POLYARIS News

[h3]The closed beta for Polyaris has officially launched![/h3][p]If you want to participate in the playtest, push the "Join the Playtest" button on Polyaris store page:[/p][p][/p][h3]Don't hesitate to join our Discord for any related (or non-related) game discussions:[/h3][h3]https://discord.gg/SswKKPdqJQ [/h3][p][/p][p]P.S: We ask that you keep the beta content confidential for now. Once the public demo releases, you'll be free to share your experience.[/p][p]
[/p]

[h2]Form to join:[/h2][h2]https://forms.gle/nZDoVrr7bVLXdgS76[/h2][p][/p][h2]How to join?[/h2][p]To join the playtest, you need to share your email in this form https://forms.gle/nZDoVrr7bVLXdgS76, and then we'll send you a Steam key. [/p][p]You'll be able to activate it by entering the key in the Steam client (using the + button in the bottom left corner).[/p][p][/p][h2]What's there for me?[/h2][p]I won't spoil the experience by sharing what's included in this closed demo—I want you to play it unbiased. Hope you enjoy it![/p][p][/p][h3]P.S: DNA/DON’T CREATE AND SHARE, YET[/h3][p]Please don't share content about this test. You'll be able to do that later when the open demo comes out.[/p][p][/p][h3]P.S2: Don't forget to bring your friend ;)[/h3][p][/p][p]Well, finally, it's been a long ride, but it was worth it. [/p][p]See you in Arctic soon! [/p]

[p]November has (almost) come...[/p][p][/p][h2]TL;DR[/h2][h3]Core Focus:[/h3]

• [p]Equipment and HUD improvements[/p]
• [p]Player voiceline reactions[/p]
• [p]Starting environment progress[/p]
• [p]Bug fixes, small improvements[/p]

[h3]Next steps:[/h3]

• [p]Finishing the closed playtest build[/p]
• [p]Preparing the open demo build, Steam Page overhaul, new trailer[/p]

[p]We’re finally getting closer towards the first proper playtest build! Due to many unexpected surprises and complications with combining full time jobs with gamedev we’ve taken longer than we anticipated, but now we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and will launch the closed playtest later this November, followed by an open demo available to everyone by the end of this year.[/p][p][/p][h2]Here are some of the highlights from the recent months[/h2][p][/p][h3]Equipment System and HUD improvements[/h3][p]Your trusty wooden skis and a portable radio are the two unique items that will be present throughout the entire game.
[/p][p][/p][p]You will also be able to put an item into your hands, such as a weapon or a lantern, as well as assign a ‘Quick Use’ Item to be able to use it without opening your inventory.[/p][p][/p][h3]Contextual character voiceline system[/h3][p]In order to reflect the current status of your character, such as hunger, thirst, warmth and so on, as well as to increase immersion, we’ve introduced a dynamic speech system that your character will say periodically depending on survival stats. We’ve ordered over 70 voice lines from a professional voice overt artist to reach the highest quality voice. Here are some examples of the voice lines your character will say throughout the game:
[/p]

• [p]If I stop now, I might not get back up.[/p]
• [p]My mouth’s bone dry.[/p]
• [p]Wait... am I warming up...? That’s not right…[/p]
• [p]There’s gotta be something good in here…[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Starting environment progress[/h3][p]Creating a large, detailed and interesting environment takes a long time. Our largest island in POLYARIS will be 16 km2 large and will feature many abandoned settlements with unique structures, some lurking with danger. This is where your skis will be your best companion to traverse quickly.

The closed playtest demo will feature a smaller island off the shore of the main one, where we will introduce the core gameplay elements of the game at a smaller scale. While we’re actively working on the environment at the moment, it’s still far from being finished, but I just thought I’d share a work in progress landscape of the main island here:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That’s just a small amount of work we’ve done over the past months, but these are the key details we are ready to share for now. [/p][p]We’ll see you in the Arctic in November![/p][p][/p][p]Per always, here's our Discord link:[/p][p]https://discord.gg/Bpn24Nnx[/p][p][/p][p]And also, this table below, because I don't have a single clue how to remove it and generally don't care haha. [/p][p][/p][p]Until then![/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Please note: All elements shown are work-in-progress and subject to improvement, including UI, audio, and visual effects.[/p][p]Development Progress:[/p]

• [p]Core survival mechanics are nearing completion[/p]
• [p]Currently expanding world content and implementing holistic polish passes[/p]

[p]Get Involved:[/p]

• [p]Add POLYARIS to your Steam Wishlist and FOLLOW the page.[/p]
• [p]Sign up for our upcoming Closed Beta test: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgKfDns81DND9KzqCdoki4-Adqs1BTFbF3_yv4ST1z2ayOjg/viewform[/p]

[p][/p][p]UI and HUD design by the talented UriahGnu.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]TL;DR[/h2][p]Core Focus:[/p]

• [p]Sleep mechanics[/p]
• [p]Clothing wetness system[/p]
• [p]Food temperature system[/p]
• [p]Custom environment[/p]

[p]Next steps:[/p]

• [p]Finishing the MVP features[/p]
• [p]Preparing for a closed playtest and a Steam Next Fest[/p]
• [p]Gathering live feedback from test sessions [/p]

[h3]Don't forget to join our Discord [/h3][p]Over the past two months of the summer, we have been implementing and finalizing core gameplay mechanics of POLYARIS leading up to the closed playtest in August. Here are some of the highlights of our achievements:[/p][h3]Sleeping Mechanics[/h3][p]Sleep is the only reliable way to restore health and fully heal wounds in the gruelling environment of the Arctic. In POYARIS, you can find beds scattered around in abandoned buildings or craft your own bed. Be mindful of the temperature around you when you go to sleep to not freeze to death in your dreams![/p][p]
[/p][h3]Clothing Wetness[/h3][p]Jumping into an Arctic ocean sounds like a stupid idea to begin with, but if this ever happens to you in POLYARIS, we want to make sure your experience is as authentic as possible in a video game. 
[/p][p]Each clothing now has its own ‘dryness’ system and it directly influences how much protection it gives you against the cold and the wind. If you only ‘soak your toes’ in the ocean, your boots will become wet, while your jacket will remain dry.
[/p][p]Got soaked? Too bad, but if you survive and are fast enough to run to the nearest campfire or shelter, you can dry up your clothes to bring the stats back! It does take some time though, depending on the temperature around the clothing, so it is smart to combine sleeping while drying your clothes. Just like in real life, eh?[/p][p][/p][h3]Food Temperature[/h3][p]In a similar fashion to clothing, food items also have their own states depending on the temperature around them. It can range from frozen to hot, and in some cases even burnt, if you leave your meat for too long in the campfire.[/p][p]Frozen items can not be consumed outright, so if you find a hearty can of stewed meat in the frozen field, you’d have to first warm it up near a campfire or in some other warmer environment.[/p][p][/p][h3]Custom-Made Environment[/h3][p]To bring uniqueness to the Arctic world we are building, we made several environment set pieces and buildings to increase immersion of the world in POLYARIS that you’re going to explore. Here are some examples: [/p][p][/p][p]That’s just a small amount of work we’ve done over the past two months, but these are the key details we are ready to share for now. We’ll keep you posted in August![/p][h3]Don't forget to join our Discord [/h3]