Seablip News

Ahoy, everyone! I've been continuously working on adding content, so I haven't had the time to fully process it, but Seablip’s release is imminent!!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

If you've been following my journey for a while, you know that my original goal was never to release in Early Access. However, as years of development passed (and deadlines pushed), my humble debut project has grown into a vast world. My savings used as capital to work full-time, now lie at the bottom of the sea.

This forced me to reconsider my release plans - and here I am.



Now, you might wonder, what is the state of Seablip?

• I believe the game already offers a ton of fun and many details. However, since the game world is extensive, there are still areas where I want to add more details and gameplay options
  
• Some story elements have been delayed to be able to focus more on gameplay replayability
  
• The game isn't entirely bug-free, but I have worked diligently with a wonderful team of volunteers to eliminate the most harmful bugs - Closed Beta is next
  
• Some areas need more polishing that will benefit from player feedback
  

The main reason I don't want to call this a full release is that I still have many content goals I haven't had enough time to implement. I'll elaborate more on that in a future roadmap (or feel free to ask).

Listening to your feedback is one of the things that motivates me the most. It's one of the reasons I've managed to survive the long development time. As many of you know, after Seablip participated in Steam Next Fest, I removed the old "static" world map and replaced it with a map where you can sail freely. This, among other changes, was a significant core update. I don't expect changes on the same scale in Early Access, but what I'm trying to convey is that I believe Seablip benefits immensely from your feedback.



I want to emphasize that my decision to release in Early Access has been carefully considered. There are numerous pros and cons, but ultimately, it will be a relief to get Seablip out in the open. Hopefully, you'll find lots of enjoyment in playing it, while I can continue to develop more content over time.

Now, I hope you're as thrilled as I am that Seablip's launch is just around the corner. I have spent 5 years (more than 10,000 hours) until today - rest assured that I will dedicate all my remaining days, hours, and seconds to ensure the gaming experience is worth its price on release day.

I hope you understand and look forward to Seablip's release.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Best, Captain Jardar

New Demo Update! ⚠️ Old saves won't work (sorry for the inconvenience!). New saves after release will be fully backward compatible.

Much of the new content is out of the Demo's reach, but this is some within reach:

• Seablip's Most Wanted: Track bosses in the achievement menu (2 available in demo, more coming!)
  
• Crafting Recipes is visible under the achievement menu
  
• Light update: Sunrise and sundown are visual in the light to easier understand when you go from day to night time.
  
• Item Sell Prices: You can now see item value when hovering over an item. (still a few good ways to sell items - but this will come soon)
  
• Some visual updates
  
• Many bug fixes and improvements
  

Enjoy!

[h3]Hello, everyone! Seablip is now part of Steam's Pirates vs. Ninjas Fest, and to celebrate, a new demo of Seablip is now live![/h3]

Please note that this new version destroys older saves. I apologize for any inconvenience, but the new demo includes significant changes.

Not all the features mentioned below are available in the demo, but I hope you enjoy the updates!

[h2]Bug Reporting and Feedback:[/h2]
Since Seablip is still under development, I would love to hear if you encounter any bugs while playing, or if you have other comments about the update or anything else about Seablip. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.






A massive overhaul of the world map; it's no longer "points," but you sail freely with a tiny ship.

• Floating icebergs or rocks can damage your ship.
  
• Wind provides a bonus/penalty to your world map speed.
  
• Enemy encounters are now easier to avoid.
  

After receiving feedback from players who disliked the character's movement on the "grid," I made significant changes (which also required updating all interactions). The result is that the player can now take tiny steps horizontally. I hope the new functions feel more fluid and natural. (Some bugs might occur; feel free to report them.)

• Interaction with objects is also more forgiving of player distance (you don't need to be as close as before).
  

This change is also based on player feedback. The old intro took too long, causing some players to lose interest before the fun began. Therefore, I created a new starter island - a more gameplay-oriented island where the player's house is now placed next to the pier, allowing for quicker travel on the sea. The new island is split into two parts:



[h2]Economy Part[/h2] (Not in Demo)

• Build and upgrade houses for your crew + more (premade layouts).
  
• Upgrade your house.
  

[h2]Defense Part[/h2] (Not in Demo)

• Delegate crew to guard your island and protect it against raiding enemies.
  
• Build defense and weapons.
  
• Upgrade the castle layout, acquire more space, and enhance health.
  
• Participate in battles or auto-resolve with the guarding crew.
  

You can now craft every weapon or ship upgrade using resources (not gold), while merchants sell upgrades for gold only.

• To unlock the upgrades, you must acquire blueprints (common, rare, epic, legendary).
  
• You can only craft upgrades at home.
  
• For now, the current crafting price for an upgrade is just a test price.
  

Lots of small and some big changes.

• Repair time on all cannons increased.
  
• Reload time on all cannons decreased.
  
• Destruction of upgrades is health-based (changed from "luck-based").
  

• You can name your ship.
  
• Some UI design updates.
  
• And much more.
  

(Not yet available in Demo)
Hello everyone! This is another update that comes after feedback from Steam Next Fest. Not everyone liked the grid movement, and I couldn't let that continue to be the same. The player movement is now "pixel-based" while walking horizontally on an island.

This might sound like a small update, but I had to fix a lot more to make it work. For instance, all interactions are now updated to fit the new way of walking.



I guess it's not that easy to spot the difference from the GIF, but the movement in Seablip now feels a lot smoother.

• Interaction is more "kind," allowing you to interact with objects and people without the same strict distance as before.
  
  
• Using tools and weapons is also smoother as you no longer need to wait for your character to finish walking on the grid.
  
  
• Moving vertically is still "grid-based."
  

I'm going back to work but will be back with more news soon! Have a wonderful day!
- Jardar

(Not yet available in Demo)

Hello everyone, and thank you so much for all the great feedback during (and after) Steam Next Fest. I want to let you know that I have addressed many of the things you provided feedback on, and first up is one major change! :)



The World Map is no longer "point-based" but a free (bigger) and open map. You can control your ship and must ensure it does not crash into islands, rocks, icebergs, or other dangers. The enemies are visible ships, some of which will hunt you down if you get too close, while others mind their own business until provoked or plundered.

There are still lots of features I want to add to the new World Map, but here is a look at how it is right now:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

A list of some functions available on the World Map:

• Ship speed ranges from 0 to 14 knots (max), with wind providing a bonus or penalty.
  
• Ship max speed is based on the ship type.
  
• Death or crew loss can occur on the World Map.
  
• Encounters with merchants are possible.
  
• Loot can be found.
  
• Obstacles must be avoided.
  
• Crashing into an iceberg can remove it as an obstacle, but it inflicts significant damage unless you have an icebreaker!
  
• Enemy ships may pursue you if provoked or for other reasons.
  

Other functions I am testing, but still not sure will make it to the full version:

• Using a cannon on the World Map to harm enemies.
  

Again, thank you so much for all the feedback! I look forward to continuing working on Seablip! :)

- Jardar