Game News Colony Ship RPG Update #1: Setting, Character System

[HobGoblin42]

LOL @ Battle Brothers as a example of nice art style, what's next? undertale?

than creating a 3D game that basically looks like 2005.

You mean like Chaos Chronicles?

Yes, for example. Not a success story as we know, wouldn't do a 3D environment and a rotatable camera again (for a cRPG). Way too much costs and headache and those features don't help you in empowering core RPG elements at all.

And regarding Battle Brothers: read the BB thread here, their art style seems to satisfy many 'dexers.

 

[Drowed]

The art IS good, it's just really simple. And it's better go for a simple but interesting art style than trying something more elaborate and fail miserably.

 

[Shadenuat]

'people' who prefer fixed cameras want to be spoonfed a streamlined perspective by the developer rather than explore the world as they wish by themselves

People who prefer fixed camera like precision and control, and to focus fully on engagements with enemies and using positioning and abilities, without trying to dig out the enemy behind pillar or opened door or a wall.
They also know that it's less work and easier to make visuals more detailed/retouche later in Photoshop for a pre-rendered game, Wasteland/AoD - brown turds, PoE/Underrail - beautifur.

Isometric fixed camera master race; 3d rotating peasants of decline.

Btw, look at RTS genre, games that are played as sport don't feature rotating camera often I think, too much unnecessary shuffle and wasted actions when you actually need to focus on units and what they are doing.

 

[likaq]

art style in kotc was also satisfying for many 'dexers...

Wasteland/AoD - brown turds, PoE/Underrail - beautifur

Putting underrail in the same line with poe is an insult for poe.

 

[Lurker King]

Okay, as a developer I understand your desire to inflict your story and characters on players, but I like playing games and creating my own story. A big part of the fun for me is creating MY character(s).

So you want to be both the player and the game master of a cRPG, at the same time. That sounds completely idiotic.

This is why I need my strategy subforum, because I don’t know what a cRPG really is and I always need everyone’s attention.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[Zed]

1 Not a success story as we know, wouldn't do a 3D environment and a rotatable camera again (for a cRPG). 2 Way too much costs and headache and those features don't help you in empowering core RPG elements at all.

HobGoblin42 1:1-2
"The God Damn CRPG Bible"

 

[Vault Dweller]

https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/2rgwzh/help_me_out_with_some_challenges_for_a_colony/
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?751655-Mother-ship-colony-ship-needed-for-my-next-sci-fi-RPG

Looks like some people have read about VD's idea for an RPG (even though the links are about 1 year old VD has talked about it way earlier). It would be bad if before IT Colony Ship RPG one or more titles like this would be released.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1892480689/insomnia-an-rpg-set-in-a-brutal-dieselpunk-univers

Our niche (exploring societies instead of killing things) will never be overcrowded as most developers wants action or at least horror a-la Pandorum. You can have three colony ship games and they won't be similar to ours even if I post our entire design doc.

Vault Dweller any plans on how much are you going to rely on CYOA gameplay this time? Are you guys going to try your hand in systemic gameplay, like stealth, NPC reaction systems, environmetal interactions, destructible objects?

We definitely want to add a stealth system (TB stealth similar to combat), which would remove a big chunk of CYOA sequences. At the same time, there will be some things that can only be done in CYOA so it won't be eliminated entirely. I think it's a good feature (that I enjoy in games a lot) but we probably went overboard with it in AoD, so it's a question of finding the right balance.

Destructible objects? Depends on the engine. Environmental interaction? Can you be more specific and give examples?

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

there will be some things that can only be done in CYOA

Could you give an example?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Anything that requires custom animations (like hanging from a bridge, for example, or climbing up a wall) we won't have time for. AoD, for example, had over 500 animations and we aren't trying to beat this number.

 

[Shadenuat]

Environmental interaction? Can you be more specific and give examples?

D:OS. For space ship it could be radiation, low gravity combat, moving objects/dropping items from inventory to solve puzzles (Serpent in Staglands), transferring energy from one part of ship (doors) to another (turrets), etc.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Not planned. Things like transferring energy and such will be done in text adventures.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Okay, as a developer I understand your desire to inflict your story and characters on players, but I like playing games and creating my own story. A big part of the fun for me is creating MY character(s).

So you want to be both the player and the game master of a cRPG, at the same time. That sounds completely idiotic.

Actually playing the game instead of being guided through set pieces. Yeah, so idiotic.

 

[Irenaeus III]

we probably went overboard with it in AoD

Not really, they were great. Don't listen to retarded critics who play shit games.

Also, if you have trouble controlling a rotating camera in a isometric game, you have serious mental issues (to put it short: you are retarded). AoD looks awesome and there was no issue with the maps whatsoever. Keep up the good work.

 

[hivemind]

Actually playing the game instead of being guided through set pieces. Yeah, so idiotic.

Yeah, this is why I hate chess, I actually wanna play the damn game and not be guided through imposing set pieces like "pawns" and "knights".

 

[HobGoblin42]

Also, if you have trouble controlling a rotating camera in a isometric game, you have serious mental issues (to put it short: you are retarded).

That's a less important point in finding a decision to use a static or free camera direction.

Much more important reasons are: a polished/optimized level design (occlusion!), environment with much more graphical details, cutscenes are easier to choreograph, a matching orientation of the minimap/ingame map with the actual world view, optimizations of the user interface, etc. etc.

 

[Lurker King]

We definitely want to add a stealth system which would remove a big chunk of CYOA sequences. At the same time, there will be some things that can only be done in CYOA so it won't be eliminated entirely. I think it's a good feature (that I enjoy in games a lot) but we probably went overboard with it in AoD.

 

[Lurker King]

Actually playing the game instead of being guided through set pieces. Yeah, so idiotic.

So having NPC's with personalities it's being guided? What it is the alternative? Controlling a party of zombies and calling them NPCs?

 

[Vault Dweller]

We definitely want to add a stealth system which would remove a big chunk of CYOA sequences. At the same time, there will be some things that can only be done in CYOA so it won't be eliminated entirely. I think it's a good feature (that I enjoy in games a lot) but we probably went overboard with it in AoD.

To clarify, sneaking will play a larger role in the game and it shouldn't be handled via text adventure.

 

[Eyestabber]

Any news on the dungeon crawler, Vault Dweller ? Can we expect it in 2016? Will it use STEAM EA?

 

[HanoverF]

Will buy if you call it Space Mutiny.

 

[inwoker]

Vault Dweller Would you fund game development with your own money? Is Iron Tower full-blown studio now? Will there be a kickstarter? Why no more of you in ukrainian thread?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Any news on the dungeon crawler, Vault Dweller ? Can we expect it in 2016? Will it use STEAM EA?

As I mentioned earlier, we have the flow and all 4 levels mapped. Oscar's working on the levels. Nick's working on the party-based setup. Ivan's making new critters. While so far we're on schedule, it doesn't mean much because we're at a very early stage where everything always goes well. We won't run into any issues until we put the game together and see what we got. Since it's using the existing system, there isn't much to talk about as everyone knows what to expect.

Right now, Oscar and I are wrapping up another AoD update. Then we'll focus on the dungeon crawler. I'll do all text and dialogues, which won't take long and switch to the colony ship game (my job is to have all quests and locations mapped out and ready by the time the dungeon crawler is released).

Vault Dweller Would you fund game development with your own money?

If necessary, but we seem to be doing well at the moment.

Is Iron Tower full-blown studio now?

Define full-blown studio.

Will there be a kickstarter?

Possible (in "everything is possible!" sense) but unlikely. We don't have any plans to do a KS campaign at the moment.

Why no more of you in ukrainian thread?

Busy. The last 8 months were brutal, especially the 4-5 months prior to the release when we were doing weekly builds. Then we have the first 3 absolutely insane post-release weeks when we had to man forums and answer questions 24/7, then the updates. Right now we're working on 3 games at once, which is necessary at this stage but taxing. So at the moment I don't feel the slightest urge to argue politics.

 

[Eyestabber]

Thanks! BTW, when/if you decide to open a "Dungeon Crawler suggestion box" (I realize it's probably too early right now), do tag me or something. There is a lot of stuff I've been thinking about that may or may not be useful. Eyestabbing mechanics is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Thanks! BTW, when/if you decide to open a "Dungeon Crawler suggestion box" (I realize it's probably too early right now), do tag me or something. There is a lot of stuff I've been thinking about that may or may not be useful. Eyestabbing mechanics is just the tip of the iceberg.

Start a thread on our forums, call it Eyestabbing and Other Totally Awesome Design Ideas! We wont miss it.

 

[xxxCatholicKillahxxx]

The skills are probably a draft but I'd want to ask about the need for six different combat skills all relating to projectile based combat.

Why? Would three or two not be enough? Does this break the vermisilitude(?) vermicelli vermilion city of the games perceived audience?
As you, Vault Dweller said the science skill for example covers a vast variety of things from potato growing to computer usage and I, assume, the theory behind the two.
So why would it be so hard to think that the average human in your setting could not fire an energy weapon and a kinetic weapon that are roughly similar. For example two pistols from the aforementioned categories.

Are these choices Gameplay or setting based?


Also in how many different ways will you handle gameplay outside of combat? CYOA, ship(world)map, location map?