Game News Out There: Oceans of Time manages a release

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Mi-Clos Studio; Out There: Oceans of Time

Out There: Oceans of Time is now available for the masses with a Steam version or the DRM free GOG version. So, for those that didn't read the review, or place the first game, or get the android one, or have just emerged from a cave, this is a space faring rogue-like where you explore space, gather resources, find or purchase new ships, salvage derelicts, save planets, and boldly go forth and hunt down some evil guy named Archon. Here's some of the release stuff:

The successor to the award-winning Out There, Oceans of Time blends roguelike, resource management and interactive fiction for a space survival epic where death is one wrong decision away.

As Commander Nyx, explore a vast galaxy that is different every time you play, as you search for the Archon; a cosmic villain set on dominating the civilisations of the galaxy.

Encounter other strange lifeforms and learn to communicate, trade, and conduct diplomacy as you build a coalition of allies in your mission to find the Archon.​

The reviews are already Mixed on Steam, but there's not that many of them. Apparently there's some survival elements and bugs that people aren't liking too much. I'm not real thrilled I can't make my own Captain.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

With a little tweaking this looks like it'll be a pretty good game. Looks like there's some issue with the rest mechanic where you have to go in and out of a system to rest, which takes fuel, potentially screwing you over.
Though the "interactive fiction" part of the description makes me a bit nervous. I'm unsure exactly what they mean by that. Like a visual novel? Sure, all the classic space RPGs had great stories, but they didn't throw endless walls of text at you, they were concise and to the point of whatever character was making that point.

 

[SerratedBiz]

Though the "interactive fiction" part of the description makes me a bit nervous. I'm unsure exactly what they mean by that. Like a visual novel? Sure, all the classic space RPGs had great stories, but they didn't throw endless walls of text at you, they were concise and to the point of whatever character was making that point.

Space Rangers 2 mixed interactive fiction, CYOA-like segments of gameplay into its core loop and I'm decently sure they were loved by everyone who played the game. It didn't hurt that the writing in the game was decidedly Russian and sarcastic, which made them great to read. Of course, the one drawback to this system is that, eventually, you're going to see all the stories that are available which means you're bound to repeat some of them.

But it's not a bad idea in itself.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Though the "interactive fiction" part of the description makes me a bit nervous. I'm unsure exactly what they mean by that. Like a visual novel? Sure, all the classic space RPGs had great stories, but they didn't throw endless walls of text at you, they were concise and to the point of whatever character was making that point.

Space Rangers 2 mixed interactive fiction, CYOA-like segments of gameplay into its core loop and I'm decently sure they were loved by everyone who played the game. It didn't hurt that the writing in the game was decidedly Russian and sarcastic, which made them great to read. Of course, the one drawback to this system is that, eventually, you're going to see all the stories that are available which means you're bound to repeat some of them.

But it's not a bad idea in itself.

I suppose that's fair enough, but interactive fiction usually implies something akin to a text adventure, not a CYOA. I guess at this point its more arguing semantics than anything else, but also don't really see that as being too unique from the standard RPG formula, since there are quite a few games that do something like a CYOA that don't get stuck with that label at all.
Either way if that's what Out There is like, I see it being a really good game once the bugs are fixed.

 

[MicoSelva]

The first one got repetitive very fast and suffered from lack of any combat mechanics. This one looks somewhat more interesting and ambitious, though.

 

[Nazrim Eldrak]

Hmm, the average gameplay from the reviews seems to be around 5 hours or so.
I remember playing "Mordheim: City of the Damned" for over 5 hours and I fucking hated the combat system.
I wanted a refund but I exceeded game time, so no refund.
After that I watched some YouTube reviews as to why this game is so "amazing", well I realized it was my lack of commitment.

So I don't trust reviews with around 5 to 10 hours of gameplay.
15 hours is ok.

Let's wait and see how the game develops.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

So I don't trust reviews with around 5 to 10 hours of gameplay.
15 hours is ok.

Agreed. There's also looking at the reviews and seeing if the complaints are something that can be or are likely to be "fixed". When there's mixed reviews the day of release, and they complain about resource management, that can easily be fixed or improved by upping the stack size.

 

[ShaggyMoose]

People that play a game for two minutes and then either slam it or gush about it in a Steam review are fucking useless human beings.

 

[Corbin Dallas Multipass]

People that play a game for two minutes and then either slam it or gush about it in a Steam review are fucking useless human beings.

Exactly. You are supposed to play them for 0 minutes and base your review off a half remembered forum argument and/or the dev's politics.

Actually, to me, the absolute worst reviews are the "Yeah it's buggy, and it crashes constantly, really it doesn't work at all, and it deleted my entire hard drive. 7/10 recommended."