We're back with another insight into the FAR Universe and its developer Okomotive!
This is the second Deep Dive into the life and workings of developer, Okomotive, and their new upcoming title FAR: Changing Tides.
Joining us again is Creative Lead and Co-Founder, Don Schmoker at Okomotive to bring you a closer look into the differences, challenges, and revelations in creating both FAR: Lone Sails and FAR: Changing Tides.
Let us know in the comments if you would like to ask any other questions in our next Developer Deep Dive where we'll be focusing on the music of the game!
First off, what were your fondest memories of FAR: Lone Sails?
We were able to go to many exhibitions and events with the game which was a lot of fun, and it was amazing to see people play our game for the first time and see their reactions. However, in the beginning, we were going to large events with the very first “prototype” which was a really daunting experience. A good example of this is when we showed FAR: Lone Sails at the stadium in E3, it was a great experience with friends and fans, but since it was a prototype is was a lot of work and pressure.
After the success of FAR: Lone Sails why did you continue with this IP instead of creating something else?
We felt that the FAR universe has quite a unique mechanic so we wanted to explore it more and see in which directions we could go. It was not difficult for us to be fascinated by new ideas for a different type of vehicle and new areas to travel through. On the other side we were a small team and had to be smart about our resources. To continue the IP also meant we could use our experience and be more efficient with the development of FAR: Changing Tides, which in turn meant that we could make a bigger game in less time rather than create something completely new.
What are the main differences between FAR: Lone Sails development and FAR: Changing Tides?
Mainly three things: a better plan, a larger team and mostly working from home. This meant that the organisation and communication played a much bigger part during the development of FAR: Changing Tides, compared to FAR: Lone Sails. The length of the game also meant that we had to divide the levels and features into smaller parts that we could work on to avoid too much complexity. Oh, and working on many different platforms simultaneously doesn’t make things easier!
Do you feel that you took a lot of lessons from FAR: Lone Sails and adapted them into FAR: Changing Tides?
Yes, as much as we could. The experience with Lone Sails played a part in a lot of our decisions. Before starting with Changing Tides we analysed most of the feedback we could get and decided how we would improve these parts, keep them like they were, or change them.
What key aspects of FAR: Lone Sails have you put into FAR: Changing Tides?
I hope this quickly becomes apparent when you see the gameplay. Driving a big vehicle and building up a relationship during the journey, beautiful landscapes and music. We like a lot of elements in FAR: Lone Sails so we wanted to keep as much as possible while still giving Changing Tides something new that’s interesting for the players and for us.
FAR: Lone Sails released 5 years ago, what were the biggest challenges making FAR: Changing Tides during a global pandemic?
I would say it went relatively well for us, considering how much worse it could have been. We were lucky to quickly make the switch to working from home. Being somewhat isolated from the rest of the team was (and still is) not very fun; I miss the small discussions, conversations, and just looking at a cool new thing someone made across my desk.
Are you using the same tools and software for FAR: Lone Sails to create FAR: Changing Tides? If not, what was the reason for changing the way you built the game?
Yes, mostly, we still work in Unity and have a similar workflow.
What are you most excited for people to experience in FAR: Changing Tides?
Learning more about the ship and its abilities. And the ending of the game, but I won’t reveal any spoilers here!
Some other games in this genre have antagonists and a high element of danger. Was this ever considered for the FAR titles?
This was discussed several times during development. But it didn’t make sense for us to artificially create more tension. We didn’t want the player to be afraid to take their time or to stop the vehicle. There are some moments in both games that create tension, often by natural events, to use the vehicles to their full potential. In that case, the purpose isn’t to use the vehicle as a weapon to fight enemies but to survive the journey together.
What was the reason behind the simplicity in gameplay such as lack of HUD, or an onboarding system?
During early testing, we found out that it’s very rewarding and a big first step to build up a bond with the vehicle when a player figures out how the vehicle works. It’s somewhat risky because it’s so early in the game. To make things more intuitive we took a lot of real-world mechanics and simplified them, like igniting a furnace or cooling an engine with water. It also made sense to put the displays of the machines directly into the vehicle as you would expect from a real machine. To make the onboarding easier in FAR: Changing Tides we introduce the player step by step to new mechanisms and actions inside the ship.
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