a week, and it looks like it’s not going to have any trouble reaching its crowdfunding goal either; $124,180 has already been pledged, but just under a month still left to go.
Plenty of time for backers to unlock a few more stretch goals, then. These range from entirely new Russian and British armies, to persistent stat tracking and helicopter units. The team has an impressively concise list of goals, and has clearly planned out the game’s development carefully - the aim is to kick off a closed pre-alpha for backers shortly after the Kickstarter campaign ends, then slowly transition into alpha, then Early Access on Steam, with a beta and full retail release planned when the game’s in a more reliable state. In total we’re looking at around 12-24 months of development, according to Offworld.
Squad focuses on large-scale battles with a focus on teamwork and squad tactics. Front-line troops will split into nine-man squads and head into combat, while other players take on a support role, providing their force with defensive fortifications, supplies and strong points.
”Squad is an online multiplayer first-person shooter that aims to capture combat realism through communication and team play,” explains Offworld. ”Large open maps combined with strong squad cohesion mechanics, vehicles and player-constructed bases create a heart-thumping, visceral gaming experience which mixes organized tactical multi-squad planning with split second decision-making in real world scale firefights, with up to 50 players per side.”
It certainly looks like Squad’s going to get the go ahead. You can find out a lot more about the game, and the team’s development plans, by heading over to the campaign page.
