EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/9hcioI0.jpg)
I'm surprised this has not garnered more attention. I know there have been several articles, including Forbes, that have mentioned Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak pre-orders were released on Steam. Pre-ordering grants a copy of HW remastered which includes HW1 and 2 remastered versions AND HW1 and 2 classic versions. If you have never experienced any of the Homeworld games, this is the time to hop on board.
HW: DoK is a prequel to HW1 but it is the third HW game. Many consider this prequel a "step back" since it moves away from space combat and focuses on land based battles in the desert to control a powerful artifact that leads the people of Kharak to their eventual destiny in the stars. The devs over at Blackbird Interactive (BBI respectively) have put forth amazing effort into the game utilizing the Unity Engine to create 13 mission campaign that will tell a new chapter in the history of the Hiigarans.
BBI has promised huge maps with weather effects that will affect gameplay. Ground and air units are expected and of course, a central factory "land based" carrier/mothership that produces those units. Unlike StarCraft 2, this mothership carries all of your tech buildings, production facilities and food supply. Losing your mothership likely means you'll lose the game. This is based on previous Homeworld entries, so far no gameplay has been revealed of DoK so this may change.
Online play has been included as more than just a "checkmark feature" according to one BBI Dev. Players will compete in ranked ladders. BBI-Pherrera had this to say. "All I can say right now is that, there is going to be a lot of opportunity for micro in DoK, not only because of the design of some units, but also because of the terrain design and some other features that reward tactical movement."
One of the main competitive MP devs, who was on the MP design team and has since moved on, was a former competitive Canadian starcraft player by the name of Taylor "Mora" Fales. A source revealed that MP was a very big focus of BBI to ensure longevity of the game. They are also encouraging modders to utilize their game/engine on their official forums since HW2 was loved by the modding community.
I'm personally very excited for the game to release Jan. 20th, 2016. There are no game play videos currently but keep an eye out as I'm sure BBI will release content soon after the holidays to get their HYPE TRAIN up to full speed. I'm also planning to make a more serious return to RTS with DoK and I hope everyone will follow me on my twitch channel as I re-engage with my Commander side. =)
