KickStarter STASIS - An Indie Space Adventure Game - now with CAYNE DLC

[ghostdog]

I'm glad you're giving a lot of attention to the setting, I love it when a game gives me the opportunity to learn more about the world outside the central plot.

Apart from single log entries, if you could also add usable computers where you can enter words in a search and some of them produce background info, it would be even more awesome. IMO this is a really good way for the player to receive infodumps, and even better, secret information. It makes the player feel like he has accomplished something.


Snatcher used this to give you a lot of the background lore and also gain information about key plot elements. Primordia also used it and if you followed the right chain of words, apart from historical info you could also obtain a very interesting scoop about a main character of the story. You can add various layers in such a mechanic, from easily obtainable info, to important tidbits of the story obtainable only through a puzzle-like word investigation.

 

[Abelian]

I'm glad you're giving a lot of attention to the setting, I love it when a game gives me the opportunity to learn more about the world outside the central plot.

Apart from single log entries, if you could also add usable computers where you can enter words in a search and some of them produce background info, it would be even more awesome. IMO this is a really good way for the player to receive infodumps, and even better, secret information. It makes the player feel like he has accomplished something.

The Longest Journey had a computer you could interact with. You could search and modify entries in the police database (after figuring how to get access, that it). I thought that was a neat feature.

 

[Jaesun]

I'm glad you're giving a lot of attention to the setting, I love it when a game gives me the opportunity to learn more about the world outside the central plot.

This. I really really like this too.

 

[Pyke]

I think an in game keyboard would cause my brain to explode, but I do have an idea for a more interactive form of 'computer interaction' that may work pretty well.

I would say well more than half of the game's text is focused on 'world building', and half of the more story specific writing is acting as support for the story specific stuff.

Im working on 4 layers to the story.
1 is our main story of John.
2 is the story of what happened to The Groomlake,
3 is the story of the people on board the ship during the 'what happened to The Groomlake' part of the game,
4 is the history of the people and the world before it all went FUBAR. So 4 would be things like Cayne Corporations back story and a timeline of events that happened before any of the events in Stasis were even set in motion. These back story elements have a ripple effect on the people DURING the events (3), the story of what happened on board to put the facility into its current state (2) , and in turn tie into Johns story (1).

Each layer crosses over into the other layers at certain points of convergence, but as you get further from layer one it has less impact from a game story point of view, but more impact from a world building point of view. You could play the game and JUST concentrate on 'Layer 1', but the more layers you peel back on the more 'full' the story will be for you. In a way its to reward those players who consume ALL the information in the game - but doesn't penalise those players that just want to sit back and enjoy the main plot.

 

[Pyke]

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...tric-scifi-horror-adventure-game/posts/820041

-c

 

[Daedalos]

Damn! You beat me to the punch, Chris!


Absolutely stunning work (as always) !

You are aiming for several indie/kickstarter game of the year awards my friend.

especially in terms of how adventure games go

 

[Wizfall]

Extremely impressive (both the sounds/music and the graphics).
Even in my head I couldn't imagine something looking better.

If the pacing, "puzzles" and storytelling are half as good i wish you to be very successful.
You can do it ! :D

 

[Pyke]

You are aiming for several indie/kickstarter game of the year awards my friend.

especially in terms of how adventure games go

No pressure eh? :D
Thanks so much mate. I really really REALLY feed off of the support that you guys give me...I cant thank you enough!

Extremely impressive (both the sounds/music and the graphics).
Even in my head I couldn't imagine something looking better.

If the pacing, "puzzles" and storytelling are half as good i wish you to be very successful.
You can do it ! :D

I really hope that the game wont disappoint! I'm enjoying playing it whenever I get a chance, and I have to say that the puzzles are really pretty damned cool. I wish I could show more!!!!

 

[mindx2]

My goodness, if the gameplay is half as good as this game looks...

 

[Jaesun]

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

That moment in 1:27.
Superb sound design. I know first thing that people are admiring, or complain about are visuals but for me the audio part is equally important. You certainly know how to make it work. I can't wait for full soundtrack by M. Morgan.

 

[Muty]

 

[Pyke]

That moment in 1:27.
Superb sound design. I know first thing that people are admiring, or complain about are visuals but for me the audio part is equally important. You certainly know how to make it work. I can't wait for full soundtrack by M. Morgan.

Thanks mate! Im spending a probably inordinate amount of time on the sound design, but it really is one of the most important parts of the project for me. Its supposed to be something that's just accepted that its 'there', but its nice that people are noticing it. :D
Mark and I are working on making sure that the sound design and the music really flow into one another. Its almost a collaborative working environment...which is beyond cool for me!

 

[Outlander]

Pyke I know you're knee-deep in the shit right now, but still, have you given some thought yet as to what may be coming after Stasis provided it does well for you guys? (and it fucking should)

 

[Pyke]

Pyke I know you're knee-deep in the shit right now, but still, have you given some thought yet as to what may be coming after Stasis provided it does well for you guys? (and it fucking should)

Oh definitely! There are a few games I really want to try out, with a lot of the time 'post stasis' probably dedicated to prototyping/playing around.
Nic and I have already written the Stasis sequel (at least in very broad outline form), but I think I'd want to wait a bit before going directly into it. It does have a really cool mechanic that it would be built around (still being a 'classic' adventure game) which would be a LOT of fun to design for.

Otherwise, there is the 1KL project which I want to explore (heavily mirroring FALLOUT in setting and gameplay), and another which we have code named 'Brothers' which is more along the lines of an open world Adventure Game (similar to Blade Runners style of characters moving around and living while the game continues). There is another one called 'Federation' which is a sort of 'Mass Effect meets Firefly' type of story (ensemble cast, multiple characters, big scifi world, spaceships and space stations etc). All of these would still be a 2D Isometric style of graphics.

I also want to try my hand at platformers. The ABE series has ALWAYS been an inspiration, and I would love trying my hand at something similar in style (well, gameplay style, so a 2D pre rendered platformer).

Nic is working on an awesome game which we will announce later this year (his pet project) which Ill be doing some of the graphics work for.

It all really depends on what type of game I think I could execute best, while still providing a challenge. If Stasis does well enough for both Nic and I to move into full time game production the scope of the games will alter. Regardless of Stasis's success Ill be doing more games. I cant 'not' make stuff. It will just take a bit longer. :D

I was watching the Broken Age doc, and if we sell the same amount of copies TOTAL as Broken Age got preorders before their big ACT 1 release, we can move into full time development.

 

[Cyberarmy]

An Abe's Odyssey game with your mad skillz?!?
Where do I preorder?

 

[Outlander]

Thank you for the detailed answer! Looks like it's an awesome time for you and your brother. And for us too of course, your descriptions of possible future projects are all

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

No Crusader-like game on your list Pyke.

 

[Pyke]

I fear I would be rather crap at making an action game...but never say never. :D

 

[Pyke]

Thank you for the detailed answer! Looks like it's an awesome time for you and your brother. And for us too of course, your descriptions of possible future projects are all

Thanks so much mate! Nic and I have been working on games together for YEARS...its only now that we have the opportunity to really make a proper 'go' of it. If you were a member of the Star Control 2 community YEARS ago you will remember a game called OutWorld (later called AlienME) which was our first attempt at a game of any real scale. MRY was actually a member back then and contacted me on the RPGCodex forums last year to say that he remembers the game. :D

Im sure I can dig up some screenshots of it somewhere...

 

[General Maxson]

Thank you for the detailed answer! Looks like it's an awesome time for you and your brother. And for us too of course, your descriptions of possible future projects are all

Thanks so much mate! Nic and I have been working on games together for YEARS...its only now that we have the opportunity to really make a proper 'go' of it. If you were a member of the Star Control 2 community YEARS ago you will remember a game called OutWorld (later called AlienME) which was our first attempt at a game of any real scale. MRY was actually a member back then and contacted me on the RPGCodex forums last year to say that he remembers the game. :D

Im sure I can dig up some screenshots of it somewhere...

Any chance of making something in the style of Star Control 2? Will "Federation" be something like that?

 

[Pyke]

Dammit man I wish I could answer that! I've probably already said too much... :D *looks over at his file of game ideas...*

But Federation would be a truly awesome game...with a very 'star con 2' vibe to it.

 

[General Maxson]

Dammit man I wish I could answer that! I've probably already said too much... :D *looks over at his file of game ideas...*

But Federation would be a truly awesome game...with a very 'star con 2' vibe to it.

Well I think that there could be a market for Star Control 2 spiritual sequel. It's one of my favorite games ever, and no one has run a KS for something like that yet. Nor do we have a hope of someone creating such a game in the near future. With your talents I'm sure it would be , and it wouldn't be such a far stretch from an adventure game genre. I.e. you already have some experience, while taking on a full fledged cRPG would be more difficult for you now? Think about it man...

 

[CyberWhale]

Star Control 2 spiritual successor with FTL space battle mechanics. Make it so number one, Captain Pyke.

 

[Pyke]

And 'Adventure Game' mechanics when exploring prerendered isometric spaceships and stations?