MikeCL
Thank you!
I'm thinking that canonically the time between the start of the game and sending the SOS signal will be relatively short (i.e., a few days, maybe a month), so whatever you have onboard should be enough. And after you send the SOS signal... well, I don't want to spoil it ;] Let's just say that basic needs won't be your biggest concern

And also I don't want to cram in any survival mechanics. The scope is growing fast enough already 🙃

      LoipesMas Oh, color me intrigued! Nice! I'm excited to see where you lead us with the project.

        I've been experimenting with different ways to shape the terrain. Currently I'm using Terrain3D addon + some scattered rocks, but I believe there is a better way.


        Here is a chunk of terrain generated in Blender with a simple noise map. Too smooth and bland.


        Here I added a boolean union modifier with a model of a rock (which gives a nice cliff) and horizontal stripes, giving these "steps" on slopes.


        Scattered flat rocks, looks kinda nice (they are actually a single mesh baked in Blender).

        Nothing looks satisfactory, but I think I'm going in a right direction. I should move on and work on other things though...

        There could be a light horror element to the game - a mysterious alien life form occasionally roaming about, chasing and possibly damaging your drones or even putting some time pressure on by gradually damaging the spaceship. Wouldn't be too hard to implement but might add a lot to immersion and open more gameplay options.

          xyz Interesting idea, but this doesn't really fit my vision. Danger will come from the environment and resource management: getting lost, running out of battery, weather phenomena etc.

          • xyz replied to this.
              9 days later

              I did some UI stuff, changed physics engine to Jolt (because built-in had some issues) and finally implemented saving and loading the game.

              But most importantly, a new drone:

              Flying drone

              Took some tweaking to get the physics right, but now it's really fun to fly around! You'll use it to scout new areas, chart maps and probably something else as well ;]

              Went a bit more in-depth in the blog: https://blog.loipesmas.net/en/remote_space_devlog/6/

                4 months later

                Contrary to popular belief, I am not dead and neither is this project. I just didn't have much time.
                To compensate for the lack of updates, here's a pretty video:

                It's a brand new region, inspired by the Dallol system.
                Lots of work went into the assets, but it was worth it (or at least I hope so). Everything made in Blender.
                Screenshot from the game, showing the Acid Pools region
                Now I need to get back to working on the mechanics and reasons for actually playing the game.
                If you want to read a bit more about this update, you can do so at my blog!

                17 days later

                Tomcat Mahn a Martian storm in a game like this would be sick! giving me Wall-E vibes now 😎