(I was not entirely sure where to put this, as it is looking for mainly discussion, but also encouraging interested users to connect. If this is better suited elsewhere, please let me know)
Hi there,
I'm not making this, however I wanted to start a conversation with itch community members as it seems like something a lot of people could possibly weigh in on from multiple different angles.
For backstory, I used to play a game called Steamland (Locoland in EU) for hours and hours as a kid. Nothing I've ever played really has quite the unique feeling of this game, it hits this sweet spot of puzzle and strategy, focusing on winning battles with different parameters on each level with various trains. And although the "strategic level based game" has been a formula done again and again, the feeling this game gives feels very different- and not just for nostalgia.
The problem is, it's outdated, and the dev team who made it seems to have long since disappeared - or stopped caring. All that is left of it is a steam page to purchase it from, and a community forum page. Nothing from the developers, and no plans to add on or fix anything. The game will eventually, and most likely, one day break and be lost.
Which is why I randomly threw the idea out there to remake it in the community forums on steam, and I am slowly collecting Steamland players interested in a game being made that is either a remake or a game with similar vibes as the original.
So, my reasons for posting:
1. I want to open a dialogue with devs, artists, producers, the community alike, to see what kind of roadblocks I might face if pursuing this. Remaking or creating a part 2 for a game from a long dead dev team, what would be the likelihood of legal repercussions? Would it be frowned upon? It's a game with 'good trains' and 'bad trains', how much of this would even be protected under IP laws? It's quite a broad concept, with not a lot of 'lore'.
2. I want to see, if people remember or know this game, what they think the key factors of the game are that make it unique. Or, if you think it's not unique at all. Opinions are never wrong
3. If people remember the game, and have some sort of skill, and would like to volunteer their help if we do end up doing something of a passion project with this. It's a long shot, since it is such a small game of such a long time ago, but I figured where else could I look but here? Devs, artists, sound, anything- even just testing or ideas. We have a very small discord group I'd be happy to invite you to if you're interested. https://discord.gg/gjgMuVtXCX