The countdown begins in August for limited-time game 'The Flock'
The Flock is a multiplayer horror game with a twist -- its in-game population begins at 215,358,979, and every time someone dies, the counter drops by one. When the population hits zero, the game will no longer be available for purchase and only those who already own it will be able to participate in The Flock's final phase. The games begin on August 21st, when The Flock hits Steam and the Humble Store for $17.
The Flock is set in the year 3000, when the Earth has been ravaged by pollution so thick that it blocked out the sun, forcing humans to extinction. A skeletal, agile race called the Flock now roam the land. They discover an illuminated Light Artifact that transforms whomever holds it into the Carrier, a humanoid creature. Players attempt to capture objectives as the Carrier or simply survive while holding the Light Artifact, fighting off entire hordes of Flock with its radiance. The Flock is a tale of extinction and developers at Vogelsap hope to convey the harsh realities of life among a dwindling population.
Plus, as they write in a new FAQ page:
Most indie multiplayer games lose their player base within a year. Even heavy hitters such as Titanfall and Evolve have a fast dwindling player base. The most popular games such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike still have a somewhat anticlimactic ending of their players' experience. Because in the end at some point -- and this can be after five years or two months -- you'll stop playing because you either got bored of it, you've seen it all or you, or your friends have no longer time to play. We want to tackle that problem, and make sure The Flock ends with a climax after which the game will be fondly remembered.
Vogelsap developers also address how they'll handle hacking and bots in the game. First,they'll give the hacker a warning and revert all lives, even legitimate ones, that he or she has removed from the game. Repeated hacking or use of bots will result in a ban. In-game suicides shouldn't impact the population much, developers say: "We rather hope you have fun scaring your friends and enjoy the extra content we're planning to release. Also, there's a respawn time."
The only way Vogelsap would add lives to the in-game population is if developers launch the game on other platforms, such as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. If this happens, all platforms will share a single population pool. "The finale is something to be experienced only once by the players of The Flock," Vogelsap writes.
Anyone who pre-orders The Flock from the Humble Store or Vogelsap's website, or buys it during launch week on Steam, will receive an extra game key to give to a friend. Or an enemy. Your choice.
