KickStarter Chernobylite - survival horror action RPG set in Chernobyl

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3123807918407303795

Weekly Report #103
Hello Stalkers!​

Can you smell the air? It is the smell of home baking, and family atmosphere. It’s finally here. A time when we can forget about our worries for a while and focus on what is really important in life. Presents!

And while we are talking about them… A lot of work and new challenges await us in the new year. So we use this holiday season to relax a bit and gain strength for what awaits us in 2022. But before we went for a well-deserved rest, we wanted to give you a present. And it's quite big one. Because we gave you a free update called "Ghost Town"! And it gives you the opportunity to visit a completely new location - Pripyat Residential Area.

Thanks to the technology we use in the production of the game, you can discover the surroundings of Pripyat recreated in a virtual world. You will wander the narrow streets between apartment blocks…

…which can sometimes be accessed for resources.

Also outside, you will find a lot of interesting (and necessary) items.

Of course, as befits Chernobylite, there will be plenty of interesting views ...

...as well as numerous events.

Do not forget to visit one of the main attractions of the new location - the "Lazurny" Pool. There is a lot to see there. After all, we’re talking about a really large sports complex. You can read the history of this place here.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3123806740758235242

On our Steam page you can watch a pre-record showing our walk through the Pripyat Residential Area. However, if you want to experience this journey yourself, feel free to do so - "Ghost Town" is available for download by everyone, absolutely for free.

Of course, the new location isn’t the only new thing we are introducing to you in this free update - check out the post below and read what else we have in store for you for this holiday season.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/4453495168680241953

That's it for today!
Happy holidays, Stalkers!

 

[Alienman]

Thought that game was completed. Secretly in early access still?

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Thought that game was completed. Secretly in early access still?

Many games seem to be so nowadays.
I've pretty much adopted release + 1 year policy on my purchases.

 

[Alienman]

Yeah, have to start to do that as well.

 

[cyborgboy95]

 

[GentlemanCthulhu]

Thought that game was completed. Secretly in early access still?

Many games seem to be so nowadays.
I've pretty much adopted release + 1 year policy on my purchases.

Or +2 years in the case of Owlcat

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3123807918453795623

Weekly Report #105​

Hello Stalkers!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! As you can see, some of us are still celebrating.

Others slowly return from holidays. We have a very busy year ahead of us, which can be seen in this picture.

Spoiler

[chernobylgame.com]

Yes, a lot of good things await you this year. Rest assured, we’ll reveal more details about what we’re currently working on soon. Well, maybe not right away - first we’ll have a little fun with you, as we are used to.

Before we enter the new year for good, let's stay in 2021 for a while. Of course, we’ll not do a summary again - we did so in the last report. Instead, we want to take a little look at the end of the year. Because then we received from you two of the best gifts that a small studio like ours could receive from its fans.

First Gift: Chernobylite was voted the best indie game of 2021! Our game was selected from among 100 other productions that took part in the Indie DB contest. Thank you for all your votes!

Second gift: Chernobylite has been in the top 10 highest grossing games to leave Early Access last year! In other words: you strongly supported our project long before the official premiere. The interest in the game exceeded our wildest expectations. And for this we would like to thank you once again with all our hearts!

The new year brings new challenges. We hope to go through them together!

That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3123809822937640079

Weekly Report #106​

Hello Stalkers!
In our reports, we often refer to what we are preparing for you in the near future. This way we revealed the content of Ghost Town step by step a few weeks before the release of this update - little things that didn't say much, but were quite enough to satisfy your appetites. Today we would like to look a little further - a few months ahead, to talk about something really big. Literally and figuratively. Here are the unfinished cooling towers of units 5 and 6 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant!

Spoiler

When the construction was planned, the towers were supposed to help cooling two yet-to-be-built new reactors (5 & 6) in the future. The existing ones used water from the Pripyat river in an open-cycle. But those towers were never finished - the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 stopped not only the power plant, but all the works around it. What about the towers? How big are they? The diameter is 120 meter with the height of about 150 meters.

Recently, during our last trip to Chernobyl, we had the opportunity to take a closer look at this structure. Literally, from the very inside.

We were able to take a lot of photos and record a lot of film material there, and also - which is equally important - record a lot of sounds.

However, the best views were outside. Especially near the water reservoir - here we had to be really careful not to fall into the water.

The reference material we collected during this trip was not in vain. Soon after returning to Poland, we started to transfer these views to the virtual world. We started modestly, with the preparation of assets...

…and then we went on to designing the entire level from scratch.

Do you see the differences?

It already looks pretty good. But there is still a long way to go until we give this area over to your use. From the very beginning, we wanted you to feel as if you were there when playing Chernobylite. We intend to keep our words to the very end.

That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!

 

[Zombra]

Decent sale is on. Skimming the thread, vibe is generally favorable. Is this good?

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I noticed a GOG sale as well.

Chernobylite Soundtrack
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51
20%. $3.99

Chernobylite Digital Artbook
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51
20%. $4.79

Chernobylite Deadly Frost Pack
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51
20%. $3.19

Chernobylite White Rose Pack
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51, All In! Games
20%. $3.19

Chernobylite
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51
20%. $23.99

Chernobylite - Autumn Dread Pack
2021, The Farm 51, The Farm 51, All In! Games
20% $3.19

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

we're all waiting to know the kkk. i've been baited by "crafting, survival, team managing", but the tutorial didn't really convince me. probably i should have gone straight into free mode.

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3108049125109664616

Weekly Report #112
Hello Stalkers!
Without further ado, we invite you to read the third and final episode of the series, in which we share with you the backstage of creating the music in Chernobylite. We would like to thank Mikołaj Stroiński for his contribution to our entries so far. At the same time, we would like to welcome Krzysztof Chalusiak, our friend, sound designer and composer, who will talk about the process of creating songs for some famous missions in the game.

Spoiler

Old Documents

A mission in which we make our way through small underground corridors to get important documents from Tarakan's closet. As Krzysztof explains, when writing music for this mission, he wanted to emphasize its claustrophobic nature:

“The first of these songs starts playing as soon as Igor enters the underground complex. The composition is based on interpenetrating, stretched sounds of synthesizers that dynamically change their sound and pitch. The delicate, yet strongly processed percussion accents enrich the texture of the piece. Operating synthesizers on several layers allowed me to build a sense of constant movement and change. This effectively builds a mood of uncertainty and emphasizes the mysterious atmosphere of the underground complex”.

“We get to hear the second track when Igor triggers the Tarakan trap. The pulse of this composition is much more concrete and systematic. The piece is based on bass sounds that set the rhythm for the composition. These are supported by arpeggiator, dynamically changing the harmonic and sonic values that rise and fall, emphasizing the tension accompanying Igor. Additionally, the players can still hear some sounds from the previous composition playing in the background. That was deliberate. It allowed me to successfully keep the coherence of both tracks and to progress from one sound to the next one in a natural way”.

Mikhail In Trouble

What kind of music is best to illustrate the rescue mission of our slightly unhinged companion? Well, one with a hint of psychedelia. After all, during this mission Igor ends up in a building filled with a strange gas, which most likely caused Mikhail to hallucinate.

“In the first composition, which starts playing as soon as Igor descends to the ground floor of the building, I only used a few synthesizers because I wanted to emphasize the dynamism of the second song. The first composition is based on an undulating, blurry synthesizer and its sound evolves over a very long period of time. Together with the synthesizer, there are strongly voiced percussion sounds that emerge from time to time".

“The second composition uses a wider palette of colors and it’s easy to see that a lot more is happening there. There are more synthesizers in this track and although it continues the ideas from the previous composition, I also added some new sounds and textures. I wanted the player to experience the music progression when advancing the mission. The second composition begins in a dramatic moment when Igor damages his gas mask.”

Difficult Truth

As Krzysztof explains, composing this piece was quite an interesting challenge. Without revealing too much of the plot, this piece was about emphasizing the character of… a particular location. What is it and where is it located? You have to discover it for yourself!

“The foundation of the piece are misty synthesizer sounds that intertwine with one another, generating a slow pulse. Their ambivalent color and harmonic composition create an aura of mystery and correspond well with the character of the place. By adding short, rhythmic sounds, I wanted to make the piece more dynamic. By making it digital, I emphasized the technological aspect of the place discovered by Igor”.

Old Hideout

For this particular mission, it was crucial to focus on the stage where Igor was about to unravel the mystery of Tarakan. The accompanying piece at this point has a clear, perceptible pulse that reflects the feeling of tension experienced by the protagonist.

by Fritz Fantom

“The foundation of the composition is based on the rhythm built up by several synthesizer bass sounds and processed recordings of falling clock hands” - Krzysztof explains - “the layers of these sounds interpenetrate one another, maintaining a specific pulse. In addition to shorter bass sounds, the piece is characterized by synthesizers with longer, resonating motifs. Their sound dynamically changes timbre, which effectively harmonizes with the sense of unease built up by short bass splashes”.

That's it. We hope you learned something interesting. We especially hope that this insight will encourage people who would like to create music for games in the future. Let us know in the comments if you would like to read more similar material in the future.

That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!

 

[Wulfric Pinewood]

New update is on and its hot bitches.
Hello Stalkers!
The day has finally come! After many months of hard, intensive work; after many trials and errors, we can finally reveal it: we’ve released a new, free DLC! Prepare some space on your hard drives, because there's a lot of new content waiting for you.

A crossbow with new powers
If you remember, we recently announced that we will give you a crossbow - a light and silent weapon that allows you to take your opponent out of a distance without noise. In the new DLC, we've added a small tweak to it, making the crossbow a truly powerful weapon. From now on, there is only one rule: one hit = multi kill.

In addition, we gave the bolts reason, dignity and self-awareness. If any of them don’t feel like fighting, they can simply fly off into the sunset in search of new adventures.

Pistol = blaster + railgun
The trusty handgun couldn’t escape improvements either. Perhaps you thought only a railgun and a blaster could be wreaking havoc? Then you thought wrong, fellow Stalkers. Thanks to new technology, this innocent looking pistol will be more powerful than the railgun and the blaster combined.

News for fans of agriculture
We know perfectly well that you like to set up large gardens in the base. I mean really big ones. Like who wants to be a Stalker if becoming a farmer is so much fun?

That's why we’ll add the Farmer Mode to the game! You will get access to a wide range of agricultural products that will allow you to turn a gray base into a thriving farm. Weeding flower beds, watering, sowing, and also - drum rolls! - animal breeding!

Do you like games like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley?

So you will be delighted! It's like playing these games, but with a Chernobylite twist!

New stuff in environment
We have decided to beautify the places you love to stop by even more. Look around next time when visiting buildings or while taking walks in open spaces. You never know what you will discover. Here's an example: a brand new train has hit the railroad tracks in Red Forest.
I wonder what it used to carry?

New quest: "The Meaning of True Love"
We also took care of new content in the storyline. You all know Mikhail - he's the hot-tempered guy with a lopsided sense of humor who has the NAR at stake. The new quest "The Meaning of True Love" is an attempt to show his sensitive nature. Will Mikhail finally meet his soul mate? Will this love stand the hardest test? Is it safe to perform the scene from "Titanic" on top of Duga? You have to find the answers to these questions yourself.

 

[Zombra]

Uh ... was this update posted 5 days ago by chance?

 

[Infinitron]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199253993182682526

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199255277322232884

Weekly Report #122
Let's talk about the weather
Hello Stalkers!
We really enjoy doing two things on our social media: replying to comments from our community (it's about you!) and posting screenshots from Chernobylite. In the latter case one thing needs to be clarified: we don’t just shoot some photo in a random place and call it a day. If that was the case, we would post new photos on social media 15 times a day.

Taking pictures in a game is a very complex process with things like setting the right frame, positioning the camera, lighting, etc. You know, just like in real photography. But doing it in the game gives us the advantage of setting the right mood with the help of the weather.

Spoiler

As you know, there are four types of weather in the game that appear randomly on the maps: sunny, cloudy, rainy and foggy. And someone might consider it extravagant. Surely It was enough to give some sunlight and that's it, so what are all these goodies for? Probably the best answer to this question comes from our level designer, Sebastian Nowak. “We didn't want to stay in one static light, mainly because the Zone itself is also changing. When wandering through the Zone, we feel certain emotions - this place can both delight on a beautiful, sunny day and scare when it is cloudy, dark, and raining. Foggy places make it a complete horror movie."

It's hard to disagree. For example, Kopachi looks fabulous when the rays of the sun break through the branches of the trees.

And Pripyat Central in the fog looks like the Silent Hill. (Fog has also an additional advantage: we’re less visible to enemies).

The weather sequences are of course not just for show, but also serve a certain purpose. The Zone was never supposed just to “look nice”, but also to affect the player's imagination in a specific way. "We wanted to add it to the game, so that we could admire the Zone, graphically absorb how beautiful it looks, but at the same time feel the terror and the history behind it. To do this, we have prepared four weather scenarios: two a little brighter and two somewhat darker. The idea was for them to appear in sequence, eliciting the feeling of anxiety about what the next day would bring."

But it is not everything. In addition to these four basic weather zones, there is another additional one - the chernobylite storm. It is directly related to game story and the nemesis of the main character, Black Stalker. But we will talk about him next time.

That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!

Will you join us? Let us know in the comments or on Discord.

 

[Alienman]

The green stuff on the building does not look good. Looks like something from an Unreal 3 game.

 

[SumDrunkGuy]

This game looks pretty dope. I'm surprised it's barely talked about here. Is it a piece of shit or something?

 

[user]

This game looks pretty dope. I'm surprised it's barely talked about here. Is it a piece of shit or something?

It is pretty dope. Management/rpg elements, story, atmosphere and characters were all well above average. Great game overall even if somewhat small, which is understandable.

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3364765719068195005

Weekly Report #128
Hello Stalkers!
For some, it may come as a shock to what we’re going to write now, but it is 100% true: Chernobylite is not a game about weapons. It is primarily a story about people who find themselves in a very strange situation; the story of an obsessed man who wants to achieve his goal very much and has tools that will allow him to do it.

On the one hand, these tools are people - the protagonist uses their help when he needs it. On the other hand, weapons are also a tool. We wanted the player to be armed after all. However, by creating Chernobylite in a certain way, we wanted to encourage the player not to play it like in a typical FPS, but to take an active part in this SURVIVAL horror game. Here you can't just push forward, carelessly firing volleys from your rifle. In our game, each confrontation has consequences in the form of wounds suffered during the fight and loss of ammunition. In addition, the weapons of NAR soldiers have biometric security, so they cannot be taken and used in combat, but at most you can disassemble them and take resources from them. In other words: fighting is possible, but there is more to lose than gain from it.

Yes, sometimes you have to fight, especially if you have no other choice. But there are many situations in which you can try to avoid a threat, or build a trap, distract your opponent, or simply give up, return to base and be better prepared for a confrontation. This is what we wanted: for the player not to approach Chernobylite as an action game, but utilize a whole range of options, from which they will be able to choose the best one and the one that suits them better.

There is one more thing: the player only has access to what they can find in the Zone and create with their own hands. Both this and the fact that they only have access to the old blueprints makes it impossible to create an uber-weapon. At least at the very beginning. If the player spends enough time in the Zone and studies the material of chernobylite, then they will have access to much more powerful weapons. But as long as resources are severely limited, relying on improvements and modifications to the current arsenal is the key.


But we will tell you about the modifications to the weapons and their parameters, as well as how, using animations (yes, animations!), we managed to achieve the right feeling not only during shots from the weapon, but also during crafting in the next episode.

We continue our contest of Chernobylite keys to win. We remind you of the rules: we ask a question related to the game, and the fastest correct answer wins.

One of the first concepts of the fractal world assumed that the main character would walk on the surface of...

We will announce the winner and the correct answer in the report and in the comments on Monday.

And while we're still on the subject of weapons, an interesting view unfolds behind this unmodified revolver. I wonder where it is.

That's it for today!
Take care, Stalkers!

 

[Nifft Batuff]

Can you save the game now during the management sessions in your base, outside the missions? Or is it still only at the beginning of a new mission?

 

[cyborgboy95]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/4777770825733809637

Season 2: Red Trees is now live with new free content!
This time also with new, amazing free content: new story missions, game inception arena as well as DLC for the base
The second huge update in 2022 is now live! This time we also have new, amazing free content: new story missions, game inception arena as well as awesome DLC which will change the look of your base.


Additions:

• VR Games
• 
  - a unique and challenging game inception inspired by roguelike games which you may enter through a VR helmet in the Base. You will be transferred to the fractal world where you will face enemies (humans and monsters) in several arenas, each more and more difficult! Are you ready for a challenge?

• Ghost of the Past: 6 new story missions
  in which Tatyana manifests in Igor’s dreams and encourages him to visit various places in the Chernobyl Zone and learn the true history of Chernobyl.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Play it!
  - Who said you can’t have a little fun in the Zone? While learning to craft various and very complex structures, electronics and tools, Igor found a way to build… a gamer’s hardware! Now you and your companions can have a little break from all the stresses and terror lurking in the Zone.
  

Paid content:
Red Trees Pack
Bring the menacing Red Forest spirit into your base and give it an ominous look with the addition of new skins—the Red Trees Pack. Rusty leaves and the red glow emanating from devices will fill your companion’s hearts with warmth and strength for another tough day in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone..


Fixes and optimization:
New content is not the only thing we worked on. There are also a few fixes and changes:

• Stuttering optimization - we implemented a couple of fixes so the issue should be improved. Let us know if this helped on the Steam forum.
• Major changes in Turkish localization. We hope you like it better!
• And other minor improvements.

That’s all for today! Enjoy the new content and remember that this is not all we have planned for the game this year. In a few months we’re going to add a whole new location and an extremely challenging game mode!

Also, join us today on a livestream at 1:00 PM CEST via Twitch or Facebook!

 

[Stavrophore]

Tried to play the game, but it's a walking simulator with collecting trash.
Another polish eurojank trash game from Farm 51.

 

[Nikanuur]

It seems a cool game and all, but could someone advice on how to get rid of the item-outlining? I hate to be handed down everything in a game, much less in an immersive sim. Its engine is UE 4. Maybe there are some tools already for that in general?

 

[Zarniwoop]

Anyone still playing this?

How do you deal with missions disappearing/never appearing in the timeline?

I had Sashko, he had a mission to collect some explosives (Real hardware for real men) waiting in my queue. Got his dumb ass kidnapped on a routine food collecting mission, I go free him and he's back but that mission disappeared.

I've completed the story missions (apart from the heist) and whenever I go to the timeline, the area where that mission is supposed to be is just blank (these events are not yet known Igor bla bla bla). I even "erased" the mission where I found him, re-did it and still the explosives mission is nowhere to be found.