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They recently said they have 14 employees working on the game plus contractors. They've also said the number was even less before the game entered full production around the time the publishing deal was announced, it was really just a handful of guys in a room.
So I'm not sure the publishing deal was made "much earlier". I think it was probably made around the time it was announced.
I remember seeing a staff site somewhere, on which I counted roughly 30. I thought it was Otherside, but I might have mixed that up with another company. Are you sure those 14 are the full staff though? I distinctly remember seeing business/administration related posts. But as I said, I might have mixed it up.
When I visited them way back during the KS campaign they were literally in two small office rooms no bigger than 10’ x 10’. Tim S. and four other guys shared one “office” with computers lining every side of the room. It was very cramped. Paul had his own room. That was the entirety of OtherSide for quite awhile as I understand it. Their “office” was one of those shared places which tons of other businesses on the same floor. Everyone shared the same conference room and secretary. I doubt their expenses were very high at that time.
This morning I saw a week report on the Otherside forums. Contained little new information. Basically some guys are in Berlin today, the rest is working on the alpha. Nothing new on the alpha release. My guess is they'll pull a Cleve and release it whenever. Also by the end of the month they'll notify those who applied for external beta testing. I wanted to link the report, but when I checked again it was gone.
I love how they keep pushing the alpha back and not even telling people why. First it was last Friday, then this past Monday, now they are not even willing to talk about it. The shit is so broken they won't even let their rich backers play it because they know there will be rioting.
Here’s the update for the Backer Alpha timing. Joe, Paul and I have asked for a few changes and updates to fix or improve some obvious things, whether from articles, watching people play at E3 or things that we otherwise noticed and want to fix. This is primarily to improve your experience and also to get them out of the way of your guys review. E.g., get a few more spells in the build, fix a couple of performance issues, improve player movement and manteling, get the bugs out of the combat interactions so it feels better, etc. Some of that is already done as part of the phase we're in right now. We're not trying to make this perfect--it won't be, it's Alpha. Our plan is to finish these tweaks by the end of this week and then test over the weekend and Monday so that we can release next Tuesday, 6/26. Thanks for your patience!
But we do want to make sure you have the best experience possible with this build and feel good about the game you guys are so passionate about. We recognize that there has been feedback about the game not being as far along as people would expect, which is fair. Up to this point, we’ve been focused on getting everything into the game and now were focused on getting the systems working well together, refinement, tuning and polish. We hope you see the potential and the foundation that's there.
One of the things we're excited about is that you all will have a lot more time to play the game than anyone has at these demos. They've had 20-25 minutes, you can get more. The demo'ers generally did not get a chance to try out all of the various skills, abilities and items in the build. You will, if you want to. That means you can give us a lot more definitive and helpful feedback. We're looking forward to it, thanks for sticking with us!
Flug, good question. I literally had added a note to the FAQ / Build Notes that we're going to release along with this build that there will be minimal narrative in this build, primarily to minimize spoilers at this point and also to let Joe do a few more updates and improvements. The narrative is still really important to the game overall, we have not down-sized it. It's critical to really suck people in the very beginning of the game and keep their attention as they play through. This is a fantasy RPG, not a shooter, so we want a great story and we think our fans will want and expect it too. (No pressure Joe!)
Re: the other improvements, considering that the E3 build is actually from 6/4, their's been plenty of time to do some nice gameplay, usability, interaction and quality of life improvements -- with plenty of time to do more.
We will see tomorrow I hope. I believe certain forms of jankiness are acceptable.
I guess Stalker could be described as kinda janky (?) as well as Gothic - in the sense that they seem unresponsive if you don't know what you are doing (think of the combat system in Gothic).
Needless to say, that didn't really hurt those games. Despite the fact that Gothic got trashed by some reviewers back in the day.
But something tells me the "jankiness" in Underworld is different - less grave in fact. A couple pages back I said the combat could use more "oomph".
My gut feeling is telling me that's the crux of the matter. Animations and sound effects to be more exact. I believe one E3 preview even mentioned the sound effects.
Morning everyone! It's been a whole week, huh? While Justin and I were in Berlin last week for Unite Berlin, the rest of the team, as you know, was working hard on cleaning up the Backer Alpha build, which is still on track to release tomorrow.
For anyone who missed our update from Walter last week:
Quote from: OSE Walter on June 20, 2018, 01:29:40 PM
Here’s the update for the Backer Alpha timing. Joe, Paul and I have asked for a few changes and updates to fix or improve some obvious things, whether from articles, watching people play at E3 or things that we otherwise noticed and want to fix. This is primarily to improve your experience and also to get them out of the way of your guys review. E.g., get a few more spells in the build, fix a couple of performance issues, improve player movement and manteling, get the bugs out of the combat interactions so it feels better, etc. Some of that is already done as part of the phase we're in right now. We're not trying to make this perfect--it won't be, it's Alpha. Our plan is to finish these tweaks by the end of this week and then test over the weekend and Monday so that we can release next Tuesday, 6/26. Thanks for your patience!
But we do want to make sure you have the best experience possible with this build and feel good about the game you guys are so passionate about. We recognize that there has been feedback about the game not being as far along as people would expect, which is fair. Up to this point, we’ve been focused on getting everything into the game and now were focused on getting the systems working well together, refinement, tuning and polish. We hope you see the potential and the foundation that's there.
One of the things we're excited about is that you all will have a lot more time to play the game than anyone has at these demos. They've had 20-25 minutes, you can get more. The demo'ers generally did not get a chance to try out all of the various skills, abilities and items in the build. You will, if you want to. That means you can give us a lot more definitive and helpful feedback. We're looking forward to it, thanks for sticking with us!
Likewise, a LOT of progress has been made given this extra time:
Quote from: Other-MajorMalphunktion on June 21, 2018, 03:56:03 PM
Just finished playing for a couple of hours...my only thought is...damn did we get a ton in over the past 2 weeks. Its always amazing when what seems like small tasks have gigantic impact--weapon effects, damage, audio...Starting to feel right.
I'm about to jump into the daily build myself after over a week of being away from wifi, so be on the lookout for another update later today!
Drinking game: Read every single piece of text about the game by devs and take a shot each time they talk about getting the systems working well together.
A more elaborate demo that goes on for longer sounds pretty nice, hopefully no more schedule slip this time.
I love how it's about stealth and every gameplay review so far says stealth is completely broken and enemies beeline for you while you're crouching in complete darkness.
Hi everyone, tomorrow we will be releasing the Backer Alpha build of Underworld Ascendant for PC, Mac and Linux platforms. We’re excited to share the build with you and get your thoughts, suggestions and feedback. There is still plenty of time to have an impact in a number of areas of the game, particularly around moment-to-moment game play, world interactions and system simulations. We will review all feedback that you share with us, whether via the survey (linked in game), bug reports or posts on these forums. Please make an effort to keep your feedback detailed and constructive as that will be much more useful and actionable for us.
Please do keep in mind that this is an Alpha and the build is representative of an unfinished game. Is it unpolished, buggy, and you might encounter some instability (i.e., game crashes). That’s normal for a game like UA at this point. We’ve been spending a lot of time getting things into the game and now our focus is getting those things working well and working well together.
At OtherSide, we pride ourselves on the breadth of experience and talent at the studio. As a small team of 14, we are striving to deliver a quality game that fits our size and stature. As a result, this is not a AAA game in scope or scale. That said, our goal with UA is to push depth of gameplay variety and we hope it provides a unique array of playstyle options and deeper world interactions. We think you all are aware of that, but it seemed worth repeating.
The build you will play is just a slice of the full game in terms of content like levels, creatures, items and loot as well as features like spells, combat moves, interactibles and things like that. We will also be posting a longer FAQ / Build Notes that will go into more detail about what’s in, what’s not, some known issues (not a full bug list), etc. Please keep an eye out for a link to that tomorrow.
We will be distributing the build via Steam using the same “app” as the Pre-Alpha Build. So, if you have access to the Pre-Alpha Build already, you’ll be able to download the new Alpha Build when it’s ready. If you didn’t have access to the Pre-Alpha Build, we will be sending you a Steam Key for this Alpha Build via BackerKit. Our plan is to send those keys around before the Alpha Build is available on Steam so you won’t have to wait for the key.
Thank you again for your support and your feedback. We hope you enjoy this early look at Underworld Ascendant.
Cool. Will be fun to try it for ourselves at this point. Watching that girl play it in the alienware stream was like cheese grating my nutsack. She was turning away from every opportunity to try out systems or object interactivity. Must have taken some patience by Joe and Paul.
Welcome to the Underworld Ascendant Backer Alpha build!
We’re excited to share the build with you and get your thoughts, suggestions and feedback. There is still plenty of time to have an impact in a number of areas of the game, particularly around moment-to-moment game play, world interactions and system simulations. We will review all feedback that you share with us, whether via the survey (linked in game), bug reports or posts on these forums. Please make an effort to keep your feedback detailed and constructive as that will be much more useful and actionable for us.
Please keep in mind that this is an Alpha and the build is representative of an unfinished game. Is it unpolished, buggy, and you might encounter some instability (i.e., game crashes). That’s normal for a game like UA at this point. We’ve been spending a lot of time getting things into the game and now our focus is getting those things working well and working well together.
At OtherSide, we pride ourselves on the breadth of experience and talent at the studio. As a small team of 14, we are striving to deliver a quality game that fits our size and stature. As a result, this is not a AAA game in scope or scale. That said, our goal with UA is to push depth of gameplay variety and we hope it provides a unique array of playstyle options and deeper world interactions. We think you all are aware of that, but it seemed worth repeating.
For the last few months, we’ve been focusing on getting systems, abilities, items, etc in the game and now we’re focused on bug-fixing, tuning, polishing and getting all of the systems working well together. Please pardon our dust!
We are looking forward to your feedback. Keep in mind that it’s a lot easier for us to understand and parse well-thought out and articulated feedback. In particular, constructive criticism and respectful argumentation are greatly appreciated. All feedback will be read thoroughly.
Only EXPLORER backers and above ($50+) will have access to the Backer Alpha build.
Your feedback is critical to us at this stage, so once you have finished playing the Alpha, please fill out this survey.
This build includes:
PLUTO’S GATE – this is our post-intro “un-training level,” designed by Cabirus to ease your entrance to The Stygian Abyss. This is an updated and revised version of the area played at PAX East.
UPPER EREBUS – this is a level from later in the game with a variety of enemies and challenges. This is an updated version of the area that was playable at E3.
SKILLS
Note: When you are placed in Upper Erebus, you will receive a large number of skills as if you have completed a number of hours of gameplay. Skill descriptions are available in game and in some cases noted below. This is a powerful kit. You will be able to move faster and withstand much more damage than what you have in Pluto’s Gate. But this will help you test a variety of skills for us and give us feedback on them.
Combat
Haste
Sword Mastery
Parry
Sprint
Pitch of the Pedro – Handheld objects can be thrown quicker to deal more damage.
Lift
Avatar Smash
Jump
Feather Fall
Wall Run
Magic
Mage Sight – Allows you to see mana motes.
Casting Boost 1-3
Mana Boost 1-5
Mana Attractor – Automatically brings mana motes within a visible radius to you.
Stealth
Stealth Sense – While crouching, the UI element will indicate how visible you are. (“Open eyeball” is highly visible, “closed eyeball” is undetected”)
Concealment
Climb/Mantle – You will automatically mantle over small ledges and objects while moving forward (e.g., holding down “w”)
Climb Ropes
Dash
Dash 2 – While crouching, hold left shift to view where you can dash towards. Release shift to dash. Can leap across gaps. You WILL collide with anything in the way.
Backstab – While crouching behind an enemy undetected, striking with a sharp object (sword, dagger, etc) will do bonus damage.
Pounce – Attacking an enemy while undetected will do bonus damage.
Lucky Shot – While you’re aiming with a bow and arrow, you can time the release when the little arrow indicator is in the center of the bar to receive a damage boost.
Sniping – Headshots while concealed deal double damage. Can one-shot Tier 1 Skeletons.
ITEMS
Armor (Basic)
Masterwork Platemail
Boots
Helmets
Weapons
Jewel of Befuddlement – Throw this at an enemy and they will be temporarily stunned and forget they saw you.
Flint Arrows
Bow
Water Arrows – Does not deal damage to enemies. Can put out fires.
Blast Arrows – Deals minor damage. On collision, a blast of air will be released.
Tripwire – Anything that walks into a tripwire will receive damage, including yourself!Select the tripwire and click Left Mouse to have the placement indicator appear. Move against a vertical surface where the placement indicator is tinted white and click again to place it. If the placement indicator is tinted red, that means an opposing surface is not close enough, and the trap can’t be placed there.
Memora – A magical means for capturing memories. Raw Memora is used as currency. Memora containing key information or survival skills is greatly valued. (A Memora containing secrets is a quest item in the Upper Erebus mission)
Silver Sapling – Plant it anywhere in dirt. You will always respawn at the Silver Sapling. It can only be in one place at any one time, so be mindful of where you re-plant it!
Food
Fromage du Propre
Eyeless Nether Fish – Don’t ask, don’t tell.
Corn of the Erinyes
Wands
Move Plant – Cast once to bring a wooden object towards you. On the same wooden object, casting again will push the wooden object away from you.
Bind Spirit – Charms living creatures and shackles the Undead to the ground for a short period of time.
Bind Plant – Immobilizes wooden objects in place for a short time.
CREATURES
Tier 1 & Tier 2 Skeletons
Rippers
Eidolon (Note, cannot be damaged directly)
Wisps
GAMEPLAY AND BUILD NOTES:
A note on what’s in and not in the build: you are seeing a small slice of the game overall, consisting of a training level as well as part of another level. You’re also seeing only a portion of the skills and abilities the game will ship with, particularly only a small amount of magic spells and runes. We’re also deliberately not including much of the narrative and additional quests, primarily to reduce spoilers.
Item interaction – when you grab an object, we display an indicator line that shows where you are hold that object. That anchor point can impact how and where you can place the object. Sometimes it’s easier to “push” objects than “pull” them.
Item Highlighting – we’re investigating being able to turn off the object highlighting for those that wish to do so. The option is not in this build.
Reward Screen – this is still a work-in-progress and we welcome your feedback on it as well as on the kinds of things you would want to show
Narrative and Quests – we are not exposing much of it at this time to avoid or minimize spoilers
KNOWN ISSUES – there are many more, these are the more likely you’ll encounter:
Flaming arrows don’t set doors on fire – known bug
“Combat and Movement feels clunky” – we’re actively working to refine combat and related systems. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
“Stealth Light sensor doesn’t work on Mac+Linux” – it will act as full bright for this build pending a Unity engine update
“Spell X is difficult to use or understand how it is supposed to work” – we’re updating the usability as well as the in-game messaging to address this, but please do still tell us how you think they should work
“Loading Times are very long” – We’ll be addressing this issue in the coming weeks
“Is it Localized?” – Localization has not been fully implemented yet, there are dropdowns in the options but most of the languages are currently empty or have default google translations.
Object interaction – currently the players’ hands continue to appear when carrying an item, that will be fixed so that the hands will not show
Object interaction – pressing E to drop an item while having the mouse over another object will cause you to drop the first object and pick up the second. That is not the intended behavior and a fix is in the works
Object interaction – when holding an object, you can hold the right mouse button down to rotate it and use the mouse wheel to move the object closer or farther away from you
Items – Not all food will heal you and we will be getting better messaging in the game about what the different foods will do for you
Items – the Silver Sapling won’t plant in various places that look like dirt. We’re aware and working on a fix
Items – I keep getting the same loot. Not all loot is enabled in this build, there will be more!
Map – the in-game map is not updating correctly so it’s showing, e.g., the end of Pluto’s Gate, not the beginning. We have fixed this already in the main game branch
Enemies – Occasionally AI does not initialize in certain parts of a level so that the enemies are standing around doing nothing
Graphics – The game is really dark – try turning the Brightness up in the Graphics settings
Loading – There’s a long hitch at the beginning of Upper Eberus – this is related to navmesh (AI) loading, we’re aware and fixing
Audio – there’s an issue where the volume of audio in menus and the interlude in Pluto’s Gate is much louder than the rest of the game sounds. That is being fixed.
Mac – occasionally the level will end on a black screen.Reward screen – not all calculations are 100% accurate
Mac / Linux – Enemy perception is currently very low, an update from Unity should fix that
Mac / Linux – You may see some rendering bugs related to item highlighting and torch shadows
Mac / Linux – Performance is currently not to part with the Windows version and we will be addressing that as we continue with development
Mac / Linux – Some particle systems and surfaces may be black or pink.
Rare Crash – Interacting with the lever in the physics room of Pluto’s Gate may crash the build.
Rare Crash – Unity’s crash reporting has a rare crash that is ‘most likely’ fixed with the next release.
Rare Crash – Using video caching (Social Tab in options) on Windows 10 machines can sometimes cause a crash several minutes into gameplay
BUG SUBMISSION
If you encounter bugs, please follow these steps:
Open the PAUSE MENU
Select the “BUGS” option, which will open a new tab with a
Enter the title of the bug and basic description. Push SEND.
If you encounter a bug in a specific area, you can take a screenshot that attached the coordinates of the location: Ctrl+F12
