Underrail Forum
Underrail => Development Log => Topic started by: Styg on March 11, 2020, 06:16:03 pm
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Hi guys,
Back in October I mentioned that we started working on a new standalone Underrail campaign. This is still true, but we've also decided that we're going to give the engine a major upgrade which will help us create a much better game, both visually and mechanically. The thing is - there are certain design and technical decisions that were made early during the development of Underrail that are very limiting to us now, but are not easy to change just due to the amount of content that would have to be redone. So instead of taking a hammer to our beloved game, we're going to improve upon all these things (that we yearned to do for years) in a fresh stand-alone game that will still be based on the same engine core and gameplay mechanics. We call this game Underrail: Infusion.
I'm not going to list all the things that we intend to change/improve upon in Infusion, but I will say that they include both the visuals, as well as mechanics and world design. I'm going to try to post more frequent dev logs, as I did back in Underrail's alpha days, as to keep you guys in the loop. All that you see in these early days you should consider to be work-in-progress. I don't expect we're going to enter full production any time soon - not this year, for sure, as for now we're just focusing on improving the engine, the toolset and optimizing the content pipelines.
First thing I want to show you are the new environment graphics. Keep in mind that Infusion will be taking place in a completely different part of Underrail, so this is not a rework of any existing tile set, but a new one.
(https://underrail.com/images/Infusion/Environment1.png)
I've done a lot of work on the rendering engine and the way the assets are organized and rendered which allows Mac to more easily produce and organize a bunch of different variations of the same object, and also to easily animate them or give them other visual properties and behaviors without having to go into the gameplay code. Inversely, gameplay stuff can now be easily implemented before the assets themselves are made as they are only loosely coupled. This is going to greatly improve our efficiency when churning out new content. Technically, we're sticking with the same tile size (96x48) but we're going to make the tile relatively smaller in regards to objects, that is, everything is going to get bigger, which will increase the graphical fidelity. This is going to affect various combat mechanics as well, but we're discuss this at a later date.
That's it for now. We have more exciting stuff that we've been working on in the meantime as well, but it's not quite ready to be shown still. Let us know how you guys like the new visuals.
Also, in a few months you can expect the new content update for Underrail. This one is probably going to be released on experimental branch first and will stay there for a while, just due to the nature of the gameplay changes I've made. I'm sure you'll all be very happy with the changes, but just in case you might want to experience psionic characters in their current form before that happens.
Cheers.
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I make the graphics on a 2k display and styg tests it on an 4k monitor, so it will look really good on those high resolution, dont worry. It's gona be good!
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Are you still planning to re-implement zoom or was that dropped in favor of making everything bigger?
We're probably going to still implement it in Infusion, but I'm leaving that for further down the road.
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Fuck yeah Underrail 2 confirmed :D
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This is very cool, thanks for all the hard work you guys put in.
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Looking good.
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Some faction that likes red triangles and blue circles.
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Looks really good. It give a more natural/organic vibe than the original game, and by that I mean it looks more like one painting than patterns of tiles placed close to one another. Really dig it.
Since more major engine overhaul is mentioned, I think it's right to ask: Is a native Linux port on the table, in any way?
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Glad to hear Underrail 2 is in the prepping stages. As always, if you like something, please support the shit out of it or it'll disappear. Definitely a day 1 purchase for me.
Also, in a few months you can expect the new content update for Underrail. This one is probably going to be released on experimental branch first and will stay there for a while, just due to the nature of the gameplay changes I've made. I'm sure you'll all be very happy with the changes, but just in case you might want to experience psionic characters in their current form before that happens.
Good news, now I have a legit excuse not to update my character build section. Muhahahaha! I'm not lazy; I'm just waiting for the update. Yeah ... that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Bad news, knowing Styg and based on past nerfs - I'm pretty sure he'll go too far and everything will be nerfed to the ground, again. Hope I'm mistaken on this one. I'm also hoping for some buffs for mechanical pistols and throwing only build ...
Edited: no Steam news dev log update?
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That looks a lot like it could have come out of Baldur's Gate 2 or Planescape: Torment, and I certainly mean that as a compliment.
Looks great. Keep up the good work, and thanks for continuing to support this excellent game!
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Underrail 2: Psionic Boogaloo 8)
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Some faction that likes red triangles and blue circles.
those are blue hexagons, we goin' to hexagon/technophile outpost baby 8)
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Also, in a few months you can expect the new content update for Underrail. This one is probably going to be released on experimental branch first and will stay there for a while, just due to the nature of the gameplay changes I've made. I'm sure you'll all be very happy with the changes, but just in case you might want to experience psionic characters in their current form before that happens.
May I ask, new psionic feats are planned, or is it just a rebalancing? As an all-psi character, I'm not afraid of rebalancing, some of the abilities will work anyway ... But if new feats come out, I will need to freeze the current walkthrough.
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New feats are unlikely, but the way pure psi characters play might change drastically. Styg's been planning to nerf them for the longest time. See also https://underrail.com/forums/index.php?topic=5473.0
Well, I saw that topic and even handed over my save file. But my build does not have any key psi abilities. Whatever changes happen, I can still adapt to them, unless Styg makes a pure psionics completely unplayable... But he doesn't, right?
P.S. I apologize for my poor English.
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- Adding a long-term resource to psi, especially for Infusion. Insanity bar was one idea he mentioned, but he's not necessary going with that.
UnderRail 2: Vampire Masquerade: Malkavian Sockhop confirmed! Can't wait to have a conversation with a stop sign again!
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Something gaming related to actually be excited for - how refreshing 8)
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In any case, it's going to be the biggest change to existing (psi) player characters since Underrail alpha.
Goodbye, my current character. Hello, months without Underrail.
No, usually my battles do not last long enough for any long-term resource to matter, but the raids of the Serpentborn will cruelly dominate me. I'm really looking forward. Does Underrail broke me and made me a masochist?
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Looks amazing, keep up the superb work guys.
I wonder what that screenshot could be though? Faceless City? Hmmm ... ???
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I wonder what that screenshot could be though? Faceless City? Hmmm ... ???
Lot of big fat pipes with pressure wheels on them, and heavy cabling bundled on the floor. My guess is steam power generation either resulting in or incident to thermal regulation. Those could maybe be copper radiator fins all along the walls, and if the blue light is somehow magically sterilizing the air pushed through those fans, Faceless City starts to sound pretty good, yeah. That or just regular carbon scrubbing for Dis/Hexagon. I'd like to think the Faceless with all their snazzy tech wouldn't be so slovenly as to let things moss over and get so disheveled.
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This will probably be ignore but ...
I really, really hope the update will include viable (read: competitive to psi + psi hybrid) non-psi build. Exclusive perks and/or benefits for build that would go the non-psi route.
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I wonder what that screenshot could be though? Faceless City? Hmmm ... ???
I'd like to think the Faceless with all their snazzy tech wouldn't be so slovenly as to let things moss over and get so disheveled.
Yeah, that's what's confusing me about this screenshot too. Would the Faceless really have dirty mattresses?
(https://i.imgur.com/XgNh3sy.png)
Also... Six!
(https://i.imgur.com/1KR09oN.png)
Pretty obvious connection but this area is likely deep underground judging by this pattern on the wall... Perhaps at Deep Caverns or AS0 depth
Or it could simply be symbolism from a Descending civilization... ie one of the other supercorps
(https://i.imgur.com/jWi7afi.png)
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Styg, you really need to pay attention more often and publish development logs. This makes your work interesting for fans and doesn't make us think the game is dead.
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looks more like insulation than mattresses
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looks more like insulation than mattresses
true
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... and all those cables on the floor. OSHA would not be pleased.... ;)
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I only started playing Underrail a few weeks ago (although I've known about it nearly since its inception), went with low expectations (because of an RPS review I had read) and was pleasantly surprised. Although there are things I would personally change, it's managed to become one of my most played games in recent years (66 hours Steam playtime as of yesterday). Very interesting setting, great RPG combat mechanics, and actually interesting crafting mechanics - although I do tend to hoard and waste time from the actual gameplay.
Looking really forward to this new game! A definite purchase from me.
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Hopefully sometime in the future the original game can get the updated engine as well.
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went with low expectations (because of an RPS review I had read)
At least now you know better than to trust RPS reviews.
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Regarding changes to Psi, I think it'd also be cool if psionic enemies had full access to psi abilities just like the player does. Unique psi enemies, or high level ones on DOMINATING could use implosion, or throw a cryokinetic orb at you if you're not careful (seeing them occasionally miss horribly and kill themselves and their allies would also be hilarious). Enemy psi monks could use force emission with a pair of steel gloves, and cast force field to either enable their escape, or prevent yours. Rare enemies specializing in temporal manipulation wouldn't be a huge direct threat on their own, but could empower their allies to devastating effect by casting psi haste on them, or dominate you by defbuffing you with psi slow, or by casting entropic recurrence on you right after his sniper buddy shot you in the face.
A change to force field would probably be in order as well, perhaps by giving each individual block of the force field its own HP bar and allowing it to be destroyed? The HP of each block could scale with the caster's effective psychokinesis skill, and could be further improved by the force user feat, which could give force field more HP rather than increasing duration. You could compensate for this change by increasing the total duration of force field by a turn or two.
I think the general idea should be to change boring, un-interactive and abusable stuff like force field and Thermo-D while still allowing Psi to be highly powerful - just not game breakingly so.
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went with low expectations (because of an RPS review I had read)
At least now you know better than to trust RPS reviews.
Heh, indeed.
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sooooooo...... Where do we stand on this?
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Im very happy for this new.. After more +600 hours , i can tell than... VERY THANKS, DEVS ! I LOVE YOU ALL !
:-*
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Good afternoon developers! And what will happen with the translation into another language of the game with the new engine?
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sooooooo...... Where do we stand on this?
Probably not much further along since the update was posted, especially considering the psi-rework is still in progress and in the update itself they say work won't really begin for at least another year.
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Pretty obvious connection but this area is likely deep underground judging by this pattern on the wall... Perhaps at Deep Caverns or AS0 depth
Or it could simply be symbolism from a Descending civilization... ie one of the other supercorps
(https://i.imgur.com/jWi7afi.png)
Was this removed from the post or am I blind?
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Pretty obvious connection but this area is likely deep underground judging by this pattern on the wall... Perhaps at Deep Caverns or AS0 depth
Or it could simply be symbolism from a Descending civilization... ie one of the other supercorps
(https://i.imgur.com/jWi7afi.png)
Was this removed from the post or am I blind?
It's still there, far right side of the image
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It's still there, far right side of the image
No, no, the red icon. Or am I just blind as fuck?