We have an exciting announcement to make! As part of our broader effort to better align the game's identity with its evolving narrative and gameplay, we are changing the name of the game from Nebula to Starfall Protocol!🌠🌌
This transition has been on the cosmic agenda since the beginning, and we hope that you'll find the new name just as cool as we do! When we first started working on the game, ‘Nebula’ was a code name that we used for the project. Although it stuck with us throughout the Kickstarter period, we’ve always found the name a bit too generic. Unfortunately, ‘Nebula’ is shared among multiple other video game titles and movie characters, which can lead to confusion. Rest assured, this renaming doesn't affect the game itself. We believe that Starfall Protocol is a unique and fitting name that will help us stand out and better represent our game's universe.
In the upcoming days and weeks, you'll see this new name reflected across our platforms as part of a comprehensive rebranding. Now, let's talk about the upcoming update video! We are aware of the anticipation building for Noobert's video update, and we are working diligently to finalize the content. We're going to ask for a little bit more patience, and we promise it will be worth the wait! As soon as the video is ready to launch, we'll make an announcement so you won't miss out!
Thank you for your continued support! We can't wait to share what we've been working on with you!
If you're interested in becoming a backer, we invite you to visit our BackerKit Store!
If you'd like to delve deeper into our journey and support our efforts, consider joining our Patreon or becoming a Discord server booster; we are so close to level 3!
We want to express our intergalactic gratitude to our invaluable Discord boosters and Patreons for their ongoing contributions! A huge thank you goes to jetfire#1547, IoleRae#3211, SkyeAugustine#1420, Tyberious#0001, Azi0#2860, .thunderbolt, Captain Noname, FarmerJon1066, and Jackeyles!
Have a great weekend!
YouTuber Collaboration, Shipwrecks, Astroleeches, and Solar Panels
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
We're thrilled to return with a new update!
🎬Video Updates Our first exciting announcement is our collaboration with Noobert, the illustrious YouTuber and colony sim expert! Noobert will spotlight our game updates and evolution, lending expert insights into the ever-expanding galaxy of Nebula! We believe it's critical to maintain a consistently high-quality content experience throughout the upcoming months of development, which lead to this collaboration with Noobert. We assure you it'll be worth the wait!
Here are a few words from Noobert himself: “I'm going to do the best I can to keep you up to date on the development of this awesome game! We are doing this collaboration because I believe this game has immense potential, and you should too! So make sure to check out our first video when it drops!”
Meanwhile, we urge you to subscribe to Noobert's YouTube channel and join his Discord community for exclusive, firsthand Nebula news!
Get ready to embark on a thrilling journey into the desolation of space and explore the remnants of lost shipwrecks scattered across the vast expanse of the galaxy! You can find these eerie relics floating in the void of space or lying dormant on distant planets.
Shipwrecks vary in size, and you'll encounter every type of ship in the game, from compact land cruisers and space-faring vessels to larger cargo ships. Ship graveyards, a testament to the harsh realities of space travel, showcase collections of wrecked ships from epic battles or unfortunate group accidents. The sight of these graveyards is as awe-inspiring as it is chilling, and the type of loot you'll find will differ from site to site!
We're also developing a salvage mechanic that will let players uncover a wealth of discoveries when encountering shipwrecks. You won't only find mission opportunities and rare loot, but you'll also be able to salvage and reuse various parts of the wrecks.
Here's a sneak peek of a mission clue you might recover from a shipwreck:
We will delve into further detail regarding our diverse mission system in a future update!
🐛Astroleech
Prepare yourselves for the introduction of the Astroleech, a hostile creature that thrives in the vacuum of space. It lays eggs in solid substances, which unfortunately also include your ship’s walls! These creatures pose a new threat to your colony, so you'll need to be vigilant to keep them at bay.
But don't be entirely discouraged by their menacing nature. Despite their hostility, Astroleeches can prove surprisingly useful. For the daring and resourceful, these creatures can be hunted as a unique food source in the vast emptiness of space. Just imagine the look on your crew's faces when you serve up a dish of freshly caught Astroleech (just make sure to cook them properly to avoid any paralyzing venom harming your crew)!
☀️Solar Panel
The Solar Panel is an essential component of any Starship’s infrastructure. These efficient and reliable components, once connected to your power grid, have the ability to harness the abundant energy of starlight and convert it into a continuous flow of electricity for your crew. In the game, one of the key survival strategies is redundancy. Therefore, ensuring you have multiple power sources to rely on is crucial. It safeguards your Starship and your crew from experiencing a complete power outage in the wake of any unforeseen catastrophic events.
Let us know in the comments if you're interested in similar "behind the scenes" content about our art, anything from animals to the next luxury galactic sofa for your crew to relax on, or even snippets of Unreal Engine workflows!
🥳That's all for this month's update! Stay tuned for future news and don’t forget to subscribe to Noobert’s YouTube channel! We appreciate your continued support, and we welcome your feedback either in the comments or over on Discord!
If you'd like to delve deeper into our journey and provide further support to our efforts, consider joining our Patreon community at: https://www.patreon.com/nebulagame
If you're interested in becoming a backer, we invite you to visit our BackerKit Store: https://bit.ly/3FbEWkV
Lastly, we want to express our intergalactic gratitude to our invaluable Discord boosters and Patreons for their ongoing contributions! A huge thank you goes to jetfire#1547, IoleRae#3211, SkyeAugustine#1420, Tyberious#0001, Azi0#2860, Captain Noname, FarmerJon1066, and Jackeyles!
Have a fantastic day!
All the best, Nebula Team
Upcoming Video Update, Jungle Hopper, and Hierarchical Pathfinding
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
📽️Video Updates
Before diving into the update, we have some fantastic news! If everything goes as planned, we'll be releasing a special narrated video update next month to provide a deeper insight into some of Nebula's gameplay systems. Prepare for a cosmic glimpse into the world of EVA missions and preparation procedures in this upcoming video update!
Curious about EVA missions? We're excited to give you a sneak peek at our new spacesuit and airlock designs!
Join our Discord channel to submit your questions and suggestions on the topic! We're archiving our old "❓questions-and-answers" channel and transitioning to the "❓question-and-answers-forum" channel! Remember to use the "🆙Update" tag for questions and suggestions related to the upcoming update! We'll address the top five upvoted questions in the video!
🎉New Icons
We wanted to showcase a few new icon designs for various in-game items and actions! These designs, featuring minimalistic elements and simple shading, provide an intuitive and visually appealing experience as you navigate the game's interface. Let us know what you think!
🐁Jungle Hopper
Let us present the Jungle Hopper, a fluffy herbivorous creature that according to some explorers resembles a mix of a mouse and a rabbit. Native to rainforests, this endearing animal features large ears for detecting potential threats.
The Jungle Hopper's distinctive feature is its powerful hind legs, which allow it to traverse rainforest terrain with ease, navigating through vines, dense undergrowth, or even steep inclines with remarkable agility. These adaptable creatures effortlessly overcome natural obstacles and barriers, making them masters of lush environments. Furthermore, they possess a natural ability to provide comfort and emotional support for humans. When trained, these cute creatures, with their soft fur, will make excellent therapy animals, assisting in maintaining colonists' mental health by helping them cope with stress or trauma. Their adorable appearance and gentle demeanor create a soothing atmosphere that fosters relaxation and a sense of well-being within the colony. They also make quite a delicious soup!🍜
🔀Hierarchical Pathfinding
To develop an efficient navigation system, we've divided each map into smaller "navigation sectors." These sectors are interconnected with hashed links, enabling characters and creatures to smoothly navigate between them. This system facilitates the creation of larger maps and improves the game's overall performance.
If you want to learn more about hierarchical pathfinding, check out this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding#Hierarchical_path_finding
🚪Sections and Volumes: Simulating Environmental Interactions
The hierarchical pathfinding system extends beyond pathfinding by simulating the interactions between different spaces. Navigation sectors connect to form "sections," which are essentially rooms or outdoor spaces enclosed by walls, rocks, or doors. Sections, in turn, connect to create "volumes," which are larger areas separated by pressure-resistant walls, rocks, or doors.
These data structures enable us to simulate various environmental interactions, such as the spread of oxygen, pathogens, and airborne toxins. For instance, a catastrophic pressure loss event would only destroy rooms within your ship that lack protection from pressure-resistant doors.
🥳That's all!
Stay alert for future news and our first-ever video update coming next month! Thank you for your continued support, and let us know what you think either in the comments or over at Discord!
Lastly, we want to express our intergalactic gratitude to our invaluable Discord boosters and Patreons for their ongoing contributions! A huge thank you goes to jetfire#1547, IoleRae#3211, SkyeAugustine#1420, Tyberious#0001, Azi0#2860, Captain Noname, FarmerJon1066, and Jackeyles!
Have a fantastic day!
All the best, Nebula Team
Characters, Animals, and Utility Systems
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
We trust this message finds you in high cosmic spirits. In the past month, we've been diligently working on crafting various characters and animals to enrich your gameplay experience. Let's delve into the diverse universe awaiting you and your crew!
CHARACTERS👩🦰
Our goal was to develop a minimalist yet expressive art style, enabling a vast range of customization options to strengthen the bond between you and your crew members. Our extensive character customization system offers endless possibilities for personalizing your crew, including head and ear shapes, eyes and eyebrows, facial and hairstyles, scars, tattoos, and biomodifications! We're also adding variety in terms of height, eye and ear placement, and head size for that extra touch of individuality. We've strived to create an art style that is unique, simple, visually pleasing, and modder-friendly. We plan to release art/modding tutorials later, making it a breeze to create your own character mods in Nebula! This initial art pass features only a few assets, but it already showcases the potential for crafting diverse and expressive characters, both in terms of their visual characteristics and in-game traits and personalities.
As crew members face challenges and sustain injuries, their appearances will evolve to reflect their experiences, adding depth and realism to your adventures. Take Jammer, for example: After engaging in a fierce battle, he suffers significant wounds, losing an eye and an ear while accumulating numerous scars on his body and face. As time passes, Jammer heals, and with the aid of advanced biomodifications, he receives "prosthetic" replacements to compensate for his impaired hearing and vision, showcasing his resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity (at least his hair stayed intact).
As for body design and clothing, you can expect a range of stylish outfits for your colonists to wear, providing an excellent opportunity to show off your style during intergalactic voyages and diplomatic meetings! Additionally, we've recognized the value of adding hands to your pawns for a more immersive experience. With the addition of hands, we can display a broader spectrum of expressive behaviors. Whether your pawns are sweeping floors, carrying resources, or engaging in furious fistfights, their hands will enhance these character actions in a lively and dynamic way. Body designs and hands are still being heavily worked on, so we'll keep you informed on our progress in the coming updates. In the meantime, take a look at some of our first art pass on clothing designs!
ANIMALS🐮
Interstellar animals in Nebula have adapted to thrive in various environments, exhibiting intricate behaviors and relationships within their ecosystems and with your colonists. Some animals serve as valuable food sources, while others provide resources or can be tamed as pet companions. However, be cautious of species that may threaten your colony with direct aggression, venomous attacks, or by spreading disease, as well as those that may damage your infrastructure or consume valuable resources.
For example, the Solaris Tortoise is native to arid deserts. Their durable, heat-resistant shells are invaluable for crafting heat shields and protective gear for colonists. Also, their eggs and meat provide great trading opportunities or a nutritious meal for times of hunger!
UTILITY SYSTEMS🔧
In Nebula, managing your colony's utility systems is crucial for success. As you traverse the galaxy, you'll need to maintain a keen focus on various aspects, such as power generation, plumbing, oxygen supplies, and heating. Ensuring that your crew has access to clean water, breathable air, and stable living conditions without freezing to death in space is essential to keeping them healthy, efficient, and motivated. Carefully planning and upgrading your utility systems will help you adapt to new challenges and make the most of the opportunities you encounter in the vastness of space! You will be responsible for constructing and managing your pipe and wire networks, making sure each part of your Starship has access to the required utilities!
Stay tuned for upcoming updates with more in-depth information on utility systems. We're excited to share how these aspects will impact your gameplay and decisions as you explore and conquer the galaxy!
As always, we appreciate your support and enthusiasm, and we can't wait to hear your thoughts on the characters, animals, and utility systems we're developing! Your feedback is invaluable in helping us create an immersive, dynamic, and captivating experience for all of you!
If you're interested in becoming a backer, we invite you to visit our BackerKit Store: https://bit.ly/3FbEWkV
We're happy to share some new additions to the game with you, including some handy machines for production and beautiful new environmental assets.
Whether you need to synthesize minerals into useful materials or produce high-quality energy to power your Starship, these machines will be crucial to your galactic success!
In addition to the new machines, we're also excited to share some environmental assets that will add more life to planets! While plants add new layers of detail to the environment, you will also be able to interact with them in various ways! Whether you want to cultivate a sustainable source of food by collecting their seeds and growing them on your Starship, synthesize their ingredients for potions, trade them for profit, fetch them for a faction to increase your reputation, or use their unique properties to create medical supplies, plants will be a valuable addition to your gameplay experience! Who knows, you might even stumble upon some rare and exotic fruits that are worth a ransom on the black market!
When creating resources for the game, be it plants or any other material, our goal is always to give you the ability to use and integrate them in as many ways as possible!
VEHICLES🚀
We know many of you have been eager to hear more about vehicles, so we wanted to give you a small sneak peek!
Your modular spaceships will have a variety of functions that allow your colonists to cover greater distances, harvest resources, fight enemies, explore dangerous areas on land, or navigate in the midst of asteroid fields in space. These vehicles will be highly customizable with modular parts such as cabins, wings, engines, and weapons.
We want to make sure that everyone has the ability to tailor their vehicles to their individual needs and playstyle, so each part will have unique stats, allowing you to mix and match, and recolor components to create your ideal vehicle. We've included a GIF below showcasing some of the various combinations and designs of an agile exploration vehicle you will be able to create!
STAT SYSTEM⚙️
The Stat system is a fundamental aspect of Nebula, with the goal of enabling complex and realistic simulations that create a rich and varied experience. Each entity, including characters, animals, plants, items, and equipment, will have a unique set of stats that define how they interact with the world. These stats can range from simple attributes like weight, speed, and power consumption to more complex ones like combat intelligence, hacking ability, and diplomacy, leading to an interconnected web of systems that drive the game forward in the form of emergent gameplay.
An example is how the Stat system affects combat. Each weapon has different stats, such as damage, rate of fire, and accuracy, which can all influence how effective it is in a fight. Similarly, among many factors, character stats such as agility, accuracy, and combat intelligence also influence their effectiveness, providing you with a variety of tactical approaches.
The Stat system will hopefully create an immersive experience where you must carefully consider the attributes of each entity when making decisions.
Of course, this is just a short introduction that only scratches the surface, but as we continue to implement new features, we will share many more details and examples of the system in action!
TASK SYSTEM🔨
The task system is another essential feature of Nebula that allows players to assign tasks to crew members and worker robots. This will ensure that the colony runs smoothly, with everyone working together to achieve a common goal.
At its core, the task system involves assigning characters to specific types of jobs or tasks, such as mining, farming, or construction. Tasks may require a specific skill set, and characters with higher levels of proficiency in that area will perform better, completing the task more efficiently and effectively. Additionally, different tasks may have various requirements, such as equipment, resources, or energy, which must be met before crew members can begin working on the task.
One of the primary goals of the task system is to create a sense of realism and immersion. Characters must take breaks and rest, eat, and sleep, just like real people. Overworking crew members can lead to exhaustion and decreased productivity while providing them with adequate resources and comfort can boost morale and increase productivity.
We’re excited to share that our somewhat unique blend of AI and Task system works really great, living up to all our hopes and expectations! When you give orders to construct a wall or produce an item, your crew members will efficiently gather the necessary resources and complete the job, utilizing the AI’s GOAP (Goal Oriented Action Planning) system to plan and execute each task. This allows you to delegate tasks effectively and manage your colony with ease. For example, worker robots can prepare a task by bringing all the required resources to a construction site, freeing up crew members to focus on their areas of expertise instead of carrying resources around all day.
This was a very busy month, but all the core gameplay systems are coming nicely together! Thank you for your support, and keep an eye out for more exciting updates!🚀
If you are interested in becoming a backer, please visit our BackerKit Store: https://bit.ly/3FbEWkV
All the best, The Nebula Team
New Art Style, Music, AI, Inventory, and Operations
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
We hope this update finds you well. We've been hard at work on the development of Nebula, and we're thrilled to share some exciting updates with you!
GRAPHICS🎨
We've been working on updating the art style of Nebula, and we're happy to announce that we've found a new aesthetic that aligns well with our vision for the game. This was a challenge as the game's nature and camera perspective required certain conditions to be met, introducing creative and technical limitations. Artists had to find a good balance between having assets that are too detailed and hard to read from a distance and assets that are too simple and boring when the camera is zoomed in.
After much experimentation and exploration, we are thrilled to share some prototype assets showcasing the new style with you! There is still a lot to do including the characters, but our talented artists are working hard every day to bring the galaxy to life!
AI🧠 As we mentioned in our previous update, we’ve been working hard on the AI in Nebula. Specifically, we implemented Goal Oriented Action Planning, which now allows AI agents to create dynamic, context-sensitive plans in order to achieve their goals. We are very excited about this because enemy characters will be able to choose a viable tactic against you based on their strengths and your weaknesses, introducing some new tactical challenges to the combat system. Although this feature is not fully complete yet, we now have a solid foundation that lets us (and future modders) easily add new types of actions to the game.
INVENTORY💼
We had lengthy discussions on whether characters should have personal inventories or not, as they could only carry one item in their hands. Our main concern was that items collected by characters during their jobs would eventually get stuck in their inventory, preventing the player from using those resources. Distinguishing between "job items" and items that were assigned to an inventory by the player on purpose is also not as straight-forward as we hoped it would be. However, we decided to include an inventory system, as expeditions are a big part of Nebula, and what kind of adventure is it where you can't take the loot home? This system now allows characters to carry multiple items and equipment. This is bad news for your crew, because coming home during your mining shift for a lunch break is now a very poor excuse when you have synthesized protein bars in your pockets!
OPERATIONS📍
Nebula is set in a large, dynamic galaxy, full of life and conflicting interests. Our vision for the game is to create a convincing simulation of both small and large-scale events in the galaxy, with various different ways for the player to interfere with how these events unfold. Our next step in that direction is a new feature called "Operations"! Inspired by XCOM’s Covert Actions, players will have the opportunity to take on remote missions and interact with the galaxy in new and exciting ways. Depending on your progress and status, factions and individuals might ask you to accomplish different kinds of favors and tasks, encouraging you to assemble a remote operation with selected crew members. Although you won't have direct control over the operation itself, sending the right people with the right equipment will greatly increase your chances of success. Engaging in operations has significant risks, but the rewards often make it worth it, including material gains, XP, new skills, and even some unexpected trophies.
MUSIC🎵
Our treasured composer, Michael Schuller, has created two brand new music tracks for Nebula! They capture the atmosphere and tone of the game really well, and we are excited to share them with you! You can now listen to them on our SoundCloud! Check them out and let us know what you think!
We hope this update has given you a glimpse of what's to come in Nebula! As always, we welcome and value your feedback, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts with us. Thank you for your continued support, and stay tuned for more updates!
If you are interested in becoming a backer, please visit our BackerKit Store!
All the best, The Nebula Team
Art Style, Music, UI, and more!
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
This is our first project update after the campaign!😎
Thanks to everyone's support, we've been able to blast off into full-time development on Nebula. Today, we're excited to share some updates on our progress with you!
First, if you haven't filled out your backer survey yet, please check your backer email for a unique link to your survey! We appreciate your participation and want to make sure we have the information we need to get your rewards to you! In addition to the surveys, we encourage everyone to join our Discord channel to get your Kickstarter-exclusive roles and stay up-to-date on our progress.
Here's a link to our Discord, we hope to see you there: https://discord.gg/dJqHSFh46z
Assigning the Discord roles is a manual process, so if you think that we made a mistake, please PM Márton on Discord 'Marci#4646' and let us know, we will be more than happy to fix it!
MUSIC🎵
We're delighted to announce our collaboration with Michael Schuller, who will compose some of the main soundtracks for Nebula! Michael is a passionate media composer from Austria, who has worked with a handful of professional media labels in the industry over the last couple of years. We're thrilled to have him on board and can't wait to share some samples with you in the future! Check out his newest music on his website at: https://michaelschullermusic.com/listen and his latest album "Michael Schuller-Reborn" on Spotify.
GRAPHICS🎨
As we mentioned during the campaign, we're also in the process of revising our art style to better differentiate Nebula from other titles! We have been working with HPL Game Design, a team of gifted professionals with a passion for creating inspiring artwork. Currently, we are in the process of creating concept art for characters and environments, which will help us to define a new art direction for the game.
Check out some of the awesome stuff they created at: https://lanotdesign.com/p/game-art-designs.pdf
We want to involve our backers and community members as much as we can, and it would also be great if we could work with artists and creators who are also passionate about Nebula. If you are experienced and would be interested in creating concept art for us, please reach out with your portfolio and any potential work references at info@chaossystematic.com. We want to explore many avenues before settling on the new look, so keep those applications coming!😎
USER INTERFACE💻
We've also started redesigning the game's user interface. Our goal is to ensure that we have a visually pleasing and well-thought-out UI that lets you focus on exploring the galaxy and enjoying the game without worrying about the controls and confusing menus. At this stage, our UI designer is experimenting with new designs and layout variations. You can expect to see the results in action when we reveal the new graphics next year!
GAMEPLAY🎮
We have also made some good progress on the game logic. We are currently implementing Goal Oriented Action Planning (GOAP), which is a very interesting and powerful approach for creating AI agents in video games. Instead of the more traditional Behavior Tree method that has predefined logic for each type of behavior, GOAP uses a context-sensitive action pool that lets agents chain actions together to achieve an end goal. This results in complex agent behavior that intelligently uses the environment to adapt to any situation.
More about Goal Oriented Action Planning: https://alumni.media.mit.edu/~jorkin/goap.html
Additionally, we are continuously importing the already surveyed backer rewards into the game, and we can already see galaxy sectors, star systems, and planets named by our backers popping up, which is incredibly cool!
FUTURE PLANS📅
We plan to provide regular updates on our progress to keep you up-to-date on our development. We'll also be sure to let you know about any major milestones or accomplishments, of which there will be quite a few coming next year. We're grateful for your support, and we would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.
Thanks to BackerKit, if you haven't already, you can still become a backer at: https://bit.ly/3FbEWkV
In the meantime, we wish you a 🎅happy holiday season and hope you have a great end to the year!
Get in on the action with Slacker Backer!
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
If you missed our Kickstarter, here's a chance to still get in on the action as a Slacker Backer!🔥
✅Secure Access to the Game! 🎮 ✅Get All Unlocked Stretch Goals!😎 ✅Choose from exclusive rewards!🎁
The campaign is over, but this is just the beginning!
Hey, Galaxy Explorers! 🚀🌌
The campaign is now over, but don't worry, because this is just the beginning of an incredible journey! We cannot express our gratitude in words, but hopefully we will be able to do so in the form of an epic game! We want to thank each and every one of you for your contribution and support, this absolutely couldn't have happened without you!❤️ A special surprise for everyone! While we were a few backers short of unlocking the fishing minigame, we figured that it would be a pity if it did not debut! We have fantastic ideas planned for fishing, so prepare your carbon-alloyed fishing rods! We are motivated more than ever to work on Nebula, and you can expect regular updates from us about the project both on Kickstarter and Discord!
15 Hours Left, Ancient Gods Update & Moons Unlocked
Hey, Galaxy Explorers!🚀🌌
We are less than 15 hours away from the end of the campaign! What a ride!
"The Starship has landed!" The Moon stretch goal was just achieved, so we can implement explorable moons with their own unique adventures!🌝
You are all amazing!🥳 Both the Halloween and the Instagram Social Goals had been unlocked! Ability Chip: Haunt your enemies with a terrifying shriek! Ability Chip: Get temporary control of your enemies and dominate them against their will!
Today, we have shared a new update on our project page about the Ancient Gods and how they influence the gameplay and the end game! Please check it out!