Exoplanet: First Contact News

Hey folks! I know you’re waiting for a usual content update before holidays since there were no releases since September but here I am with another dev blog.

Don’t be sad, I’ll make it worth your while with important announcements and a few sneak peeks of a really big upcoming update.


World of Players is a bunch of fan sites and forums for popular role-playing games and series like Gothic, Neverwinter, The Witcher, Mass Effect and many others with the audience of old-school hardcore gamers. It’s pretty popular in Europe, especially in Germany. Simply put, it’s a perfect place to build up your own community with passionate players who fell in love with the game.



We are happy to announce that we just launched Exoplanet’s website and forums on World of Players:


We are also working on the official website but if you want to learn more about the game and what we are trying to create, World of Exoplanet can provide you with a great deal of information right away.



The website and its forums are available in English, German and Russian. So feel free to join and create discussions, to share your feedback with us and to ask questions—we will do our best to answer them.

Also, we will be raffling of a few Exoplanet's keys on Christmas day within World of Players forum.


As I have said many times before, we are not satisfied with the starting area and intend to create a new location with a brand new tutorial. And today I am going to show you some results because this dev blog is about our work in progress in this area.



I have already shown you this picture above. It’s a screenshot with overpaint: the shattered moon, plants and the distant rock are not real.

These were the very first steps towards creating a new area. We were going to create it in a simple way, based on existing assets with a tad of new ones. Well, everything is different now.



We've created a set of 60 pieces brand new rocks inspired by Shadow of the Colossus remake for PS4 with some help from the lead environment artist of this project (you can learn more about it in our previous dev blog), a lot of new grass, improved the engine with new tools and features and completely reworked the original idea of the location.



Please, keep in mind that all the images below are a work in progress. These screenshots were made in world editor without proper post effects, some assets and textures are not final (including rocks) and there are a bunch of placeholders.



The new location is 0.25km², it’s a godforsaken place confined between the desert and rocks with an old aboriginal cemetery and an abandoned mine.



Here you can meet abori people, small groups of Outcasts and Scalphunters fighting each other to control the area.



There’s something more in this upcoming update that meets the eye. And not just visually. The thing is, the already existing locations of Anomaly Lake and Windscream Canyon are made with old rocks assets, which means we should rework or abandon them. But don’t worry about it, I will explain everything and will tell about our plans with or after the release.



Well, that’s it for now. I hope you liked this preview, so please share you thoughts here in comments or within World of Exoplanet forums.


Exoplanet: First Contact is available on Steam Winter Sale with 10% off. Keep in mind, that this is probably the biggest discount the game will get until the full release, so if you want to try it, you might want to do that now to get bonuses from The Winter Sale like trading cards to create unique badges. Keep in mind, that the game is pretty rough around the edges in the beginning but it's going to change pretty soon.



There’s just one last thing I have to say. If you really enjoyed reading and these sneak peeks from the new location, don’t forget to click a ‘thumbs up’ button, it’s the best way to tell that you care. Thank you very much for all your patience and support, it means a great deal to us. And, like the song says, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.



Follow our latest updates on social networks:

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• TWITTER
• VKONTAKTE

http://store.steampowered.com/app/531660/Exoplanet_First_Contact/

Hey, folks! Another update is released. There are improvements for the world design, new quests, a brand new mechanic and, of course, some bug fixes and optimizations.



Roadmap was updated.

I'd like to remind you that now you can vote for tasks you like. Voting system will help us to get your feedback about which features you’d like to see as soon as possible, so please, take some time to vote for tasks you’re fond of. You can do that by clicking cards and using ‘Vote’ button on the right. You can also ‘Watch’ any card to get updates on your mail.

If you never heard about our roadmap before, you can learn more here.





ːdwYellowStarː means community choice, alterations made with your feedback.

WORLD

• improved a cave occupied by scalphunters in Windscream Canyon ːdwYellowStarː
  
• gates with crushing device in Outcast Camp replaced with defensive barricade

• added Outcast Farmer's farm around E.D.E.N. generator
  
• improved roads near Outcast Camp ːdwYellowStarː
  
• added locked doors and chests with loot throughout the world

ENVIRONMENT

• added new appearance for Old Outcast, he's Herbalist now
  
• added violet material for E.D.E.N. Generator sphere
  
• old beds replaced with new ones with linens and sleeping bags

QUESTS

• added new quest Tools for Herbalist
  
• added new quest Ragpicker's Store Heist

MECHANICS

This update brings new mechanic to the game. Lockpicking. We were working on this feature for a long time, and now proud to share it with you. Keep in mind, though, that this is probably not the final iteration, so your feedback will be really important.



What do we have at the moment? There are two types of locks in the world of Exoplanet: mechanic and digital. You need a key to open a mechanic lock or a code to open a digital one. But since Jack is not very law-abiding guy, other methods also could come in handy, ain’t it? And all you have to do is to find the right type of lockpicks.

How does it work? Every lock has ‘health’ and every lockpick can damage it for certain amount. Lockpicks breaks during the process. When lock’s health disappears, it unlocks. Locks could be pretty simple but you can also find complex ones with more health, so it is wise to get as many lockpicks as you can find.



We also have some plans for padlocks. So far they are usually no more than a decorative element but we would like to add a possibility of breaking them with an accurate shot.

Anyway, let us know what you think and do not hesitate to share your thoughts with us.

ANIMATIONS

• added new walking and running animations for Jack (no weapons)

ENGINE

• fixed a bug with audio playback: random sounds no longer play instead of intended ones ːdwYellowStarː
  
• minor bug fixes and optimization

If you are experienced a crash or found a bug, let us know via special crash reporter tool. It shows up when the game crashes but you can also send a report in-game with F1 button.


Keep in mind, that crash reporter makes an in-game screenshot when you press F1 so you might want to be sure that the visual problem you’re referring to will be captured. Enter your email and a short description of a bug or describe last actions before the crash.

You can also let us know about your problem on technical support forum or via Discord channel.



If there's no sound after the game's loading, try to alt-tab to Windows and then go back to the game.

If you're stuck / hero doesn't move, F5 (quick save) and F9 (quick load) can help you in such matters.

If you have a weak PC or a laptop (especially the ones with Intel integrated graphics), we highly recommend to launch Exoplanet from its folder, not via Steam.

Keep in mind that integrated graphic cards are not supported despite the fact that we do our best to make it possible. At the moment, there's a chance you can run the game but your performance probably won't be good enough to enjoy Exoplanet.

If you have BitDefender antivirus and can't launch the game, please unblock Exoplanet's .exe.

Follow our latest updates on social networks:

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• TWITTER
• VKONTAKTE

As usual, we recommend to start a new game.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/531660/Exoplanet_First_Contact/

Hey! Here is our Dev Blog #2 to share some news about Exoplanet’s development and its progress. If you missed our first report, you can find it here.

I want to remind you that this is a sneak peek at some things we are working on at the moment, that’s why your feedback is very important. Don’t hesitate to let us know what you like or don’t like whether it’s a concept art or an asset.



Let’s start with something you can already see in-game (partly). Big Hat’s new appearance was added in the previous update.



As you can see there are a few options for his appearance, and he’s probably gonna change it through the story a bit (he actually lacks his big hat at the moment, for example).



We are also working on a new Old Outcast appearance. He’ll become a healer though and will guide our hero through the tutorial. He also will become an important person for the story arc in Anomaly Lake area.



As you may know, we are also working on new rocks. Despite the fact we've
created a set of rocks instead of the old ones from demo version and managed to significantly improve the appearance of the game to the release, these assets are yet flawed and have a lot of problems to deal with.



It is probably important to mention that the new rocks are inspired by Shadow of the Colossus. Lead environment artist of this project actually helped us a lot by sharing his piece of advice and experience, so we are using the same technique. So, a little sneak peek of what should be the result:



At the moment all new whiteboxes are ready (60 pieces), we are already using them for the new tutorial level but, of course, they are not yet final.



Some tasks are not that big but yet important. Exoplanet lacks a great deal of simple assets and of course we are trying to fix that. Last time I showed you a concept art of downhome utensil for abori dwellings in Outcast camp: dirty jars, buckets etc. Now the assets are ready though they yet need some polishing.



Another simple assets we need are sources of light: some of them are primitive (torches) but modern lamps are also presented.



These assets are also ready but since our lighting model could use an upgrade (we are developing Exoplanet on our own custom built engine if you don’t know) it will take some time to see the real impact of these sources of light on environment and other assets.



We do like interactive objects, so there will be levers and buttons in Exoplanet. Perhaps, some of them will be hidden and could lead you to a great treasure. Or a great danger—you’ll never know.



And of course we are still working on vegetation assets. At the moment we are experimenting with small grass.



Of course, I can show and tell you even more of our work but let’s call it a day. Feel free to share your feedback and ideas or ask questions.

Follow our latest updates on social networks:

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• TWITTER
• VKONTAKTE

As usual, we recommend to start a new game.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/531660/Exoplanet_First_Contact/

Hey, guys! Another build is here. There are a few level design improvements and preparations for future quests, new models and significantly improved optimization.



Roadmap was updated.

I'd like to remind you that now you can vote for tasks you like. Voting system will help us to get your feedback about which features you’d like to see as soon as possible, so please, take some time to vote for tasks you’re fond of. You can do that by clicking cards and using ‘Vote’ button on the right. You can also ‘Watch’ any card to get updates on your mail.

If you never heard about our roadmap before, you can learn more here:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/531660/announcements/detail/1654384966961614188




Just as I mentioned in the previous update, :dwYellowStar: means community choice, alterations made with your feedback.

WORLD

• added more details to cliffs to the east and southeast from Anomaly Lake :dwYellowStar:
  
• added Training Grounds
  
• added Farmer's Cave
  
• added Guard Tower
  
• added Electrical Substation
  
• detailed the cave where looters who robbed Jack are hiding
  
• improved snipers' nests at Cutthroat Pass :dwYellowStar:

ENVIRONMENT

• added new furniture for Outcast Camp made from scrap metal

NPCs

• brand new Big Hat appearance

ENGINE

• improved framerate
  
• improved loading speed
  
• fixed bugs with shadow resolution reset bug, that could cause performance drop :dwYellowStar:
  
• fixed stretched textures on some GPUs
  
• bug fixes and optimization

IMPORTANT: If you have problems with FPS from the start, try alt-tab and alt-tab back. Also, it is recommended to set shadows on medium. If you are playing with Intel Graphics, please set shadows on low.



SCRIPTING

• improved algorithms of interaction with in-game objects
  
• expanded functionality of scripting and dialogue systems in preparation for future quests
  
• fixed a bug that caused sound of hitting antigravium crystal with the pickaxe to play after Jack already stopped mining

If you are experienced a crash or found a bug, let us know via special crash reporter tool. It shows up when the game crashes but you can also send a report in-game with F1 button.



Keep in mind, that crash reporter makes an in-game screenshot when you press F1 so you might want to be sure that the visual problem you’re referring to will be captured. Enter your email and a short description of a bug or describe last actions before the crash.

You can also let us know about your problem on technical support forum or via Discord channel.





If there's no sound after game's loading, try to alt-tab to Windows and then go back to the game.

If you're stuck / hero doesn't move, F5 (quick save) and F9 (quick load) can help you in such matters.

If you have a weak PC or a laptop (especially the ones with Intel integrated graphics), we highly recommend to launch Exoplanet from its folder, not via Steam.

Keep in mind that integrated graphic cards are not supported despite the fact we do our best to make it possible. At the moment, there's a chance you can run the game but your performance probably won't be good enough to enjoy Exoplanet.

If you have BitDefender antivirus and can't launch the game, please, unblock Exoplanet's .exe.



Follow our latest updates on social networks:

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• TWITTER
• VKONTAKTE

As usual, we recommend to start a new game.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/531660/Exoplanet_First_Contact/

Hey! As we promised before, in the latest update, we are going to share news about Exoplanet’s development, its progress, and future changes, and this post is the very first in a row. So what do we do now?

This is a sneak peek at some assets we are working on at the moment, its development from concept art to models. Some of them are already available in the game, some will be pretty soon, and some will appear a bit later.



As you may know, the starting area lacks a lot of assets so far but we are working on new ones all the time to make it more interesting and immersive. For example, we put a lot of efforts to improve Outcast Camp, create a lot of assets for abori’s culture and life.

Old ruins, idols, graves, coffins, and tombstones—some of these culture objects you can already find in game but mostly we are saving all that for the new tutorial, there will be an abori cemetery in the area.



There are some assets for everyday life, of course. First of all, tables and chairs. Since Outcasts are working with scrap metal, almost everything in their camp is made with available materials. But there are also some tables and chairs carved out of stone, a legacy from old days.



Another thing for decorations is drapery. These cloth are not yet final but it will make a fine adjustment for abori dwellings in Outcast Camp.



Abori dwellings are pretty empty at the moment, so it would be nice to create a bunch of small assets for detailing like this utensil:



Of course, we are also working on assets for detailing the starting area. So far plants, mostly.

This is twisted cacti, an unpretentious plant which can grow even on infertile soil like the one in Anomaly Lake area.



Next one is resinous plant which is actually a mushroom. It emits tar you can use for crafting. Perhaps, we will make it explosive in future, but it requires bigger ones species due to the fact these mushrooms are pretty small and would be hard to hit.



Another new asset is desert corn. You can find both normal plants and dry ones that have ceased to bear fruit. Corn is a good meal. And probably it can be used for making booze as well?



I guess that’s enough for today, feel free to share your feedback and ideas or ask questions. I will make another post like this in a few weeks. Thanks for your support.

Follow our latest updates on social networks:

• DISCORD
• FACEBOOK
• TWITTER
• VKONTAKTE

https://store.steampowered.com/app/531660/Exoplanet_First_Contact/