Colonize News

Quick announcement for everyone, even for the duration of STEAM NEXT FEST, there will be a demo. Still the same version as the Colonize Prologue.

The reason why we are doing this is the same as was for Base Builder Fest, but here is a quick recap here:

The answer is that we are a small indie team with a lot of experience but without a previously published game. Therefore, releasing the Colonize Prologue version of the game was a condition for further funding of the project. This was, of course, very successful and, at the same time, convinced our distributor to invest in us and trust us.

But at one point, we had to decide what to do next, and we dug through the whole game from the basics, so we stopped and concentrated on development. Of course, this did not allow us further to develop the Colonize demo or Colonize Prologue game. So we decided to offer it on the main page and demo to make ourselves visible in the upcoming event, Base Builder Fest.

I hope we have made it clear enough, and at the same time, we promise that we will contact you more regularly in the form of blogs on STEAM as we continue with the game.

Thank you for being so supportive!

Houdini is a 3D animation and visual effects software that has gained popularity among game developers for its powerful tools and capabilities. Houdini offers game developers a versatile and flexible solution for creating high-quality game assets. Its node-based system allows artists to quickly build, modify and iterate on their models, making it ideal for fast-paced game development.

More info about Houdini here - Houdini Website

We use Houdini mainly for tasks that can be repeated or mostly that can be automated. For example, the creation of LOD models, the creation of collision objects, or even for creating masks.

For example, if we want the buildings to be covered with snow, nicely from top to bottom, so that there is no snow under the roof, it is quite a problem. Unity cannot tell what is below or above, or it would take a lot of computing power. That's why we automated the rendering of the mask to UV2, where it seems like the light is casting from above, and everywhere it hits, there will be snow, and where not, there will be no snow, obviously.

Houdini processes all the buildings together, creates a new UV space for all buildings, and renders a black-and-white mask. The amazing thing is that if we add or modify buildings in the future, we just need to press one button, and everything will be generated again automatically.

Brilliant, isn't it?



We also use Microsoft's Simplygon solution, free for smaller teams like us. It can beautifully, quickly, and effectively reduce the polycount of models. Connecting it to a simple loop and a bit of python code will always help us process all models automatically and save them to disk.

How much time can we save? At least hundreds of hours if one person had to do it all manually, not to mention if the masks had to be drawn by hand.

See you in the next dev blog!

As promised, we are starting a DevBlog, so you can see how the Colonize is being done! Let us get into it, and the first blog is about buildings, which are essential for every building game, right?

[h2]What is the process of creating buildings?[/h2]

First, we have to find the proper references. We use books and, of course, the Internet, and we think about how they might have looked then. Many buildings still standing from the 16th century have already been reconstructed.

We also have to look at the aesthetics of the buildings. Of course, we want the game to be faithful, but at the same time, we want to satisfy our artistic hearts and the players. Above all, buildings must be beautiful!

The building model goes through several rounds of comments until we get to something we like, and it makes sense for a potential resident or worker. We are trying to think how the building would be built by someone who will use it regularly. Does he want stairs there? Does it need windows? Does it need a place to store raw materials?

If the building is finished, the next part comes where we have to make 10-15 levels of how the building is being built, which is quite laborious and lengthy work. If we have at least 30 buildings in the game, then we must create at least 300 models, which requires strong nerves and a lot of patience.



Then comes the automation of some extra steps in Houdini, which we'll talk about next time!

Cheers
--sanchez--

We know that we last communicated with our fans long ago, and here is why, and at the same time, with this blog, we want to show the future of the Colonize game.

First, we are releasing the Colonize Demo game under the main page. It is the same game from the Colonize Prologue page. Why is that so?

The answer is that we are a small indie team with a lot of experience but without a previously published game. Therefore, releasing the Colonize Prologue version of the game was a condition for further funding of the project. This was, of course, very successful and, at the same time, convinced our distributor to invest in us and trust us.

But at one point, we had to decide what to do next, and we dug through the whole game from the basics, so we stopped and concentrated on development. Of course, this did not allow us to develop the Colonize demo or Colonize Prologue game further. So we decided to offer it on the main page and demo to make ourselves visible in the upcoming event, Base Builder Fest.

I hope we have made it clear enough, and at the same time, we promise that we will contact you more regularly in the form of blogs on STEAM as we continue with the game.

Thank you for being so supportive!

CELEBRATION OF CZECH & SLOVAK GAMES
The third annual event celebrating the Czech and Slovak games is here!

This time on the occasion of the national holiday of November 17th, which is celebrated nationwide in the Czech and Slovak Republic to commemorate the events of 1939 and 1989. The Day of the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy is primarily linked to the year '89 and the so-called Velvet Revolution, which marked the peaceful transfer of power and the advent of democracy. It represents the beginning of free entrepreneurship in our countries, including the gaming industry, which gradually developed during the 1990s to its present form.

Join the Czech & Slovak Games Week to celebrate this event with developers from both countries!

🤑 Save money with discounts on many Czech and Slovak titles
👀 Watch the Czech & Slovak Direct Showcase and see world premieres, updates on development, and an exciting showcase of new trailers
🎥 Watch developers play their games in featured streams all week
🤔 Finally realize that Czechoslovakia isn't a thing for the last 30 years (we still love each other!)

Link to event here - https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41475492-Czech-Slovak-Games-Week/sale/czskgamesweek2022