Singleplayer and multiplayer mech combat in Unreal Engine 4 by the director of Heavy Gear II and lead designer of Far Cry and Crysis.
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879
backers
$44,981
pledged of $800,000 goal
Replay with sound
Singleplayer and multiplayer mech combat in Unreal Engine 4 by the director of Heavy Gear II and lead designer of Far Cry and Crysis.
About this project
Updates
Update: E3 Preview Footage
For the first time ever, view the boarding of a Gear as it prepares for a heart-pounding league match -- all with in-engine footage in UE4.
-Full 1080p HD Download
Update: Opt Out of Free-to-Play: The F2C Model
Hate F2P? Opt out with a one-time Bundle. Love F2P? Play for free -- forever. Or sign up for Premium membership to host your own servers. Read more...
Update: Gear Customization: Dev Talk #2
Learn about customizing your Gears for both aesthetic appeal and enhanced performance. Read more...
Update: Multiplayer Game Types: Dev Talk #1
Learn about the many multiplayer game types, including tournaments, deathmatches, duels, deathraces and many more. Read more...
Update: Oculus Rift VR Headset Support Official!
Immerse yourself in the mech experience with the Oculus Rift virtual
reality headset, featuring high-resolution display and ultra-low latency
head tracking. Read more...
Update: Gear-a-Friend and Get Rewards!
Make potentially unlimited in-game currency, earn Heavy Gear figurines or score Beta
access keys by referring your friends! Read more...
Update: Singleplayer Episodes Announced!
You spoke -- and we listened. We will be including Episode 1 of our
singleplayer war stories as part of our initial $800k goal. Read more...
The world of Heavy Gear Assault is unforgiving – but so is your lust for glory. A pilot on the distant planet Terra Nova, you play the high-stakes game of competitive Gear Dueling. You earn fame and fortune by making a name for yourself on the arena floor. You stand out from the crowd by customizing the look and style of your Gear. You manage corporate sponsors, hire a support staff and fine-tune your Gear’s performance in the Gear Bay. You rise to the top, claim your position – and with every cannon shell left in your magazines, you refuse to let go.
Heavy Gear Assault is the first next-generation mech game for Windows, Mac and Linux. Featuring fully destructible environments and Gears, episodic single player missions, robust multiplayer mech sports and dynamic gun-and-melee combat that puts players
in control of their pilot, Heavy Gear Assault pushes the boundaries
of mech games as only Unreal Engine 4 makes possible.
Building on the acclaimed Heavy Gear PC games by Activision and the award-winning science-fiction Heavy Gear Universe by Dream Pod 9, Heavy Gear Assault features:
- MULTIPLAYER MECH SPORTS -- Compete in tournaments and organized matches for fame and fortune. Spectate and sponsor other players. Vote on performances. Put bounties on poor sports, pay their enemies to take them out.
- SINGLEPLAYER WAR EPISODES -- Engage in battles and skirmishes pulled directly from Heavy Gear’s war-torn history. These offline military missions are told in episodes built around the series’ deep lore.
- DYNAMIC COMBAT -- Rip apart the arena with fully destructible terrain. Blow an opponents limb off and use their weapon against them. Pull the trigger at range or melee up close. Play as your pilot and move freely in and out of Gears.
- CUSTOMIZATION -- Stealth or armor? Guns or melee? The choice is yours. Customize your weapons or powerplant, sensors or CPU. Fine-tune your performance, and hire a support staff to keep your Gear in the fight.
- SOCIAL INTERACTION -- Create a profile and cultivate your fan base. Stream your matches and highlights to your favorite social media site. Rate players and spectators on their sportsmanship, teamwork, cooperation and style.
- FREE-TO-CHOOSE -- Hate F2P? Opt out with a one-time-payment Opt-Out Bundle. Love F2P? Get started for free and buy only what you want. Sign up for Premium membership to access our Mission Editor and host your own server.
- UNREAL ENGINE 4 -- Battle for dominance in photo-realistically beautiful arenas. Enjoy performance that scales to high- and low-spec PCs. Watch fully destructible environments and Gears rip apart, changing the shape of the fight.
Heavy Gear Assault immerses you in a gritty, futuristic mech combat by allowing you to control the pilot of your Gears and compete for glory and honor in the Khayr ad-Din arena circuit. Fight with style and skill to build your reputation. Bragging rights await you -- should you rise victorious. Team and 1-on-1 multiplayer game types that sit firmly at the forefront of our production schedule include:
- Deathmatch (Team or 1-on-1)
- Close Sparring (melee weapons only)
- Capture the Flag (North & South faction styles)
- Deathrace (for pink slips, if you dare!)
- Team Deathrace
- Stalker & Prey
- King of the Hill
- Honor Duel
Stream live footage of your matches to viewers on their PC, console or mobile platforms. Share your exploits with friends and fans on your favorite social media page and revel in the glory. Even sponsor your favorite players with in-game currency and put bounties on the heads of combatants who show poor sportsmanship.
More on multiplayer game types, respawning, victory conditions and rewards...
Heavy Gear fans asked for singleplayer — and we listened. In addition to a robust multiplayer suite, the base game of Heavy Gear Assault will include singleplayer story episodes that take the player back to famous battles in Heavy Gear history. These offline episodes will draw upon the rich lore of the series’ universe and drop players in challenging situations that put their mech piloting skills and battlefield strategies to the ultimate test.
With more episodes to come as we reach higher stretch goals, the first episode involves the initial contact with Earth's Colonial Expeditionary Force (CEF) and sets the stage for Terra Nova's bid for independence. Bitter enemies will unite to repel the CEF in what will be known as the War of the Alliance. This gripping first episode will be told through the eyes of military veterans turned duelists.
*More singleplayer details to come soon in future Updates. Stay tuned!
A Heavy Gear is a humanoid, one-man combat vehicle -- a fusion of the flexibility of an infantry soldier and the firepower and armor of a modern day tank, all with a dizzying array of customization options. Performance customization involves the balancing of weight, power, speed, armor and weapons to fine-tune your Gear’s performance and gain a competitive edge. Visualization customization allows you to stand out from the crowd or camouflage in the battlefield. In fact, every item installed on a Gear has an impact on overall performance and visual appeal.
A typical medium Gear loadout might include:
- 2 machine guns attached internally, for suppression and damaging sensors more than for straight damage
- 1 medium 30mm autocannon held in the hands
- 2 rocket pods on the left and right shoulders
- 1 vibroknife mounted on the fuel tank to deal with opponents who try to close in beyond optimal engagement ranges
- 1 guided mortar system mounted to the engine to deal with enemies who want to stay behind cover
Whether you eviscerate your enemy with relentless firepower or put a precision VibroKatana blade in their back, be sure to do it with style. After all, that's what your fans paid to see.
More on Gear customization, including armor, weapons and engine components...
Heavy Gear Assault players will be able to access certain game features from their Android or iOS mobile devices, such as spectating and sponsoring other players' matches, maintaining and customizing their team and Gears, shop for equipment, share their exploits and much more. Players can therefore interact and participate in Heavy Gear Assault even though they are away from their gaming platforms. With our mobile app, you will never be too far from the action.
"Unreal Engine 4 powered Heavy Gear Assault goes all out."
-- Destructoid (Read more)
"The idea of a small team putting together a AAA-quality, free-to-play, eSports game would have been ludicrous a few years back. The wave of next-gen hardware isn’t even here yet, but in its wake we are already seeing a glimpse at tomorrow."
-- Digital Trends (Read more)
"Stompy Bot is making sure that the first next generation mech game goes all out."
-- Level One Gaming (Read more)
"Heavy Gear Assault has its sights set on the exploding e-sports scene."
-- Gamesbeat (Read more)
"Heavy Gear Assault promises out-of-mech experience."
-- Polygon (Read more)
"Often it’s the case that indie games are kept to the most basic of ideas with exciting new twists to them, but Heavy Gear Assault is targeting next-gen PC hardware, is running on Unreal Engine 4 and is intended for the most passionate e-sports fans."
-- Indie Statik (Read more)
- Opt-Out Bundles — Get bundles of game content with a single purchase of $35.00-$60.00. As a Kickstarter Backer, you earn the in-game currency equivalent of your pledge, which you can then use toward the purchase of an Opt-Out Bundle.
- Premium Membership — Get premium membership rewards starting at $4.99 per month. Because you can start, stop and renew any time at any time — while still owning your digital goods forever — Premium membership offers total flexibility.
- Free-to-Play — Purchase items on an individual basis or play for free — forever. Virtually all gears, weapons and equipment can be earned with in-game currency without ever paying a real-world dime.
All players who contribute at least $15 on Kickstarter will receive access to the first singleplayer episode and any additional episodes that are unlocked as part of our stretch goals during the Kickstarter campaign — at no extra cost. In addition, all Kickstarter Backers receive a one-time-only special discount on Opt-Out Bundles and Premium membership.
More on Bundle, Premium membership and F2P features…
Heavy Gear is a game universe developed by Canadian hobby-games publisher Dream Pod 9 in 1994. The Heavy Gear property features several tabletop tactical war games (Heavy Gear Blitz, Heavy Gear Arena), a role-playing game and a combat card game (Heavy Gear Fighter). In 1997, Activision published the first Heavy Gear video game title (Heavy Gear) and followed up with a sequel in 1999 (Heavy Gear II). A 40-episode, 3D-animated TV series was produced by Sony Pictures Family Entertainment in 2001, which featured a much simplified version of the universe developed in the role-playing game. The original Heavy Gear PC games left a lasting impression on an entire generation of gamers through their action-packed gameplay, cutting-edge graphics and deep lore. With the power of Unreal Engine 4 and the passion of our talented team, we're excited to return Heavy Gear to the gaming world with Heavy Gear Assault.
We are a collaboration of hardcore gamers, some of whom are industry veterans, sharing a common love for mechs. Our team is dedicated to not only bringing the best game possible to market -- but the best Heavy Gear gamefor today's mech-hungry gamers. We came together to bring justice to the Heavy Gear universe -- a brand that is well loved and has a rich, lore-filled history in video games, television and in table top games.
To bring Heavy Gear Assault to life, we recruited the right people for the right positions. We assembled a stellar team of artists, developers, programmers and game designers from more than 14 countries, working in 10 time zones. Each team member brings different perspectives, experiences and skills to the table, making us stronger as a group. We intend to work around the clock to make mech fans and genre newcomers as proud as we are of the Heavy Gear name.
Here are some of the people involved:
JACK MAMAIS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Jack is a former games director for video game publisher Activision and video game developer CryTek. Jack has directed some of the most successful video games ever produced.
- Lead Designer of Crysis (2007), Electronic Arts, Inc.
- Lead Designer of Far Cry (2004), Ubisoft Entertainment SA
- Producer on Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (2002), Universal Interactive Inc.
- Director of Heavy Gear II (1999), Activision, Inc.
- Director of MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (1996), Activision, Inc.
- Producer of MechWarrior 2: Ghost Bear's Legacy (1995), Activision, Inc.
- Senior Lead Tester and Associate Producer of MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat (1995), Activision, Inc.
CLANCY JOHN IMISLUND, SENIOR PROGRAMMER
Born and raised in sunny Santa Monica, CA, four blocks from the
beach and two miles from Activision, Clancy Imislund holds a Bachelor of
Science in Computer Engineering and is considered by many to be the
"Messiah of the Flugelhorn".
- AI and player experience programmer, Kung Fu Panda (2008), Activision Publishing, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Spider-Man 3 (2007), Activision Deutschland GmbH
- AI and player experience programmer, Ultimate Spider-Man (2005), Activision Publishing, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Ultimate Spider-Man (Limited Edition) (2005), Activision Publishing, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (2004), Electronic Arts, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly (2002), Universal Interactive Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Call to Power II (2000), Activision Publishing, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Heavy Gear II (1999), Activision, Inc.
- AI and player experience programmer, Interstate '82 (1999), Activision Deutschland GmbH
- AI and player experience programmer, Magic: The Gathering - Battlemage (1997), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
JEEHUN HWANG, COMPOSER
- 2011 Jerusalem Countdown 2011
- The Victim (composed by)
- 2010 What If...
- 2006 Broken
- 2006 War Prayer (short)
- 2006 Midnight Clear
- 2005 Aliens of the Deep (documentary)
- 2002 Expedition: Bismarck (TV documentary)
- 2001 Tart
- 2001 See Jane Run
- 1998 Apocalypse (Video Game)
- 1998 Battlezone (Video Game)
- 1998 Interstate '76 Nitro Pack (Video Game)
- 1997 Heavy Gear (Video Game)
- 1997 Dark Reign: The Future of War (Video Game)
- 1997 Shanghai: Dynasty (Video Game)
- 1996 MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (Video Game)
- 1996 Spycraft: The Great Game (Video Game)
- 1995 MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat (Video Game)
- 1995 MechWarrior 2 Expansion Pack: Ghost Bear's Legacy (Video Game)
JAMES TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
James is a champion of independent game development, getting his start in video game development over a decade ago. James is better known for his role as producer of the MechWarrior MekPak Expansions on the PC and Tesla Pod System. As an artist himself, James believes that video game development can be an amazing experience when developers are allowed to work directly with their fans.
VINCE MCMULLIN, PRODUCER
Vince has spent years developing, modding and producing content for the mech community through MekTek.net, a community-orientated mod team supporting the mech genre. He is well known as the founder of MekTek and advocates strongly for independent video game development. Professionally, Vince has worked in the R&D sector developing 3D technologies with real-world civilian and military application for the better part of a decade.
JOHN NGUYEN, MARKETING COORDINATOR
A Montreal, QC native, John started his career in law, running his own law firm before making the jump to marketing. During his 5 years as marketing director for Dream Pod 9, he gave new life to the Heavy Gear brand as well as contributed enormously in several Heavy Gear publications. Heavy Gear is now one of the most exciting mech-based table-top properties in the hobby games industry. John has also served briefly in the Canadian Forces as an infantry officer.
Stompy Bot Productions — Cute name, killer company. New Brunswick’s premier independent digital publisher, Stompy Bot was created by gamers to produce quality independent video games and media. Stompy Bot is committed to supporting developers and artists who they, themselves, are committed to crafting innovation.
As a crowdfunding contributor, you'll be among a small group of instrumental gamers, believers and hardcore mech fans. You've seen what we have in mind and our vision of where this could go. We want to create a game that the mech community will get excited about and want to play. We aim to change the game industry around and give it a new perspective.
Mech games are pretty much dead according to large publishers. We aim to prove them wrong and to show them that the community has an insatiable appetite for mega-ton destruction. We want to push the technological envelope and show everyone what a true mech game can and ought to be.
Although our team includes industry veterans, we are essentially a new team, dedicated to the development of Heavy Gear Assault. We have the experience -- we need the support. We aim to bring the mech genre to new horizons, and we want you to be there with us when we do.
Click here for the full details of every pledge reward mentioned below.
Risks and challenges
With Heavy Gear Assault, our goal is to develop an innovative mech title with an amazing in-game experience. But depending on the funding levels reached, we may have to limit the experience for the initially released game version. We have a fully qualified team with members who have produced some of the best games in the industry but this team is in need of funding which is why we are asking the PC gamer community for help and offering you a chance to be part of something monumental -- the revival of a video game franchise.
Our innovative approach is like one no one has ever seen before, and thus a lot of the innovative features will require massive research to accomplish, but we have an experienced and talented team that is ready to meet the challenge if we receive our funding. Even with our very limited self-funding we have been able to do already a lot of work which is why we can show you not just concept art and a cinematic trailer, but actual game play. So, we are confident that even with limited means we will be able to deliver an amazing experience.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Yes. We will be adding a facility to our website to register your Kickstarter pledge once the campaign has finished. Go ahead and pledge and we will accumulate all your pledges for your final incentive package.
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Heavy Gear Arena is the perfect IP for Kickstarter because it allows us to home in on a very focused product. We have every intention to expand into the outer universe. It is part of our stretch goals.
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Our break down of $800,000 is based on the costs associated with building a modern video game. Video games are marvels of technological achievement and require a great deal of time and effort to develop. We are using the money to pay for the production costs for the game. Other Kickstarter projects have asked for similar amounts.
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Not an actual term used in the table top game nor the lore, but is used among the table top players of Heavy Gear; “core” Gears or “basic” Gears are the designs that are most common in the military forces on Terra Nova and are prominently featured in Dream Pod 9 books and supplements as well as in the product line.
Typically the term refers to one specific model in each of the four (4) military roles; Recon, Trooper or General Purpose, Strike and Heavy Support used by each of the Leagues or factions.
For Northern Factions Designs, these are: Trooper: Hunter, Recon: Cheetah, Strike: Jaguar, Support: Grizzly.
For Southern Factions Designs, these are: Trooper: Jager, Recon: Iguana, Strike: Black Mamba, Support: Spitting Cobra.
For Peace River Factions Designs (stretch goal), these are: Trooper: Warrior, Recon: Skirmisher, Strike: Warrior IV, Support: Crusader IV.
For New Coalition Factions Designs (stretch goal), these are: Trooper: Chasseur, Recon: Jerboa, Strike: Cuirassier, Support: Chevalier.
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HGA is a old school mech game with tons of controller options! We plan to support Joysticks, Game Pads, Rudders, Pedals, Keyboards, Mice, Kinect, and the list goes on. We are actually working with a major joystick manufacture to distribute copies of HGA with their devices. We are really excited by adding an excessive amount of controller options to HGA.
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Windows, Mac and Linux will all be supported.
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Heavy Gear Assault will feature old school mech simulator controls, including torso twist and throttle. It will not be using FPS controls.
Rewards
Funding period
- (40 days)