Starpoint Gemini 3 - now a "full-blown space RPG"

[anvi]

Me reading video game stories:

 

[LGM_Games]

Hey guys!

The long awaited second part of our dev diary is finally out! In this part we get a little bit nerdy. We talk in more detail about our proprietary WhaleX engine and how some aspects of the games are improved with it.

Yes, yes, we know, the explosions in SPG Warlords were “meh” to most players, but you’ll be happy to hear that explosions in the upcoming Starpoint Gemini 3 are bigger, visually more appealing and helluvalot stronger!

There’s also some depth added to clouds you find while traveling and lighting improvements. Our world and material editors also got improvements – and are now one!

The best we left for last. We are aware that the control scheme in SPG2 and SPGW was a little bit… clunky. That’s why SPG3 has seen a lot of improvements in the ship control area. Lateral, vertical and backwards longitudinal movement was finally added to the mix, as well as improved camera control.

“But, guys!”, we hear you ask, “When will you show the gameplay?” Soon! Very soon!

Check out the full Dev Diary which goes in a lot more details on our Steam page: https://steamcommunity.com/games/977720/announcements/detail/1718594147071469242

 

[anvi]

Make it feel more like a world and less like a game.

 

[Wulfric Pinewood]

We will see after release. Like in dozen of other golden mouth titles...

 

[LGM_Games]

Make it feel more like a world and less like a game.

Starpoint Gemini 3 will have two modes, campaign and freeroam. We are trying to achieve an immersive world with this game so if you're not really into story games and just want to explore the world, you will have that option.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Interesting comment from a developer in the comments on their recent dev diary:

A storywriter with extensive experience in Star Wars and Marvel background is tasked with entire storyline. I can't disclose too much now, but I do hope you'll find it interesting

 

[anvi]

I would rather play the Campaign to get any scripted events and whatnot. I was mostly referring to how I prefer the world to be made like a real world that the player has to try to find their place within. Rather than making it like a game world.

 

[LGM_Games]

Hey Codexians! We just wanted to land here with a small surprise - our first gameplay trailer is here!

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

:cautiously optimistic:

 

[anvi]

I really hated that. All interest gone.

 

[The_Mask]

I have a few questions. These will come from a person that has played a bit of SG 1 and a fair bit of SG 2.

1. Will trading and mining be adequate sources of income? Because as far as I remember capturing ships was pretty much the only way to go. Will there be any other significant sources of income? Will they attract/alienate factions?

2. Will you still have escorts in this game? And follow-up question: will the escorts have improved AI? 2nd follow-up question: will you be able to customize your escorts with gear? Will you be able to select your escorts' traits, perks - and will those traits and perks influence the "linear story line"?

3. How many levels of difficulty will we have? Will the hardest be HP bloat, or will the AI be actually challenging (<- please don't lie at this question. It's better to answer with the truth, than the alternative of me/us buying the game and it turning out to be a lie)

4. The voice acting in SG 2 was absolutely abysmal, in my opinion. Are you going to hire professional VO, or not? If not, can we turn the VO off?
Context: I would much rather play a game with no VO, than a game with shitty VO - no offense, but that's just the truth.

5. Some of the best parts of the SG series were the environmental hazards, and the way you had to deal with them, especially in 2 where there were some cool star docks located in dangerous areas - can we expect similar things from this title?

6. I really enjoyed the puzzle, light style of crafting we had in SG 2 - is it going to be the same?

7. Will our AI have any RPG elements? Will they influence the gameplay? Will they influence the story?



I may have more in the future, but that's it, for now.

Thanks for posting here!

 

[Morkar Left]

Reminds me of that other spacegame which comes out on epic only

 

[anvi]

Reminds me of all the things I hate in gaming.

 

[LGM_Games]

I have a few questions. These will come from a person that has played a bit of SG 1 and a fair bit of SG 2.

1. Will trading and mining be adequate sources of income? Because as far as I remember capturing ships was pretty much the only way to go. Will there be any other significant sources of income? Will they attract/alienate factions?

2. Will you still have escorts in this game? And follow-up question: will the escorts have improved AI? 2nd follow-up question: will you be able to customize your escorts with gear? Will you be able to select your escorts' traits, perks - and will those traits and perks influence the "linear story line"?

3. How many levels of difficulty will we have? Will the hardest be HP bloat, or will the AI be actually challenging (<- please don't lie at this question. It's better to answer with the truth, than the alternative of me/us buying the game and it turning out to be a lie)

4. The voice acting in SG 2 was absolutely abysmal, in my opinion. Are you going to hire professional VO, or not? If not, can we turn the VO off?
Context: I would much rather play a game with no VO, than a game with shitty VO - no offense, but that's just the truth.

5. Some of the best parts of the SG series were the environmental hazards, and the way you had to deal with them, especially in 2 where there were some cool star docks located in dangerous areas - can we expect similar things from this title?

6. I really enjoyed the puzzle, light style of crafting we had in SG 2 - is it going to be the same?

7. Will our AI have any RPG elements? Will they influence the gameplay? Will they influence the story?



I may have more in the future, but that's it, for now.

Thanks for posting here!

1. Trading will be a big aspect of the game. We realized some of the mistakes we made with money making methods in our previous games and we focused on improving that in Starpoint Gemini 3.

2. In some missions you will have allies help you out, but mostly players will be flying Solo. Players won't have fleets to manage as they did in Starpoint Gemini Warlords.

3. The difficulty levels are still under construction. Each new test gives us some new ideas about polishing the AI. There will be an option to change the difficulty, but we still haven't fully decided how we will implement that. We will try to make it better than just making enemies have more health and do more damage.

4. We are working with some great voice acting talents for this game. We can't name anyone specific right now, but we're sure you're familiar with some of them.

5. Yes, we did like hazardous areas in earlier parts. They are a pretty important part of the Gemini sector. They are a part of Gemini and the Gemini Incident lore. You can expect some of those areas in this game as well.

6. Crafting mechanic will be in SPG3. Its base is similar to the one in SPG2, but it will be upgraded quite a bit. For instance, almost anything you can find, mine or buy in the world, you'll be able to use and create something else. The crafting itself won't be a tedious process, though, and you can expect the ability to craft your own weapons, etc.

7. The storyline will be strong and linear, and the AI won't influence the gameplay as much in that regard, but it will have a big part in the story of the game.

Don't hesitate to ask us anything you'd like to know. We are always happy to answer all questions you might have!

Reminds me of that other spacegame which comes out on epic only

We get that a lot! Even though the games look similar right now, once both of them are finished, some significant differences will be apparent. We can't wait to play the "other space game" ourselves!

 

[Kruno]

Please tell me the game will have micro-transactions. I love playing micro-transactions.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

2. In some missions you will have allies help you out, but mostly players will be flying Solo. Players won't have fleets to manage as they did in Starpoint Gemini Warlords.

Related to this, how much interaction will you have with your ship's AI?

 

[anvi]

Does the star character wear a cowboy hat? I can picture him, just like the other 1000 games that have the exact same character.

 

[LGM_Games]

Please tell me the game will have micro-transactions. I love playing micro-transactions.

We will have to disappoint you, then. There will be no micro-transactions in Starpoint Gemini 3.

Related to this, how much interaction will you have with your ship's AI?

Ship's AI will communicate with the player while they fly the ship or the drone and give useful information. It can do some work independently, but in tighter situations the player will rely more on their own skill. There will be an ability to deploy and control the drone.

Does the star character wear a cowboy hat? I can picture him, just like the other 1000 games that have the exact same character.

Not in the main game, but we'll take that into consideration for the DLC.

 

[Norfleet]

I'm trying to understand how microtransactions in a single player game would work. Wouldn't you have to be a total and utter sucker to pay for that when you could just use Cheat Engine, if you really wanted to cheat?

 

[ArchAngel]

I like the gameplay trailer. Has strong Rebel Galaxy vibes which I like.
Is the music from the trailer the kind of music that the full game will have?

That type of music made playing Rebel Galaxy at least 50% better :D

 

[LGM_Games]

I like the gameplay trailer. Has strong Rebel Galaxy vibes which I like.
Is the music from the trailer the kind of music that the full game will have?

That type of music made playing Rebel Galaxy at least 50% better :D

Real game music style will be somewhat different in most part, but we assure you it will fit very good. It will also be different than tracks in previous games, and the style will definitely be recognizable right away.

 

[Kruno]

I'm trying to understand how microtransactions in a single player game would work. Wouldn't you have to be a total and utter sucker to pay for that when you could just use Cheat Engine, if you really wanted to cheat?

I hate money!

 

[GreyViper]

Hey Codexians! We just wanted to land here with a small surprise - our first gameplay trailer is here!

It gives X series feelings, with some freelance spiced in.

Question have the devs ever played Star Wolves and what do they think about it? If not could they look at it and give their opinion, if they have the time of course.
Thing is Warlords is not a bad game it had lots of good ideas, but it didn't achieve the climax it had the potential to achieve.
Anyway, space sim fans are not dead just waiting for that next Privateer.

 

[LGM_Games]

It gives X series feelings, with some freelance spiced in.

Question have the devs ever played Star Wolves and what do they think about it? If not could they look at it and give their opinion, if they have the time of course.
Thing is Warlords is not a bad game it had lots of good ideas, but it didn't achieve the climax it had the potential to achieve.
Anyway, space sim fans are not dead just waiting for that next Privateer.

Star Wolves, an older game, RPG/RTS in a way (just making sure we didn't mix up a few titles)? Yeah!

Star Wolves and Starpoint Gemini Warlords are different in more than a few ways. SPGW is a more global scale, while Star Wolves is from a more close-up perspective, making Warlords bigger in mechanics and scope. Considering this, there's always a "just about right amount of mechanics" issue with about any title.

SPG3 will definitely lean towards Freelancer more than Star Wolves if we're to pick one game. Both had stuff that made them unique, and SPG3 will be unique in its own right, with what we hope will be a proper ratio to make the game experience not weigh over on one side of the scale or the other. Balancing is the key and is something we think we'll get right.

Of course, space sim fans are not dead. We're one small army!

 

[LGM_Games]

Hello Codexians!

We just wanted to land here and share with you our newest development diary where we talk about the characters you'll be able to meet in the game! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and we'll happily answer them!

INTRODUCING NEW LEVEL OF CHARACTERS

Face to face at last

Hello everyone!

This third Devblog offers more information on one of the most significant changes we're introducing to the Starpoint franchise. Many of you noticed this change and asked numerous questions about it, so it is good time to reveal more info, but without spoiling too much of your future game experience.

One of the most important parts in this new approach were characters. You already learned humans aren't alone and alien races exist and share space with humans. But instead of offering aliens as a mere additional variable in the global scale of events, we wanted to give players a chance to really meet them face to face. See them firsthand, talk to them, observe how they adapted to living in mostly human populated territories. In addition, why wouldn't you visit their planet and learn how they live and what their ordinary day looks like?

In Starpoint Gemini 3 characters are here to tell a story (both visual and in the sense of spoken words) and to show the player that they are real living creatures forced to survive and secure happiness in the same surreal circumstances as any other human. Each tragic event and each battle from the past left a scar on Gemini and everyone living there, be that human or alien. They might have different perspectives on many of these events, but the effect on their lives is profound regardless.

Preparing the technology

Given the fact that we still opted to keep our own game engine for Starpoint Gemini 3, and the fact we never used characters on this level before, creating the necessary technical support for this feature was a daunting task. First, our WhaleX engine had to be upgraded to receive and render high quality character models at all. Next, these characters don't just hang around drifting in space. They need to be placed in closed spaces, environments and rooms. That was also something we used before only in a limited capacity. It took several months to prepare the engine for the usage of internal spaces, appropriate lightning and details rendering.

After that came the biggest task of all – the characters now needed to start talking and expressing emotions. Introducing blend shapes, proper expressions and speech synchronization proved to be very challenging. The selection of technology to record shapes and software to implement it took another few months, but when we first saw Remo Bo talking to us and making funny faces, we all knew it was worth the effort. He was, among other characters, now ready to tell his story and that felt awesome, especially for the things to come.

Pushing further than ever before

Ok, so an Exteran bartender smiled at us and offered us his first drink. That meant testing time was over, and we have established a system and a workflow that works. The available options suddenly expanded, and we wanted to use it to the maximum extent possible. Character lists were created, the storywriter gave them personalities and backgrounds while the animators worked their magic to give them life and expressions. Doing this for the first time was both fun and hard with problems appearing from everywhere. One day a Dogon alien is trying to relay a serious message to you when his teeth suddenly fall out. The next day a local trader is giving you a quest, but his body goes somewhere else and you find yourself talking to his lonesome floating head. Hey, we're not making a horror game, so this was freaky to say the least. It took some time to sort these glitches out, but in the end, we were happy with the overall quality and the impact we achieved.

Meeting future „friends“

Most players will probably be interested in what they'll get in the end. Who will they meet during the game? Well, now we're getting to the slippery terrain if we want to avoid spoilers. You'll meet humans; many humans. Both male and female. Aliens too, and we don't mean it as mere plural, but as in more than one race of aliens. When we talk about specific types of characters, your travels will offer the chance to meet ordinary people, traders, bartenders, heroes of past wars, twins, criminals and shady people, android like dudes, some non-humanoid creatures as well... All in all, Starpoint Gemini 3 takes place in Gemini and beyond as well, so it's a very big place and variety is mandatory.

The plethora of characters you'll encounter on various locations on planets and space stations will offer information, clues, quests and different services, pretty much similar to any classic RPG, but at the same time this new perspective will allow you to get a front row view on the regular life in Gemini – interiors, factions and their relations, design ideas, fashion...

In the end – what's the deal with aliens?

When talking about characters, we have to offer some answer to a very important question – Are Aliens bad? In previous games in the Starpoint Gemini series, the aliens were shown rarely and usually connected to some battle and destruction. Now, many players expected they are an „Independence Day“ type of aliens. Well, they are not. First – there are more than one race of them. Second – none of them hold an inherent hate of humans. They utterly hated the Empire but once that organization was destroyed and genome experiments had ended, they had no special desire to pursue destruction of the entire human species. In Starpoint Gemini 3, years after the fall of the Empire, humans are repopulating human territories outside of Gemini once again, and they slowly accept that the A'Shriari are here to stay, and that some form of coexistence will have to be found.

Additionally, as you travel outside of Gemini and the story takes you to the other former colonies of the Earth Empire, you’ll learn about more and more species out there. None of them have any choice but to live with each other. Do they like each other? That depends, but that doesn't change the fact that all of you are here to stay and finding the best way to do so, and to navigate the complicated mutual relationships, is one of the crucial tasks that the protagonist, Jonathan Bold, will have to tackle. That is – alongside the even more complicated relationships between Jonathan's former/current and potential girlfriends...

That's it for this Diary, thanks for reading and stay tuned!