Merchants of Sol (tuxdb.com)

Dev Log #01 v0.1.0

Though the game is still in early development I feel it's important to keep you all up-to-date on progress as well as share any other news. This one is going to be rather long winded as it's the first one and will set the ground-work for later updates. It'll also give insight into the development process and decisions regarding release. Early Access There will be no early access for this game. It will be released as a finished product and have gone through several testing/bug fixing phases before release. Currently the game is planned to release on the 1st of June 2023. Progress is going well and it looks like that target will be reached. Beta Access There will be a beta testing period during which a currently unspecified number of people from the community will be offered the opportunity to test the game and leave feedback. Those who are accepted to the beta testing program will be provided a beta production key during that period. Anyone who participates in the beta will be offered a full steam key upon release for free. Press Keys There will be an opportunity at a later date to apply for press keys. This will be announced in this forum along with the requirements to apply. Platforms and Languages The game is supported on Windows, Linux, and SteamOS. There are currently no plans to support MacOS. As for languages, on release the game will only be available in English. However, on release, the plan is to support more languages. Modding Support Modding support is discussed lightly on the store page so I will elaborate further here. From the very beginning modding support has been a core value of this project. A modding tutorial will be posted and pinned to this forum upon the release of the game. It is my hope that modding will be as simple to access as possible. Across several files are stored ship, planet, event, quest, and dialogue data. These are stored in simple configuration (.ini) files which can be accessed from most text processing apps. Though the amount of data may seem intimidating at first every effort has been made to make this game as easy to modify as possible. As such, upon release, the game will include a modding tool to easily access and edit this data. State of the Game So far progress has been swift. Much of the modding support and essential components have been implemented. The game is currently in a state of early play. It will not be long until the game enters into early alpha testing. What's being worked on

Adding all of the events + modding support for events
Finalising the story
Implementing manual belt travel
Achievements / Cards

What's Finished

Ship data + modding support
Planet data + modding support
Dialogue and event system
User interface and control
Ship management system

[ 2022-06-18 17:12:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Merchants of Sol
Pantheon Interactive

Developer

Pantheon Interactive

Publisher

2023-06-01

Release

Strategy RPG Simulation Singleplayer

The Merchants of Sol

Is a strategy game that entails making as much money as possible using any method at your disposal. Your actions and decisions define the solar system in that wars will be declared, famines will ravage populations, political legislation will be enacted upon planets and regions, among many other outcomes. Interact with diverse people from different backgrounds and professions to further your goals.

The Story

In decades past, Earth became uninhabitable due to climate change and war. To maintain power, the planetary government of Earth proceeded to declare war for control of Mars. But they failed and left to find new territories to claim for their own. In the present day, Mars has only just recovered from the war. This could only be achieved due to the Merchants Guild that opened trading routes throughout the system. It provided Mars and the planetary colonies with essential resources that allowed them to expand and flourish. The system is rich in resources and humanity is eager to acquire as much of it as possible. It is your job as a merchant to continue this vital work.

Your actions matter.

The system is a blank canvas for you to impress your image upon. The colonies have autonomy in their decisions but at the heart of these decisions is you.

"Every society is only three meals away from chaos."

As a member of the merchants guild, humanity is at your mercy. The fragile structure that remains after the civil war is reliant on the merchants to transport resources to and from the colonies. But what does this mean for you, the player?

War - For as long as the resources flow across the system, to the colonies, then peace is maintained. Colonies will fight planetary and interplanetary wars over resources and territories. These wars can be lucrative but can also be disastrous for the movement of goods.
Death - For many colonies, their basic needs are met by the merchants. Food, water, oxygen, medical supplies, among other things cannot be produced on fledgling colonies without the resources or equipment to do it. Sure, death can be bad for business but necessity drives profits.
Prosperity - Of course, you could also provide everything that a colony needs and see them prosper. After all, a prosperous colony is a rich one. And a rich colony is ripe for abuse.

Tools to success

Use everything tool at your disposal to succeed.

OSINT such as procedurally generated news for regional and system wide information.
Market charts for stock exchange and market manipulation.
Insider trading can be effective. Getting friendly with the owners and operators of regional businesses can give you valuable information into the market.
Signing contracts to fulfil tasks for government or private businesses can give a steady flow of income. But be sure to complete these assignments or you might face a breach of contract.
Use criminal, or morally objectionable, activities to make more money! Bribe government officials to favour a certain course of action, plot to murder those that get in your way, fund propaganda campaigns to further your aims, smuggle illegal products through planetary blockades, forge visa papers or government documents to access restricted areas, there's many ways in which you can go about making money.

A living, breathing universe.

The system isn't just a bland and featureless landscape; but instead a vibrant and diverse palette of humanity where your actions matter. The people you interact with have opinions, likes, wants, needs. Colonies can thrive or be decimated by various issues. You can help them or hinder them. Whichever makes you more money. Be ruthless and wicked, or be a beacon of hope for a desperate people.

Conversing with local people is the best way to get information about the region. To understand their needs is to understand the market.

MINIMAL SETUPOS: Ubuntu
Processor: AMD Athlon 1000Memory: 500 MB RAMStorage: 100 MB available spaceSound Card: N/AAdditional Notes: Tested on Ubuntu 20.04.4 64-bit
Memory: 500 MB RAMStorage: 100 MB available spaceSound Card: N/AAdditional Notes: Tested on Ubuntu 20.04.4 64-bit
Storage: 100 MB available space

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