Space Wreck - post-apocalyptic space RPG inspired by Fallout - Early Access demo available

[Abu Antar]

With all due respect, do not listen to LostHisMarbles

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Kamaz

Spoiler

Anything Fallout inspired is welcome and i wish you some very good sale numbers; follows a personal opinion, no offense meant.

- All these conditional situations, the numbers and stats underlying them, the guaranteed min-maxing and near constant calculating they entail.. if your audience is a niche of a niche, ignore me. Otherwise, you might want to rethink the direction a bit; i can understand the attraction behind adding your own "touches", obviously the inclination to include anything worthy/original you've come up with, but this leads to a lot of 'meta'. You're literally asking for this audience, possibly to the exclusion of everyone else. Autistic times, so this may not necessarily entail what i think it might, but, food for thought. Most people, they just want to play. Not stop and count every so often, on each and every occasion that may merit it. And then reload times 'n'.
- Connected to the above; combat equaling no XP means you're in need of an excellent story or some pretty engaging mini-puzzles or riddles. Enough, in both quantity and quality, to overcome the lack of what's considered the primary aspect of every RPG: combat. Creative (story, mini-puzzles and riddles) in both scope and style, to fit in what is very distinctly not an adventure game. Tough goal. You hooked them, but then you gotta keep them too, always harder.

Could name you titles you're probably already aware of that had either or both of the above, and.. they didn't go down all that well.

You're probably about to reply that it fits the shortness of the game and that one is meant to replay it a number of times, but whether they'll bother.. i hope the carrot is good and enticing enough to override that of combat.
Which leads me to my second and last pre-emptive (sorry), that -you will say- you can still "fight", you "just don't get XP". Am aware. Am also aware how that has felt, each and every time someone else did it. not well i can tell you
Just taking it all in, giving my own perspective.

Am sure a low price could be incentive enough for most people, but in the long run, your benefit is the majority of them finishing/completing the game. Different thing.
I fear you're (albeit very creatively) making this harder on yourself than it needs to be.

Again, no offense, hope it sells well.

that -you will say- you can still "fight", you "just don't get XP". Am aware. Am also aware how that has felt, each and every time someone else did it. not well i can tell you

Either doesn't like or hasn't played AoD/UR, opinion should be decisively and thoroughly discarded.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Either doesn't like or hasn't played AoD

what do visual novels have to do with this?

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Either doesn't like or hasn't played AoD

what do visual novels have to do with this?

Either doesn't like AoD or considers it a CYOA, opinion should be decisively and thoroughly discarded.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Either doesn't like or hasn't played AoD

what do visual novels have to do with this?

Either doesn't like AoD or considers it a CYOA, opinion should be decisively and thoroughly discarded.

it is a CYOA though
if you don't understand the difference between AoD and Fallout, you simply don't understand CRPGs.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

Someone obviously played merchant/loremaster campaign. There are campaigns of AoD with lots of fighting and the combat system is pretty good and flexible.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

Someone obviously played merchant/loremaster campaign. There are campaigns of AoD with lots of fighting and the combat system is pretty good and flexible.

Fighting doesn't make it an RPG.
There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Select dialogue option -> be teleported somewhere -> if you selected wrong and entered combat as a non-combat build, proceed to reload, else, repeat.

 

[The Wall]

Guys, we have American in thread. Initiate ignore protocol, and after leaving few more butthurt and retarded comments, beast will roar AMMMERIKWA! and leave

 

[The Wall]

Introducing marks -
positive (or negative!) context-sensitive character quirks.

Every odd level-up you get a positive mark. But! On every even one - must pick both positive AND negative one as well.

Marks are the main way you will update your character during the gameplay - there won't be no "free" skill points or attribute points to spend after the creation of the character.

While similar to perks and traits from, e.g., Fallout games, in most cases marks are not straight-up raw skill/attribute bonuses, they are conditional; based on a situation. For example, a mark can be active if you have eaten something. Or are carrying a lot. And so on.

There's another word for XP in Space Wreck. It's stress. A bit like in real life, negative marks represent malicious effects of the stress your character is experiencing. Note: characters with lower WORK attribute ("lazier") have a lower XP rate and thus get fewer marks.

Let's check out a positive mark!

The"Contortionist" can open new ways across the map. But, as I said, it's conditional - you must undress before using any vents. This can put you in a risky situation - what if there's no air on the other side? Or somebody hostile?

Now onto a negative mark...

"Obsessive accounting" seems almost harmless because the negative effect kicks in only in a very specific case. However, in reality, you'll have to keep it in mind and take it into account every time you are looting containers.

===

In Space Wreck, level-up'ing is a bit of a double-edged sword - on the one hand, you are getting [situationally] more powerful. But on the other, you also gain specific weaknesses. Both of these things help to personalize your character and also add a distinctive touch to your gameplay.

P.S.
Marks are not currently available in this demo version.

What's almost genius about this is that through punishment & reward system implemented via these so-called marks, player through player character would actually start showing all signs from marks' description. While playing game you'll develop hatred of numbers 6 and 13, with obsessive accounting mark, if you're constantly slapped by Game whenever you have 6 or 13 bullets left in your gun. This quirk might even stick after playthrough is over and become Player's quirk mark in RL

Don't listen to LostHisMarbles simply because he's self admitted geezer in his late 60s and as old man all his real life and gaming habits are as is, set in stone, and he is passively hostile to any change. You can't convince old people to tie knots on garbage bags in different way let alone change their decades old RPG habits

 

[HeatEXTEND]

There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Fighting doesn't make it an RPG.
There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Select dialogue option -> be teleported somewhere -> if you selected wrong and entered combat as a non-combat build, proceed to reload, else, repeat.

If that's all you got from the game I'm not sure what to tell you. I'm sorry? The sum of it's parts makes it an RPG, not a CYOA. You might argue it's not a cRPG, sure, a CYOA it is not.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Fighting doesn't make it an RPG.
There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Select dialogue option -> be teleported somewhere -> if you selected wrong and entered combat as a non-combat build, proceed to reload, else, repeat.

If that's all you got from the game I'm not sure what to tell you. I'm sorry? The sum of it's parts makes it an RPG, not a CYOA. You might argue it's not a cRPG, sure, a CYOA it is not.

It's a game in book format. There are CYOAs with combat, and AoD is one of them.

Contrast it to PST which is a CRPG with a lot of text, but not a CYOA, because you actually interact with the world.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

Someone obviously played merchant/loremaster campaign. There are campaigns of AoD with lots of fighting and the combat system is pretty good and flexible.

Fighting doesn't make it an RPG.
There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Select dialogue option -> be teleported somewhere -> if you selected wrong and entered combat as a non-combat build, proceed to reload, else, repeat.

I seem to remember exploring ancient tombs, discovering old gods technology, even solving some minor puzzles (more of an adventure game element btw). Teleporting was irritating but it mostly happened in cities.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

Someone obviously played merchant/loremaster campaign. There are campaigns of AoD with lots of fighting and the combat system is pretty good and flexible.

Fighting doesn't make it an RPG.
There is no exploration, world interactions, problem solving, etc.,

Select dialogue option -> be teleported somewhere -> if you selected wrong and entered combat as a non-combat build, proceed to reload, else, repeat.

I seem to remember exploring ancient tombs, discovering old gods technology, even solving some minor puzzles (more of an adventure game element btw). Teleporting was irritating but it mostly happened in cities.

strange, I sure do remember nearly all the "exploration" being literally this:

"discovering old gods technology"

whoa


can you link me to the copy of the game you played, because apparently mine was broken

 

[LostHisMarbles]

Goddamn, lol..

Spoiler

If you haven't watched this btw, do

Special mention to Abu Antar , capable of disagreeing politely, like a distinguished gentleman; bless you man.

 

[Twiglard]

Now onto a negative mark...

"Obsessive accounting" seems almost harmless because the negative effect kicks in only in a very specific case. However, in reality, you'll have to keep it in mind and take it into account every time you are looting containers.

That's brilliant. But only if the effect stacks.

 

[JarlFrank]

Games can have differences and be in the same genre

everything in AoD is scripted, the entire game is just picking dialogue choices. It's a CYOA.

Someone obviously played merchant/loremaster campaign. There are campaigns of AoD with lots of fighting and the combat system is pretty good and flexible.

I must agree with Rusty, it's all about structure. AoD has a very rigid structure that's entirely dictated by which option you click in the dialog windows. And pretty much any relevant world interaction is performed through dialog choices. There is no such thing as Fallout's skilldex that lets you attempt any skill on any object in the world. Interactions only happen through picking an option from a list of choices.

Despite its many branching paths, AoD feels pretty linear. Because unlike Fallout, which provides you with one goal and then lets you explore a multitude of ways to reach it, AoD is more like a dozen linear stories stitched together into one game, and the dialog options you pick determine which of the dozen linear lanes you drive on.

 

[Kamaz]

Again, no offense, hope it sells well.

None taken, absolutely. And the concern is understandable.

However, I think this might be a slightly different situation. Because of the way Space Wreck is made, you can [succesfully] complete it even if you just bumble through it without any RPG experience or paying attention to dialogs. The game can function completely without combat, almost completely without any dialogs, and even without any skills or attributes.

At that stage, the game is something of an adventure/exploration game - you explore everything until you eventually find where you need to go and loot the items you need to get there. You may have to avoid enemies but because maps are open and there are multiple ways to reach your goal, it should not be a problem.

However, if you want, you can enhance and adjust your experience by adding whatever elements from RPG that you prefer. Say, if you invest in `speech`, suddenly new options appear - you can talk to people and they can offer side-quests that open new ways to reach your goals. Invest in `scitec` and hack computers to control your environment. `sneak` and you can stay out of eyes or pickpocket keys or other items from NPCs. `tinker` to pick locks and construct items with new functions. And, of course, combat skills - to take on foes directly, if you want.

I don't know how well that actually works in reality but the demo - which is a substantial slice of the game - is out for the public for more than a year and, having been monitoring discussion boards, watching streams and videos, I haven't encountered something like you described. Maybe I am missing something.

Did you try the demo? What I described should be there already. I'd be happy to hear any critique on actual implementation.

 

[agris]

At that stage, the game is something of an adventure/exploration game - you explore everything until you eventually find where you need to go and loot the items you need to get there. You may have to avoid enemies but because maps are open and there are multiple ways to reach your goal, it should not be a problem.

However, if you want, you can enhance and adjust your experience by adding whatever elements from RPG that you prefer. Say, if you invest in `speech`, suddenly new options appear - you can talk to people and they can offer side-quests that open new ways to reach your goals. Invest in `scitec` and hack computers to control your environment. `sneak` and you can stay out of eyes or pickpocket keys or other items from NPCs. `tinker` to pick locks and construct items with new functions. And, of course, combat skills - to take on foes directly, if you want.

Dude you need to release SW asap and start working on your next game. For that game, evaluate every area with the same lens you used above - think about the avenues by which you want the player to potentially succeed and sculpt quests and areas to accommodate. What you’ve laid out is an incredibly lucid framework for great cRPGs. You just need to be targeted in implementation and not provide all mechanical routes to solve all scenarios, or else it will feel artificial. Rather, use the philosophy above and judiciously remove options that make no sense from a narrative or world-building perspective.

All in all, I’m excited to play SW, but I’m especially excited to play your next game.

 

[Kamaz]

Space Wreck is a non-linear game. It is short but full of content.

This star map shows some (but not all) of your decisions that form your unique story.

Note: this is still WIP.

TL;DR

We often have a problem with the game's length - people keep asking how long is the game and the honest answer is - it's short. We are speaking about 5 hours to complete the story. However, that does not mean that there are only 5 hours of content in the game, because it's non-linear, with self-excluding paths and very fringe subplots available only in certain cases.
To mitigate this, we created this star map which should better convey the real situation.

Few comments - the stars on the map are arguably more important plot (or subplot) points, many of them are the "ending slides". If they are small, it means this plot point has not yet been "explored", basically, not yet unlocked. Bigger stars - you have unlocked this story point at some time - it tracks this across playthroughs. And the line ("trek") is formed connecting the current save game's decisions.

This is a work in progress and currently represents, at best, 30% of the whole game.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I really like this idea. Star fits thematically and map is intuitive to understand. If you do a mouse over an uncloaked event, do you get an info what it was?

 

[Kamaz]

I really like this idea. Star fits thematically and map is intuitive to understand. If you do a mouse over an uncloaked event, do you get an info what it was?

Yes.

 

[MF]

That's brilliant, but how does it deal with, let's say, more than six branches in the midgame or endgame, two of which harken back to decisions made in the first part of the game? Does it abstract actual locations and timeframes to a high degree or does the game never reach that level of non-linearity?

 

[Kamaz]

That's brilliant, but how does it deal with, let's say, more than six branches in the midgame or endgame, two of which harken back to decisions made in the first part of the game? Does it abstract actual locations and timeframes to a high degree or does the game never reach that level of non-linearity?

Currently, the game has Y-like structure with two different branches of the plot that take you to completely separate locations, with separate quests, NPCs, plot etc..

If you play through the Space Wreck once, you can visit at most 60% of locations, the other branch is virtually inaccessible after you've made the choice.

Oh and that choice? It's already in the demo. In fact, if you played through it, you've made it. It's not a big glaring EVIL/RIGHT or smth like that sort of choice. In fact, it's pretty subtle. But I think it is obvious and rational.