Lacuna Passage News

Hello folks,

We've had to stop our development schedule for Lacuna Passage V2. Our goal with this project was to first expand on the original concept built by Random Seed, followed by raising funds & backing to ramp-up production. Due to various factors we have not been able to meet this goal.

We understand the community here has been eagerly waiting to see this project thrive. Our team has also been committed to building out Mars and we've spent many hours and resources doing so. But sadly we cannot continue down this path.

In the future, if we find the right backing, we might attempt to leverage the tech we've built to give the project another shot. But for now, development for Lacuna Passage V2 is on hold. The original Kickstarted version built by Random Seed will stay live.

Sincerely,

Vilas
Candescent Games, Inc.

Hi folks, in our last update we touched on the dynamic weather system we’ve built to recreate conditions on the Martian surface. This update is a brief check-in to show you our new astronaut suit and some features we've built around it.

[h3]Martian Suit[/h3]
We’ve designed and built a modern EVA ( Extra Vehicular Activity ) suit. It's light and flexible but still provides protection from the terrain and solar radiation.



Features:

1. The shoulder integrated Oxygen feed allows a greater range of head motion and makes the helmet more ergonomic.
   
2. The external O2 and battery meters will let you visually monitor your co-op buddy.
   
3. The forward looking sensor cluster will be used to survey and take pictures of Mars.
   
4. The built-in harness will allow you to do some spelunking and use zip-lines.
   

[h3]Modular Design[/h3]
As with many of our new assets the EVA suit is built to be modular. This means the helmet and life-support packs will be separate items.



The pack will now have a medium and long-range variant.



[h3]Exploration[/h3]
This suit's made for walking! The composite knee guards and leg shielding protect the pressurized suit from sharp rocks and sand abrasion.



The integrated headlamp and forward sensor cluster will be key to exploring Martian days and nights.



[h3]The Game Plan[/h3]
There's a lot of work in front of us and there's plenty we've built that hasn't been shown yet. We want to thank the community for being patient, we hope the updates illustrate the foundation we're building to relaunch Lacuna Passage.

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Footnotes




A starry night in Aeolis Palus with the Milky Way stretching across the sky alongside Phobos and Deimos, the oddly shaped Martian moons.

© 2020 Candescent Games, Inc.

As things slowly return to normal we’d like to talk about our new development timeline and progress. Update 04 touched upon new assets and items. This update will cover our launch timeline, new gear in the works, and weather systems.

New Timeline

We want to be upfront about delays. Update 03 layed out a July release of the new version of Lacuna Passage. This was an aggressive timeline that we set out to accomplish in earnest. Of course we did not expect the chaos of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions. Our launch timeline is now pushed to the end of this year.

We know this is disappointing but we hope to illustrate how we’re expanding the foundation of what will be possible in the new Lacuna Passage.

Martian Weather




We’ve been working on a Martian weather system that can simulate a variety of conditions on the Martian surface. This includes wind and dust conditions near the surface and in the upper atmosphere. This system is completely dynamic, allowing us to change up weather conditions mid mission.




Mars can experience planet wide storms that severely reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the surface. These storms are visible from space and block the surface features from being visible.




Conditions such as temperature, air pressure, solar radiation, particulate dust, wind direction and speed can change across our new large maps. Thus we can have areas within the map that are more pleasant or harsh.





New Gear

We have many new objects in development; Heat exchangers, power distribution nodes, new rover parts, and even setups that can generate electricity and water.




Much of our quarantine development has gone into researching, designing and realizing these objects so that we can expand the core gameplay.


The Game Plan

This past week we’ve finally returned to our studio setup. This allows us to resume normal development after almost 3 months! The team’s eager to catch up on lost time, and we’ve expanded the team with some talented people to speed up development. Pushing back the launch window is not ideal but it’s crucial for us to release something well made, that has potential to grow.

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Footnotes





A collage of our Candor Chasma map at the same time of day with different weather conditions.

Hi folks we hope everyone is safe and well during these unexpected circumstances of the global pandemic. In Update 03 we talked about Rovers and a timeline for our new build. This update is a brief check-in towards that goal.

At the moment we’re heads-down and focused on hitting the July timeline. We’ve had to make changes to our working setup due to social distancing restrictions in California. But work on the new build is continuing at a good pace.



Among the many things we're working on are updated assets, animations and various elements that will flesh out the new Martian environments and Habitats.



The Game Plan

Our 2-month update cycle will continue. These will be shorter updates, which allows us to focus more resources on development.

We know it’s been a wait but we’re excited to share our vision for the new version of Lacuna Passage once it's ready to jump in. Thank you for your feedback and enthusiasm.

We hope everyone had a great start to 2020. Post holidays our team hit the ground running with our build-out of Lacuna Passage and we’re excited to share more progress. In Update 02 we talked about new areas like the stunning Chandor Chasma, and our new Habitat design. Let’s start this update with a look at Rovers!

Martian Rovers



Want to colonize a harsh planet? You'll need a reliable set of wheels. This 4-Axle Mars Rover will be the backbone of long distance travel and moving stuff around. At work we’ve dubbed this machine the Toyota Hi-Lux of Mars (Top Gear reference).

Our Rovers and vehicles have a detailed physics model! We’re working with a talented vehicle-physics developer ( see footnotes ) to give you a true simulation of suspension and wheel forces.



Different surface types will have varied traction properties. We can simulate independent axles with electric motors driving each wheel for maximum traction.




Rover Parts

The Rover redesign includes the ability to spec-out parts for different types of missions. Run a rover with a light-weight setup for moving quickly over loose terrain -or run a heavy setup with more batteries for additional power or range. Different parts will affect weight, center of gravity, and wheel traction.



Before you start pulling handbrake turns across the martian landscape, be forewarned: Mars is covered with loose dirt that can have low traction. The 1/3rd gravity makes it easy to catch some air, and even easier to flip the Rover. You’ll have to choose your paths carefully, so as not to get the Rover stuck.


First Early Access Build

The first version of the new Lacuna Passage will publish early July of this year! It will feature a sandbox mission located within the massive Galap crater in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars.



We’re also excited to announce that Lacuna Passage will support local split screen co-op. The new sandbox mission will support co-op survival. Support for split-screen is part of our ground-up approach to building new possibilities and features in the Lacuna Passage sandbox.




The Game Plan

After the first build we’ll expand the game with more sandbox missions and a single player campaign. We’ll also incorporate your feedback on the build, new features, and fix issues. Our 2-month update cycle will continue, however the updates might get shorter as we hone in on the first playable launch. Thank you for your feedback and patience as we revive this awesome sandbox.



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Footnotes



Special thanks to LazyBitGames for their awesome vehicle physics plugin FGear, and working with us to extend it for Martian physics!



Galap Crater is an immense crater in the southern hemisphere of Mars. Almost 7 kilometers in diameter, and 1 kilometer deep!