Black Sun

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Name: Black Sun
Developer: International Hobo
Systems: PS2, Xbox, PC
Due date: 2001/2002

Black Sun is a cancelled PS2, Xbox, and PC game by International Hobo.
It was to be an third-person MMORPG space trading game.

Plot

The setting is the Mithras system, which is a pair of binary stars and six surrounding planets.
A civil war breaks out between these planets.
You can choose to get involved or do your own thing.

You would control a deep freighter, an independent ship of the Combine.
The Combine is the political and economic alliance of the Mithras planets.
You can ship arms to either side of the civil war to determine the outcome.

Gameplay

You can choose to play as either Franz or Jenna.
Rather than pick a role in a menu, you pick a combat role during combat.
This is all related to your character. It's complicated.

Combat roles
Electronic Warfare Officer fires electronic-magnetic pulse to disable enemy weapons
Gunner the main damage dealer
Helmsman controls the mounted gun on the spine of the ship
Engineer repairs your ship when damage is taken

You need money to thrive in this game, which goes by the currency called Mark.
Marks can be converted into Guild Scrip, which is the main currency.
Presumably if you're wanted by the authorities, you can't easily trade Marks for Guild Strips.

Deliver goods and resources and you;ll build up contacts.
Some of these may be black market contacts, such as illegal weapons and untaxed goods.
Engaging in crime will catch the eye of the military, which will make trading difficult.

Types of trading
Commodity Trading buying goods at low price in one place and selling for profit in another
Contract Trading deliver cargo or passengers to a specific place
Scrip Trading the guilds have different values for Scrip

What to do with your money? Perhaps buy a facility to increase cash flow.
Messing with the economy too much will have the Guild of that planet aim to stop you.
If you are a majority scripholder you can use your political influence to make good deals for you.

There was to be a whole host of missions to engage in.
There was to be over twenty-different plotlines that dynamically changes as you make decisions.
This means there is a ton of different endings.

Types of missions
Deliver cargo both legal and illegal goods, and you're not always told if illegal
Deliver Passenger sometimes they are fugitives or will try to hijack you
Distress Call save a ship from battle or save a colony on a planet
Escort escort a ship, which may try to hijack you
Duel a 1v1 battle, winner takes the loser's property
Vigilante Payments bounty hunting the criminals
Shakedown test-flying a newly build ship
Militia assist a faction by destroying ships or defending them

Cancellation

Black Sun was cancelled due to being such as big project doomed by a lack of funds.

External Links