So long, Space Cowboy
[Header courtesy of Steam user Apoc Hedgie]
Tribes 2 was one of my favorite games as a pre-teen. I would wake up super early so I could get some uninterrupted play in on my dial-up modem. That is a piece of technology I haven’t thought about in a long time, but those memories were joyous. I learned to type really fast because of Tribes 2.
Tribes: Ascend, while solid, never clicked with me. I couldn’t seem to get into the series after the glory that was Tribes 2. I did give the game a fair shot and even accumulated about 10 hours on Steam, but I eventually grew tired of the free-to-play schemes that were bolted on. I just wanted different weapons without paying, despite being pretty damn good at the game.
After a surprise patch last year, it looks like developer Hi-Rez Studios is done with the title. In a new update, titled “Parting Ways,” Tribes: Ascend will be coming to an end. The game will still remain up for download (and with all of its microtransactions up for purchase, heaven forbid), but there will be no official support moving forward.
I think this would be a great opportunity to turn the game over to the community. Much like how, in the distant past of 1997, id Software turned over the keys to Doom, it would be wise to let people go nuts with Ascend. It runs on the Unreal 3 engine, so people could easily mod the hell out of it.
If nothing else, at least remove all of the free-to-play nonsense. I’d love to actually have a different weapon and class without playing for an exorbitant amount of time. The game was really fun, at first.
Tribes Is Dead Again [Kotaku]
