A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Ok, so I’m a little behind on dev blog posts…between the three separate holidays (and the sweet, sweet holiday time off) and the heads-down nature of the last few dev sprints it seems like we went through the last few months at the speed of light.
Change Is Good!
You may have noticed, but the look of things has changed a bit around here. Gone is the domination of cyber-cyan blues and in their place are warm amberchrome-like hues of cream, orange, and red.
It may seem like a silly place to highlight change, but it’s a good example of the “work in progress” nature that the game is still in (and will remain in for some time longer!).
It’s important to look at these blog posts within that context – all work is subject to change as we grow and expand upon the universe and the look of INFESTSTATION.
So if things change from time to time (sometimes small, sometimes drastic!) don’t be alarmed, that’s just development as usual, as seen through an unusually transparent lens.
A Future In Halves
We’ve skirted around it here and there, but we haven’t done much direct talk about the universe INFESTSTATION takes place in.
As is common in Sci-Fi, our game takes place in the mostly-distant future. In spite of that, the technology shown so far has been rather “antique.” As big of Alien / Aliens / Outland / Battlestar / etc fans that we are, this isn’t purely a visual homage.
"The Future of The Wealthy" vs "The Future For The Rest of Us"
In the early days of space exploration, the discovery of faster-than-light travel (FTL) was a momentous occasion for humankind. Although it was untested, unstable, and highly dangerous it created a veritable gold rush in a literal race to the stars.
A series of deadly mishaps however nearly stamped that gold rush out. Rather than stepping back to assess the issues with FTL travel, the global industrial powerhouse OMICRONIX used their power and influence to cover these tragedies up and and offered unheard-of grants and contracts to allow the middle and lower class the “privilege” of being the first to explore outer space and “finally earn what the universe owes them.”
Backed by a fortune that turned into an empire upon the discovery of an incredible synthetic anti-viral compound, OMICRONIX is the oppressive force that acts as the player’s employer, as well as the instigator that created the situation our players are now forced to deal with.
Many years of fast-and-loose galactic exploration eventually lead to the discovery of safer, stable FTL travel, but the resources needed to power it were dwindling fast. Desperate OMICRONIX leadership turned once again to their propaganda arm and convinced the poor and downtrodden people of a decaying Earth that their salvation lay “among the stars” with employment designed to “earn your place – off world!”
And so, much as how it began, the poor and underserved have been thrust back out into a galaxy of danger in order to “lay the poor souls whose sacrifices allowed us to reach so far” (oh, and to make sure all their derelict space craft are ripe and ready for deconstruction and recycling! But hey, it’s not like we’re going to say that part out loud or anything).
Equipped with the scraps – old outdated technology that could be hacked together from more common materials and run on more traditional power sources – these crews live in a world totally unlike that of the upper class. While OMICRONIX executives feast on genuine lab-cloned beef in their towering orbital penthouses made of carbon fiber, glass, and holographic displays, the worker bees toil away with technology more akin to analog than silicone.
In the next blog post I’ll get back to the meat and potatoes of game dev bloggin’ with more on the exciting progress we’re making in-engine as well as some looks at the rest of the creative direction of the game, but in the mean time I hope you’ve enjoyed this foray into INFESTSTATION’s world and history!
