(Posted on December 28th, 2020)
Happy holidays from Studio FOW! We hope you're all having some ten-tacular times, just like Lily here did during her recent experimentation. Like the good doctor always says, "Scientific research can be a very, very thorough process."
Warum, Deutschland?!?
As we're sure many of you have noticed, the Steam store in Germany has made changes that prevent the release and purchase of adult games. Here at Studio FOW, we refuse to stand by and do nothing while this injustice against the porn of our Deutsche Freunde takes place!
We want everyone to know that we're currently putting a significant effort behind the scenes to make sure that any consenting adult in the world that wants to play Subverse is free to do so via our own distribution platform. Our intention is to have it ready by the time the game launches so people can make their own choice.
This has become an increasingly prevalent issue. The adult content restrictions of Steam affects not only our German users, but several other geographical areas such as Australia, South Korea and China. Our bespoke game delivery platform will allow users from these regions to enjoy the game.
Rest assured - we are taking this very seriously and more details will provided as development continues.
RELEASE FAQ
Concerning the need for thorough information, we've been actively reading Kickstarter and Discord and it seems everyone is looking for more details regarding how the release of Subverse will work. As a result, we've compiled a list of frequently asked questions and will be providing the answers here.
How many chapters are we getting once the game is complete?
We originally planned on Subverse having 10 chapters total, and the original chapters were much shorter than the newer expanded ones. Currently there are TWENTY-TWO chapters in main script of the game. That doesn’t even include the devotion quests, which are almost like a second full questline per character.
How much content will be in each chapter?
The initial release will include the first three waifus, DEMI, Lily and Killi. This content includes the obligatory tutorial introduction levels and recruitment missions which add up to six chapters total. We're still doing internal testing, but we'll detail the total expected gameplay length expected at launch in early Q1.
However, when you take into account the average length of each chapter plus the fact that you get additional level 2-3 difficulty planet scenarios with each release, Subverse is going to be pretty damn big. This is why we confirmed there will definitely be more than 30 hours of content in our last announcement.
Not only that, we've also significantly increased the amount of Pandora animations that will be available with each release beyond what we initially expected. Expect a preview video and more details coming soon. Keep your joysticks polished and ready, everyone...there's plenty of action coming!
Will a waifu launch with all of her Pandora content or will this be updated over time?
We always intended to make more pieces of the total Pandora content available the further you progress through the game. However, since we increased the total amount of sex scenes you’re still going to have access to more content per waifu within the first few releases that you were originally going to have in the entire game.
Will content be added to previous chapters when a new one comes out?
Content will not be altered in previously released chapters as new ones are produced. While the game will have general improvements like bug fixes, you won’t need to worry about missing out on cutscenes/plot, missions, etc. if you play them as they are launched. You will be getting content that is totally complete.
Are the chapters save-game compatible? What will happen when you finish a chapter?
Of course! You won’t have to start your progress over every single time a new addition is made to Subverse. One of the reasons we were most comfortable with this release strategy is that Subverse is constructed like a traditional RPG where you have places to go even when you’re not pursuing the story. If you finish a waifu’s main content there will still be dozens of planet scenarios including several side quests you can complete in each section of the game.
How will this release strategy effect waifu screen time?
It won’t. The script was written in a way so that if a waifu is recruited later in the game, she generally still receives around the same amount of total screen time as those that came before her. Another big advantage of doing a chapter-based release is we know exactly what order the waifus will be recruited in and can plan accordingly to still include her in the story after her initial content is finished.
Other than inclusion in the main story missions, you can unlock new dialogue options for your waifus and talk to them aboard the Mary Celeste about every major event of the plot as it unfolds. The "on-board" script for the game is substantial, so those of you that love to get to know characters and dive even further into a game's lore will really enjoy this content.
What is the estimated development time between releases?
It’s difficult to give an exact timeline because some of the releases are slightly larger than others or require the introduction of new areas/game mechanics in addition to their regular content. Our plan is to set a reasonable pace with our first update and increase it as we start to hire additional programmers and animators.
How many systems are there per nebulae, and how many planets are explorable in each one?
Here's a rough breakdown - there are five nebulae in Subverse (six if you count Dragon being split into north/south). Throughout those nebulae, there are over 500 planets. About 2/3rds of these have some kind of level one planet encounter, main or side quest. Beyond that, each system has typically has several level two encounters and most will have at least one level three as well.
Does a chapter-based release influence development in a good or bad way?
From a development standpoint it is 100% positive. Rather than having to focus on completing an entire game at once and worrying about so many different objectives, we can follow a very clear chronological path to completion.
SCOUNDRELS BETA LAUNCH
The mercenaries and monsters of Prodigium have arrived!
As we detailed in our previous announcement, today marks the release of the Scoundrels. This is a secret sixth faction of enemies that appear throughout the game throughout Prodigium in planet encounters and as part of many side quests.
You'll see in the SHMUP endless mode that even though they're technically just guns for hire, their ships pack some deadly technology that allows their attacks to go through asteroids or even turn them into deadly obstacles. Make sure you watch out for their wide firing patterns that make evasive movement essential.
This will also be the first SHMUP beta where you can select a waifu as your co-pilot! Try out Lily's special sniper attack and Killi's shotgun and see which one matches your personal playstyle best.
We've included a total of five different grid combat scenarios this time around. The first two, Bug Hunt and Lava Trouble are basically single enemy type whack-a-mole maps that test your unit spacing and target choice in order to clear them with the highest grade possible. Subverse's grading system is online, so let us know if you manage to get a gold star in every mission!
Then there's the Scoundrel Madness map, which takes place on a jungle planet and features a chaotic blend of every single current enemy available for the faction. That's right - we're going to add more in time and bring the total grid enemy unit count even higher!
After that we have the more standard action of the Mercenary Battle. Here you can fight against a typical composition of Raenos Mercs, Gunchubbas and Artillery Drones in a city environment. You can even try out a new mantic unit - the previously announced Napholeon! Note that we made the scenarios slightly easier this time around so you could enjoy experimenting with unit composition to see what works best for you.
Also, just a reminder to make sure you are using the "CHANGE BETAS" option at the bottom of the screen to see all of the content.
What's Next?
January 2021 will be a very important time for the game. We'll be working hard to make sure Subverse's launch goes smoothly. Expect even more information about release and some exciting promotional content!
Sincerely,
Mr. Kristoff