Sands of Space RPG

[dmonin]

Hey guys,

I'm working on my old school RPG with turn based combat - Sands of Space. It will be with open world and really inspired by classical RPG Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 and Underrail.

The plot of the game takes a place in the not-too-distant future. Active space exploration in progress. Large corporations are colonizing planets with minerals resources instantly turning them into mining towns-colonies. Some of them grow into huge mega-cities, while others become abandoned ‘mines’. The more valuable mining, the higher a military conflict between corporations can be. This is exactly what happened, on the once prosperous Trappist-1 h. It's believed that there was one of the biggest military clashes between corporations, with the latest military technologies and weapons of mass destruction. After destructive bombardment and using of toxic gases in cities and colonies, flared the disease, called – ‘scarlet plague’. It’s not known what the catalyst of the plague was - war or incorrect terraforming.

There only thing we know that the epidemic led to an irreparable genetic mutation and there is no cure yet. The planet was immediately close to the ‘star’ quarantine. Those people who could – escaped, but it wasn’t so much of them.

Artifact hunter's spaceship ‘Nebosvod’ type 1M1, during a long flight, with a valuable cargo on board, crashes on the planet Trappist-1 h. Getting into a closed and cruel world, standing in the ruins of corporate wars, the main character is trying to get out of this trap.

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1. Open world in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere, abandoned bunkers, spaceships, caves etc.
2. Character customization (stats, skill, feats)
3. Turn based combat. Weapons, energy shields, psi abilities, implants etc.
4. Mutants, androids and other creatures

Vids:



And here some screenshots:

Spoiler: More Screenshots

You can check out my IndieDB page: http://www.indiedb.com/games/sands-of-space-turn-based-rpg
And youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQvwT3pajRYZfTn0qcvU3g

Is that ok if sometimes I will post here some news and updates? Thanks!

 

[The_Proletarian]

Will follow with interest! Welcome!

 

[dmonin]

Hi guys!

Will follow with interest! Welcome!

Thank you for supporting!

And I just want to share some game mechanics with you.

Archetype:

Also you can see my draft of base abilities and skills. It's *not* a final yet and could be changed. But I can say for sure no Charisma will be.

You know, in general - the concept of ‘Charisma’, as for me, quite loose. If one of the person is considered charismatic for a couple of others, then it's not a fact that he will be charismatic for everyone else. With these thoughts, I decided to add such a thing as - the archetype. And now a little bit more details – how this parameter will change a role-playing component of the game.

At the moment I’m planning to introduce seven archetypes:

1. Cop
2. Corporate
3. Dealer
4. Techie
5. Nomad
6. Solo
7. Anarchist

On these archetypes will be based mechanics of how other NPC will relate to the player. For example, playing as an Anarchist type, the player will feel strong pressure from local 'cops' (I mean local representative of the law). But at the same time, the player will be easier to communicate with the underground. This will bring the variability of the getting the quests and completing them.

Small demo: different archetypes can get the same quest 'Find a murderer of Lora' in the city Dark Water's Peak but its gonna be in different ways

1. Cop archetype, with positive karma, gets a quest from sheriff to find a murderer of a local prostitute - this is the role of a good cop.
2. Anarchist archetype, with any karma, will be arrested on suspicion of the murder, and he has to escape from the prison and prove his own innocence - this is the role of a scam/punk.
3. If player has negative karma and Cop archetype, then he gets this quest only by finding important clues or information about it - this is the role of a bad cop.

And here, I guess, comes the question: there are will be some quests that are available to this or that archetype? The answer is – not exactly, but there will be certain nuances: if the main character is Nomad but has high Repair skill, then the probability of getting the quest 'Repair of the air purifier' in Vetrograd is very high.

IFS stat:

And as you can see there two progress bar next to the player picture - red one and violet one. So the violet one is a IFS indicator. Whats this mean? Survival, mf, it is!

That's my from my WIKI:

Game mechanics and specification\Progress bar ‘IFS’ - additional factor affecting on the combat

Name: IFS stats which characterizes the ‘morale’ – player’s intoxication, fatigue and so on
Value: from 0 to 1 fractional. For example: 0.01, 0.15 and so on
Description: IFS Intoxication/Fatigue/Spirit

This stat grows up with multiple battles without rest, when receiving damage from heavy weapons (grenades, machine gun, etc.) and also from taking any painkillers that raise health during the combat (intoxication). Its growth is affected by almost everything that does not calls as 'peaceful' actions. The higher value then chances of getting a critical action is higher (fall, or drop weapons, shoot yourself in the leg). Also, the probability of a miss will increase.


Can be removed only by going to the Doctor or by using stats 'Medicine', sleep-rest, gambling, relaxing with girls (or boys as you wish) or by using medbot camera.


And WIP - one of the details of buildings. Those heads will be on corners of some buildings . I think it's gonna be more interesting. So I'm planning a lot of statues.

Thanks!

 

[SuAside]

Neat!

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[dmonin]

Thanks!

Small update! New props! No 'living' monitors yet. But it will be. Right now I'm working on it cause I'm trying to create more living world.

 

[Mr Fish]

Do you intend to only have one dialogue skill by the final product? Cause quite honestly I'm tired of the singular dialogue skill being a win-button for dialogue.
Other than that I think it looks real interesting and I'm looking forward to it. For some reason I'm really digging the art design of the outdoors area especially.
I also noticed that when talking to the mutant with a bad headache that there was a skill option, are players going to have to use their own brains for skill usage (like broken computer, use action circle, select skill, select repair)?

 

[dmonin]

Thanks for supporting!

Do you intend to only have one dialogue skill by the final product? Cause quite honestly I'm tired of the singular dialogue skill being a win-button for dialogue.

What do you mean? It's will be rich story with a lot of dialogs and variety of them.

Other than that I think it looks real interesting and I'm looking forward to it. For some reason I'm really digging the art design of the outdoors area especially.

Thanks! Do my best!

I also noticed that when talking to the mutant with a bad headache that there was a skill option, are players going to have to use their own brains for skill usage (like broken computer, use action circle, select skill, select repair)?

You mean like Skilldex in Fallout? If so than yes!

Still working on props and locations and I want to share with you some basic game mechanics.


Basic Characteristics

There are seven of them so far. Below, short description each of them:

1. Strength - influence on weapons, lockpick (you can use the strength on all locks), hand-to-hand combat and throwing weapons
2. Constitution - effects on the health points, the number of implants and its work, and a little bit on PSI abilities
3. Intellect - impact on the conversation, the overall impact on the characteristics, getting the level
4. Fortune - in some way the impact on all (you know what actually fortune means)
5. Intuition - influence on the view range, the range of fire, and the combat queue, speech skills
6. Dexterity – action points in combat, armor, skills to sneak/steal
7. Will – PSI abilities

All these basic characteristics affect on one or another skills group. In general, everything is standard here.

PSI

As you can see from the screenshot, I’m planning three types of PSI skills:

1. Bio-PK - Combat / organic only
2. Cyb-PK - Combat / not organic (cyber)
3. Telepathy - Not combat

Bio psychokinesis acts only on organic (bleeding from the eyes, intimidating, diarrhea etc.).
The cyber psychokinesis acts only on non-organic (for example - you can hack a robot (or some machine) during the combat and it will stand on your side for several turns)
Telepathy it’s not combat skills, it’s player’s abilities - for example, to uncover the fog of war in a closed room for a few seconds.
Only the Androids and Cyborgs will be apart, because it is both organic and mechanic, so some PSI from cyb and bio can be applied on them. But not all.
PSI are directly dependent on implants and Will characteristic. By default, all PSI are available for the player, but it can be used only if player has an implant - PSI booster.

Combat

The math of combat is quite simple. Almost all standard variables for RPG in general:

1. Distance from the shooter to the target (0.1 to n) - example - 29m
2. Comfortable range of the weapon (0.1 / n) - an example - 0.1 / 20 meters
3. Weapon Damage Range (a/b) - Example 10/15
4. The luck factor (Fortune from 1 to 12), affects the misfires and critical hits - example 6
5. The skill factor, percent (from 10 to 300)

The last but not least - obstacles also calculated. The NPC has three points and player too - the head, torso and legs. If one of the points is not visible, then the chance of hit falls. And the last check is type of armor.
If the armor is a full kit (like Power Armor), then it is considered like minimum open areas. And if there are different parts of the armor, that more open areas are.


Random Locations Generation

In generally I’m planning that the locations will be static. Randomization will be only when the player will found/buy/steal the coordinates of the unopened bunker or place. In this way the location will be generated randomly. This, I guess will bring some kind of dynamics to the game. And the loot and the size of the bunkers will depend on Fortune obviously. All other locations will be static.

It’s going to be an open world, so the player can travel the entire planet as he wishes.


P.S.:

And some NPC avatars:

 

[MPPlantOfficial]

Are you a one man team?

Thank you for keeping CRPGs alive. I really enjoyed Underrail and can't wait to get my hands on your game as well.

 

[Risewild]

This game looks quite promising. I will be following it .

It's rare to see such promising cRPG coming out of nowhere. Great job.

 

[Black Angel]

What do you mean? It's will be rich story with a lot of dialogs and variety of them.

By that, he meant it that he's tired of seeing there's only one social-based skill (Speech), when you can actually split the skill into, at least, two different skills (like Underrail did by having Persuasion and Intimidation as its own two separate skill).
He also talked about how the skills should utilize proper corresponding primary attributes, like Persuasion obviously utilize Charisma (and a little bit of Intelligence), and Intimidation should be based on character's Strength (or something alone those lines, correct me if I'm wrong, Fish).

 

[dmonin]

Hi guys!
Thanks for your support!

Are you a one man team?

Yes. Most of all I do by my own. I mean programming, models and texturing. With narrative section and story I get help from my wife.

The music I'm ordering from this composer https://soundcloud.com/user-409106713 and NPC pictures from this artist https://ninesrodrigues.deviantart.com
So only music and some arts are not my work. But they do work by references I gave.

By that, he meant it that he's tired of seeing there's only one social-based skill (Speech), when you can actually split the skill into, at least, two different skills (like Underrail did by having Persuasion and Intimidation as its own two separate skill).

Now I understand.

Yes, it will be like in Underrail but I don't plan just copy mechanics of Underrail. So screenshot with skills table is a draft for now. I guess.

He also talked about how the skills should utilize proper corresponding primary attributes, like Persuasion obviously utilize
Charisma (and a little bit of Intelligence), and Intimidation should be based on character's Strength (or something alone those lines, correct me if I'm wrong, Fish).

Yes, sure!

 

[dmonin]

It's rare to see such promising cRPG coming out of nowhere. Great job.

Thank you! Do my best!

 

[Norzan]

This looks pretty promising, gonna follow this. I'm also part of the group that is tired of a single skill to pass all dialogue checks. I think something like New Vegas where other stats/skills can be used to pass skill checks would be pretty cool.

 

[dmonin]

This looks pretty promising, gonna follow this. I'm also part of the group that is tired of a single skill to pass all dialogue checks. I think something like New Vegas where other stats/skills can be used to pass skill checks would be pretty cool.

Thanks!

Yep, I'm agree. Maybe in next two or three update I will explain more about Speech mechanic. Right now I need more time to polish balance and stats.

 

[dmonin]

Small bump just to show progress

WIP, small props. It's not finished and a lot of other models are not textured yet but will be soon.

 

[dmonin]

Hi guys!

Now I'm working on a vehicle fleet. And this is, I would say, not so easy as I thought.

So, 'Interceptor' model is finished for now! Here, the variations of this model that you can see in the game.

Lil history of this model: Interceptor originally planned as a low-cost car for local security agencies. Fast, with low maintenance and easy to repair. Later, this model was modified for different needs - like taxi. Also this type of car was mafia bosses favorite.

Small fact: all vehicles in S.o.S. are dangerous. Not only vehicles, also all equipment and mechanisms. If you go next to a car then there is a probability that the alarm system will turn on. Then the enemies will notice you. The alarm function on the cars is randomly, so it will be useless to remember. You should think carefully to think through your way if you don't want to be noticed.

Thanks!

 

[dmonin]

Hey guys!

Just small bump. Finally I finished those heads

And I thinking to split Speech into three skills such as Persuasion, Intimidation, Deception. It's not the final decision yet. I need more time to play with it.

Thanks!

 

[Mr Fish]

Dunno how hard it'd be for you to implement but Intimidation could just be based on what armor and weapons you've got equipped. Some punk in a leather jacket and a kitchen knife isn't going to be as intimidating as a space marine with a gauss minigun.

Anyway, Loving the heads, very Fallout'y.

 

[SquidWard]

I really, really, really dig this style. That alone is exciting for me. I'm definitely going to follow this and keep up with how it's coming along. The skills sound pretty cool too, I like the three different PSI thing.

 

[dmonin]

Thanks for supporting, guys!

Dunno how hard it'd be for you to implement but Intimidation could just be based on what armor and weapons you've got equipped.

As for me - it's interesting game mechanics. I will think about it! Thanks for suggestion!

Anyway, Loving the heads, very Fallout'y.

I really, really, really dig this style. That alone is exciting for me. I'm definitely going to follow this and keep up with how it's coming along. The skills sound pretty cool too, I like the three different PSI thing.

Really nice to hear this! Thanks! Do my best