SpaceWreck - Fallout inspired isometric retro indie RPG

Say 'HELLO!' to the new user interface!

Based on the feedback from early access ("demo") players we got - substantially from the Codex - we have reworked the main user interface. Today is a small, yet probably most important part - the screenslate is now a dynamic and central part of the whole UI. In compact mode, it displays action/combat log - the same as the bottom left before (and the small screen in the isometric Fallout games).

Turns out, many players do pay attention to the descriptions and feedback so it made sense to make it bigger, easier to read. Besides, much like rolling dice, a storyteller fits well with the whole pen-and-paper shtick.

And one last, but possibly a very substantial benefit of the new UI is that we save you a click - you can now open Inventory, CharSheet, ToDo directly as the screen is technically always available.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg - there is a ton of smaller changes all across the board. More on those next time, stay tuned!

 

As promised, new details about the new UI rework. This time - updated the inventory screen. Now utility buttons are right where you need them, there's more space for item description, and a separate tab for stats. You can even compare armor and weapons against your current loadout now.

 

Your equipped weapon is now represented in the bottom left corner with stats, clip size, and an icon.

 

If you have very low FOCUS (1) you may lose concentration in dialogues or reading computer terminals. If there's too much information, it turns to "bla bla bla" for you.

 

Thanks! I am very happy someone appreciates these tiny details.

For this week's update, I've got some companion stuff:




If you have high CHARM, you can play as a commander, giving direct orders to your followers. That means literally taking over their characters.



That means not just movement. You can directly manage their inventory - what armor, weapon to use, what drugs to consume, etc.

Also, they can use computer terminals and workstations for you, pick locked doors - this way you get to utilize the whole set of skills your team has.

Of course, if you fail the roll, your companions will refuse to follow your orders so this type of gameplay is suitable for high CHARM characters (4+):



P.S.
This is less of a feature and more of a bug fix but you can leave your companions now:

 

When you fail a pick-pocketing skill check in zero-G…

 

If you have high CHARM, you can try to solicit sympathy from a hostile NPC. If you succeed the dice roll, the enemy will be unable to shoot you, feeling pitty instead, and let you walk away.

Note that moving closer to the enemy or attacking it will trigger aggression nonetheless.

Honestly, it's something like this -

 

While you can easily pick up stuff from fallen humanoids, to loot a destroyed robot, you'll need at least minimal technical knowledge and a tool.

 

One thing that became clear from playthrough videos was that inventory management is a very substantial part of Space Wreck gameplay. To help with this, we added some new improvements that will definitely make life easier -

1) now item entries have small subtype icons associated;
2) there's a progress bar that clearly denotes how much carrying capacity you have left to spare.

 

Welcome to KROGUS-III - a refueling stop and entertainment station in the Asteroid Belt. At least that's what it was 20 years ago, before the Revolt.

 

On space stations and ships, everything is cramped. There is not much space in … errr… space.

This has been a great challenge in development as there are high walls, narrow passages, and a fixed isometric camera. And, considering that game's maps are riddled with "secret" maintenance access tunnels, it is not only a decorative issue.

 

Good news everyone! Well, sort of...

First, we have a new start to the game - a sort of better version of Temple of Trials. On the other hand - unfortunately, (but, probably, unsurprisingly) - we have to postpone the release. I tried to sandwich this announcement in between E3 and Steam Summer fest but failed even that.

TL; DR



New beginnings

The very first area you start the game - KROGUS III Welcome Terminal - has been significantly expanded and reworked. Now it is your first quest - to get out of the terminal by any means necessary. I have counted 7 ways to do it but there may be more, some of them very simple, others - somewhat complex.

Explore the surroundings, meet a new character, scour the terminals, loot the containers, fight the cambots! You will get a taste of the whole game experience in the first 5-10 minutes.

Acting as a tutorial, this is effectively an escape room.



Item icons and inventory fullness indicator

With this new update, your items will have item type-specific icons, so it is now easier to quickly find, for example, a weapon in the mess of things. The same goes for sorting toggles which also now feature a visual icon instead of a letter.
The other important thing is the carry load indicator - a big, prominent progress bar on the bottom of the items list. It displays how full your inventory is visual - so it is now easier to "sense" the encumbrance coming before it becomes an actual problem.

Postponed release

Based on the generous user feedback we have received about our demo, the game has drastically improved over these few months. Unfortunately, our original estimates, made before the demo release, have turned out to be imprecise - there is still a lot of work to be done to rework the existing content more in line with the list of improvements discovered from the demo.

As a result, we have to postpone the release. There is no specific date this time because - turns out - it's hard to estimate these kinds of things.
Just a reminder - our free demo version is essentially the first chapter of the full game and we are treating it as Early Access.
If you have some qualms, please let me know here!

Link to Steam announcement: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1063540/announcements/detail/2981927408930105373

 

Stronger characters can move around barrels and boxes thus changing the environment to fit their needs.

 

If spilled, the AnX compound quickly evaporates, filling any room within seconds and knocks out everyone without a spacesuit. The gas disperses quickly but people stay asleep until woken up. You can use this situation to your advantage, of course.

However, there are few caveats:
1) if you are seen doing this, they can become hostile (depending on your reputation);
2) it does not affect robots;
3) the item itself is quite uncommon.

 

You can also disperse knock-out gas in the vents. This way you don't risk detection and exposure.

 

Space toilets are working now!

And it's not just for fluff - you get +5 temp buff to your carry capacity! Additionally, if you are not wearing clothes, you can take a shower as well, which grants +1 temp bonus to your CHARM. Which can come in handy if NPC usually avoid talking to you.

(And even that is not all of it, if you want, you can take a look inside. You probably should not though.)