Hi everyone! This is Diary No. 9 in which we continue to share with you the development news on Saturated Outer Space project. On March 14, the project team participated in the DatFest event at which presented the game prototype.
Due to the current situation, the event was visited by three times fewer participants, but that did not interfere with the friendly atmosphere of developers, cosplayers and role-players. We showed the prototype of the game to our potential audience and fellow developers. As a result of the event, the project received a lot of feedback on the gameplay and the user interface system. All the comments will be surely taken into account.
And the most important thing that we wanted to share is the vision of the future of the project, based on the presentation made by Nikita, Project Manager:
Saturated Outer Space
Saturated Outer Space (SOS) is a turn-based tactics with emphasis on the plot and setting. Game modes include rescue operations (tactics) like X-COM, Mutant Year Zero; Life on the Ship (reflexion time) like the hub in StarCraft 2.
We have set 3 ways to achieve the goal:
The gameplay is built around the plot. In our case, the setting and the genre are means for conveying the story. Therefore, the entire game design is built around the logic of what is happening in the designed Universe.
The plot is mainly inspired by science fiction of the 80s of the last century: novels by Alastair Reynolds, the book “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin and the movies: Star Trek and Pandorum.
In general, SOS is a game telling us the story of the captain of the space rescue service and his squad. The player will have to complete tasks to evacuate the pilots whose ships crashed, scientists in distress, stuck astro miners and other hostages under difficult circumstances.
Each mechanic should be organically integrated into the gameplay, for example, the game bestiary. This is not just a text presenting the enemies that the player will encounter. It will contain instructions on how to deal with these enemies. That is, this is a useful section that will help to play the game.
Balance and level design are the main means of revealing the narrative. We want not to stick to the principle of conveying history through the so-called “walls of text”. There will be the "walls", but only for those who want to dive more into the setting and the Universe of the game.
As narrative tools, we bring the balance and content of the levels that will tell the story with their elements and device. For example, there will be a crumbling space station with a bunch of traps such as dips in the floor, structures that can fall over the head, blockages, and even isolated airless rooms.
The plot is in everything
The story about the space rescuers is the icing on the cake. Those who are interested in it will discover a lot:
- get to know the story of the main antagonist,
- grasp the complex system of social relations and the cause of the underlying conflict in the society,
- find out where those groups and factions that we create come from,
- detect the threat hovering over the universe of the game, not just the intermediate goals which the protagonist and his team aim at,
- deal with the unique currency of the game Universe. By the way, these are not credits, but the "likes system" as it is in the social services.
- The multilayer of the game is that those who do not want to thoroughly explore the world, will not lose touch with the game and will be able just to enjoy the gameplay and the basic logic of what is going on.
The main character and his quest
It happened that Stan Goodwin, the protagonist of the game, became a member of the rescue service. However, he does what he does not only because of his inborn altruism, but also to break into the upper strata of the society. Everything that Stan does will help him or hamper realizing this goal. And it is up to the player what exactly will happen.
Each member of the team has a unique personality. Like Stan, every member of the team his or her own set of skills and goals. And each in the team of space rescuers self-nterests. If the player manages not to lose them during the missions, then the story of each will develop and lead to its own finale.
The team is represented by heterogeneous marginals who do not look like professional special forces, but rather, like a bunch of mercenaries. Each has its own set of equipment and skills, which allows them to deal effectively within the rescue missions.
The team will include a pig mutant, a medical robot, a religious engineer, and some other members with a dubious past.
The player will not only have to figure out how to get to the victims, but also how to get them out of the rubble, lead them through the fire, and protect them from the forced fighting. But if the player does not care about maintaining the morale level of the victims, there is a risk of getting the string of bursts into the back if they start panicking.
All this will be seasoned with a moral choice: that is, it will not be possible to save everyone, the player will have to choose: whether he is saving a group of children or the favorite goldfish of the millionaire who promises to generously pay for its evacuation. Or surrender the victim to the enemy and get out without loss or fight the way through, risking oneself and the victim.
Multiple endings
The whole election system will affect the outcome of the story. In the end, the player will find him/herself at the level that emerged from the consequences of his choices throughout the game.
A minimum of the text during the main activity, but a lot of the text in the mode, which will be discussed later.
That is, being on missions, the squad members will be exchanging phrases, but the written part is optional: we will not take control of the player at the moment of the dialogue, the dialogues do not directly affect the realization of the main quest. However, they may contain clues on possibilities of winning the level or revealing the loot location.
Balance and level design
Narrative through the balance and level design
Enemies are stronger, but have less technological skills, and the squad members are precisely the rescuers, not the Rambo killers. They need to save the victims got into troubles. Exactly for this the player will be awarded. The victims can be sacrificed and killed, but this will cost you more ammunition, and may fail to bring one closer to the goal. Yes, ammo will be limited and there will be equipment that can be clogged with items for battle or salvation operations.
Interacting with the environment, one can influence the enemy units, but only if your squad members are capable to do it. Levels are designed so that you can win them with the help of hacking skills, parsing debris, fighting fires, etc. (skills require upgrade). You can also block the enemy in a separate room and put poisonous gas into it. Accordingly, in order to get out of the level, it will be necessary to neutralize its elements so that the victims do not burn out on the way, do not explode in a mine, or are not destroyed by enemies.
Current status of the project
The project goes from the prototype stage to the alpha version. Now we need those who are interested in the project and who are ready to participate in the following tasks:
- Programming;
- Animating models;
- Marketing;
- 2D art and 3D Modeling.
Events such as DatFest are important to our studio and its participants. They help us better understand the audience needs, as well as rally the team. The diary issue has come to the end, but we continue to work on our project.
See you soon in the Saturated Space!