Hi guys,

So today we spent our Sunday having a long (5 hours!) design discussion in which we are pencilling in the finer details of the games progression.

As we said before, the current progression is entirely temporary, existing to provide temporary gameplay whilst we work on the engine. Today I want to share more with you about the games new structure and the beginning of the game.

First of all we’re removing the different universe sectors. In the final game there will be only three sectors. The sector the majority of the game takes place in, a pvp sector and a creative sector without dangers.

Instead of progressing through the game sector by sector, you’ll advance by upgrading your tech to allow you to visit planets that were otherwise inaccessible due to hazards. An example being a planet with no breathable air. Progression will be less linear and more akin to the kind of progression you find in modern metroidvanias.

We’re building the game with 3 main paths of progression that branch off later on. Farming, adventuring and building. We want players to be able to advance through the game whilst doing whatever they enjoy most.

At the beginning of the game (what would be the alpha sector in the current progression) you start on a ship with a broken fuel module, giving you access to only one planet. Through a series of quests you’re taught how to farm, find trophies in dungeons and build the beginnings of a settlement. Completing these quests will give you the pixels you need to use your ships 3d printer to produce a new fuel module. Which in turn allows progression to the other planets in your current solar system.

At this stage were introducing a new planet type called an outpost. A small and safe planet populated by members of every race. A safe haven for trade and quest taking. You’ll learn how to generate pixels through selling crops, taking quests, selling trophies found in dungeons and renting out houses in your settlement.

From here each of these roles will expand outwards as you progress (for example animal farming becomes an optional part of the farming progression).

More on that later

So we’ve had one of the first quick content patches go out, it added some new tiles and the beginnings of a new underground biome as well as a few smaller bits and pieces. You’ll see more updates like these hitting in the coming days.

Modding

So with our new content delivery system were also going to be able to include mods in the Base game faster. Which mods would you most like to see become part of Starbound? Answers in the comments please!

Hi guys,

Such a busy day today. We’ve finally signed everything we have to sign for getting the keys to the office and arranging immigration for the various members of Chucklefish coming to the UK from abroad. It’s been a lengthy process but one that’s going to have wonderful results. Working in the same room is going to make us much more efficient and creative.

The next step is to get the office painted on Monday, get the furniture delivered and get desks set up.

We’ve decided to use these as dividing walls, as they’re cheap and attractive.

The programmers have been putting the finishing touches on the system we’re going to use to push updates more frequently. Essentially we’re separating content updates and engine updates. Content updates are going to be pushed to the server as and when content is finished being produced, we’re no longer going to wait on engine updates to push them out at the same time. This also means engine updates will get additional internal testing.

The artists have been working on a bunch of new content that’s pretty much ready to go as soon as this is done. We’ll also be adding the best/most fitting mods to the game with increased frequency.

The pace is really going to pick up.

These content only updates won’t increase the version number, so modders don’t need to worry about continuously updating their mods.

I’ll be posting here with details whenever we post small content updates. We’ve decided against full changelogs because we’d like players to discover what’s new themselves. I’ll also be updating you on goings on with the new offices and other things we’re taking part in.

This is an exciting time for both Starbound and Chucklefish!