Our only other newsbit for NorthStar was the original announcement.  If you recall, this is a space trader/RPG from Kerberos (Sword of the Stars RTS).  This time, StrategyCore interviews CEO and Lead Designer Martin Cirulis:

SC: You wrote that missions will vary from game to game and even that seemingly same missions may well turn out very differently. What else can we expect in terms of enhancing replayability? Are there main plot variations, different endings to the game? Oh, and do you always get to find your mom?

MC: Wow, more than an hundred missions and sub missions all with at least one variation and many with 3 or 4 isn’t enough replayability for you?   Seriously though, there are plot variations at the moment and much of it depends just how and when you do things.  Unlike a lot of current RPGs where the universe just sits there waiting for you to get to a mission, time passes in Nstar.  And besides, never make too many assumptions about the final point of any story told by Kerberos. <cue evil laugh>

SC: What seems to be a bit of a focal point (please correct me if I am wrong) in Northstar are people. Being an RPG, Northstar lets you pick your character’s stats and skills and control his development. Will it also let you do the same for the whole party?

MC: Nstar will definitely be a little more character driven in comparison to the recent genre trend of blurring “trading” with what is, predominantly, a spacefighter combat sim.  So character interaction both in use and development will be fairly central to the Nstar experience.  We believe you should be able to tailor and grow a crew that fits your style of play.

BluesNews brings us word that Kerberos Productions, developers of the 4X space game, Sword of the Stars and formerly part of the team for Sierra's Homeworld:Cataclysm, are working on a sci-fi, turn-based tactical combat RPG to be known as NorthStar. Your comments are invited, so let us know if you would like to see coverage on this one.

Here's the summary from BluesNews:

Kerberos Productions announces development of NorthStar, a science fiction RPG set in a different continuity than their Sword of the Stars 4X games. NorthStar is described by Kerberos CEO Martin Cirulis as being "...about putting the rogue back in your wingcommander." A NorthStar Forum is already live to foster discussion of the project, and offers a few details, including word that combat will be more tactical than flight sim (it sounds like ship navigation may be third-person), there will be an emphasis on exploration and trade, cooperative multiplayer support will be offered, and more.

A list of game features, some early concept art and these details can be found here:

Personal starcraft were extremely rare - governments and corporations travelled between the stars as they pleased, not us little people. Not hardly ever. But the lawyer said the will was clear - my mother had left me an old cargo hauler. Her first ship and now it was mine. Now I can travel the stars as I please. Now I can find out what really happened to her. --Maclean


• Countless RPG missions, nested with story-specific missions, that take place on ships, spacestations, planets, and moons! Shoot it out in ship-to-ship combat or shoot it out on the ground as you and your crew try and make a living!

• Faction-based reputation in dealing with various groups expanding throughout the stars, each modeled as the future, fictional version of Earth nations!

• Massive amounts of cargo that the you can trade, sell, or use for yourself, including combining items to produce new items to trade, sell or use! Map new planets in the air and then explore the surface with your crew for your own purposes or to make a little extra cash from land-hungry colonists!

• Dozens of ship classes, each with expandable levels of technology - which are reflected in the ship models, weapons and combat effects. Dozens of weapons and technology players can outfit their ship with in order to fly further, fast, carry more cargo, and protect themselves better!

• And more!

Some informal description and discussion, including this except is available at this link:

 

To us, the essence of the space trader was Han Solo. Yes, the falcon was a hot ship, but it wasn't supposed to be fighting star destroyers all the time or taking on endless jobs to shoot down space pirates...it was about the dealing with lowlife scum, hidden cargo panels, taking odd jobs on the surface of worlds, gunfights as well as dogfights. Shooting up things in space is fun for a bit, but actually watching the cops wander by your hidden cargo panel and wondering whether you should dive for cover and start blasting now? Thats the feel, tension and gameplay we want to bring back to the genre...

...And yes, there will be full traditional RPG character stat and skill use and development...

...As for missions...NorthStar will not just use a large amount of missions to infer replayability but will offer variablity in the missions themselves....In NorthStar, say on one playthrough a guy offers you cash to deliver a box to his brother on alpha centauri. You take the job, it turns out to the be the family china and the brother is very happy and he pays you. The next time you play through the game the man giving you the mission is really an assassin and the package is really a cleverly disguised bomb. The next time it might be a drug sting and at the other end is a squad of security troops waiting to frame and arrest you.