Hello everyone! First, here are some new details regarding our current progress on v1.5. The current QA testing session confirmed the fixed status for more than 30 high priority bugs that have been reported by our community since v1.4 was released. These include a better optimization (particularly for AMD powered machines), various issues that prevented some players from completing certain quests (including the endgame), periodic crashes and freezes, localization and visual related glitches, global map problems, etc.
There are still around 10 reported issues we would like to double check before finally releasing v1.5 to the public. We plan to finish this process on May 28th and update you with the release date next week accordingly.
Meanwhile, welcome to our latest installment of the “Meet the team” series (links to previous parts: #1, #2, #3, #4). This piece is dedicated to a few more crucial members of Mono Studio who made INSOMNIA possible.
Evgeny Maloshenkov, artist
I found INSOMNIA while browsing Kickstarter for potential job opportunities. After getting in touch with the team, sending over my portfolio and completing the test assignment, I was invited to join Mono Studio. I’ve created at least a hundred of concept arts for characters since then. I loved the way the working process was organized — quite often I had no strict borders for what I can and cannot do. This is exactly the way quite a few peculiar NPCs and bosses were created. Understanding the setting is the key here. Also, I would like to point out that it’s quite rare to see concept art to be used inside the game in its original form. Usually, it's used as a visual reference point for 3D artists. However, one of my works can be found in Object 6 in the form of a painting. It’s a central piece in the Morach Base:
Generally, I don’t need a specific source of inspiration. Being an artist for years now, I just start drawing and get inspired in the process. Of course, it never hurts to listen to some good music, watch a movie or two, play a game or browse creations from other artists. Games, games, games… my relationship with them is quite complicated :). I don’t play a lot. Most of the games I stumble upon feel mundane and I lose interest quite fast. Dark Souls must be the only series I’ve completed in the past 10 years. However, I’m a vivid YouTube gamer though :). Also, I admire the following classics: Fallout, Gothic, Morrowind, HOMM3, Diablo.
Roman Prokhorov, Level Designer
I’ve started my game development life as a freelancer and worked on various environment elements and locations for 2D games. These tasks also required some additional artistic and 3D modeling input, since I had to create sprites based on 3D objects. I joined Mono Studio back in 2015. At that point in time, there was just one level designer who was searching for new members to join his team. I’ve completed the test assignment and two weeks later, I was working on INSOMNIA.
I designed and tweaked some of the levels which included the placement of NPCs, enemies, stashes, and all kinds of interactions between them. You can see some of this work in the Morach Base and Casino locations. Naturally, I worked on other parts of the game as well. However, since there were multiple designers that were involved in the process, there’s hardly any location inside Object 6 that was built entirely by one person. When it comes to inspiration, I play a lot of games and pay attention to the way their fictional worlds are built. Of course, there are other artistic mediums that can fuel my creative fire. For example, I really enjoyed searching for abandoned USSR era summer camps. Lots of interesting stuff can be found there. Unfortunately, these days they are either destroyed or rebuilt into modern resorts (at least when it comes to Samara district).
Wowa Savin, Lead Programmer
I was just a kid when I started creating my first games. This became possible with the help of my first Soviet computer “Krista”. I’ve learned Assembler and developed a few little projects based on “Jeux et casse-tête à programmer” written by Jacques Arsac. Many years later in 2010, I was invited to a meeting with people who were interested in my area of expertise. We were discussing a project that became known as INSOMNIA and this is basically how Mono Studio was created. When I first saw the concept art for the game, I instantly knew I want to help breathe life into this world. I served as a software architect for INSOMNIA and was responsible for the implementation of all logic and interaction mechanics inside the game. However, the most obvious visual representation of my work can be demonstrated by… elevators and doors functionality. Since I have a friend who installs elevators for living, I was able to to get all of the required information from someone who actually knows this stuff. So I’ve done my best to make a virtual representation of those as real as possible.
My favorite source of inspiration is work itself. Game development is an industry where you have to solve all kinds of tasks and I love it. This project was no exception. In my free time, I usually don’t play games at all, since this is a very time-consuming process. However, sometimes I pay attention to some of them when I need to learn new technologies. In these cases, I prefer to watch YouTube letsplays though. Anyway, I always enjoyed NFS5, all Gothic games, Risen and Elex.
P.S. see you next week, insomniacs!