In a recent press release, a trio of independent game developers (Including ALTAR Games) have established the Independent Developers Association (IDEA Games) to provide a dedicated support structure to bring new titles to the market.

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Much more interesting, though, are the fresh details that can be gleaned from the Projects section of their site regarding UFO: Afterlight!!

That artwork suggests that Mars is being terraformed into a living planet during the events between Aftermath and Aftershock.

When the Council of Earth signed that treaty with the Reticulans, the deal was that the humans and Reticulans would live in the space settlements while Earth is transformed. However the space settlements seem to be large Reticulan ships going by the graphics. A Reticulan ship is so symbiotically connected to its pilot that neither can survive without the other, which means that the space settlements could not have been intended as permanant colonies.

Perhaps the Reticulans thought that Mars should be terraformed to provide a permanant home for themselves and humanity, and their offer was sincere.

I'm wondering if Altar are going to include any aspects of the Cydonia mythology, like Microprose did with X-Com. I hope they are careful because there is a lot of rathe bad science involved in the Cydonia mythology.

Another possibility is that they might decide to include a new species of intelligent life - Martians who have somehow survived a myrmecol attack on their homeworld. The starghosts must originate ffrom somewhere

Interesting! Thanks for the heads up!

Wow - didn't see that coming - the fact that it runs alongside the Aftershock timeline I mean!

Err... pondering why they never made contact during Aftershock... I guess they had their own problems though...

Maybe, like all things Aftershock at the beginning, they simply didn't know they were there, heck they didn't even know that Reticulans and Transgenants existed so what hope for a long lost Martian Colony?

As you said even by the time they would have done things would have gone...well...a bit skewy back at home (Wargots and Starghosts and all manner of Cultists) so contact from a lone faction you probably can't help from Mars would really be the least of your troubles.

Sounds like a good idea though and I'm really interested in what they come up with.

Looks like they haven't been exactly giving us all the details of what they are making http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/259924.asp

UFO: ET is not a game by ALTAR. It is by another Czech developer however, and it will be turn-based. Might be interesting!

Well i guess we will wait and see what happens.

WOW, another UFO game! Phenomenal...

BTW, a nice hello to you guys, it's been ages since I last posted.

Aftershock is definitely a HUGE upgrade of Aftermath and if Afterlight makes the same leap, we've got ourselves a winner.

EDIT: I'm unable to reach the main page of all three games. Am I the only one with these problems?

Shouldn't this be in the UFO:AL Board?

No, this forum is for news concerning all three games (will change it's name soon)

The "Projects" section of the IDEA Games web site has been redesigned to individualise each project's space. Now offering a slightly rewritten version of UFO: Afterlight's story as well.

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Check it out here!

p.s.: if you look carefully you'll find a minute novelty present in the features listing as well...

Help me out Mr T, is it mind control you're alluding to?

Right you are, Pete.

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But it's not a cut and dried affair - we know that Reticulans can be made a part of our squad and psi is their special knack. On the other hand, we're also told some of the human colonists' quirks include hereditary traits and equipment...