April is over, so it’s time for another update! With everything getting close to the finish line now I wanted to focus on all of the things I’ve been working on over the past few weeks.
Localisation!
A big thing for me is making Omno available to as many people as possible, so with the help of my co-publishers Future Friends Games, I’ve been working with a couple of great localisation agencies to translate the game into as many languages as we could. So at launch Omno will be fully playable in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese-Brazil, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (traditional and simplified)! It feels so crazy suddenly seeing Omno in languages other than German or English (as I work in both of those languages myself during development), but it’s a GREAT feeling and makes me very proud.
Here’s a look at the game in Japanese, which I think works really well with all the in-game glyphs I’ve created, somehow!
Final Sequence!
This is a big one for me personally (and I promise, no spoilers here!)
I’ve just finished off creating the first version of the final cutscene for the game! I’ve been animating day and night for pretty much the last 2-3 weeks on this one (and on and off before this, too). I’ve stuck closely to the storyboard I sketched out over 2 years ago, and was pretty surprised that I didn’t feel I needed to change much after all this time. In my past as an animator, I always just made the characters move, whilst dozens of other people took care of the layout, lighting, camera work, rendering etc… all under the watchful eye of a director. Doing everything myself for this sequence reminded me of just how much work it is to create even 10 seconds of animated footage, and how much I still have to learn in all of the different disciplines. Still, now that I’ve got this first draft of the full sequence together I feel I’m a BIG step closer to the finish line. There’s still lots more work to be done, but it’s a massive relief to finally see on screen everything that’s existed in my mind for so long!
Needless to say, the release is getting closer and closer and just thinking of that makes my heart skip a beat!
PS: If you’ve not joined the official Omno Discord, you can do so here.
March Kickstarter Update
Hello Steam friends :)
Here is your monthly recap on what's been happening since the last update.
New Trailer:
It's been over two years since the last Omno trailer, so here is something new for you.
[previewyoutube="69GKkPk1ibw;full"]
2ND ALPHA!
A few weeks back I launched the second Alpha test, and I’ve been getting lots more great feedback from you Alpha backers, so thank you so much to all of you who have taken part! It’s really helping me tighten things up as I work towards delivering the Beta, which will hopefully not be too far off - I should have news about that as part of next month’s backer update at the end of April.
What am I working on next?
So as mentioned earlier, I’m getting things together in preparation for the beta, and finalising the last major parts of the game, with a big focus on the story and the cutscenes! Localisation work will soon be underway once-storied things are finalised, then we’ll mostly be on the final stretch - polishing, bug fixing, QA testing and performance optimising so that I can be confident the game is all in great shape before the launch!
Very exciting times ahead and, as ever, I’ll be sharing any developments with you all here as we get closer to the big day!
How is it March already?! With another month in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another update on all things Omno!
February has been a super productive month for the game, which has felt really great. The feedback from the first alpha has given me so much energy, especially now it’s starting to feel like the finish line is insight, and I’ve been making really good progress on my “to do” list.
As well as all the development progress, there’s lots of business stuff happening on the side, now things are starting to get serious and close to the end! I’ve also been working away on a brand new trailer for the game - the first in about 2 years! - which has been great, as it allows me to take a “step back” and really look at the game as a whole and the progress I’ve made in the time since I last put a trailer together. I’ve also been working very closely with the porting company and talking to the platform holders to try to align all of the plans for launching the game - believe me, this is a LOT of work for someone doing this for the first time!
In-game, I’ve done an entire overhaul of the menu system - it now works properly with a gamepad and keyboard/mouse, is much more adjustable and generally just looks much nicer and cleaner - see what you think in the screenshot below!
To finish on a high here’s a little sneak peek of something that you might see in the new trailer I’ve got in the works - enjoy!
You can read the full Kickstarter update here including more screenshots and updates on the Alpha testing for KS backers as well as a full HD version of the GIF above.
We’re already a good way into the second month 2021 - hope you’ve all managed to get back into the swing of things and are managing to keep some of your new year’s resolutions in these strange times we’re living in!
January was a pretty huge month for me and Omno - I finally launched the Closed Alpha for Kickstarter backers! I’ve been working away on Omno solo for such a long time now, hidden away from the world in my little dark cave, where it’s very easy for the doubts to start creeping in. I’ve really just had no idea if Omno was shaping up to be the game that people have been expecting, which is a really scary thought when you’re so far into development. Putting the Alpha out there, and getting so much positive feedback from the Alpha backers, has really lifted a HUGE weight off my shoulders, and given me so much renewed motivation.
So, what are my thoughts from the Alpha, you say? You can read them on the full Kickstarter update here.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Omno will end up being a better game because of the feedback I have received so far. I can’t wait to get more feedback from the next Alpha, and from the Beta after that when all of the Beta backers will be joining the party too! ːsteamhappyː
Backer emails incoming!
Reminder emails from the friendly folks at Future Friends Games have gone out this week to those Kickstarter backers that have not yet answered their surveys. This is super important as it helps me make sure I get rewards sorted in plenty of time, including correct names for the credits and monument in-game. So keep your eyes on your emails and remember that official emails for Omno will ONLY ever come from @studioinkyfox.de or @futurefriendsgames.com domains!
I can’t believe it’s December already - time seems to just be going so fast lately, for me at least! It’s very cold here in Germany now, and everything’s still pretty much in lockdown with all the covid stuff going on, so it’s the perfect time to get warm and cozy inside. But that isn’t making me any less busy - here’s an update on what’s been happening in Omno world:
Kickstarter Backer emails incoming!
As things are moving on with the project, I’m having to start thinking more about backer rewards recently. Depending on your pledge level, there may be some emails coming your way shortly from me and/or the friendly folks at Future Friends Games who are helping me out with this stuff so I can stay focused on development. These emails will be asking a few simple questions, just to gather any info we need to ensure we can deliver your backer rewards in the easiest way possible, and we’ll keep the number of emails we send to the absolute minimum so we’re not spamming you, of course! So keep your eyes on your emails and remember that official emails for Omno will ONLY ever come from @studioinkyfox.de or @futurefriendsgames.com domains!
Alpha Update
The first alpha test is getting closer, but given my experience in how long things take, I’m not putting a firm date on this just yet! I’ve spent a good chunk of time over the last month on performance adjustments, so I can roll out the alpha without turning your PCs into heaters! For the tech-interested among you: I’ve been improving on the level streaming system by breaking things up into smaller chunks, doing some sparring with Unreal’s Memory Manager and learning some valuable lessons about the so-called “garbage collector”! For the Alpha I’ll be using some pretty aggressive distance culling, so things like mountains in the background may pop in and out a bit, but rest assured this won’t be the case for the full game!
Music time!
One of the things I’ve been super excited about this month is the progress in the game’s music. The composer I’m working with, Benedict Nichols (he created the music for the Kickstarter demo back in the day) has been writing a TON of music for the game, so we’re slowly replacing the placeholder stuff that’s been there for months with the ACTUAL proper soundtrack, which is so exciting for me as a game dev! Kind of like watching a movie with the sound turned off, then turning it on - you realise just how important the sound is for portraying moods and emotions. So in the alpha what you’ll be hearing music-wise should be fairly close to the final feeling (though many of the sound effects and music tracks are still going to be work in progress)...but more on that later when it’s alpha time.
Bestiary Business!
Another new thing I’ve implemented this month that the completionists among you will be happy with is a brand new “Bestiary” feature, so you can keep track of all the creatures and critters you encounter in the world of Omno! Although it’s been planned from the beginning, it was pretty low on the priority list (HUD is not THAT much fun to work on from a developer perspective haha). It’s still very WIP and I’ve done nothing on the UI to make it look pretty yet, but it’s functioning properly which is always the first step! I’m also looking to use this feature to keep a “journal” of sorts, tracking the story fragments you’ll discover as you make your way through the world.
There’s LOTS more I’ve been adding, but for now, I’m going to focus on getting my head down and delivering the alpha to you alpha backers as soon as possible, so there will be plenty to talk about once that’s all ready to share!
In the meantime, wrap up warm and enjoy what you can of the festive season, even if it’s a bit of a different one this year!
Hope you’re doing well and had a suitably spooky Halloween! It’s November, so time for another little update on all things Omno :) October has actually been relatively distraction-free in terms of other things happening that I needed to deal with, so I’ve been in “terminator mode”, just getting my head down and making lots of progress with development, which has felt amazing! Here are some of the things I’ve been up to:
New level streaming system
This might not sound like the most exciting thing, but to me this is one of the BIGGEST things I’ve added to Omno in recent times. As a first-time solo dev I was only a little familiar with how level streaming systems work, and to be honest was a little daunted by the idea of working on it, so I always found a way to get around it. But I finally took the time to tackle it, and I’m really glad I did! Adding a level streaming system is a necessary step to have actually working loading screens and a smooth gameplay experience, and I’m so happy it’s all working like a charm! It even opened up some new possibilities and resolved some performance bottlenecks that I otherwise could barely get over.
Main Menu screen!
Another cool thing I added this month is a Main Menu screen! Quite a small thing in some ways, but it does make things feel all quite “real”! I’m still working on details like the visuals of the Options Menu (yes, I've implemented Invert Mouse Axis and turn-off-HUD options)! There's still a lack of contrast from the text of the menu to its background, but I will find a way to improve on that before release…
Pet sounds
I also added some more creatures, because I just can’t help myself when it comes to adding more cute little critters that bring the world to life! I also added some fun sounds to some of these creatures, mostly because they really made me laugh, and I think a little fun and laughter is a good thing in these strange times we’re living in! Many of these sounds are recorded in with my VERY amateurish and cheap microphone setup, but I am also using sound libraries and the composer is occasionally helping me out with his wisdom when a bit more professionalism is called for!
Puzzling over puzzles
After a few tests with IRL friends (yes, I still know a few people in person ^^ ), I made some necessary adjustments to visual cues of some puzzles. I am always amazed by how small details like a certain perspective, aligning pillars, etc. make a huge impact on the 'readability' of a puzzle and the way people understand and approach them, so I think these changes should make all the game’s puzzles feel much better, more understandable and more satisfying.
You can read the full Kickstarter update here including more info on the game's story elements, what's next and full HD versions of the GIFs above.
A few weeks back I launched the Omno: Prologue that I was talking about in the last update. To be perfectly honest I didn’t really know what to expect from it, since it’s essentially the same demo I used for the Steam Summer Festival, based on the exact same content as the Kickstarter demo from way back. However, over 8,000 people have downloaded the demo, which is pretty awesome, and I’ve had some lovely and helpful feedback from people about it, the reviews on Steam are 97% positive, and a fair few extra wishlists for the main game, so it seems it was really worth doing after all! Thank you to all of you who have tried it (and an EXTRA thank you if you left a Steam review for it) - it always means so much to me that people want to try this thing I’m pouring my life into :)
Puzzles, making things pretty, and lots of work on the game’s main collectable - the “explorer stones”. I’ve been experimenting with different ideas to make the system feel really rewarding - I’m toying with the idea of collecting a certain number of stones triggering a short speed increase that feels rewarding or something fun like that, but obviously making sure it doesn’t break any of the other game’s systems is very important too, so I’m still working on that :D
What’s next?
Alpha prep is very much underway, so I’m hoping to have some news on that really soon. I’m doing what should be one of the final passes on all the game’s puzzles, and a big chunk of work on the game’s big, mysterious “final temple” (that’s about as far as I can get without spoiling anything). I’m pausing work on the next trailer for another month as there’s some really exciting and very visual stuff I’ve got planned in my November dev schedule that could look AWESOME in a trailer, so more on that in the November update!
Big love as always, and as ever let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
As I mentioned before, today sees the launch of Omno: Prologue! As a standalone demo, it’s a small, spoiler-free taste of what the main game is going to offer when it launches in a few months’ time :)
Though there’s nothing really new for any of you Summer Festival/Kickstarter demo players, I’d love it if you could tell your friends about it, or maybe you can hop back in and leave a review to let me know what you think of the Prologue on Steam? A small thing, but those reviews make a massive difference for a solo dev like me!
August is down, September is here, so it’s time for another update!
Target release date I’ve had a few questions about this lately, so I thought it would be good to address this head-on. First of all, I want to apologize if I did not appear to be transparent about this: Truth is, developers, don’t know better sometimes themselves. What this means for Omno is that the end of 2020 I was targeting just isn’t going to be realistic anymore - as you have guessed already, I’d assume - and I’m now looking at around March/April 2021 for launch, which having done all of the revised planning I believe will be achievable.
gamescom! As I’m sure a few of you might have noticed, gamescom just happened this past weekend! Obviously it wasn’t quite the same as the usual craziness of hundreds of thousands of people piling into a convention center in Cologne, but the organisers still managed to put on a good show digitally! As I mentioned before, I’m planning to make the demo available right up until launch on its own standalone page -
Creating lots new creatures, to make the world busy, vibrant and surprising!
Lots of creature animation work to make all those creatures interesting to discover and watch
New interactions between the player character and creatures
Environment additions - lots of new trees, bushes and vegetation throughout, as well as smaller critters, to really bring the world to life and help signpost points of interest in the world
Dynamic camera improvements to make key moments feel “epic” - I noticed some people don’t enjoy forced sequences necessarily, so I decided to go for a middle path here in some occasions and make the camera do it’s thing to show what it’s supposed to, but still remain the player in control
What’s next? In terms of development, September will see me working on the puzzles some more (they do make a lot of work! Wow!), generally making the world prettier and more alive (this is a BIG task as well, as it is a main aspect of the game), making some additional performance and optimisation improvements, introducing “Explorer Stones” to the world (a little more on that next month!), doing some extra work on new creatures, and maybe even starting work on a new trailer if I can fit it in, since it’s been a LOOOOONG time since the last one!
Big love as always, and as ever let me know in the comments if you have any questions.
A cool little bit of news for you! Omno is part of the Indie Arena Booth at gamescom 2020 which will start later today, alongside TONS AND TONS of other really cool indies! If you wanna wander round the little digital booth we made, and play the demo for the game, you can do so here ːsteamhappyː
The demo is the same as the one we used for the Steam Summer Festival, so nothing new to see if you tried that already. In other cool demo-related news, I’ll be making this demo available permanently as a standalone download - Omno: Prologue - which you’ll be able to grab on Steam on September 11th, so you can jump in and replay it as many times as you want between now and the main game’s launch :)
