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Topics - Lurler

#61
Servers / Server Adding Guide
June 02, 2014, 01:03:32 AM
To make it easier to find a particular server and understand what server is suitable for a particular person we ask that everyone follow a particular format when you add your server here. It would make it much easier for everybody!

Thread name should include server name as well as the game version, it could also include other information such as player limit, pvp status, etc.

The thread should contain the following information:

Server name: The name of your server.
Version: Version of the game you are running.
Server address: ve.example.com
Hosted in: a country, or region such as "EU" or "US" to give a general idea for people of what ping they can expect.

Server settings:
* Mods installed: None
* Whitelist only: No
* Player limit: 100
* PVP: Yes
* EXP penalty: No
* Money penalty: Yes
* Ship penalty: No


Additional information: Any other information you think is important to know.
#62
VoidExpanse v0.8.0 Update patch notes.

Please read the original blog post with information about the update first: https://atomictorch.com/Post/Id1063

New game launcher:
Now you don't need to bother with downloading each update, unpacking the archive, transferring the saves, etc. Just download one executable file on your desktop, run it and it will take care of everything for you. It will download each new version, patch the game for you and keep track of all new updates. You can also opt-in to receive early experimental versions to the game if you want to be the first to try out the new changes.

New features:
  • Completely overhauled quest system. Added more than 20 quests into the game. These include quests to join different factions as well as randomly generated quests from different NPC.
  • Different areas on the station instead of just the canteen. Now there may be different areas depending on the type of station.
  • New station types have been added to the game. Now there are five station types: outpost, military, mining, business and science.
  • New icons for stations on the system map and on the galaxy map. Now you can actually see what type the station is.
  • Added mine slot to some ships and mines to equip. It is still work in progress, but you can now use mines to your advantage.
  • New ship - Orca. A heavy cruiser with missiles, mine and energy hardpoints.
  • New weapons: machinegun, particle discharger and several others. Whole lot of new misc items as well.
  • Access level to different NPC on stations. Now you can't just go and barge in to a Faction leader without earning some respect first.
  • Destruction of your ship now actually has consequences. You can choose the difficulty setting when you create a new world.
  • Upon your ships destruction you will see a notification informing you as to what you have lost, if anything.
  • Whole bunch of topics to discuss with different NPC's and depending on who you talk to the answers will be completely different.
  • Persuade skill is now implemented and can be used in quests to make people more inclined to your demands.
  • New icons for a whole lot of different items.
  • Difficulty settings are now properly implemented. You can choose between: normal, semi-hardcore and hardcore modes.
  • Fuel, speed, cruise and warp recharge indicators are added to the game.
  • You actions now have consequences - killing a faction member or helping him in a fight will have a direct effect on the faction standing towards you.
  • New model for heretic ship (properly optimized low poly model).
  • A whole lot of other new features!

Changes:
  • Rebalanced several ships including heretic, freighter and others.
  • Drop/loot lists are changed for all ships and include many more items than before.
  • Custom thread pool for background tasks. Should improve performance and loading time quite significantly for some people.
  • Relationship change after killing or attacking someone.
  • Improved ship overview control in the inventory.
  • Changed color coding scheme for different items. It is much easier to understand and more consistent.
  • Crates left in space will now disappear after some time to reduce the load on multiplayer server.
  • You can now see the total price when buying more than one item.
  • Rebalanced ships maneuvering bonuses. General rule now is as follows: Light frigates have full maneuverability, Heavy frigates -10%, Light cruisers -25%, Heavy cruisers -45%.
  • Changes to object spawning in the game. It is more consistent now, for example; there will be less objects very close to the stars and more logical placement of space stations and other structures.
  • You can now see the number of different utility slots in the ship information tooltip.
  • Better presentation of action buttons, for example; pick up cargo, dock to station and others.
  • Changes to internal structure of some game mechanics. It should make it less prone to bugs as well as allow us to extend it further with less effort.
  • A whole lot of other changes!

Fixes:
  • Improvements to local game server. Including fixes to freezing when quitting the game.
  • Replaced unreliable multithreading library with custom solution which is much more reliable.
  • Fixed: can't pick item in shop.
  • Fixed: loading of icons while "Loading" splash screen present.
  • Fixed: memory leak in the client.
  • Fixed: tooltips positioning.
  • Fixed: models loader bug.
  • Fixed: long text overflow at some action buttons.
  • Safeguard: the game now checks if it is run from archive and notifies user that it's not the way to do it.
  • Safeguard: If the game cannot start singleplayer it gives a link a to a wiki page with troubleshooting information.
  • A whole lot of other fixes and stability improvements!

Download the game in "My games & items" on the AtomicTorch (https://atomictorch.com/) website!
#63
Game discussion / Before we update
May 23, 2014, 06:55:46 AM
I just wanted to give you an update regarding the release.

I know you guys are really waiting for the next update and we were really trying to push the experimental version today, but alas, there were some issues that made it impossible to finish today.

But what that means is that we will be able to release the update next week for certain! And while we are at it we could also sneak in some more changes. So if you guys have some requests about really small features you'd like to see implemented please let us know!

But aside from that the update is huge. We were able to  pretty much overhaul everything within the game!
#64
We are working on making a launcher application for our games. We want to really simplify everything and make it as easy as possible to download and play the game.

So far it looks something like that, but it is still work in progress.


How it works:
1. Get that launcher and put anywhere, such as on your desktop. It is just one executable file, no extra folders, config files, etc., nothing. Maximum simplicity.
2. When you run it for the first time you need enter your login and password (one time only) and it automatically downloads the latest version of the game from our server.
3. Play the game! :)
It will also check for new versions and you can update your game at any time just by clicking "update" button. It also checks integrity of your installation and can fix it if something (or someone ;) ) messed up the game files.
You can also apt in to download experimental versions (or wait for stable versions only).
And finally you can get a zipped archive of all log files with single click of a button because, frankly, we are tired of asking for logs all the time. Now it is automatic! :)

Basically it makes EVERYTHING that you had to do by hand automatic.
And it also has auto updater so if we add new features you won't have to redownload the launcher, it will update itself.

And you can also use it to select what mod files you would like for your game to be active. Kind of like a plugin selector for Morrowind/Oblivion/Skyrim.

And it works for all games, and not just VoidExpanse. So when we release a new game you would be able to use single launcher for all games. And you don't have to worry about anything. Just download a single file, and run any of your games.

That pretty much sums it up.

Note: Of course you don't have to use it if you don't want to and you will still be able to just download games from our site.

Now before we release it for testing I would really like to hear your opinion and possibly some ideas that you think we should implement or generally any feedback. We are making it for you and we would like to hear what you think! :)
#65
As you might have noticed all prices in the game are displayed like this "5000d".

So our question to you - what do you think the "d" stands for? :)

Be creative!
#66
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.11
April 23, 2014, 03:49:52 AM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/Id54

Quote
The update is finally here and with a lot more stuff than we initially planned! Here goes.

New stuff:
    New hint system. If you are doing something wrong the game will tell you. For example trying to equip an item in a wrong slot will show you a hint on what you are doing wrong.
    Ability to ask for fuel from other friendly ships in space.
    See contents of the asteroids skill if finally implemented. So, if you are a miner it will really come in handy!
    Added "show on map" feature and ability to cancel quests.
    All stars now do radiation damage to the neighboring ships.
    Implemented skill: bonus to quest reward.
    When near JumpGate it indicates where it leads.
    Item comparison window.
    Added button to quit to the main menu from the character creation screen.
    Added faction icon near ship names (if the pilot belongs to any faction at all).

Changes:
    New mining system. The main idea is that now you will actually get some good money for mining, but much less experience compared to before.
    New experience system. We changed the amount of exp you get from killing pirates depending on their level as well as how much exp you need to level up.
    Rebalanced the freighter hull. It is now somewhat weaker in combat.
    Extended name generation for star system names.
    Rebalanced the game start. It is a little bit easier now.
    Galaxy map now reports actual asteroid density in different systems.
    Added energy usage for all weapon types upon each particular shot, not just recharge. So, now all weapons use energy. We are still balancing the system so we would really appreciate your feedback on the forums.

Fixes:
    Finally fixed multiplayer (lags, hangs, "lose of control")! And this time it really does work! :)
    Fixed disappearing items icons (finally!).
    Fixes to some quests, e.g. now they properly put markers, in the correct category and contain less grammatical mistakes ;)
    Fixed collision box for science station.
    Fixed docking zones for all stations. No more going through walls.
    Fixed "Spiral docking" issues.
    Fixed merchant Ships being stuck on certain stations.
    Fixed "if game path contains Unicode symbols, NoesisGUI does not works".
    Fixed random lags in game.
    Fixed camera jumping after death/jumpgate.

And a whole lot of other small fixes!

As always we welcome you to join the discussion on the forum!

And more importantly - join us in multiplayer. We really want to see big battles going! Join in and show your skill!
#67
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.10
April 11, 2014, 04:07:56 AM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/Id53

Quote
And it is finally done! This update primarily addresses all the reports that were given on the forums. Really big thanks guys! We were also able to slip some improvements to the game along with bugfixes. Overal I am very pleased with the work done this week. I hope you will like the changes! As usual find the list of updates below.

Oh, and below is an example of a rediculous faces you can create now :) PS - there are Hulk Hogan mustache now :)


New features:
    Added industrial miner 2.
    New generator (tritium + capacitor).
    Whole lot of new face parts for character generator.
    Consumables drop from pirates.
    Added autosave interval setting to options.

Changes:
    Consumables can now equipped in flight. You don't need to dock to a station to do that.
    Signposting - we have added clear indications to some actions to make it more clear why you can't do something or how you should do it.
    Modified and rebalanced Avalanche hulls - now they are actually made for speed as it was intended.
    Added missing icon for the first quest item.
    Increased energy capacity for all generators.
    Tooltips for ships now show tracking angle and tracking speed for each weapon.
    Other small changes.

Bugfixes:
    Fixed bugs with some quests. Particularly the Scurvy quest was changed significantly.
    Fixed unequipping of devices when changing hulls.
    Now it doesn't tell you "Docking failed" when you already docking.
    Fixed NPC dialogs and container exchange states closing.
    Now you cannot talk to turret platforms and pirates.
    Fixed the problem with conversations when you talk to another ship, exit with Esc, the ship was zoomed-in and unresponsive.

Known problems:
    Path to the game must not contain unicode symbols. Basically only symbols in default Eng keyboard are allowed. It should be fixed soon.
#68
Game discussion / GalaxyPedia
April 10, 2014, 03:46:31 AM
We will be implementing help/tutorial system and as a part of that system we will also create GalaxyPedia. The name is of course a temporary one (please suggest something better :) ).
But the reason I created that topic is because I would like to hear your ideas on the best way to implement it.

So the way I see it now we will have a window with a list of topics on the left (separated into several categories) and the particular article of this pedia on the right. Something similar to this:


So, when you want to read about mining for example you would open the pedia, search for section "Mining", then click on "Mining asteroids" and read the article (with pictures) on how to do it and basically get all associated information.

That's the basic idea.

Any suggestions to make it better?
#69
Mods / Guide to post your mods
April 08, 2014, 03:15:24 AM
When posting your mods on the forums please follow the template outlined below for best results!

Title: Title of your mod.
Image: Url, or in-page image of your mod. Certainly not required, but would be really nice to have.
Author(s): Authors of the mod.
Description: Information on what your mod does or adds to the game. Basically a summary of mod content.
Mod version: Current version of the Mod.
Game version: For what game version was the mod created?
Game mode: Single player or multiplayer?

Here is a template for you to copy
Title:
Image:
Author(s):
Description:
Mod version:
Game version:
Game mode:
#70
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.9
April 04, 2014, 11:09:14 PM
Original post: https://atomictorch.com/Post/Id52

Quote
So, here it is! Our first update to VoidExpanse (v0.7.9). It mostly addresses all the issues that were encountered by the players after the initial release. It should make the game much more stable now. Additionally we implemented several small features requested on the forums. But let's get into details!

Changes:
* Your ship no longer stops when your open the map.
* Help screen when you start a new game (or press F1).
* Changes to world generation. You will see systems with anomalies more ofter.

Bug fixes:
* Fixed inability to control your ship in multiplayer.
* Fixed a crash when entering space station in multiplayer.
* Fixed bug with textures in main menu.
* Fixed issues with startup of the game on some systems.
* Fixed crash with inventory and other menus.
* Fixed problem with offline mode and master server.
* Fixed problems with saving and loading the game.
* A whole lot of other smaller fixes!

Guide on how to update the game - here (http://wiki.atomictorch.com/VoidExpanse/updating_the_game).
#71
Game discussion / What mods would you like to see?
April 04, 2014, 10:39:40 AM
I am wondering about mods. What mods would you like to see?
Also, does anyone planning on creating any?
#72
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.4
January 24, 2014, 03:49:20 AM
VoidExpanse patch notes v0.7.4

Added:
* New fancy UI.
* Consumables (!!).
* New ship - Banshee.
* Around 20 new items and fixes to existing items.
* New skills.
* Loading screen when docking to a space station.
* Entering system message.
* Quick actions overhaul, shift + lmb / rmb, etc.
* New music.
* EXP bar under "Class: ..." in the character window.
* Icon for the top menu for "who is online".

Changed:
* Space station menu redesign.
* Speed-up to map window.
* Sound is now turned off when the client is minimized.
* Music playlist system for menu and station now works.
* Proper damage calculation for weapons depending on range.
* Opening crate container when jettisoning an item. So you can jettison more stuff into the same container.

Fixes:
* Some issues with UI.
* Issues with local server starting/stopping/restarting.
* Player ship flickering on jump gate arrival.
* Normal maps DXT compression artifacts.
* Using fuel for generator even when ship is docked.
* Repair / refuel prices update.
* Other small fixes.
* If inventory is closed by Escape key (or other menus), ship becomes uncontrollable.
* Timeout issue on connection.
* Issue when couldn't control ship after reconnecting.

Known issues:
The game crashes when you try to exit. It's not a big deal, since you were already quitting anyway :)

As always, you can download a new version of the game on the site in "my games". Previous version is not compatible with v0.7.4 servers.
#73
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.3
January 17, 2014, 03:37:48 AM
VoidExpanse patch notes v0.7.3

Added:
* Cooldown animation for devices.
* Shift / Ctrl + click hot keys for items.
* Context actions overhaul. Now much more self explanatory and simpler.
* Item requirements are properly displayed for all items.
* "Who is online" window activated by Tab.

Changed:
* Improved latency measurement (more precise ping info).
* EXP you get for mining now depends on what has actually been mined.

Fixes:
* Alt + Tab issue where you could not enter text after doing so.
* Memory leak on the server that made the server slower overtime.
* Exploit with price being 0 for some ores.
* Possible crashes.

Known issues:
If you cannot load the game / connect to the server / control your ship, try completely closing the game (Alt+F4) and then start it again.


You can download a new version of the game on the site in "my games".
#74
News and Updates / VoidExpanse - Patch notes v0.7.2
January 16, 2014, 04:22:17 AM
VoidExpanse patch notes v0.7.2

Added:
* Multi-threaded save/load with compression.
* Close most windows by ESC.
* Notification on experience changed.
* Mining notification (what is mined or other info).
* Chat message on player leave/enter the game.
* Sell an item or stack of items by shift-clicking.
* Version property to the site and the game client. Game check it and notifies the user if a new version is available.
* New weapon (ion cannon).
* Skill requirements info shown on items.
* Topic categories when talking with NPC.
* New skill icons, and modified a few existing ones.

Changed:
* Increased tooltip size for items and skills + extended tooltips content, more info, etc.
* Ore sold freely only on mining bases, and with a price modifier 0.75.
* Much less lags even with higher ping.
* Optimized ray updates sending (faster and less traffic).

Fixes:
* Freighter incorrect RCS trails.
* Player avatar displayed in canteen.
* Many possible situations that could lead to crashes.
* Issue with connection / reconnection and loading problems.
* Mines exploding multiple times.
* Delivery quest bug with no station present in the system.
* Exp gain and leveling.
* Quests: active / completed / failed were always 0.

You can download a new version of the game on the site in "my games".

Important: server address has changed to mp.atomictorch.com
#75
Bug reports / BUG REPORTING GUIDE - Read this please!
January 16, 2014, 02:55:16 AM
To improve communication between testers and us and just to make the process simpler for everyone, we would like to offer you some info on how to better structure your bug reports.
This will greatly help us to quickly identify and fix all the problems you might encounter.

When reporting a bug, please try to include the following details:
Game version: The version you are using.
Game mode: Single-player or Multilayer, or both.
Bug location: Where exactly you encountered the bug.
Steps to reproduce: This serves as a guide for us to be able to reproduce the bug.
Reproduction rate: Is this a one off occurrence or you encounter it many times and can easily reproduce?
Screenshot: Having a screenshot of the problem is the best as it would really help us to quickly identify the problem.
Bug description: Once the other details are in,  a quick paragraph describing the issue can help us understand the bug in greater details.
Bug thread title: This can tell us at a glance the essence of the issue.  Please be specific to the issue, e.g.: "Weapon doesn't fire after Alt+Tab", is much better than "NOTHING WORKS! I KEEL YOU!". Please also include version number and game mode. So the final topic name would be "Weapon doesn't fire after Alt+Tab [v0.7.9][SP]".
Mods used: List all mods you are using. Also, try playing the game without the mods - as this could be the reason for bugs.

Additional notes:
* Please try to reproduce a bug before reporting it.
* If you think it is of any relevance to the problem, please provide details of your hardware configuration and system.
* Don't combine multiple bugs into one report.

Important!!!
When reporting bugs - please upload your log files which are located in the "Documents\AtomicTorchStudio\VoidExpanse\Logs" folder.
Additionally if your game crashed there could be a crash dump file. It would look like this 2014-04-05_094710 or a folder called dumps.
This would immensely increase the chance of us figuring out what the bug was.

TL;DR - We need logs! Otherwise we simply won't be able to help you...

Here is a blank version of the bug-report template.
Game version:
Game mode:
Bug Location:
Steps to Reproduce:
Reproduction Rate:
Screenshot:
Bug Description:
Mods used:
Logs:
Crashdump:



FAQ

Q:Where can I find game logs?
A: You can find them in the "Documents\AtomicTorchStudio\VoidExpanse\Logs" folder.

Q:Where can I find game saves?
A: You can find them in the "Documents\AtomicTorchStudio\VoidExpanse\saves" folder.

Q:How do I upload files to the forum?
A: You can use any file sharing service of your choice such as dropbox or google drive. Then share a link with us. Don't forget to make your files public!

#76
News and Updates / VoidExpanse development update #18
January 02, 2014, 07:17:55 PM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/Id38

QuoteHappy new year! And what is the best way to start a new year? Of course with a new build of the game! It's a shame that you can't try it yet. But we are working on it :)

Here is our list of updates this time:
    New main menu. It is still work in progress, but even what we have now is way better than what we had before! The background is animated with a ship flying through space.

    New galaxy map. As you can see it shows factions zones of influence and other information such as system names. You can hover the mouse over a system to see even more information.

    New system map. There is not much changes compared to previous version, but it looks way nicer than before.

    Aliens! I won't reveal much information about them, because I don't want to give you any spoilers, but here is one of their ships.

    Conquest system is finally working. You can visit alien systems, do *something* to reclaim them.
    Completed skill view and a whole lot of new skills for piloting category. Also a new skill system. Skill effects are divided into three categories for even more broader effects and ease of modding and extending.
    Whole lot of new quests. For now these are only the quests you can take multiple times. We will work on the main plot later.
    Music playlists. Depending on where you are you will have different music playing. And guess what? Even that is moddable. You can create new galaxy generator and make it setup new playlists for the systems it generates. Everything is procedurally generated :)
    Fancy galaxy generation / loading screen with status updates.
    Static turrets that defend some objects such as stations.
    New ship explosion effect.
    Optimizations: reduced memory footprint, some other optimizations.
    Other things: alien hives, completed hud, automatic docking to stations, visual jumpgate effects.
#77
News and Updates / VoidExpanse development update #17
December 09, 2013, 01:32:59 AM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/33

Quote
Remember our weekly news? As it turns out they are not very weekly :)

So, I decided to rename them to just "development updates", I think it would be more interesting if we post them less often, but with more interesting updates on the progress, rather than just listing things from our logs.

Anyway, in these past three weeks were able to implement really a lot of new stuff.
Here comes:
    Quest window with quest log and journal. You can see what quests you have at any time and their progress making it much easier to be aware of your progress and goals.
    New engine and RCS trails system, with exhaust colors depending on the engine, and indicator lights, or as we call them "blinks". You can see example of these in our previous post.
    Finally completed the target lock system that we mentioned in previous posts. Now you also get extra information about the target in a small window after acquiring the lock.
    Options window where you can setup everything you need. We also implemented the ability to change graphical settings and optimized performance a whole lot. The game can now run on low-end/integrated GPUs. For example with Intel HD Graphics 2000 it is able to produce 40 FPS, which is pretty good.
    Better interpolation of movement data, meaning that now you can play without any problems even with ping as high as 300 ms.
    Finally added items bar for quick access to consumables, such as shield boosters or special equipment, for example EMP field generator.
    Started work on a new jumpgate system. It will function in somewhat similar way to how it is done in EVE online. But with a twist.
    Repair and refuel now possible on stations.
    Tons of new icons for items and weapons.
    Cruise mode for the ship. In this mode you get twice the normal speed, but almost impossible to steer. This mode is great if you need to travel long distances within the star system. We have also added warp-jumps that are great in combat for avoiding projectiles.
    Finally implemented multiplayer chat. We are closer than ever for our first closed beta test and we will certainly need chat for that! :)
    Low fuel notification.
    Music! We got a deal with an awesome veteran composer. He is in the industry for more than 15 years now. And I love his works for VoidExpanse so far!
    New awesome planets. You can see an example of that below.
    And a whole lot more! The game is really coming together!

Planets, click to see animated version of the pictures.



Base window. All interface is work in progress and do not represent the final quality. But hey, it still looks pretty cool :)

#78
News and Updates / First gameplay demo!
December 09, 2013, 01:29:38 AM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/Id32

Quote
Here is a small demonstration of gameplay. Click on the picture to see animated gif version (like a short video). Please remember though that gif animations do not convey real colors, plus to make it smaller we had to use compression which degraded the picture quality somewhat.

Anyway, here it is!


Some things to note:
    Engine trails including RCS thrusters.
    Shield effects on collision with the station.
    Light indicators on the ship (with dynamic lighting!).
    Planet and space station (still work in progress, though).
    Weapon mounted on the top of the ship.
    Space background with parallax effect.
#79
News and Updates / Character generation & development
November 26, 2013, 11:50:46 PM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/30

Quote
I will make it short, but I would like to share our views regarding the RPG system and character development in the VoidExpanse. We had a lot of discussions about this ourselves, but the basic idea was always the same - to only add features that make the game fun!

So, here are some principles of our design for the game:
* Make the game an RPG. That was, after all, our most important decision from the beginning. This would enable the player to advance their character, and subsequently the ship as the time and game story progresses.
* There must be a character generation when you start a game. Here is what we have so far - work in progress character generation screen.
* No stats for character. That wouldn't make much sense to add attributes such as "strength" or "dexterity" as in classical RPGs. We could have, of course, made that work with attributes like "reaction", "intelligence" or "accuracy", but there is just no reason for it. It wouldn't add anything to the game.
* What we wanted to add was skills, and a whole lot of them! Skills as in "Diablo 2 - skills"! Here is an example of skill tree in VoidExpanse. It is an example of asteroid mining tree. It is of course work in progress, but it is very close to what we will have when we launch beta. Oh, and this skill tree is procedurally generated too. You can add as much skills as you want and the game will automatically generate a skill tree for you! That means all the skills can be modded.
* The skills themselves are mostly passive, grating you access to a particular technology or ability, or increasing your character efficiency with something. In the example above the first skill in mining tree grants access to asteroid mining in general. It means that anyone can start mining quite easily, but to become really a proficient at it you will have to spend some time advancing down the tree to get better skills and increase your efficiency.
* Now, how do you get these skills in the first place? For this you will need to spend skill points. Each skill can cost anywhere between 2 to 10 skill points, but usually around 5. Each character level you acquire 10 skill points which means you can usually get around two skills each level.
* To advance your character to a new level you need experience points. You receive these from a lot of sources, for example in combat when you defeat your enemies or from missions and a few other sources.
* Now what about character classes and pursuing a particular path? That is interesting topic and I want to talk about character classes in details, so I will make a separate post for it. In short - we want to give players the ability to develop their character in a particular direction. But at the same time I want to allow for multi-classing.

Well, I think that pretty much sums up the basics of the character development system!

What do you think of all this?
Do you possibly have ideas to make it better?
#80
News and Updates / Why VoidExpanse?
November 22, 2013, 02:11:19 AM
Original post: http://atomictorch.com/Post/29

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Today I decided to change the usual routine of posting only about updates to the game and do a post on a topic not directly related to the development of the VoidExpanse. Instead I would like to talk more about the game in general. So, why are we making VoidExpanse? That is actually a long story, but I hope it will be interesting to read.

The idea to make this kind of game actually came to me a few years ago. At that time I was playing several great Sci-Fi games such as Space Rangers: Dominators, System Shock 2, Master of Orion 3, and a few others. I always loved the space theme and it was while playing these great space games that I finally decided to start writing a concept document for a game in that genre. However, at that time, I wasn't really going to start the development of an actual game any time soon. I was just thinking on how it could be done and what would be fun to see. The document went over much iteration over the years but eventually I was happy with it.

So, how did actually making the game start? That is actually the funniest part of the whole story. In January this year I decided to start building a kind of prototype for the game just to see if the concept would even hold. I did a basic game where you could fly around in space shooting things that was a very simple at its core. Once I had the basic game made I mentioned my idea to one of my acquaintances at the time, including the idea that I might possibly make it into a big project. He was like "OMG dude, let's create a company and totally do this thing! This game sounds awesome!" You can guess what happened next! So, there we were in Singapore in February earlier this year creating a company to start a full blown development of this game and (I hope) many other games to follow.

By June all of the formalities were ready and we started looking for people to join us in our new company. We immediately found two great people: Vladimir, a Unity3D god and Dmitry, C# etherlord. With their help we finally started the development on what has become VoidExpanse. A few months later Andrew, the art almighty joined us in a role of 2d and 3d artist.

Now here we are, working on this great game!