Reflex - Arena FPS
Last week, I stumbled upon a Kickstarter campaign for a new Arena-based FPS shooter called Reflex. A first view through their front-page video might leave you asking what sets it apart from other Arena FPS games we've been playing for more than a decade, and fortunately, the guys behind the scenes have been posting updates that I encourage everyone to read. Check out the kickstarter campaign here. Their latest update was regarding movement, and I think this is really going to refine the recipe that has made arena FPS so much fun. This easy-to-learn-but-hard-to-master approach was done for games like TF2. It's a game that is incredibly easy to pick up and play at a competent level, but in order to get to the next level of play, you really have to spend a lot of time on muscle memory and practice. I can't tell you how much time I spent in TF2 during my competitive years just rocket jumping off of walls. While I don't have the time to invest 30-40+ hours a week perfecting my skills in a game, I do believe the guys behind Reflex are doing the right things. They're not re-imagining the Arena FPS; you don't need to. What they are doing is taking a formula that works well and adding their own spin to it. Skill jumping is a huge part of it, but after watching streams of their pre-alpha build, there's so much more behind it that I find very compelling. I suggest you go check out their Kickstarter campaign. They crossed over the $60k mark over the weekend, but their aggressive $360,000 goal is still quite a ways away. So, consider backing it if that's your thing. They're also on twitter and facebook, so you can at least catch when they're streaming the pre-alpha content. The other thing that I've grown to expect these days, especially with planning .LAN every year, is that folks typically don't take the time to reply to you. I send out hundreds of e-mails in the months leading up to .LAN, and I would say that a small percentage is replied to. These guys have been very candid and up front with my personal messages to them and I give them a ton of credit for it. Surprisingly, Blizzard and Hi-Rez are the other two that have not grown too big to support this growing event where they can.
I say this because when I do find folks that seem passionate about what they do and take time to reply and be respectful, I make every effort I can to support them. Reflex, and the developers behind this seem like they want to do this. I support that, because I have the same drives and goals with .LAN. Money has never been a determining factor for me. If it were, I would have quit a long time ago. Passion, games and friendships all drive me to keep doing .LAN year to year. It may not be a glorious endeavor, but it's worth it in the end. Let's help Reflex realize the same successes I've seen with .LAN over the last six years.










