Please NO! I dont want to see what they did with HW1 on cataclysm. Cataclysm works exelent by itself. it sould be on steam original and ready for new computers no more…
Thing is it would be impossible to just re-release Cataclysm like that without the (lost, possibly corrupted since then. Digital data has a much shorter lifespan than people think by the words of people with actual archivist experience) source code.
So rermaking it is basically the only option. And even the creators of Cataclysms wouldn’t use the Cataclysm source code for that even if it was available due to the messiness of it’s code(being based on the apparently messy HW1 source code).
Even them felt it was a good idea that Gearbox had ditched the HW1 engine when they decided to Remaster the game.
And all that discussion leads us back to what I suggested…
It would have been the Gold standard to produce a new Engine for all of the Homeworld franchise, fully optimized for multicore systems. Something like that would have been a saleable asset in its own right.
Whilst fully acknowledging the risk in such a bold move. I really whish Gearbox had just been a bit braver and took the plunge. even at the expense of a delayed release and a higher purchase price. Just the ease in which future releases could be tied in would have been fantastic.
As Cataclysm is built on the HW1 Engine (a couple of iterations removed from original) the extent to which the source code is needed is probably less than we imagine, though still not a simple task. the problems mount up when you realise it will have to be adapted into the new modified HW2 engine and as we have seen just getting the standard HW1 source code to mesh has been challenging to say the least.
In other words to get to where we want to go were probably starting from the wrong place 
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The source is used as a template. They want to remaster, not make an entirely new game. I mean, consider how long it took to make Cata in the first place, and then consider how long it would take to rebuild it completely.
Then there is also the fact that some assets are actually portable between the platform, and it looks like some bugs from HW1 are still in HW:R!
What I’m saying is, whilst it would be effin amazing if they did it, they still need that damned source. If they don’t have it, we would be talking about a remake, not a remaster.
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I just saw a video where they guys who made cata are commenting the whole they can’t remake cata is an excuse, somebody even posted it somewhere on this forum.
No they don’t need that source code it would be benefical, yes. But not necessarily required. As for the so called Hw1 remaster. It wasn’t one at all. It’s a simple plain mod for Homeworld2 with enhanced audio and models.
The only unique things I can possibly think of right now are the full voice acting support for all 4 factions & the enhanced graphic framework + the modernisation for current OS… Those were the only things modders were unable to do so by themselves… The rest is literally the same. Have I forgotten anything???.. I still like the remastered edition of course so don’t get this wrong anyone… 
their best course of action for future titles after this and ship breakers still remains an entire new engine or renting another engine
You forgot the updated and officially supported mod tools and steam workshop integration. I think that out of the entirety of HW:R those things alone will do more for this game than anything else. It is what will make this game survive another 16 years and is probably the single best decision GBX has made with regards to HW. I applaud them for it.
Also I know I at least posted a link to that podcast about cata. Now this is all from memory so please forgive if I say anything wrong but what Martin said was that now that they have a remastered engine (he btw agrees with using the HW2 engine instead of the hw1 engine as it was a mess) they could more easily rebuild cata in that engine. So take what everyone is complaining about with HW1 (Where they actually had the source code right) and now imagine that they have to rebuild cata without the source code changes to the HW1 engine that cata had and apply is to the remastered engine.
Yea, if I was gearbox with the amount of toxicity around HW1:R I’d probably think twice but if they figure they can do so profitably they might do a cata REMAKE instead of a remaster. They just wont be able to add the classic version like with HW1 and 2.
It’s an interesting issue that they are sitting with don’t you think?
Edit: I agree that for HW3 a heavily modified or even entirely new engine would be best but again, they will only do this if they can do so profitably. They’re not a charity or non profit 
True - in regards of a classic re-release then again who needs it anyway considering that they stripped the lan mode outta the classic re-releases (so I’ve heard) making sure that peeps play only the RM Edition which makes sense for them at least… The Cd version still works even on win7…
As for HW3: only ship breakers will tell if we ever get to see a Hw3 considering the critism thus far on their re-release they probably consider if they wanna go through that again… Then again money tells tales… It’s to early to speculate regarding HW3…
The thing you have to remember is that it’s usually only the vocal minority that you find on the internet forums. Not that their opinions aren’t valid mind you! Most people if the game was bad would not buy it and definitely not bother registering on a forum just to say that its bad and if the game was good would be busy playing it and again, not bother to register on a forum just to say the game is good.
All I’m saying is that the amount of units sold of HW:R and Shipbreakers are what will dictate if we see HW3 or even a cata remake though the toxicity level on the forums might influence how those things are presented in the case of a cata remake or the HW3 engine (physics vs RNG). If they can’t do a cata remake close enough to the original they might not decide it to be worth it with how people reacted to the HW1 remaster (Because people’s opinions do matter ).
That is what a remaster it. Improvements to the chore game, nothing more, nothing less.
What you are talking about is a remake, which would involve building it from scratch.
@mcsouthgate got a link to that? I have seen a few comments about it, but never anything that doesn’t point towards GB having to remake the game from the core up (minus the engine, cause YES, we all know it’s a pimped up HW2 engine).
Considering they aren’t working on the remastered games, I find their opinion to be -highly- suspect.
Here are the current issues with adding cataclysm races to the current MP (this is beyond not having the source code of course)
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Balancing super weapons. Only the Somtaw have the Siege cannon, and holy balls is it effective. Since no one else has anything -remotely- similar to it, issues of balance would have to be addressed.
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Balancing Infection Beam. Just about everyone would be susceptible to the beast if you completely ignore the ending plot from Cataclysm… in which only the Kushan and Tiidan would be victims to it.
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Balancing Energy weapons. energy shots always hit. Always.
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overcoming the modular construction graphical and gameplay issues.
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Integrating AOE attacks
These alone are just the tip of the iceburg.