We've got another patch for you ladies and gents, focused on some frequently noted issues, both on the forum and through our customer support email. Some technical as well as QoL tidbits.
Windows 7 - We haven't forgotten about you. Don't worry. Full Win7 support is in the final stages and unless something unexpected pops out, we'll have a fix for you by weekend! We sincerely apologize for the delay.
CHANGES
Dying before reaching the Starpoint and gliding through it while in death screen won't trigger the cutscene to happen. You won't be seeing what's on the other side.
Fixed the selection screen in T-gate on lower resolutions. Extera is finally on sight.
Fixed issues on multiple resolutions, such as hud stretching out of the screen.
Scrolling lists will be smoother on all resolutions. (insert a clever joke about being a smooth criminal that I can't think of right now)
Mission waypoints will remain visible until the mission is over.
There's no oxygen is space so structures won't remain on fire after repairing them.
Players won't be getting experience from fights which they didn't take part of. No more easy XP farming!
While in defend mission, the enemies will be marked properly.
Loading screen freeze is no more!
That's about it for this installment of Here's what we've been working on. See you on the next update!
Sunday Special with LGM
Good day to you ladies and gents. Although our initial plan was to push the next small patch on Tuesday, we figured you shouldn't have to wait that long for some of these things. This is especially important for those of you who have been experiencing crashes.
CHANGES
Fixed a major problem that would cause the game to crash in some instances, frequently on the second main mission, but it could happen at other instances as well.
Exit game is no longer the default option when entering the main menu. This will especially help those of you who play with the gamepad.
Bartender job waypoint is now of different color (purple) for easier recongition.
Random encounters can no longer spawn while you're busy doing bartender jobs. They won't interfere any more.
Skill point distribution is no passed on into a new game. It's not of great importance at the moment since skills aren't implemented yet, but a bug is a bug is a bug
Tweaked lock-on to make it easier to lock onto a target. Especially important for gamepads.
Tweaked gamepad auto-aim. Made it a bit smoother.
Added a few extra script checks to prevent encounters from bubbling up into an incoherent mess involving an ever-increasing number of ships, ultimately annihilating the universe... you know... the little things...
The next update is planned for Tuesday. As always, we'll keep everyone up-to-date.
P.S. Win7 users: we haven't forgotten you, don't worry. We're working on it and hope to have the issue resolved in the next update.
Safe travels captains!
Day One Patch is here!
Greetings captains!
Let's make this short. We've got a lot of work to do and it doesn't make sense to drown you in text :)
Just one important bit for those of you playing with a gamepad. Auto-aim and auto-follow target is implemented via the left trigger. Try it out and let us know what you think.
FIXES
Fixed multiple errors in the Chinese translation
Fixed multiple errors in the German translation
Fixed a potential error with a missing gas pocket in the main storyline
Fixed a potential error with a missing ship in the main storyline
Landing on planet Caterton is no longer possible, as intended at the moment
Saving the game after leaving Sakkara station, but before reaching the target gas pocket is no longer possible, as intended
Checked, re-checked and fixed a couple of potential issues that could appear when reloading the same save file several times
It is now possible to fail a mission when exiting the mission area
Bartender job info panel now displays the proper difficulty
Fixed a problem with the left and right gamepad trigger functioning as the same trigger
ADDITIONS & TWEAKS
Auto-aim (and auto-rotate) is now possible using the gamepad (hold Left Trigger)
Bumped up cutscene logs to help with future error-catching
Added several tutorial hints
Added an autosave position before reaching Extera
Fixed multiple bartender jobs and added multiple new ones
Buffed up player hull and shield stats
Weakened NPC missiles (damage)
Locking onto a target is now made easier
Starpoint Gemini 3 Launch
Greetings space fans!
Starpoint Gemini 3 is now officially out and available as Steam Early Access!
Prepare to experience something different, yet familiar in the long line of Starpoint series. You're not afraid of the unknown right ?!
This is our third Early Access and thanks to the awesome respone from our community, previous ones were fantastic and resulted in a much improved and expanded game. We invite you all to this third journey together, throw your feedback at us, spam us with suggestions and help us mold the game that will fulfill your space dreams!
In celebration of this very special release for us, we've prepared some FREEBIES and special offers:
Early Adopter Package - everyone who gets Starpoint Gemini 3 within the first 30 days will get Stapoint Gemini 2 for free, even if you already have it in your library!
Starpoint Gemini 3 Supporter Pack - fancy package that, besides base game, throws in a beautiful extensive digital Artbook, and entire soundtrack, and a few unique weapons for in-game use
Starpoint Gemini 3 Supporter Bundle - contains Starpoint Gemini 3 Early Adopter Package and Supporter pack, also with free Starpoint Gemini 2 for the first 30 days
Thank you all for such amazing support over the years and see you all in Gemini and beyond!
Little Green Men Games team !
Early Access landing on 5th
Heya there space enthusiasts!
We're thrilled to announce that Starpoint Gemini 3, fourth sequel in the franchise will follow its predecessors and enter Early Access program as well!
This momentous event will happen on September 5th 2019 and we invite all of you to join us on this path. It's been both challenging and fun in the past and we're positive this time will be no different.
Starpoint Gemini 3 is something new and different, but at the same time, it also sticks to the very roots of the series.
Stay tuned and prepare to dive in Gemini (and beyond this time!) once again!
Start your engines!
Dev Diary #3
INTRODUCING NEW LEVEL OF CHARACTERS
Face to face at last
Hello everyone!
This third Devblog offers more information on one of the most significant changes we're introducing to the Starpoint franchise. Many of you noticed this change and asked numerous questions about it, so it is good time to reveal more info, but without spoiling too much of your future game experience.
One of the most important parts in this new approach were characters. You already learned humans aren't alone and alien races exist and share space with humans. But instead of offering aliens as a mere additional variable in the global scale of events, we wanted to give players a chance to really meet them face to face. See them firsthand, talk to them, observe how they adapted to living in mostly human populated territories. In addition, why wouldn't you visit their planet and learn how they live and what their ordinary day looks like? In Starpoint Gemini 3 characters are here to tell a story (both visual and in the sense of spoken words) and to show the player that they are real living creatures forced to survive and secure happiness in the same surreal circumstances as any other human. Each tragic event and each battle from the past left a scar on Gemini and everyone living there, be that human or alien. They might have different perspectives on many of these events, but the effect on their lives is profound regardless.
Preparing the technology
Given the fact that we still opted to keep our own game engine for Starpoint Gemini 3, and the fact we never used characters on this level before, creating the necessary technical support for this feature was a daunting task. First, our WhaleX engine had to be upgraded to receive and render high quality character models at all. Next, these characters don't just hang around drifting in space. They need to be placed in closed spaces, environments and rooms. That was also something we used before only in a limited capacity. It took several months to prepare the engine for the usage of internal spaces, appropriate lightning and details rendering. After that came the biggest task of all – the characters now needed to start talking and expressing emotions. Introducing blend shapes, proper expressions and speech synchronization proved to be very challenging. The selection of technology to record shapes and software to implement it took another few months, but when we first saw Remo Bo talking to us and making funny faces, we all knew it was worth the effort. He was, among other characters, now ready to tell his story and that felt awesome, especially for the things to come.
Pushing further than ever before
Ok, so an Exteran bartender smiled at us and offered us his first drink. That meant testing time was over, and we have established a system and a workflow that works. The available options suddenly expanded, and we wanted to use it to the maximum extent possible. Character lists were created, the storywriter gave them personalities and backgrounds while the animators worked their magic to give them life and expressions. Doing this for the first time was both fun and hard with problems appearing from everywhere. One day a Dogon alien is trying to relay a serious message to you when his teeth suddenly fall out. The next day a local trader is giving you a quest, but his body goes somewhere else and you find yourself talking to his lonesome floating head. Hey, we're not making a horror game, so this was freaky to say the least. It took some time to sort these glitches out, but in the end, we were happy with the overall quality and the impact we achieved.
Meeting future „friends“
Most players will probably be interested in what they'll get in the end. Who will they meet during the game? Well, now we're getting to the slippery terrain if we want to avoid spoilers. You'll meet humans; many humans. Both male and female. Aliens too, and we don't mean it as mere plural, but as in more than one race of aliens. When we talk about specific types of characters, your travels will offer the chance to meet ordinary people, traders, bartenders, heroes of past wars, twins, criminals and shady people, android like dudes, some non-humanoid creatures as well... All in all, Starpoint Gemini 3 takes place in Gemini and beyond as well, so it's a very big place and variety is mandatory.
The plethora of characters you'll encounter on various locations on planets and space stations will offer information, clues, quests and different services, pretty much similar to any classic RPG, but at the same time this new perspective will allow you to get a front row view on the regular life in Gemini – interiors, factions and their relations, design ideas, fashion...
In the end – what's the deal with aliens?
When talking about characters, we have to offer some answer to a very important question – Are Aliens bad? In previous games in the Starpoint Gemini series, the aliens were shown rarely and usually connected to some battle and destruction. Now, many players expected they are an „Independence Day“ type of aliens. Well, they are not. First – there are more than one race of them. Second – none of them hold an inherent hate of humans. They utterly hated the Empire but once that organization was destroyed and genome experiments had ended, they had no special desire to pursue destruction of the entire human species. In Starpoint Gemini 3, years after the fall of the Empire, humans are repopulating human territories outside of Gemini once again, and they slowly accept that the A'Shriari are here to stay, and that some form of coexistence will have to be found. Additionally, as you travel outside of Gemini and the story takes you to the other former colonies of the Earth Empire, you’ll learn about more and more species out there. None of them have any choice but to live with each other. Do they like each other? That depends, but that doesn't change the fact that all of you are here to stay and finding the best way to do so, and to navigate the complicated mutual relationships, is one of the crucial tasks that the protagonist, Jonathan Bold, will have to tackle. That is – alongside the even more complicated relationships between Jonathan's former/current and potential girlfriends
That's it for this Diary, thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Starpoint Gemini 3 first gameplay trailer is here!
Greetings Captains!
Yes, it's FINALLY HERE! The first Starpoint Gemini 3 gameplay trailer is official, and you can watch it below! Go, go, go, NOW!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8wAfWZXSMk
Now, before you go change your underpants, we have another special announcement to share with you:
Yep, MORE gameplay footage is coming your way in the upcoming days.
It's gonna be epic!
Dev Diary #2
Improvements on the WhaleX engine: Part 1
Rendering Engine improvements
In the new Starpoint Gemini 3 development diary, we are shifting our focus to improvements on the technical side of the game. Our proprietary engine, WhaleX Engine has seen a lot of improvements since our last game, Starpoint Gemini Warlords; especially in the rendering aspect.
Check out what lies under the hood of Starpoint Gemini 3 in the first part of our technical development diary.
This development diary is also an entry to the first Starpoint Gemini 3 gameplay video, which is coming very, very soon!
Explosion System Improvements
Before, explosions used to be growing, glowing blobs that were meant to dazzle. Unfortunately, getting hit by numerous missiles meant that the player would quickly be coated in a potato-shaped glow. The game suffered from a limited visual variety and the details were hardly visible.
We've added support for high-fidelity explosion animations, with frame-blending support, local light casting (looks far better than simply stacking screen-space glow) and supported the creation of these effects via the game's new Editor.
What we're planning in the near future:
We've already had small debris flying into space when hitting or destroying spaceships. It gave the impression of actually fragmenting the enemy's hull during combat. This however, was never fully apparent (mostly due to our ambients being very dark), so in addition to improving those effects we're considering a more robust hull damage model as well as hull-bending during the ship's explosion to really sell the destruction effect.
Environmental Cloud and Particle system Improvements
Previously, the environmental particle system has undergone smaller changes from Starpoint Gemini 2 to Starpoint Gemini Warlords. The art team added more variety to the system and appropriately colored particles were used in various environments. The clouds, however, never underwent any changes. While traveling through space, the player would come across some flag-shaped clouds that would periodically appear and behave in a wave-like manner. This was present in every environment.
With Starpoint Gemini 3 we decided to add more variety and depth to those clouds. Artists can now craft cloud density, depth, color, add a variety of different shapes and animations. All in an effort to make nebulas, industrial areas and open space feel unique.
Tiled Forward Rendering (Forward+) upgrade to the Graphics Pipeline
Even though Starpoint Gemini Warlords featured local dynamic lights, they were never actually used because of their crippling limitations (up to 4 lights could be cast on any individual object in the game), so instead we focused our efforts on making the Gemini Suns cast impressive volumetric shadows.
The only other place we used an additional light was at the finale of each planetary battle – the moment when you fire the doomsday beam at your adversary's planet.
Starpoint Gemini 3 has had its graphics pipeline upgraded with Tile Based Light Culling technique known as Forward+ rendering. It's widely considered the best of both worlds when it comes to taking advantage of both Forward Rendering systems and Deferred renderers. Forward rendering systems typically use less memory, and are the preferred choice in games with less objects on the screen (such as games set in space). They are, however, a lot less performant when it comes to rendering lots of dynamic lights. That is, unless you sort them out in volume tiles before drawing lit objects.
We're still deciding on the final light limit but it soon became apparent that objects can now handle 100+ lights without noticable framerate drops.
Local Reflections for interiors via Reflection Probes
We've had dozens of interiors in Warlords and managed to make them look pretty good, but we've had to limit the amount of reflective surfaces. Starpoint Gemini 3 will bring significantly more interiors which means that a good variety of surface materials is mandatory. We've developed a known technique for capturing and displaying local reflections via Reflection Capture probes and added both box and spherical projection sampling to the mix to properly render reflections of both linear and curved spaces.
Editor Improvements
The World and Material editors are now one
Our engine uses two main ingredients to visualize most of the content in the
game – 3D models and particle emitters. The material editor was previously mostly used for composing such ingredients into objects known as "assemblies". When such an object was dynamic or potentially interactive (such as a spaceship) we'd add a subsection in the editor to be able to visualize all the data that comes together to form that entity.
The world editor was a separate app that we tried to use for level design, but given the way that space was partitioned in Warlords made it difficult to load and display those assets in real time, so we mostly neglected it and the app fell behind as we moved the tech forward. For Starpoint Gemini 3 we've decided to keep all the functionality in the same app and managed to port most of the world-building UI into the new monolithic editor. It would work properly this time around because we had one less parallel rendering system to worry about and we've built the level partitioning system from the ground up.
The Cutscene Editor
While the cutscene system in Starpoint Gemini Warlords was feature rich (the camera could follow, orbit and zoom in on objects or paths, move and jump between several curves in space at different speeds and etc...) it was designed to be controlled via scripts where we figured most of the action was happening anyway. In the end, it proved too cumbersome to actually use in its entirety because there was no way to visualize the way the camera would behave before actually playing the cutscene, ramping up cutscene development costs.
This time we figured we should invest more development resources to upgrade our toolbelt to avoid similar resource sinks in the future. The new Editor features a robust cutscene creation tool with a keyframe control UI that supports chaining multiple sequences within a cutscene, new camera features like camera shake and real-world depth of field camera controls (Focal Length, Focus Distance and Aperture).
Gameplay Improvements
New Ship Control Scheme
All playable Ships in the Starpoint Gemini series had similar movement functionalities, mostly inherited from the first entry in the series which mimicked movement in naval combat. The only changes in controls came when we moved on from fighting on a 2D plane to full 3D movement in Starpoint Gemini 2. We added pitch and roll... and that was it. You'd still only move forward at various speeds and align your 4 shields to best cover your weakspots. It didn't bother us at the time because we expected capital ships to be a lot less maneuverable, and it added to the significance of careful
movement during battles as players were expected to commit to a course once they've set it.
Alas, with Starpoint Gemini Warlords it became clear that smaller capital ships such as gunships, corvettes and frigates needed more maneuverability to stay alive in large fleet battles, so we did our best to reduce their weaknesses by boosting their angular velocity and acceleration. With those ships taking the center stage in Starpoint Gemini 3 it was finally time to add lateral, vertical and backwards longitudinal movement to the mix, as well as improved camera behavior to properly convey such complex movement to the player. This will allow ships to traverse narrow paths in minefields, giant asteroids or derelicts with ease as well as simplify navigation during battles.
Mechanical Ally
In Starpoint Gemini 3 we're finally adding a manually controlled drone into the mix. This miniature player-controlled character has additional functionalities oriented towards expanding base gameplay as well as the opportunity to enter and retrieve resources from smaller derelicts and cave formations.
That's it for this technical diary!
See you next time with more gameplay stuff!
LORE TIMELINE
Hi everyone!
In recent days, we got a number of questions regarding the timeline lore of all games from Starpoint Gemini series. Since each sequel had a different perspective on the events in the SPG universe, but they are all linked, we've decided to make a quick rundown of all major events dating back to a period even before the original Starpoint Gemini took place.
Hope you'll like this little chronology, as it puts things in a linear, easy to follow chain of events.
Just to give you a heads up - timeline stops just as Starpoint Gemini 3 is about to begin. We wouldn't want to spoil it for you...
Btw, if you have any comments, questions or simply want to chat with some like-minded players in a more direct manner, feel free to join our OFFICIALLY VERIFIED DISCORD server:
https://discord.gg/starpointgemini
But, back to our ancient story of what really happened in Gemini (and beyond)...
GEMINI TIMELINE
2030.
First human expedition arrives on the planet Mars and establishes several permanent outposts
2040.
Construction of the first Martian city and a planetary shipyard
2050.
Colonization from both Earth and Mars spreads further to other planets of the Solar system
2065.
Horrible tragedy on Earth during testing of an advanced new ship propulsion for extra-solar travels. Main governments and corporations evacuate to Mars
2072.
Colonial Alliance is founded and includes all colonized planets of the Solar system
2091.
Colonial Alliance returns to Earth and starts a war with the remaining population in order to establish a new social structure
2102.
War on Earth ends, new Earth Alliance is established and it includes the planet Earth and six Solar colonies
2137.
Construction of the first Starpoint, a gateway to Sirius system
2140.
First scientific and military vessels enter Sirius system. A new colonization begins
2183.
Colonized planets in the Sirius system in open rebellion against Earth Alliance. State of emergency is declared
2184.
Earth Alliance crushes the Sirius rebellion. First Colonial Directorate is established in Sirius to maintain order
2185.
Foundation of the Earth Empire, all emergency jurisdiction is permanently in the hands of High Governor and his Council
2189.
Colonization of Orion system begins, second Colonial Directorate introduced
2192.
Science vessel „Nostromo“ investigates newly discovered wormhole and reaches the Gemini system, very unusual and unstable system with large number of habitable planets
2197.
Starpoint Gemini constructed, colonization begins rapidly, third Colonial Directorate founded
2210.
Empire begins the Orion Project, the creation of enhanced humans based on uncovered alien technology
2270.
First uprising erupts in now very populated and wealthy Gemini system
2271.
Enhanced human clones in Orion start an open rebellion. Imperial Command attempts to shut down the project
2273.
Colonial Directorate defeated in Gemini, the Starpoint incident closes the Starpoint and Gemini remains separated from the Empire
2274.
Empire makes the first contact with a presumably extinct alien species in the Orion system. Aliens help human clones in the rebellion
2279.
Imperial forces are driven out of the Orion system. Project Eulogy begins with great haste.
2280.
First two Leviathans cross to Orion system, both get destroyed in heavy battles
2290.
Human hybrid clones invade Imperial main space with the alien support
2295.
Empire is losing grip on its main space. It is driven to desperate measures. Two Leviathans travel to Sirius system but are lost without a trace. Spread out imperial armada abandons search
2296.
Starpoint Gemini is reopened, second Gemini war ends. Empire suddenly commands full withdrawal of all remaining forces to Gemini system, including the remaining Leviathans. Earth in the Solar system is no longer the foothold of humankind.
2299.
Battered Empire seizes a small territory in Gemini and attempts to regain its strength as it becomes apparent that the A'Shriari aliens stopped advancing into this system
2303.
Last remnants of Colonial Directorate in Gemini are destroyed. Secret alien incursions committed by a faction that goes by the name „Brotherhood“ begin
2305.
Many Gemini factions, united by the fear of the Empire returning to power, start a relentless campaign to drive them out of Gemini.
2307.
Empire crumbles completely and disappears. Starpoint gateway is operational again.
2320.
Last refugee group to arrive in Gemini from former imperial main space, establishes a unique faction called Solari Concord. Other Gemini factions see them as the Empire supporters and attack them immediately.
2325.
Concord scientists and engineers assemble first Proxima from the old imperial Leviathan blueprints, a planet destroying weapon that turned the tide of war.
2330.
Solari Concord survives the attacks from other Gemini factions and manages to coexist with them. They lead more and more frequent expeditions through the Starpoint to other forgotten imperial systems. News finally arrive about the developments there and the aliens’ intentions now that the war is over.
2339.
A'Shriari race declares they have no desire to eliminate the human race, and that their goal was to bring the Empire down. They sign a peace treaty according to which they are to return to their space but keep their presence in the former Empire systems to oversee the situation there.
2343.
After almost half a century, human factions Nexus and MultiOps send their colonization ships from Gemini to repopulate and rebuild the old imperial territory in the Sirius and Solar systems. They meet a new faction called Liberland. The Empire is no more, but it’s legacy lies in the Templar faction that is secretly working to restore it.
...... to be continued...
History lesson over, thanks for reading!
Dev Diary #1
Everything starts with an idea
Starpoint Gemini is a journey that started ten years ago, and with each installment of the series, we tried something new in our attempt to provide a better experience for our players. We knew all those years ago, when the original setting was created, that it would take us several installments to tell the Starpoint Gemini story.
Let’s fast forward a little bit. Starpoint Gemini Warlords, at the time our largest and most ambitious project, combined several different genres and play styles. However, it lacked developed characters and a compelling storyline and our players had mixed feelings about the spin-off. With different reactions swarming the forums, it was clear that big decisions had to be made. And so, a new idea was born.
We decided to thoroughly analyze our previous installments to learn about their strong and weak points. Our research also included examining other space games to flesh out the idea of a gameplay that our fans would find most immersive. It goes without saying that this “research” was also a very fun one.
Public opinion
Starpoint Gemini series has a big fan base and it was important for us to take their suggestions into consideration. We received hundreds of ideas, many of which were not possible to apply to our previous games or were simply ludicrous, but entering a new development cycle, we were able to give them another go. Even though we faced many different ideas from our fans, their feedback was, as always, very helpful in deciding what kind of gameplay experience we wanted to create. Most people wanted to add the cockpit view, making the controls more intuitive for the players, and to enrich the Starpoint Gemini universe with interesting characters and an immersive story. The idea of turning one of our spaceships into a flying pink pony came up again, but, sadly, didn’t quite fit in with the general concept of the game 😊.
The solutions are closer than you think…
We decided to make an even better single player experience with a great story and developed characters. We knew that our newest installment should tell a story about a space adventurer whose journey takes him all over the vast universe we have been creating for all these years. We also knew that the players should experience that universe firsthand as they visit different locations, interact with characters, and get pulled into conflicts between factions.
And to tell that story, we needed a writer who would put it on paper in the form of a game script. Funny how things happen in life, but the solution to that problem happened to be in our very own neighborhood. And no, we don’t mean that we gave the scriptwriting job to a waiter from our favorite coffee shop, but to a professional writer with years of experience in the sci-fi genre: Darko Macan, known for his work with the Star Wars and Marvel series, lives and works practically next door. We contacted him and presented to him our idea for the new Starpoint Gemini installment. Macan liked the idea of working with us on this project and we got ourselves a writer.
A picture is worth a thousand words
A compelling storyline is only a part of creating an immersive world inhabited by interesting characters. Our artists took on the great challenge of coming up with ideas for the characters, spaceships, stations, and other elements that would enrich the Starpoint Gemini universe. For the first time, players will be able to interact with other NPCs and get face to face with the aliens who were ever present in the previous installments, but never seen before. The aliens did their own little Blitzkrieg on the Empire. They were always known as a mysterious force that manipulates everything in the universe and now the players will have the opportunity to meet them and find out more about them.
This situation with the aliens perfectly depicts the progress that Starpoint Gemini 3 has made, and why. For the first time in the series, players will get to experience all the aspects of living in Gemini and get a better understanding of how that universe works.
What’s next?
In our next blog post, we will shed more light on our project so that our fans would get the impression of what they can expect in Starpoint Gemini 3. All of our previous installments made big shifts from the original concept and this one is no exception. The new approach we are taking will give to our players an opportunity to experience our universe like never before.
Starpoint Gemini Universe is such a rich, complex, intricately detailed world. But to genuinely experience these details, you’ll have to land on a planet, find the nearest bar, and try ordering Liberland Temptation from a sarcastic Exteran barman…
