Now that the new proc gen system is accessible in Early Access via branch, the team has been busy QAing and bug fixing the Prospects and Bargains system, which is due into the game before the end of the year. Alongside that, Art, Content and Tech have continued their work on various tasks for our other regions like Albion and Eleutheria.

ART

Besides creating the art for the Albion port, the Most Serene Mausoleum, Tobias has been working on visualisations of Terror that we’re hoping to add to the game soon. These Terror visualisations are based on your feedback that there aren’t enough cues that Terror is increasing. There will now be five different visual stages to show the Terror condition: neutral, losing terror, gaining terror, gaining a lot of terror, and gaining-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-Terror-oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-die.
Example of upcoming Terror border visual effect Alongside this solution for Terror feedback, we’ve also added a new HUD in the proc gen branch available to players. The new HUD aims to clarify Terror level as well as other conditions and stats the player will want a keen awareness of as they play.

CONTENT

Many of our writers and freelancers are forging ahead on Albion ports and content. James has been busy writing the content for one of our Legendary Wrecks: the Boatman, while Chris has spent time working on the ever mysterious Well of the Wolf. As most of our freelancers such as Harry Tuffs and Richard Cobbett have been finishing up their Eleutheria ports. Similarly, James have been creating the content for the Eleutheria port of Pan, which was discussed in our FBG Podcast. Olivia has also written the Blemmigan content for Sunless Skies, so expect upcoming fungal frivolity!

GAMEPLAY & DESIGN

Early Access means we’re creating Sunless Skies in open development. As such, players can witness bug report and fixes, submit feedback and see which changes we make to the game as development continues. With this comes occasional cuts to features or content. One of the first cuts we can discuss here is a cut to how Isambard Line functions. In a previous update, we described that the Isambard Line would have the possibility of being fixed by the player and used as a fast travel system within the Reach. Depending on whether the player fixed the line or left it in disrepair would please either the Stovepipes or the Tacketies.
Due to recent adjustments to the Content and Tech schedules as well as the technical design behind this type of system, this aspect of the feature has had to be cut. This cut will allow the team to complete other, more essential gameplay features. During the initial segment design meetings, Content fell in love with the idea of the line being an eerie example of a grand Victorian folly, never completed. So instead of deciding whether to fix the line or not, players will be able to discover the Isambard Line within the Reach, and play out a particular story that wouldn’t be able to be told if the line weren’t in disrepair. A story that will involve a unique Officer. Barry has been implementing changes to ensure the game performance is optimised, so that ports like Lustrum won’t cause any visual performance issues. Now that the new proc gen system is available, Barry has also been busy implementing various Discoveries and Spectacles, which will add even more fullness to the world. Meanwhile Mac has begun work on joypad controls. One of our main goals for Sunless Skies is to make it even more accessible than Sunless Sea, which means we’ll be trying to make it as easy as we can for people to map controls. With Prospects and Bargains soon to be implemented in the live-build, Mac has also been working with Lesleyann to resolve any bugs found around this system. Lesleyann, as our Quality Analyst has also been mental testing the proc gen build to ensure that all the missing and duplicate port bugs have been sorted.

AUDIO

For all audio not strictly music related, we work with the award winning Soundcuts. Moving forward we’re going to work even more collaboratively with them, which will produce some brilliant sound effects within our skies! Also, we’re continuing to work with Maribeth on the music for each region. Recently, we’ve finished up the two main theme tracks for Albion. We’ve also finished the first draft of the Main, Terror, and Death themes, with the Victory theme coming up next! Today Wednesday 6th December, Chris will be showcasing Prospects and Bargains, at 16:00 GMT. Tune in to the FBG Podcast and bring plenty of questions for us to answer! As we approach the holiday season, we’ll be winding down a little as people head off towards home for family and festivities. We hope to have Paul come on for the next podcast on Friday the 5th of January to give everyone a little tour of the new proc gen system!

[ 2017-12-06 14:37:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

It is the dawn of the 20th century, and London has taken to the stars! As the captain of a spacefaring locomotive you'll behold wonders and battle cosmic abominations in the furthest heavens. Stake your claim. Fight to survive. Speak to storms. Murder a sun. Face judgement.

Ten years have passed since Sunless Sea, and Queen Victoria has led an exodus from London to the heavens. There, a revitalised British Empire - ambitious and authoritarian - begins to expand across the skies.

The stars are alive. They are the Judgements: vast intelligences that govern all things. But they are dying. One by one, something is snuffing them out, leaving their thrones empty. An opportunistic Victorian Empire is colonising the domains they leave behind, painting its industrial vision upon the fabric of the heavens.

• Travel between distant ports, unravelling stories, bearing passengers and news, and trading in exotic celestial cargoes.
  
  
• Your every foray into space is as precarious as a Polar expedition. You’ll need to balance your resources carefully and keep an eye on your crew’s Terror to avoid mutiny and death.
  
  
• Your captain's actions could tip the precarious political balance of a region. Will you run guns for the Independents? Or spies for the Empire? Choose wisely – your decisions will affect the story; not just for yourself, but for your future captains as well.
  
  
• Leave your mark on the universe, and be marked in return. When you are creating your captain, every decision is a story, and every story has a consequence.
  
  
• Equip your vessel as you see fit. Would you benefit more from reinforced armour plating, or the additional manpower allowed by external crew pods? ("Soundproof! Cosy! Detachable!")
  
  
• It is not safe in the skies. A captain will need to defend themselves against pirates, scorn-flukes, the Cyst of Faces, and worse.
  
  
• Recruit a gallery of unpredictable characters to crew your locomotive as First Officer, Chief Engineer, Signaller, or Surgeon. Each brings their own skills and stories to your adventures.