- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 99,582
Tags: Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game; Iron Tower Studio; Vince D. Weller
It's time for another end-of-year Colony Ship development update. The beta test for the game's upcoming Early Access release was originally supposed to have begun this month, but has been delayed until at least February. Presumably the Early Access release itself, originally planned for March, will be delayed accordingly. According to the update, the last two tasks that need to be completed before the beta can begin are the programming for non-human enemies and initiation of combat upon failure of a stealth mission. However, the primary topic of the update is the Hydroponics Division, the last of the three locations that will be included in the Early Access build. It's a hostile, creature-infested jungle whose only permanent human inhabitants are the faction known as the Grangers. Their leader, Carlos Maney, makes an appearance in the accompanying batch of screenshots.
We hoped to wrap up everything in December and start the beta in mid-Jan, but we're still 3-4 weeks of work away from the finish line. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time we get there, another month of work would pop up out of nowhere, but let's stay positive and hope it's the final stretch.
On the programming side, the last hurdle is the non-human enemies. They have properties such creatures never had in our previous games, which required more work and changes than anticipated. They can be placed on walls (see the old wasteland concept), have abilities humans don't, different THC formulas that doesn't factor in stats and skills, different movement (a frog jumps over several tiles), etc.
The other task is relatively minor. When you enter a stealth mode, the designated infiltrator is removed from the party (provided you have one), which waits outside. If combat starts (if you're spotted by guards or fail to kill a guard from behind, we need to switch to the party mode and teleport the party inside the building (at the entrance point, not next to you).
On the scripting side, the framework is done. What's left to script are the journal entries, quest rewards, and reputation modifiers. Overall, the game is shaping up well and we hope you'll enjoy it. The first chapter has 3 locations (the Pit, Armory, Hydroponics), 22 quests with multiple solutions, and 30+ fights.
Speaking of Hydroponics:
The Hydroponic Division was originally conceived to adapt Terran plants to the anticipated environment of Proxima Centauri. Extensive gene-editing was employed to develop resistance to alien fungi and pests, and accelerated adaptation hacked into the plants' genetic code.
Like many other critical systems, Hydroponics was abandoned during the Mutiny. The carefully cultivated flora and fauna was left on its own in harsh environs designed to propagate rapid and brutal evolutionary cycles. When men returned to reclaim Hydroponics, they discovered an environment as wild and hostile as any Earth jungle...
That's all for now. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your families!
Now that's a cool-looking area. Those frogs lurking in the first screenshot have been mentioned before.
It's time for another end-of-year Colony Ship development update. The beta test for the game's upcoming Early Access release was originally supposed to have begun this month, but has been delayed until at least February. Presumably the Early Access release itself, originally planned for March, will be delayed accordingly. According to the update, the last two tasks that need to be completed before the beta can begin are the programming for non-human enemies and initiation of combat upon failure of a stealth mission. However, the primary topic of the update is the Hydroponics Division, the last of the three locations that will be included in the Early Access build. It's a hostile, creature-infested jungle whose only permanent human inhabitants are the faction known as the Grangers. Their leader, Carlos Maney, makes an appearance in the accompanying batch of screenshots.
We hoped to wrap up everything in December and start the beta in mid-Jan, but we're still 3-4 weeks of work away from the finish line. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time we get there, another month of work would pop up out of nowhere, but let's stay positive and hope it's the final stretch.
On the programming side, the last hurdle is the non-human enemies. They have properties such creatures never had in our previous games, which required more work and changes than anticipated. They can be placed on walls (see the old wasteland concept), have abilities humans don't, different THC formulas that doesn't factor in stats and skills, different movement (a frog jumps over several tiles), etc.
The other task is relatively minor. When you enter a stealth mode, the designated infiltrator is removed from the party (provided you have one), which waits outside. If combat starts (if you're spotted by guards or fail to kill a guard from behind, we need to switch to the party mode and teleport the party inside the building (at the entrance point, not next to you).
On the scripting side, the framework is done. What's left to script are the journal entries, quest rewards, and reputation modifiers. Overall, the game is shaping up well and we hope you'll enjoy it. The first chapter has 3 locations (the Pit, Armory, Hydroponics), 22 quests with multiple solutions, and 30+ fights.
Speaking of Hydroponics:
The Hydroponic Division was originally conceived to adapt Terran plants to the anticipated environment of Proxima Centauri. Extensive gene-editing was employed to develop resistance to alien fungi and pests, and accelerated adaptation hacked into the plants' genetic code.
Like many other critical systems, Hydroponics was abandoned during the Mutiny. The carefully cultivated flora and fauna was left on its own in harsh environs designed to propagate rapid and brutal evolutionary cycles. When men returned to reclaim Hydroponics, they discovered an environment as wild and hostile as any Earth jungle...
That's all for now. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your families!
