This update was originally posted to Steam on July 7th, 2024

I’ve been tossing around multiple blogs detailing this messy update. Thinking maybe I’d combine them all later. The actual version 7 is a mixed bag right now but I’ve been wanting to share progress.

The angle this time is more along the lines of “write it while it’s hot”. For my own sake. And I think – as a solo dev – the rigidity of plans and documentation that can come with team style development can slow things down a lot. This is all to say I don’t always take the time to write things down but when I do, I do. I’m trying to strike a balance. Sometimes the best stuff happens on a whim.

About that update!

Dynamic NPCs :. Origins

The current NPC system is already complex with lots of coverage in terms of how much data it both provides to and receives from the the game world. There are 9 base options for conversation starters and one or more branches off each depending on the state of the game world. Then the responses vary for one reason or another.

In V7 the NPC system has been made more accessible to the player by simply making it more streamlined to find them in the first place. And temporarily, almost everyone is for hire.

What’s missing is them leaving your service when things go south. Which could simply be a user not logging in to make sure the ship has food. Of course, later down the line that too can be delegated to an NPC crew member. Or another player. I want the game and its inhabitants to persist. Like really persist in ways that can create its own emergent gameplay. And that’s the reason behind what is one of the most developed features in the game so far (NPCs).

Upcoming features in this category would be taking NPCs with you on ground expeditions and allowing the player more delegation features to make them autonomously perform tasks. As of right now they tend to do more as free agents than when they are crew members.

For example, they can leave the main faction (the UESA) and become a pirate. Under the condition that the UESA isn’t providing enough of their basic needs. If there’s enough piracy going on in a sector then it’s likely that a group of pirates will form a minor faction. These factions usually have enough clout to claim territory/minor structures. From there a small NPC faction can grow and become a major force that everyone has to deal with.

Of course it shouldn’t stop there with plans to enable players to team up with those factions against the UESA or whoever really. For me, I see this as a jumpoff to adding less hostile more business-minded factions.

Change overview (NPCS)

[+] NPCs have personality (arche)types but this isn’t 100% meaningful yet
[+] NPC backstories are now recorded in their own life logs which will be visible via a web browser, eventually extending to in-game.
[+] NPCs can create factions and recruit new members into them
[+] NPCs can leave factions
[+] NPCs and factions can raid
[+] NPCs have basic needs (like food and shelter)
[+] Factions will generate missions based on world events.
[+] Mutroon can grow up in your care, ultimately becoming a crew member inheriting a combination of your username as its family name.

Collaborative Realtime Strategy

To think that this entire feature started with one zone that you could build on and then that zone was expanded. And then the game was just open-world on planets in a traditional roguelike style. And then that sucked. So then I added that side scrolling part to give “embarking” more of an identity within the game.

I was underwhelmed. So I went back in and made the open-world thing a real-time mechanic. Something I wanted to avoid because it wasn’t how the engine was built. And the verdict isn’t out yet! But I can say it’s not ready.

The idea is that you can see territorial changes on a starmap happen in real-time with options as to what you might want to do about it. Combat is a toss up because assigning crew to participate said combat is an underdeveloped feature. Although giving them things like traits and/or stats have been implemented for couple years now.

[+] Planetside map has become a real-time sector map
[+] Factions can take over structures like space habitats and build stations (kidnapping or killing the previous inhabitants if necessary)
[+] Factions can create and assign task forces to chart unexplored areas on the map

I’d like to keep a lot of the drama at a macro level in-game with players being able to get into the specifics by way of a type of “legends mode”. Then there’s the in game wiki stuff. We’ll get there!

Elections and Resource Management

Imagine running just part of a country in a map game. Complete with a codified hierarchy, in this case a military and executive chain of command. So maybe you command a small force of NPCs stationed at the border of a nation you share with other players. Do you take troops over the border and capture a town because it would be easy? Do you defect and launch a coup? What would be the repercussions if it was up to players or even player-made policies?

We’ll be exploring these ideas. V7 will launch with elections for colonial administration that will happen on a regular basis. What this boils down to is preset policies that could effect new and existing players. Separate update about that coming up.

Looking ahead, it will also be possible to entirely lose the main colony. Forcing new players to have their starting base be somewhere else. Or force them to assimilate into a new primary faction at arrival.

[+] Player-elected officials can change colony policies which effect affiliated NPC behavior.

Ok I have to wrap this up before I get brain fog. Will get back to it, looking forward to sharing more!