Hardwar
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- For the Indian town, see Haridwar.
| Hardwar | |
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| Developer(s) | The Software Refinery |
| Publisher(s) | Gremlin Interactive Interplay |
| Release date(s) | 1998 |
| Genre(s) | Futuristic flight simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer over serial, TCP/IP or DirectPlay |
| Rating(s) | ELSPA: 11 and above |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows/DirectX 5) |
| Media | 2 CD-ROMs |
| System requirements | P166 (MMX supported), 16 MB RAM, Direct3D or 3Dfx compatible accelerator card |
Hardwar (sometimes stylized HardW[a]r or given the full name Hardwar: The Future Is Greedy) is a 1998 science fiction simulation computer game developed by The Software Refinery and published by Gremlin Interactive. In the USA, the game was distributed by Interplay under license. The box artwork and styling for game was created by The Designers Republic, who also worked on the Wipeout series. The music was created by artists signed to the Warp Records label.
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[edit] Overview
Hardwar places the player in the role of a freelance "moth" flyer in Misplaced Optimism, a space colony located on Saturn's moon, Titan, where the colony from Earth had been left to its own devices, amid the orange haze and above the liquid methane lakes. The player chooses the degree of lawlessness his activities will contain. He can trade honestly, wary of pirates. He could also hunt outlaws himself, collecting bounties from the various police stations. Many AI moths flit about with valuable cargo for him to steal, should he decide to; however, stolen cargo in the player's hands can be confiscated by the police or stolen by other outlaws. The player character may also be a lowly scavenger like many AI moths, picking at the dropped cargo of panicked traders.
Gameplay is against the backdrop of a plot involving the warring power groups on Titan and eventual escape from it. The player can buy many hangars around Titan, making storage and repairs much simpler. Alternatively, the player could use a public hangar, such as one of the various businesses around the city. The player can sell goods out of his/her hangar, and based on market forces such as supply and demand, as well as distance to the supply, the player can set his/her own prices. Based on how good of a deal the player makes, AI moths will line up in droves to purchase goods, or fly on by for a better deal elsewhere. The player can even set up refining machines in his/her hangars, to turn scrap metal into ship parts, to turn water and chemicals into alcohol, or any number of other products.
The atmosphere of the game is furtive, as the player's solar-powered "moth" craft alights on an energy well to recharge, where the player must quickly plan the next leg of his/her route. Even when on the side of the law, the player must be wary of enemies made along the way...and the ultralight moth spacecraft are definitely not meant for long voyages while being assaulted by missiles and various other special weapons.
Individuals can set up home servers so that client players can play together in a single environment.
[edit] Status after developer's demise
Since 2002, when "The Software Refinery" went into voluntary liquidation, Hardwar is no longer officially supported by its creators. During two years the game was no longer improved except for independent player-developers. However since November 2004 one of the members of the original team reappeared and started correcting some of the original bugs. The only customer service you'll see is in an online forum dedicated to the game.
As of August 2006, the Software Refinery has been formally dissolved, as indicated by Companies House records. Some consider Hardwar to be abandonware, but it is still sold in bargain-bins at some small software stores.
[edit] Trivia
- Referencing the movie Hackers, three of the pilots that appear in the Police's Wanted List are named "Zero Cool", "Acid Burn", and "Crash Override".
- Designer and producer, Ade Carless, also plays the Police Uber-Clerk in several FMV clips.
- The GMTV presenter Ben Shephard plays Syd in the game.
- The Software Refinery was located in the northern England city of Leeds, and several hangars in-game are based upon actual buildings near to where the company had its offices.
