Colony Ship update #50: the first chapter is playable

[Crispy]

Looks like shit.










































Just kidding, looks great, can't wait, you're better than Cleve, etc.

 

[Agesilaus]

GOTY 2021

 

[Abu Antar]

Vault Dweller Do yoi have an estimation of how long a playthrough will take?

 

[Darth Canoli]

It's a highly hypothetical remake. Right now the plan is to finish Colony Ship and if it does well, make that sequel (the ship lands). Then we'll think of what to do next. If the learn by using system works well it will solve the hoarding problem, although I wouldn't make such dramatic changes (or use the exact same system in all games).

Is it a highly hypothetical party-based AoD we're talking about?

 

[Goral]

Vault Dweller Do yoi have an estimation of how long a playthrough will take?

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,7893.msg159181.html#msg159181

I meant it will be longer than an average AoD playthrough. And yes, there will be more combat and more exploration and the quest chains will be longer.

 

[Vault Dweller]

What sort of mutated humans are going to be present? You mentioned caste like systems, but are there castes of mutants, slave groups, etc.?

No castes (it was something we played with long ago but abandoned because it calls for a more dysfunctional setting). There are 'regular' mutants and heavily augmented 'monks':

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,7502.0.html
^ mutants

http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php/topic,7551.0.html
^ monks

Is it a highly hypothetical party-based AoD we're talking about?

No. Someone suggested to remake AoD in the new engine, I replied. There are no plans at the moment, hence the world hypothetical.

 

[Daedalos]

It's a hectic and crunchy time right now, Vince. But take as long as you need for the right decisions to come through, even if EA must be postponed to april or may.

A rushed game is forever bad, a delayed game is eventually good/perfect.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, we're looking at the end of 2022 already and any delay can push it into 2023. We can do two locations a month, so that's 18 months right there (the Habitat's bigger so it will take 4 months).

Jun - Factory
Aug - Mission Control
Oct - Shuttle Bay
Feb - Habitat and the end of chapter 2
Apr - ECLSS (monks)
Jun - Heart (mutant town)
Aug - Bridge and the end of chapter 3, all locations are done.
Nov - Endgame (chapter 4)

 

[Nm6k]

Will there be save breaking updates

 

[Darth Canoli]

Well, we're looking at the end of 2022 already and any delay can push it into 2023. We can do two locations a month, so that's 18 months right there (the Habitat's bigger so it will take 4 months).

Jun - Factory
Aug - Mission Control
Oct - Shuttle Bay
Feb - Habitat and the end of chapter 2
Apr - ECLSS (monks)
Jun - Heart (mutant town)
Aug - Bridge and the end of chapter 3, all locations are done.
Nov - Endgame (chapter 4)

So, after this, 6 month to rest and fix bugs and we can expect Colony Ship 2 by the end of 2025?

Spoiler

And then a not party based not AoD remake.

That's a lot of incline incoming.

I don't know if it's even possible nor if you thought about it but what about a Prelude to Darkness remake in your engine, that would be pure incline.
Or something with a weird fantasy or sci-fi settings like Dark Sun or Planescape but with available or potentially cheap rights (Mathieu Gaborit's Abyme comes to mind with its highly magical lighter planescape settings)

 

[Vault Dweller]

Will there be save breaking updates

One can only hope.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Or something with a weird fantasy or sci-fi settings like Dark Sun or Planescape but with available or potentially cheap rights (Mathieu Gaborit's Abyme comes to mind with its highly magical lighter planescape settings)

I'd rather make an 'inquisition RPG' I mentioned a few years back:

"Since the Inquisition game is inspired by Gothic novels like The Manuscript Found in Saragossa and Melmoth the Wanderer, it will feature the old-fashioned magic: pentagrams, rituals, witchcraft, exorcism, summoning, etc. No fireballs and the like.

Imagine dangerous witches (think Planescape’s Ravel – not someone to be crossed lightly or at all) and necromancers, Lucifer corrupting souls and commanding agents, scheming Dukes of Hell straight out of On the Tricks of Demons, a 1563’s best-seller, the Christian faith being a shield against darkness, the Spanish Inquisition fighting a war of attrition, cursed places abandoned for a reason, forbidden knowledge, supernatural creatures, that sort of thing.

Instead of being primarily a combat art, magic will be used to explore this “world of darkness”, survive where the uninitiated will not, protect yourself when dealing with beings who could unmake you with a word, bargain with the Dukes of Hell, etc."

 

[Major_Blackhart]

So you've picked your next game world. Good to know.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Good to hear you havent abandoned the Inquisition game idea

 

[lukaszek]

1563

from steam page

It is the Year of Our Lord 2754…

was AoD set in 372?

 

[Ismaul]

I need to contain my excitement. This has RPG of the year written all over it.

 

[Fenix]

I need to contain my excitement. This has RPG of the year written all over it.

They would call GOTY DLC#23 to CyberShmuck2077 anyway.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

Well, we're looking at the end of 2022 already and any delay can push it into 2023. We can do two locations a month, so that's 18 months right there (the Habitat's bigger so it will take 4 months).

When you say you can do those locations in that timeframe, you mean just implementing them (with some fixes/expansions to writing/ quests) or do you still have to do most of the writing left (using previously planned outlines)?

 

[Verylittlefishes]

Or something with a weird fantasy or sci-fi settings like Dark Sun or Planescape but with available or potentially cheap rights (Mathieu Gaborit's Abyme comes to mind with its highly magical lighter planescape settings)

I'd rather make an 'inquisition RPG' I mentioned a few years back:

"Since the Inquisition game is inspired by Gothic novels like The Manuscript Found in Saragossa and Melmoth the Wanderer, it will feature the old-fashioned magic: pentagrams, rituals, witchcraft, exorcism, summoning, etc. No fireballs and the like.

Imagine dangerous witches (think Planescape’s Ravel – not someone to be crossed lightly or at all) and necromancers, Lucifer corrupting souls and commanding agents, scheming Dukes of Hell straight out of On the Tricks of Demons, a 1563’s best-seller, the Christian faith being a shield against darkness, the Spanish Inquisition fighting a war of attrition, cursed places abandoned for a reason, forbidden knowledge, supernatural creatures, that sort of thing.

Instead of being primarily a combat art, magic will be used to explore this “world of darkness”, survive where the uninitiated will not, protect yourself when dealing with beings who could unmake you with a word, bargain with the Dukes of Hell, etc."

Yes, PLEASE.

 

[Vault Dweller]

When you say you can do those locations in that timeframe, you mean just implementing them (with some fixes/expansions to writing/ quests) or do you still have to do most of the writing left (using previously planned outlines)?

The main obstacle (and reason for potential delays) isn't writing or scripting, it's level design. The main reason we're releasing on EA in March and not Nov is also level design. Plus most locations require custom objects (machines and such), custom 'building blocks', etc. We either hire a contractor or two but that's not super fast and comes with its own problems or do what we can ourselves or 'scavenge' from suitable packs. In the end what we envisioned for a place is one thing, what we could do in a reasonable timeframe with limited resources and budget is another.

 

[Vorark]

Vault Dweller, can you share how much the initial early access offering will cost? Or at least if it's gonna be more/less than the AoD ea.

 

[Daedalos]

But the game doesn't have to be marred by limited ressources or budget, which is why I hope everybody chimes in with the EA. You guys deserve a heavy cash influx to juice up the project.

I would imagine that no shortage of people would be willing to help you make the game for a lesser salary, and tons of people are just ready to donate you money whenever the possibility presents itself.
You guys have such a high amount of goodwill

 

[Parsimonious cook]

Or something with a weird fantasy or sci-fi settings like Dark Sun or Planescape but with available or potentially cheap rights (Mathieu Gaborit's Abyme comes to mind with its highly magical lighter planescape settings)

I'd rather make an 'inquisition RPG' I mentioned a few years back:

"Since the Inquisition game is inspired by Gothic novels like The Manuscript Found in Saragossa and Melmoth the Wanderer, it will feature the old-fashioned magic: pentagrams, rituals, witchcraft, exorcism, summoning, etc. No fireballs and the like.

Imagine dangerous witches (think Planescape’s Ravel – not someone to be crossed lightly or at all) and necromancers, Lucifer corrupting souls and commanding agents, scheming Dukes of Hell straight out of On the Tricks of Demons, a 1563’s best-seller, the Christian faith being a shield against darkness, the Spanish Inquisition fighting a war of attrition, cursed places abandoned for a reason, forbidden knowledge, supernatural creatures, that sort of thing.

Instead of being primarily a combat art, magic will be used to explore this “world of darkness”, survive where the uninitiated will not, protect yourself when dealing with beings who could unmake you with a word, bargain with the Dukes of Hell, etc."

Damn. I was hoping someone might make a game based on the Dark Ages: Inquisition WoD setting, but this sounds even better than that. Pls do it.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Vault Dweller, can you share how much the initial early access offering will cost? Or at least if it's gonna be more/less than the AoD ea.

$24.99 on release, $29.99 when we add chapter 2, $34.99 when we add chapter 3, $39.99 when it's done.

But the game doesn't have to be marred by limited ressources or budget, which is why I hope everybody chimes in with the EA. You guys deserve a heavy cash influx to juice up the project.

I have a feeling we'll be lucky to stay afloat.

 

[Marat]