Void Crew News

Special thanks to the Void Crew community who has already helped us improve the game with invaluable feedback!



[h2]Strike Objective[/h2]
Due to an anomaly in the Void, some objectives were statistically under-represented - this has been remedied and now one of our favourite objectives - Strike- will show up with the intended frequency! Strike comes in two variants - one being against the REMNANT faction and their reinforcement-calling comm-relays, the other against the massive HOLLOW Prism.



[h2]Power Management[/h2]
Power management has seen a bump - now the circuit breakers will pop faster the more strain you add to the power grid - it’s no longer feasible to play Whack-a-Mole with a power overdraw of 400%!



[h2]Arc Shield - Part 1 (Part 2 scheduled for later update)[/h2]
Players brought to our attention that the Arc Shield modules were not performing as expected. After consulting the METEM Engineering staff, we can confirm that they were, in fact, not good. So we bumped them up - Shield-usage should now provide a significant increase in survivability. We also rebalanced the Power Cell effect and did a simple update to the shield UI gizmos. Note - this is part 1 of 2, as we intend to do a UX pass on the shield visualization so it’s easier to see the outcome of stacking shields. Stay tuned!

[h2]Accessibility[/h2]
Thanks again to the community for pointing out some usability issues:

• Added an option to rebind (i) Invite and (p) Logbook (for left handed players)
  
• Added an option to disable head bobbing
• Added quality settings presets: Players can now choose between the quality settings presets
  
• Added raised maximum mouse speed (this should not change your current setting)
  

[h2]Ectype Portrait Gizmo and Rank widget[/h2]
Animated Face Projections will now be animated in the Main HUD. METEM Rank will also be shown in the UI - so you know that a lowbie Ectype has joined, and you need to take extra special care to not blow them out the airlock..


[h2]General Balancing[/h2]
Balancing is an ongoing process, and thanks to players we found a bunch of issues. A few noteworthy changes:

• HOLLOW Fighters and Heavy Fighters have had their “Red Laser” nerfed - this attack is meant to do consistent trickle-damage, but was really doing just a ton of damage.
  
• Hollow Heavy Fighters had their primary missiles attack tweaked - it now shoots two rockets instead of one, but their damage has been lowered - a good case for showing off your piloting dodging skills… or just let the KPD deal with them.
  
• Arc Shields Mk I-III have been boosted (see above)
  
• The summoned METEM Escort Ship has had its alloy cost increased to 6. The summoned Escorts are very powerful, and while it’s super-cool to summon a fleet of them, they negatively affect the co-op nature of the game (Since they basically play the game for you). We scaled their cost to reflect that they’re an expensive boost for a single objective - and you should feel glad about finding the Shards as loot.
  
• The max number of HOLLOW Assembler Cores has been reduced to 3 when in a 4-player crew. The assemblers were basically flooding the sector with enemies.
  

We’ll evaluate these balancing tweaks and continue to fiddle with the numbers.

We're fixing bugs as quickly as you guys can report them (We wish). Keep those bug reports coming, and we'll keep the fixes flowing:

• Fixed a bug where loot from destroyed Fuel Tanks would spawn underneath space station
  
• Fixed pilot camera rotation when transitioning from 3rd person view
  
• Fixed REMNANT Freighter shooting too many missiles
  
• Fixed Wreck and Space Base walls turning invisible (occlusion issue)
  
• Fixed remote players not being “safe” from being “Person Locked” when inside wrecks and stations. The HOLLOW can no longer target you through walls.
  
• Fixed curly brackets on player names causing problems
  
• Fixed Vivox hearing previous group after you join another
  
• Fixed a bug in Awakening tutorial that showed incorrect amount of Nano Alloys when recycling
  
• Fixed a bug where players would be able to interact with the matchmaking terminal after leaving it
  
• Fixed a bug where enemy pings would be stuck during Void Jump
  
• Fixed various collision bugs on space wrecks and bases
  
• Fixed a bug causing new host during migration not to be able to kick players
  
• Fixed various texture bugs on raid structures
  
• Fixed z-fighting issues in the destroyer
  
• Fixed a ping error on enemy ship components
  
• Fixed REMNANT Frigate collision
  
• Fixed text on Void Jump lever
  
• Fixed Engine Trim Hover text displaying “--”
  
• Bumped up light in the METEM Hub
  
• Fixed Gravity Scoop see-through issue
  
• Fixed some module parts sticking out during deconstruction
  
• Fixed extra negative in descriptions
  
• Fixed floating Hull Breaches on Destroyer
  
• Fixed various sounds not releasing properly
  
• Fixed weak spots on HOLLOW Prism turret nodes
  
• Fixed (decreased) power debuff for Vigilance/Bravery
  
• Updated the Reclaimer model. (Codex included)
  
• Fixed patrol points for a Sector in the Vigilance System
  
• Fixed a specific crash when trying to close the game
  

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Thanks for your time, and we can’t wait to continue this journey with you. Do join Void Crew Discord for more news and good times!

It’s finally happening! Void Crew is now available to purchase on Early Access. Head to the store page now and purchase for a special Early Bird discount!

For those that don’t know about Void Crew, it’s a new First Person Co-op Space Action Adventure with Tactile Mechanics and Epic Space Battles. If you like sci-fi and creating some chaos with your friends, this might be your next adventure!

Watch our Early Access Launch Trailer to get a taste of what you can experience:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We want to thank all our alpha/closed beta testers and anyone that has helped in any shape or form during the development process, from the bottom of our hearts. We are very excited and happy to finally be able to show Void Crew to the whole world.

Early Access is just the beginning! We want to keep improving the game with the collaboration of our community; listening to our players and what they want to experience in Void Crew is our main priority.

Below you can find our roadmap with some updates we have already planned, but nothing is set in stone; we want you to help us shape Void Crew. We need your help!



If you like what you see, we encourage you to join our Discord server. Our full dev team is present there, and it’s the main hub to keep up to date with news. It’s also the main platform we will use for developer updates, bug reports, feedback, and community events. What are you waiting for? Join us now!

Attention, ectypes!

Void Crew, a new First Person Co-op Space Action Adventure with Tactile Mechanics and Epic Space Battles, will be available to play on Steam on Thursday, September 7!

Mark your calendars, gather your crew, get your spacesuits ready and prepare to embark on your next space adventure.




Glad you asked! Void Crew isn’t just another space game. It’s a unique blend of intense "co-op chaos" gameplay, tactile mechanics (very hands-on, literally!), and epic space battles.



You’ll play as a crew of ectypes, managing your ship and completing different quests to help in the fight for Metem. You’ll battle different foes, escort allies, salvage valuable loot… and probably die a fair bit. But it’s all worth it; we must reclaim humanity’s lost territory! FOR METEM!

And if all systems fail, and hope seems lost… remember to blame your teammates.




We are committed to our players and community above all; our priority will be listening to feedback, suggestions, and ideas to refine the gameplay, incorporate that feedback, and ensure that Void Crew offers the best possible gaming experience. Being on Steam's Early Access platform allows us to collaborate closely with our community, making you an integral part of the game's development journey. Below you’ll find our roadmap with some planned updates!




For those eager to dive into the action, we recommend adding Void Crew to your Steam wishlist and staying tuned to our Steam News page for the latest updates, behind-the-scenes looks, and more.

We also recommend joining our Discord server, where you can look for crew members, interact with the community, get updates about the game and even get to talk a bit with the team!

Get ready, ectypes! The void awaits, and we can’t wait for you to join us on this thrilling adventure.

Ahoy, Ectypes!

A few weeks ago we gathered some questions from our community on Discord (come join us!), and we did a small stream with Daniel, our Creative Director, answering them. He told us a bit about Void Crew, what inspired him and the team at Hutlihut Games to create the game, and even a little bit about future plans…

You can check the full video below, but we wanted to provide you with the transcript as well!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylPQfK86AJ4


[h2]Daniel, could you please tell us a bit about the game?[/h2]

Void Crew is a Co-op sci-fi action adventure.

We at Hutlihut Games love sci-fi, and we love co-op games; bringing people together, making bonds as well as new relationships.

Void crew is set in space, onboard spaceships with a crew of up to 4 players, you have to prepare the ship, battle off swarms of enemies, repair the battle scars and get ready for more.

It’s based on 3 prime pillars:

• Co-op
  
• Tactile mechanics
  
• Epic Space Battles
  

All leading to frantic co-op fun with quirky elements, and what we call… “happy accidents” - who doesn’t love being torched by engine thrusters, squished by inertia force or an involuntary space walk.

It is a 1st person game, where players really have to work together to succeed in the quests ahead.

And yes, accidents will happen - and they are to be celebrated. Especially since the other person is to blame, right?



[h2]The game is not yet released… but, is it possible to play Void Crew now?[/h2]

Well… we just had a Closed Beta Test, which was really popular, over our expectations! It was quickly filled up with the planned amount of players (we actually had to increase the cap). We got lots of good feedback from the community. We might do more CBT’s, but not yet decided and there’s no dates. But one thing for sure … we can't wait to get the game in the hands of players again!


[h2]What inspired you to make the game?[/h2]

We wanted to make a co-op game we wanted to play ourselves. We thought… with so many other shooters around, we wanted to build something quite different. It seemed so obvious for us to build this game.


Fun story… one of the thoughts originated when I was playing with my brother (who of course also loves co-op games). We often had difficulty finding a really good co-op game we liked. So… why not build what we wanted to play? A game that we would love to play with friends, or fight with siblings over.



[h2]What other games were the inspiration?[/h2]

There are a lot of great games out there. For inspiration for Void Crew there are three particular games.

First and most obvious one is FTL - Faster than light. Imagine you’re playing that game and then you think about "what if?". What would it feel like if I dived into it and became one of those crew members? How would it be if that was first person, real time? How would you operate the ship? How would you control the cannons, operate the door... how would this be in first person?

And even better, what if those other crew members were your friends (or siblings) that were doing their part?

So one thing with FTL is that it is a "god view's" game. You see from top down, you have all the information. So what if we removed that god aspect? And instead each crew member is enveloped with their own perspective and information, and together they would gain that "god aspect". Then they could work together and solve the challenges ahead.

With that as well, if you look at FTL, there are two more things that make sense for the game: the shared value between the crew members, which is the hull, right? As individuals it doesn't matter if you die, if you have an accident. Because for the greater scheme of things, the important thing is the hull. If the ship blows up, you're a goner.

And the last thing I think it's important from FTL, that we think it's a very good design, it's the modular approach towards weapons and systems. So in Void Crew you can install weapons and uninstall them, install auxiliary systems etc so you can adapt to the situation and progress in terms of power.

So another game I think it's worth mentioning is Left4Dead. It's one of my favorite co-op games, it's a lot about fighting back-to-back. You stay together or you die separately; I think they really nailed that. In Void Crew the ship ties the band together, so to speak. There's intense combat, and there's a power progression, but also attrition; attrition being that you slowly lose your ship's health. And you're going to regain some of it, but you're never going to be as strong; but you're going to get better equipment. So that balance between those.

And I think the third one is going to be a bit of a stretch, but hear me out: Overcooked. So, visuals aside, it's a lot about the "happy accidents"; there's friendly collaboration between the players, and everything goes well... until someone runs out of dishes, and somebody has to break what they're doing and kind of compensate and also do dishes. In terms of game design I love that it's a set of series of actions that players have to do to operate the spaceship, but under pressure that really pushes team communication and puts the team to the test.


[h2]Along the lines of the previous question - What were the biggest inspirations for the game in any medium (shows, books, etc)?[/h2]

There is lots of good material out there, but for me I think in terms of TV it would probably be The Expanse, those epic space battles from The Expanse. Firefly is one of my favorites, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and Star Trek of course.

In terms of books I'd probably go with David Weber - On Basilisk Station. I'm still reading it, so no spoilers!

And of course board games; if you haven't tried them, I'd recommend Space alert and Galaxy trucker.



[h2]How did it feel to read feedback from players during CBT knowing the original vision and path for the game?[/h2]
Was it a surprise or were many things expected?

It is both exciting but also intimidating when letting players play the game for the first time. We thought there would be problems, and players understood those things out of the gate; and then there was stuff we thought we got covered that just completely was not understood. So that means some priorities had to be shifted, which is kind of the point of a CBT, right?

The primary takeaway for me is the distinctions between learning and discovering. Players enjoyed discovering some of the mechanics we thought we had to teach, and they get this “aha!” moment instead of us giving them an IKEA manual. And then there was other stuff that we thought was completely easy that clearly needs better explanation. So it’s a fine line wanting to keep those “aha!” moments (or somebody tells you or shares with you their discoveries) without too much hand holding.


[h2]Will there be a more complex loadout system? [/h2]
For example will it be like Deep rock galactic or Barotruama where each loadout has something different yet essential to the crew - if not what will different loadouts change?

I'm assuming here this just means personal loadout, like for each crew member and not the ship itself. So just to give an idea of how we designed player roles, we think of them as fluid; as in each crew member can cover for the other crew members. So there's not like one pilot; you can jump out and go do something else, somebody else can jump in and fly.

We have our perk system, which allows players to gain benefits for different roles, so they can get better at it. But it doesn’t make the other players obsolete in said role.
THAT being said, I cannot tell you that we may or may not have plans for the future to make players' roles and abilities (loadouts so to speak) a lot more varied and interesting.


[h2]Any plans to add fighter drone bays as weapons to be controlled from a system within the ship?[/h2]

So glad you asked! As part of the CBT (Closed Beta Test), some value we get from it is validating our future plans compared to player expectations. So I can’t say anything about installing a “fighter drone bay” other than that sounds really cool and fun!


[h2]Why have ice shard storms been designed in a way they are always aiming at ships on spawn?[/h2]

Karma is evil. Yes, you got us there. The long version is... optimization, network stuff, we had to limit the amount of asteroids getting thrown at the player, you want to make them relevant thus aiming at the player. We could optimize this further with determinism; have the entire sector be bombarded, or have some far-off asteroid indications just to get the illusion of it.

But part of the CBT is also validation of mechanics. The purpose of the ice shard storm is to add some spice to that sector. We wanted to make sure that spice was right before going into optimizing it and making it completely well rounded. We also needed to know if the illusion was good enough or if we needed to add more layers to it to make it consistent and immersive. So again, this is a good example of what kind of feedback we get back from the CBT; so now we know the illusion is not completely air-tight and we need to add another layer to it.




[h2]We already have a selection of bling for the Ectypes… but what about the ship itself?[/h2]
Might we get the chance to customize the deck or exterior of the ships we crew? Whether that's simple color palette swaps or changes in the layout (e.g. Run down looking interior with hanging wires and distressed paneling Vs. The clean sleek look we currently have.)

Another great question, which similarly relates to the fighter drone bay. Is this something players would really enjoy? Is that something the community wants? Sure, the game “works” without it, but it would be pretty cool, that we can agree on.

So in other words, we have a lot of exciting ideas I’m very eager to share with you, but for now I’ll have to ask for patience, but it is definitely something we are considering.


[h2]Will there be official mod support, unofficial mod support in the form of acceptance of mods or will there be no mod support at all? [/h2]

We want to keep an open mind, that features can be added depending on the community feedback, the involvement and what is popular requests. Overall we see the community as a vital part of the game development, and working together to build a great game. In other words, nothing is set in stone but there are no plans at this time.


[h2]Will the arsenal be expanded from what we've already seen available in the beta? [/h2]
A thought occurred that there seems to be very few ship mounted counter-measures - Only one I can think of is the Kinetic Point Defense system. But, maybe things like chaff to disrupt enemy ship lock-ons or disrupt homing projectiles.
Something that can counter the Frostmorph would be handy too. There were a few instances where our ship was basically "destroyed" by a Frostmorph on account of it striking the ship from an angle that none of our hardpoints could shoot it from. Leaving us frozen in place and unable to continue the mission?

Yeah, those Frostmorphs....

So, first off: some blindspots are a natural part of the game, because they are unavoidable. We encourage pilot-turret communication. That being said, the case you describe here with the frostmorph I agree it might be a bit too harsh on the balancing, and we will of course adjust that (so yay for CBT feedback!).

For the second part of the question: yes. Yes yes yes. The way we see it, we’ve created the “base” for the game and a starting array of systems players can play with. We see a lot of the future development is just adding more systems and toys to add variation.

Just as an example, we have plans for a “limited angle” weapon that is very powerful, but requires tight communication between pilot, gunner and loader!



[h2]Even though this game is advertised as a team based adventure, many players gave feedback commenting on how solo play was very difficult. [/h2]
Especially if you don’t have any friends online at the time but you still want to play the game - Are there any plans to add smaller or larger crewed size vessels? Say something nimble for 1-2 players or something massive for 4-6

Yes, that is something we are aware of and yes, our first priority is the team based adventure. That being said, there is some balancing needed for solo players, so it is easier to win and do some grinding while you wait for your buddies to come online. We get that.

The frigate class ship is made to be playable for 2 players, with a central corridor that makes access to the various ship systems easy for a small crew.

We have made sure that we have a matchmaking system (which we plan to continue improving) so it’s easy to meet new players, and of course support dynamic joining to have a friend drop in. Not to mention our Discord server where there are LFG channels, which I usually used during the CBT and played with a cool group - shout out to you, guys!


[h2]Is it going to be an Early Access release?[/h2]

Maybe… I'm in teasing mode haha

First of all, we want to work closely with the Void Crew community in building a great co-op game.
We encourage feedback and input, and try our hardest to be responsive. Of course, we can’t do everything as some things might be out of scope or maybe not in alignment with the direction of the game, but we see the community as the foundation for the future development of Void Crew.

We are already getting really good feedback from our community, and working on integrating in the game.
As an example, the community requested specific improvements on our Pinging system. Remember, the first pillar of the game is co-op, so this is good relevant input, and we have just upgraded our Pinging system with that feedback in mind. If you haven't already, check out the video from earlier this week.

I can say that we have several more community updates in our pipeline already. So, long story short: we are neither confirming or denying Early Access at this time.



Thank you for reading! If you want to know more about Void Crew, remember you can join our Discord and follow us on social media!

Attention, ectypes!

Void Crew, a new First Person Co-op Space Action Adventure with Tactile Mechanics and Epic Space Battles, is available on Steam's wishlist!

Prepare to embark on an intergalactic adventure to reclaim stolen territory and lost knowledge. Work together with your crew, operating a big spaceship; the cosmos is your playground!


Gather your fearless crew of up to 4 mavericks and buckle up for an adrenaline-pumping cooperative gaming experience. In Void Crew, collaboration is the key to conquering quests efficiently. But here's the twist: prepare for hilarity, chaos and... happy “accidents”. Ever thought about throwing a friend out of the airlock for a laugh? Now's your chance!




The Void Crew experience is very hands-on… literally! Take on various roles aboard the starship, from manning powerful turrets to executing tactical maneuvers. And don’t forget running around the ship fixing anything that needs to be fixed! Can’t go to battle with a broken ship.




Make sure to coordinate with your crew so you can survive battles with swarms of enemies. Someone has to skillfully pilot the ship so the one shooting the turrets can get rid of all the enemies!




Void Crew offers a universe of diversity. Journey through different biomes, each with its own challenges and breathtaking landscapes. From eerie space stations to mesmerizing landscapes, you can find a bit of everything. Make sure you keep your focus on the objectives, though - wouldn't want an asteroid to hit your ship while you're looking at the pretty scenery, would you?




At Void Crew, your voice matters. The community's feedback guides the game's future. We're grateful for the incredible support and insightful feedback from our closed beta testers, which is already leading to significant improvements. You can see an example of this on our Ping System Improvements video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJarW3Nwxxk


Prepare for thrilling community events and sneak peeks of Void Crew's cosmic secrets. Join our active Discord server, where the full team is present and sometimes interacting with the community. Stay connected on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube for exclusive content and cosmic humor. Come join us!

Add Void Crew to your Steam wishlist and be part of this cosmic revolution!