Hey everyone!
We're back with another FAQ Friday to give a bit of a deeper dive into some of the excellent questions raised by the community.
Let's get into it!
Could we get an idea of how big the map is? Maybe compared to other survival games?
It's big, it's huge, compared to other games is kind of hard as some games have detailed areas with lots to do and others are much bigger by comparison but have lots of less detailed areas to travel across. So a straight comparison isn't fair, but we could make a massive desert which would be hugely optimal but it wouldn't be fun, or a very small but detailed complex area that's great for gameplay.
However, we can confidently say it is very big, not just from your special perspective, but because exploration is a big focus, the map and areas to explore and discover has been a focus, and the feedback on how big the map is during our behind the scenes tests have come back really positive.
Will there be some easter eggs regarding media, old and new, regarding the game subject matter to find and linked to achievements? IE: 1: Honey I Shrunk The Kids. 2: Fantastic Voyage 3: Any B-rated cheezy black and white "Sci-Fi" with giant bugs.
Yeah hopefully, we looked at a lot of B-Movies as references such as Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Them, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and how they emphasise and build up certain elements. Easter Eggs and things to find that are just fun is something we think is important. Kev is a massive fan of B-Movies and Cult Movies, so it's been fun "educating" the rest of the team!
When you're playing multiplayer can you see the other players from a far distance, like their name above them?
Yes, but we go one step further. One of the unique things about Smalland, especially if you're in first person, is because everything is giant your brain is used to seeing things a certain way so it's sometimes harder to appreciate the depth of what you're looking at. So an object looks like it's 10 meters away, but really it's a 500 meters (as a very rough example).
Seeing players in the distance as tiny specs is important as you can help one another, and it gives you the reality of just how far away everything is and makes you feel tiny, so we need to push this more, and names above heads are great up close but not that kind of distance.
So, the characters of Smalland have evolved with Bat-like ears and insect-like antenna which have helped them survive. These antennae give off a glow at a distance so they make players and NPCs alike identifiable from very far away.
This is also one of the reasons they have been mistaken as faerie folk, as they look like Will-o'-the-Wisps from a distance. A Will-o'-the-Wisp is a name for a ghostly light that legend has it is seen in fields and forests and often lures travellers off their path, or, helpfully getting them back on their path. There are legends of these sprites, orbs, or ghostly flames in Asia, South America, the Netherlands, Wales, England, Scotland, and Ireland (and probably more).... so there has to be some truth to that, right?
Thanks again for some great questions and as always we're always on the lookout for some more to deep dive into!