Lacuna Passage - Devlog #78 - The Survival Sandbox Homestretch

Kickstarter Backers

We are getting very close to a backer release for the testing of the Survival Sandbox mode. I'm going to get into my development progress since last month, but first I wanted to give a little more detail about how the rollout will work for the backer release.

First off, the release will be managed through the Humble Store download pages that you claimed with your Kickstarter email address. This will not be done through Steam just yet. I haven't gotten to Steam integration yet, so to start with all backers will need to download updated builds through the Humble Store download pages similar to how you downloaded the old demo for Lacuna Passage Prologue.

This rollout will happen in waves according to your Kickstarter Backer reward level, with Beta level backers and above getting access first. I'm only one developer, so I can't handle large numbers of bug reports and requests all at once. We will gradually rollout access until all backers are included. Then we will work on bug fixing, planned feature additions, and requested feature additions until I think we are ready to launch on Steam Early Access. I will then transition to Steam integration and all backers able to access build updates automatically through Steam. If some of you don't want to worry about encountering excessive bugs or having to manually update your build then I would suggest that you wait until I am able to add Steam integration before you try the game.

My development roadmap labels can help you determine what is and is not planned for the Early Access release. The Early Access release will be considered Survival Sandbox 1.0. However, not everything that is planned for Survival Sandbox 1.0 will be included in the initial backer release. So, what won't be in the backer release? Some things are practically finished but will not be included in the backer release because I want to get feedback on specific features and game mechanics before adding more features. Other features are just not ready yet. Here are a few notable things that will be absent from the initial backer release but will come in build updates prior to the Early Access Survival Sandbox 1.0:

• Dust Storms/Dust Devils
  • These are practically complete, but since they are inherently random, I want to filter out any bugs that may be difficult to track down if they are bugs that sometimes occurring during random storms for some players and not for others.
• Saving and loading game progress
  • This might seem like an odd omission, but I would like to focus early bug reports to the first 1-2 hours of gameplay. Early build updates might break game saves anyway so I want to avoid that at first.
• Deployable Emergency Pop Tents
  • Since these provide a temporary shelter during storms and a place to save your game while on an EVA, there is no need to include them if those other features are not in place.
• Some audio and music
  • Early backer builds may be noticeably absent of most audio and music. This is partly to save filesize for early build updates, but I also have just not had the development resources to focus on these aspects yet. They will be improved before the Early Access release.

Development Progress

One of my contract artists and long-time contributors to Lacuna Passage, Jeremy Brown, is nearly complete with what I hope will become one of our most iconic assets - the EVA suit.

So far only the high poly and low poly models are complete and already I think it looks great. It should look even better soon when the textures are finished.

Jeremy has also completed a wonderful new flag asset that I have applied cloth physics to, allowing it to react to our wind direction and intensity.

I've also begun the final lightmapping process on the habitat interiors. I've completed Habitat Alpha which you can see below.

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View fullsize

I have two more habitat arrangements to complete, but all that consists of is essentially just rearranging the modular interior wall segments and rendering new lightmaps. This will help to distinguish the three discoverable habitats from each other while exploring the interiors.

I can also report that all 92 randomized discoverable locations on the map have been placed and the container contents of each location are being randomized on each new playthrough.

On top of all that I have punched out dozens of tiny bugs and added many quality-of-life improvements. None of which would be super exciting to describe here, but I've personally been testing the game lately and it's honestly starting to feel like a very compelling gameplay loop.

All-in-all, things are going great. Development progress has continued at a steady pace despite my wife and I working hard to prepare for our first child, and hopefully I can get our backers access to build downloads without much more delay. Hang in there!

Lacuna Passage - Devlog #7 - Creating an immersive HUD

Last week we shared a mini-tutorial on how to create effective first-person 3D HUD illusions with only a 2D plane. This week we are going to talk about the important information that the rest of the HUD will convey.

The helmet HUD is one aspect of the game that we are taking very seriously when it comes to balancing believability. We need to provide the player with relevant, contextual information at all times without overwhelming the player or breaking our fictional ruleset for immersion.

There are dozens of background survival and navigational stats in Lacuna Passage that the game is keeping track of; however, not all of these are relevant to the player and some are simply unbelievable. We have a distinct variable that measures your exhaustion level, but it wouldn’t make much sense for your space suit to relay this variable to you directly. Though our game is set in a science fiction universe, we are trying to constrain ourselves by the realities of modern space travel. How would a space suit measure a trait like exhaustion? Well, we can instead filter this information and display it in other ways, like blood pressure, heart rate, and other bio readings that a space suit might be very capable of measuring. In creating an immersive HUD we are trying to avoid abstract forms of information like health bars.

The helmet HUD in Lacuna Passage is your source of primary information - things that are most immediately relevant to the you. Fictionally, we have created a UI that is displayed via light projection onto the inside of your space helmet (think Google Glass, but across your entire visual field). You may notice in screenshots that the projected text is actually a bit pixelated and monochrome. This is accurate to existing technologies that favor function over form (simpler displays require less power and have fewer points of potential hardware failure). This is technology that is not only believable, but highly effective in conveying the information the player needs. It’s bright and stands out from the Martian landscapes extremely well. Right now these are the stats that we are displaying with this method:

1. Battery Levels
We have a very simple battery indicator for instant recognition of current battery levels as well as a percentage to give you more granular updates.

2. Oxygen Levels
Perhaps one of the most important survival stats in the game. Keeping this information visible at all times in the helmet HUD ensures that the player won’t be surprised when they run low on oxygen.

3. Compass Heading
Navigation in an open-world environment is critical. This age-old method of wayfinding is made even more useful with the inclusion of the diamond-shaped waypoint to lead you to known locations; however, if you are searching for unknown locations then you are on your own.

4. Latitude and Longitude
Another useful tool for navigation. When traversing terrain with no visible landmarks it can be easy to get lost. With Lat and Long headings you can know exactly where you are at all times. There may also be a need to record Lat and Long headings that you want to revisit later (or add as a waypoint on your compass).

5. Time and Date
Despite the fact that the Martian day is 2.7% longer than a day on Mars, it still has a 24 hour clock. Knowing the exact time allows you to more accurately estimate how long your battery or oxygen might stay within safe levels. It can also be useful to know how much time you have left before dark when temperatures drop to dangerous levels.

The important thing about these stats is that they are constantly updated and available at a glance. Many of our other secondary stats will be displayed via a wrist display that can be brought up to your visor for viewing when necessary. Both our helmet and wrist displays are fictionally and internally consistent helping to create a more immersive experience for the player.