KickStarter INSOMNIA: The Ark - dieselpunk sci-fi action-RPG set on a decaying space station

[Davaris]

It's not Unity, it's actually, from the most common perspective, way worse. We're running a custom build of Ogre3D. It has a bit of reputation for being Unity's underused little brother, but we're happy with it.
Why? Because of all those physics-related combat features, dynamic lightning system, and the netcode we've built for coop mode.

Good to see some have not yet joined the Unity Borg Collective.

 

[Guyduk]

Nice music, will you shoot for greenlight?

Yes, it's both Greenlight and Kickstarter for us.
We'd like to avoid getting the game out on Early Access for as long as possible, though. At least until it can be played from start to finish, and all the groundwork is already in. But that'd largely depend of the success of the Kickstarter, I'm afraid.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

How long until you guys release some sort of playable demo?

 

[tuluse]

Your art looks nice. I'm not crazy about how the combat plays, but it doesn't look terrible. I wish you guys luck.

 

[Guyduk]

How long until you guys release some sort of playable demo?

Well, we'll have a playable tech demo ready for the Kickstarter, that's less than a month away. This is going to be a baseline tech demo, with most of the functionality in place, and in abut two months or so we'll have the fully featured demo, with the storyline preview and some quests - two to three hours of gameplay.

 

[Sunsetspawn]

You know you're on the right track with a game when you make people interested in a bizarre concept that they otherwise would've balked at had you merely explained it to them.

Unfortunately I have to run to work now, maybe I'll comment more later.

 

[toro]

It looks better than Wasteland 2 or Dead State and so on...

 

[jdinatale]

Looks like the combat was inspired by Gears of War.

Spoiler

 

[StaticSpine]

Looks like the combat was inspired by Gears of War.

Spoiler

 

[Guyduk]

Hi guys. Got a quick update here - a few screenshots and a non-interactive demo scene.

Spoiler

Warning! Contains actual spoilers.

Spoiler

Now, here's the link to the demo scene.
Be warned, though - it's mostly for eye candy and nothing else. We've made it specifically to test engine compatibility between various platforms/hardware configurations, and it seems to work alright, so, might as well share it here.
If it crashes - and chances are, it will crash - send me your dxdiag, if you can.

 

[Guyduk]

Looks like the combat was inspired by Gears of War.

Spoiler

Well, inasmuch as any game released in past few years that uses cover as a combat element - sure.
We're also inspired by one of the greatest RPGs of our time Halo, where you can play the role of Master Chief. Hooah!

 

[Cadmus]

This looks interesting and good job on your codex pitch. It's sad to see so many developers post stupid clueless shit here.

I haven't heard of anything diesel punk in years, I completely forgot it existed, so that got my attention. I'll check out the videos later, too.

 

[kaizoku]

Pure realtime, but we did try to make it relatively slow-paced and tactical.

As for the rest, as well the combat system:

Well, it's a not a Diablo with guns. Clunky as it looks, we actually have all the systems required for varied and more or less tactical combat in place.

Epic fail alert bro.

On one end you have the fast-paced mostly-clickfest Diablo crowd.
On the other end you have the strategic TB/RTwP crowd.
The thing is, I doubt this population has a uniform distribution, with enough players to be interested in a slow paced real time game.

If you're averse to TB, do it medium-paced RTwP. What would be the problem with that?

Right now I find the combat quite nerve racking.

Also drop the co-op. You're adding tons of entropy and bugs with this.
Replace that with a fully controllable party.


Show us some screenshots for the character, skills, inventory interfaces.


Take your time for the KS pitch.
Showing different locations, characters, items, dialog, events, maps, helps.




BTW, for some reason the term dieselpunk reminded me of this

You bastard!

 

[Infinitron]

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

 

[Kem0sabe]

• Gameplay time: 15-20 hours (first season/year). More than 20 FREE chapters are planned after release, with 3-6 hours of gameplay each, to tell the whole tale.
• Develop your character through tactical real-time combat
• Enjoy randomly generated events and missions in both single player and co-op
• Experience rich storylines updated every 2-3 months with both single player and co-op FREE content
• Embark on non-linear quests and missions with many possible solutions and puzzles worthy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

All these leave me mighty suspicious.

 

[Guyduk]

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

Oh you. But yeah, it's finally live both on KS and Greenlight.

• Gameplay time: 15-20 hours (first season/year). More than 20 FREE chapters are planned after release, with 3-6 hours of gameplay each, to tell the whole tale.
• Develop your character through tactical real-time combat
• Enjoy randomly generated events and missions in both single player and co-op
• Experience rich storylines updated every 2-3 months with both single player and co-op FREE content
• Embark on non-linear quests and missions with many possible solutions and puzzles worthy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

All these leave me mighty suspicious.

Because it's a PR speak, and exactly the kind you'd get if you don't want to throw money real marketing. Whatchagonnado.
I can confirm that post-release content is going to be free, and it's basically extra stuff, to quote some of my other explanations:

The chapter system, such as it is, is just a matter of post-release support – the main storyline will be in the game from start to finish, together with side quests and all the relevant mechanics – the chapters themselves simply provide some background for the setting, the factions, and the history of the Arc – basically, all the extra stuff we want to give some exposition.
For example, one of the chapters deal with an army detachment from the opposing faction cut off in the middle of offensive during the Last War and desperately trying to survive in the trenches – just a little bit of exposition to show that your opponents are a bit more than a loot pinatas.
That’s about an hour or two of gameplay, even if we’re going to charge for it, the fee is going to be nominal.

Now, I'd have wanted to get all that stuff in game from the start, but I'd have to be realistic about it - there's only so much you can do with the resources you get from crowdfunding, I'd rather get a complete game out and add bells and whistles later.

 

[Cadmus]

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

Oh you. But yeah, it's finally live both on KS and Greenlight.

• Gameplay time: 15-20 hours (first season/year). More than 20 FREE chapters are planned after release, with 3-6 hours of gameplay each, to tell the whole tale.
• Develop your character through tactical real-time combat
• Enjoy randomly generated events and missions in both single player and co-op
• Experience rich storylines updated every 2-3 months with both single player and co-op FREE content
• Embark on non-linear quests and missions with many possible solutions and puzzles worthy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

All these leave me mighty suspicious.

Because it's a PR speak, and exactly the kind you'd get if you don't want to throw money real marketing. Whatchagonnado.
I can confirm that post-release content is going to be free, and it's basically extra stuff, to quote some of my other explanations:

The chapter system, such as it is, is just a matter of post-release support – the main storyline will be in the game from start to finish, together with side quests and all the relevant mechanics – the chapters themselves simply provide some background for the setting, the factions, and the history of the Arc – basically, all the extra stuff we want to give some exposition.
For example, one of the chapters deal with an army detachment from the opposing faction cut off in the middle of offensive during the Last War and desperately trying to survive in the trenches – just a little bit of exposition to show that your opponents are a bit more than a loot pinatas.
That’s about an hour or two of gameplay, even if we’re going to charge for it, the fee is going to be nominal.

Now, I'd have wanted to get all that stuff in game from the start, but I'd have to be realistic about it - there's only so much you can do with the resources you get from crowdfunding, I'd rather get a complete game out and add bells and whistles later.

Shit, can you try to re-write these points in what you imagine doesn't sound like a retarded PR speak? I'm just curious, nothing against you. I don't even know what I want anymore but this shit isn't it.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

puzzles worthy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

I wasn't aware that Hitchcock made puzzles.

Also, it's more or less a copy of your previous pitch, almost word-by-word, only MMO element is missing. Again with "Noir" as a genre - which, well, conjures in most English speakers images of 1930s, femme fatales and detectives in fedoras. Which doesn't seem to be the case. Gone are Planescape, Alastair Raynolds and Gene Wolfe mentions. It's not a " a PR speak", it looks either like a lazy copypaste, or your previous post here was a specific Codex (and oldschool RPG lovers) bait.

 

[thesheeep]

What I really do not like are the in-game items as rewards, but that may be just me.
This seems to be somehow weird:

useful "Soldier" in-game item set (does not influence the balance of the game).

How is it useful if it does not affect the balancing?

Anyway, backed, though mostly out of curiosity for now. And because Ogre, of course.

 

[Trash]

Pledged because I like the art direction, dieselpunk and ark ship idea. Let's just say that I'm curious.

 

[Guyduk]

puzzles worthy of the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock

I wasn't aware that Hitchcock made puzzles.

Also, it's more or less a copy of your previous pitch, almost word-by-word, only MMO element is missing. Again with "Noir" as a genre - which, well, conjures in most English speakers images of 1930s, femme fatales and detectives in fedoras. Which doesn't seem to be the case. Gone are Planescape, Alastair Raynolds and Gene Wolfe mentions. It's not a " a PR speak", it looks either like a lazy copypaste, or your previous post here was a specific Codex (and oldschool RPG lovers) bait.

Well, I wasn't the one writing that pitch - mostly because I was trying to work out some storyline-related stuff.
I'm starting to think I'd have been better off just writing it myself, tbh, because oh boy.

 

[Guyduk]

What I really do not like are the in-game items as rewards, but that may be just me.
This seems to be somehow weird:

useful "Soldier" in-game item set (does not influence the balance of the game).

How is it useful if it does not affect the balancing?

Utility. It won't overpower your starting enemies, but combat-wise it will give you some more options when dealing with first few encounters.

 

[StaticSpine]

Is it possible to make a news post about KS/greenlight launch or not?

Infinitron ?

 

[Ninjerk]

Good luck. Watched.

 

[Norgaard]

Props for art style and music. Whole ark ship concept is extremely compelling for me, potential for some great characters and story lines, I just hope you pull it off. Will definitely keep an eye out for updates. Good luck!