Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game News

The ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) is now available, bringing the number of locations to 8 out of 12.



When the Mutiny broke out, the Chief Technical Officer promptly sealed the ECLSS, declaring that neither side will use it in their war. Those who wished to leave were allowed to do so; the rest remained with CTO Miller, committed to supporting life on the Ship.

Miller knew that the warring factions would be coming for the ECLSS. They would want control, power over life and death on the Ship, something their enemies could never permit. The fight for ECLSS would make the fight for Mission Control look like a border skirmish, and Miller knew how it would end: with destruction of the Ship’s essential systems, the failure of the mission, the death of every man, woman, and child aboard the Ship. That, he could not permit.

The only hope lay in true independence. But how? They would need strength of body, to resist force. They would need strength of will, to live apart from all society. And they would need all the intelligence they could get, not only to maintain Ship systems put under terrible pressure by both the civil war and the mere passage of time, but also to navigate the Ship’s shifting politics. Outsiders would need to believe the inhabitants of ECLSS to be above petty human concerns; and inside, they would need to be above petty human limitations.

The answer lay buried in the Ship's databanks: augmentations meant only for the most extreme circumstances, for small or even individual deep-space maintenance missions, augmentations that would make a man more than a man, and less – able to survive alone, smart enough and strong enough to deal with any challenges that might arise on years-long expeditions.

These augmentations went beyond the artificial eyes and reinforced bones common to the Ship, and amounted to a fundamental reworking of the human body. Functions inessential for long space missions would be removed altogether, freeing the body’s resources for more practical needs.

With this transformation, the ECLSS crew would become what they needed to be: just as the God of Ecclesiastes was above human struggles for power, for fame, for wealth, so too would the superhumans of the ECLSS be above the Ship’s passing struggles, devoted solely to its survival. Outsiders would be able to see them as something other than a foe or friend; and they would have the strength to carry out the heavy task before them.

Now that the second chapter of the game is completed, the price will be increased to $29.99 after the summer sale is over. It’s the first price increase out of 3 planned:

Early Access launch (3 locations) - $24.99 ($19.99 on sale right now)
Chapter 2 completed (7 locations) - $29.99
Chapter 3 completed (all 12 locations) - $34.99
Chapter 4 (the endgame), full release - $39.99

Since Colony Ship is now on sale with 20% off, the effective discount (after the price increase) is $10 or its regional equivalent. Now, here’s the million twenty-dollar question:

[h2]Should You Buy Colony Ship?[/h2]

If you played our first game (The Age of Decadence) and liked it, you can buy Colony Ship with confidence:

• well-crafted setting that's more than an excuse to kill some things
  
• story that doesn't revolve around saving the world
  
• robust character system with 6 stats, 18 skills, feats, implants, and reputation
  
• tactical turn-based combat with different attacks, futuristic gadgets, and various grenades
  
• branching dialogues full of skill checks and choices
  
• multiple ways to handle quests and objectives
  
• meaningful choices backed by consequences

If you like Colony Ship's setting and the story (the store page description), but are not sure about the design, read the negative reviews. What bothered one person might also bother you. Overall, the criticism falls into three categories:

[h3]Difficult Combat[/h3]

Yes, there's an easy mode ("Hero"), but some people prefer to play on hard ("Underdog") but want it to be ... less hard. But whether hard or easy, Colony Ship's complex tactical combat is a major part of the game. If you don't think you'll like learning the character and combat systems to even the odds (in most encounters you'll be outgunned and outnumbered), then you should probably find a different game.

[h3]Too Much Reading[/h3]

If you don't like reading, in games or in general, you will NOT enjoy this game. You can't skip dialogues and just jump into the next fight. In fact, the game isn't very actiony and you can avoid all combat with speech skills. The dialogues aren't voiced as we don't have the budget for it.

[h3]Non-AAA Graphics[/h3]

Some players didn't like the graphics and it's my duty to inform you of this fact. Our team is small, so don't expect any AAA splendor here.

If you're willing to overlook the negatives, then board the Ship and we'll take you on a dystopian adventure of a (very short) lifetime. If not, thank you for reading.

After a three-month delay, the Habitat is finally ready to be released. It's an important milestone that adds one of the most important and biggest locations to the game and marks the end of chapter 2. As of right now, 60% of the content is done.



In the Habitat you finally get to meet the three main factions (the Brotherhood of Liberty, Church of the Elect, and Protectors of the Mission) and see what they're all about, meet the faction party members who'll join one once you're ready to proceed to the ECLSS, and learn more about the machine you found in the Armory. Unlike the Pit, the Habitat is more about diplomacy (read scheming and plotting) and setting up the playing board for future branching.

While the current stage's content is done (you'll return to the Habitat once you're ready to deliver the machine, which will unlock new quests), we'll continue improving the visuals, adding minor conversations and expanding the existing ones throughout the development, so it will be an ongoing project. Anything you wish to see there (I assume you know by now what we can and cannot do), let us know.

The delay forced us to re-evaluate the remaining workload and update the 'roadmap':

End of Jul - ECLSS and the maintenance deck
End of Oct - The Pit (chapter 3 content)
End of Dec - Heart (the mutant town)
End of Feb - Hydroponics (Yellow and Red Zones), Mission Control (lower levels)
End of Apr - The Armory (level 3), Bridge and the end of chapter 3, all locations are done.
End of Jun - Endgame (chapter 4)

It's a safe schedule that gives plenty of time to each item. The only new locations on the list are the ECLSS, the mutant town (smaller than the Pit), and the Bridge. The other locations will be using the existing assets (and already animated creatures).

We apologize for the delay, of the Habitat and the final release. We did our best and worked non-stop since Christmas. We hope you'll like the end result and look forward to your feedback.

Improvements

- Added combat autosaves.
- You can now use stims on allies.
- Added new models for energy turrets.
- Added breakdown of what you get from stealing.
- AI moves closer to unreachable targets (instead of staying in place).
- Added roll information for cloaking field detection checks in combat.
- Increased the speed of transition animations to improve combat flow.
- Combat tutorials are now per turn.
- New Feat: Skill Monkey - Increases Skill Gain by 25% (works retroactively), requires INT 8.

Skill Gains and Tags Rebalance

- Tags no longer increase skill gain, but add +2 levels over the normal skill progression.
- Lowered LP required for skill level 2, increased for all other levels.
- Training increased to 60 LP, Token to 120 LP.
- Increased a few skill checks for lockpick, electronics and computers to level 6.
- Reduced LP from combat by 20%.
- Adjusted the attack/defense LP rewards from several enemies.

Character System and Attack Changes

- Intelligence: Even values gives tags, odd values gives +10% XP.
- Increased accuracy and evasion from skills to 6.
- Changed Critical Chance to 2% per Critical Strike level.
- Evasion and accuracy penalties from aimed:arms/legs increased to 2 turns.
- Reduced aimed burst penetration to 10 on regular attacks, and has 20 penetration on criticals.

Feat Changes

- Quick Fingers now gives +5 initiative.
- Juggernaut gives +2 melee damage, +3 on grazes.
- Master Trader now reduces buying prices by 50%.
- Weapon specialization feats: Effect per level bonus increased.
- Mental Fortitude skill bonus works retroactively.
- Critical Thinker now gives +2 takedown per level (instead of flat 5).
- Opportunist Reaction Bonus increased to +15.
- Basher per level bonus changed to penetration +2.
- AP earned by a character with Second Wind off turn (reaction attacks) is now stored and applied on his next turn.

Item Changes

- Reduced Accuracy, Aimed, Graze and CS from equipment (5 became 4, 10 became 8, etc).
- Energy Shield: Each level in Emitter gives +1 DR and +5 HP (instead of +2 DR).
- Power Vest: Shield HP increased to 50.
- Super Soldier is properly +4 AP (not 5).
- Stasis turns increased to 3 (from 2).
- Stasis works on turrets.
- Zen turns increased to 3 (from 2).
- Lowered utility bar and clawhammer damage by 1.
- You can get a Rusty XM5 in the Pit (SMG with single shot).
- Reduced the price of bullets.

Other Changes

- Hargrave has proper skills. Removed one gang member (new game), him and the rest have increased level.
- Tweaked Shuttle Bay fights: Mother is a bit easier, Nazar is harder (Nazar and his crew didn't have many feats).
- Tweaked frogs: Damage lowered by 2, penetration of bullfrog attacks increased. Psi frogs in factory are a bit stronger.
- Increased turret damage to better work with new armor DR values.
- The pistol you can steal in the factory is a Longslide EX and requires steal 5.
- Now partially refunding AP if multistrike attack was interrupted by Zap.

Fixes

- Fixed missing quest XP from Moses when removing the refugees.
- Fixed a combat freeze when you miss an enemy, get counterattacked, knocked down + enemy dies.
- Feats that are based on a skill level now correctly recalculate their effects if skill level is changed.
- Fixed the case when you could have free movement AP in stealth as a leftover from combat.
- Fixed zap attack using torso DR instead of arms (like textbox reports).
- Fixed psykers sometimes not attacking.
- Fixed lack of skill on some regulators when betraying Braxton for Mercy.
- Fixed lack of melee skill in allied Brother Keepers.
- Added missing tooltips for Initial Disposition and Neural Resistance.
- AI fix: The attacker doesn't switch to melee if they are using an energy shield.
- AI fix: The attacker doesn't switch to melee if the enemy has an active distortion field.
- Fixed that if you throw disruptor grenade at yourself, throw attack anim is played after panic.
- Fixed bloodlust being applied to reaction attacks, only triggers on manual attack.
- Item tooltip now list ballistic resistance first, as it is in the rest of the interface.
- Fixed smoke particles multiplicating when zoomed in. Now they are consistent, increasing performance and visibility.
- Fixed characters sometimes not starting placement phase on placement grid.
- Fixed panic animations.
- Fixed a game freeze source in Energy Turret.
- Fixed natural DR counting towards Psi resistance.
- Fixed natural DR hint.
- Fixed combat with Hargrave not starting after the worm fight event.
- Fixed minor level issues.

Quests and Dialogues

- Maryam's quest can now be completed before going to the Factory (new game needed).
- Added a possibility to tell Jonas and Braxton that you are not a fighter after you accepted the full attack choice (or left to prepare).
- Expanded dialogue with Nico, both when you arrive and reactions from your actions.
- Added trader to hydroponics.
- Added stealing opportunities to Fort Stanton trader, Shuttle Bay store and medic.

Difficulty

- Added tutorials.
- Added easy difficulty.

Psi Rework

- Charisma now adds Neural Resistance. Formula: (CHA-4)x5.
- Damage Reduction: Psi damage is reduced by Neural resistance percentage. Example, if neural resistance is 55, it's reduced by 55%. Min damage is 1. Damage always hits (no misses or grazes).
- Panic: Reduces AP by 10, Reaction and Evasion by 50. Does 5 psi damage per turn. Lasts 3 turns. Neural Resistance reduces these penalties percentually. So a character with 50 neural resistance gets AP -5 and reaction/evasion -25.
- Zen Stim: Neural resistance is increased by 40 for 2 turns. Reduces applied panic penalties (recalculated with new Neural Resistance). -2 PER for the duration of combat when used.

Feats

- New Feat: Slow Metabolism. +1 to stim duration.
- New Feat: Frog Hunter. Against Frogs: +10 Hit Chance, +10 Evasion, +5 Critical Strike. Obtained in hydroponics.
- Three new mutually exclusive Mutation Feats: Available as a reward for Maryam's quest. The effects increase by stim usage.
- Master Trader is available again: 25% discount on buying, +1 initial disposition.
- Quick Fingers cuts belt AP usage in half (rounded up), no longer affects looting.
- Artful dodger now grants +10 evasion when HP is 10 or less (instead of 7).
- Precise Strike increases Flurry, Swing and Double Strike Accuracy +10. Aimed increased to 15.
- Heavy Hitter adds +10 penetration (Knockdown attack accuracy removed).
- Gladiator reaction increased to 25 (from 20).
- Controlled Burst now gives Recoil Control +5.
- Berserker now lowers AP of Double Strike by 2 and Flurry by 3.
- Juggernaut is now graze damage +5 (from 4).
- Fast Runner also adds +2 free movement.
- Dodge This changed to: Ignores 20 points of cover, reaction attacks have Accuracy +25.

Attacks and Effects

- Bursts: No longer adds evasion penalty, but THC penalty on enemies is doubled. Effect on long bursts is increased by 50%.
- Aimed Burst: Penetration increased to 20%.
- Aimed Head: Critical is now stagger for 8 AP, 40% Penetration. No longer knockdowns.
- Knockdown attack: Now aims to the head (Aimed Accuracy bonuses apply to this attack now). Costs 3 AP more to use (from 1).
- Double Shot: Pistols can now use it at point blank.

Gadgets

- Added a new tier of gadget upgrades, rebalanced progression. You can now remove upgrades without having to replace them.
- Energy Shield: Shield DR: 3-5-7-9 / Recharge Rate: 3-4-5-6 / Shield HP: 15-25-35-45
- Distortion Field: Ranged THC Penalty: 30-35-40-45 / Zap Damage: 4-6/6-8/8-10/10-12 / THC Penalty: 5-10-15-20 / Duration: 2-3-4-5
- Cloaking Field: Detection per Turn: 50-40-30-20 / Thermal Defense: 10-30-50-70 / Duration: 2-3-4-5

Implant extraction

- You can now extract implants from enemies. Biotech 3: Eye-Datajack / 4: Motor Cortex-Squad Leader / 5: Spine-Heart / 6: Armor
- If 2 points below the check, you get a ruined implant (can be sold).
- If 1 point below, you get a damaged implant. You can then use electronics and an electronic module to fix it.
- All environment extractions use the same system.

Armor

- Armor skill increased to 4 per level.
- Rebalanced penalties, they are a bit higher overall for high DR armors.
- Vest: Assault, Reinforced Ballistic and Riot Light armor now have much higher DR, but don't allow jackets.
- Arm: Scav and Enforcer armguards have much higher DR, but don't allow jackets.
- Increased DR of helmets and boots, and rebalanced penalties.
- Two new armguards added: Ranger and Diver. They allow jackets, and are "upgrades" to the shield and raider ones.
- Two new leg pieces added: Trooper and Diver. They are similar to the enforcer boots but with different focuses.
- Added damaged and "old" variations of many armors. They have slightly lower DR, and are commonly used by enemies. Finding the regular versions is more uncommon.
- Added variations for armors. Some are cosmetic (face masks or worker jackets of different colors), others have unique stats.
- Safety helmets allow eyewear, and lose optical resistance.

New Weapons

- Added a new shotgun (Sharpface in the armory), new automatic rifle (ambushers in Mission Control), new revolver (dying man in Mission Control).
- Added the Power Saw (Hydroponics), Energy Club (Pit Gang) and Energy Blade (Factory). Might require a new game to obtain.
- Added an energy shotgun (shipmade). Clayton uses it instead of the damaged energy pistol.
- Added an energy SMG. Hargrave finds this weapon instead of the scoped energy rifle.
- Added clawhammer as a blunt weapon.

Weapon Changes

- M16 and M16A damage lowered.
- Increased damage of revolvers by 1.
- Increased max damage of burst only SMGs by 1.
- All knives get +10 penetration, Machete and Chopper +1 damage and +10 graze.
- Tweaked stats of 5 AP SMG, rebalancing damage, reaction, stagger and penetration.
- Tweaked stats of shotguns (lower range and minor damage increases).
- Knockdown: Effect removed from weapons, values moved to stagger (increased).

AI

- AI is less likely to choose very high DR enemies as targets.
- Improved AI grenade usage. If friendlies are in range and they can resist the damage, they'll use it. Same for hitting more enemies than friends.
- Improved AI behavior in close combat, now changes to melee if it can't do enough damage with ballistic snap attacks.
- Attack selection AI now takes into account penetration when checking DR.

Stealth

- Killing someone in stealth removes the cloaking field sneaking bonus until the start of your next turn.
- When an enemy alert level changes and says a phrase, nearby enemies alert level increases a bit as well.
- When an enemy finds a dead body his alert level goes up and generates noise. From now on, his alertness level doesn't go down from 50.
- Improved enemy reaction and memory regarding sounds.
- Now you can see the color of the tile you are on (helpful when standing on yellow tiles).
- Delay added when found on enemy turn, to get better feedback on what happened.

Enemies and looting

- Tweaked the difficulty of several fights.
- Added stims and grenades to several enemies.
- Changed most enemies' armor to worn versions.
- Removed unintended enforcer helmet from regulator.
- Removed some unintended enforcer boots on enemies.
- Changed most of the looted armors to fit the new progression.
- Slightly lowered the amount of stims and grenades that can be looted.
- Increased the level of several grenades that can be bought.
- Added some more armor and weapons to stores.
- Creepers and turrets have a bit more DR.
- Creeper does 2 more damage.

Mindworms

- Now does one attack per turn. Panic if character is not panicked, Mind Rend if it is.
- Mind Rend removes 2 perception, doesn't stack. Damage changed to 8-10 (from 10-15).
- Panic attack does 3-4 damage (from 2-3).
- Zap on melee attack now does 8-10 energy damage (from 6-8).
- AI now focuses on who's doing more damage to them.
- Has more varied HP (20-30-40 instead of 30).
- Ballistic and energy DR now 9-6 (from 8-5).

General

- Jed now has Armored Warfare and Charger instead of Too Close and Controlled Burst. Has slightly higher and more varied skills.
- Super Soldier melee damage reduced to 1-3 (from 2-4) and AP to 4 (from 5).
- Lowered gas grenade area of effect by 1.
- Stasis field expires on turn start, not turn end.
- Stims used from belts auto-equip if one is available. No longer usable from the inventory screen.
- Knockdown now doesn't remove defense granted by cover or gadgets.
- Tweaked arena layout.
- Reduced the impact on the Brotherhood reputation when you kill Clayton.
- Now showing "Talk to..." near the talk cursor.
- Save screen now shows a screenshot, map name, character level and xp.
- Improved lighting and reflections in the paperdoll.
- You can't loot in combat.
- Stims in the belt turn red if you can't use them.

Fixes

- Fixed several instances of missing fades in dialogue.
- Fixed several instances of dialogue skill gains appearing at the wrong time.
- Fixed power vest clipping through jackets.