Hello subROVers! We've just updated the game to v0.7.25 😁
This update focuses on collision sounds: we've added collision and scrape sounds to the buoy and the ROV (with individual sounds for the body and arm), and while we were at it we've also added sounds for the ROV entering and exiting the water. Finally, we've aged the docking platform as now it's obvious that the ROV scrapes against it when docking.
(before/after)
Our approach when adding these new sounds has been cautious; in most cases, you will hear them only if you pay attention (but you will hear them if you are reckless: see exhibit A). The arm in particular is fairly quiet; you'll hear collision sounds if you ram, say, the experiments platform, but most small interactions and touches will be silent (which we can reason by saying that the arm is decoupled from the body, so by default you shouldn't hear it). Over time, our goal is to keep refining the system to give as much feedback as possible while avoiding annoying retriggers.
Here's the full log:
New Features/Improvements:
Dives: (feedback) New collision/scrape sounds
Dives: Added enter/exit water sounds to the ROV
Dives: Added wear and tear to the ROV docking platform
Bug Fixes:
Dives: Tuna makes instantaneous turns (sorry, tuna! 😅)
Get In Touch
Updates will slow down a bit in the next week or so for obvious reasons, but we'll be active if you need any help. Here's a list of the many ways in which you can reach us:
If you enjoy subROV and would like to support us, please consider leaving us a review. Steam is a big ocean, and reviews really help us stay afloat!
This said, it's time to wish you
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Wherever you are, stay safe, stay warm, and have a whale of a time!
Happy subROVing! 😀
Update 0.7.2
Hello subROVers! We've just updated the game to v0.7.2!
The most notable feature in this build is that the HUD will now show the "common name" of anything you scan, right after you scan it:
This is a small change but one that makes the scan interaction much more rewarding, as you can see a tangible result right away. This also helps clarify the ID of variations of specimens in the gallery.
Also, if you take a look at the ROV readings in the screenshot above, you'll notice that the Oxygen reading is colored red. We've added a color grading to the reading so it's easier to know at a glance if the levels are low (e.g. when finding Humboldt squid).
Finally, we've added an accessibility option in the Options menu that makes the texts in the "chat" area of the main screen both bigger and bold, after a request from people who found them a bit too small.
Here's the complete list of new features and fixes:
New Features/Improvements:
General: (feedback) Added game option to make the texts in the dive’s “chat window” bigger
Menu: (feedback) Main menu now opens with the last dive site you visited
Menu: (feedback) Removed placeholder items in Gallery
This patch allows people with ultrawide screens to play the game by disabling a postprocessing effect that was obscuring parts of the interface in the Main Menu, and adjusting the menu's elements to fit the available space.
Note: parts of the main menu still require further work to remove misalignments (dive log)
Update 0.7.1
This is a small update that specifically addresses sponges not showing up in the gallery after being scanned.
The Early Access Release is Today!
Dear subROVers,
subROV is finally here!
After the Playtest and the public Demo, we're now ready to launch into Early Access and discover the depths of the ocean together.
subROV: Underwater Discoveries starts with a 15% Launch discount for 1 week!
We've made a new trailer to celebrate, nature-documentary style:
About the Early Access
In a nutshell,
We expect subROV to be in Early Access for six months to a year.
During Early Access we plan to add new dives, creatures, and activities.
We will also try experimental features (untethering the ROV, home base with huge test pool, ROV damage model, etc).
The game's price will remain the same after Early Access.
We'll keep engaged with the community.
For more details, we've added an Early Access section right at the top of the game's front page.
Get In Touch
We have been involved with the community since the Playtest, and more so now -if you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, by all means let us know:
Thank you so much for your support! We sincerely hope that you enjoy subROV. Happy ROVing! 😃⚓
Early Access Coming Soon!
Dear subROVers,
We are finally announcing the next phase of subROV's development!
Next December 2nd we'll release subROV into Early Access. The game is in a state where it is both stable and enjoyable, and we think it is time to share it with the world. 😁
To celebrate this, we've made a new trailer focusing on the sea life you will encounter during your dives, including whales, fish, and corals, some brought to a video game for the first time ever (certainly the deep sea corals). Here it is!
We've also added a section about the Early Access to the main page, where we explain our plans moving forward. If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, by all means let us know:
After five months online, we've deactivated the demo to prepare for a new phase in the game's timeline.
Initially we had planned the demo to be online only during last June's Next Fest, but eventually decided to leave it open indefinitely so that anyone could enjoy it outside of the event. In the months since, it has been played by thousands of people, many of whom have shared with us their thoughts and opinions on the game (thank you so much!). We feel the demo has fulfilled its purpose, and we're now deactivating it to focus on subROV's next milestone, which is... a secret! (but not for too long 😁)
We're very excited for the events ahead and can't wait to share them with you -stay tuned!
Happy ROVing! 😃⚓
Have any questions or suggestions? You can send us feedback in many ways:
Seriously, keep in touch! we'll love to hear from you.
Demo Updated
Dear subROVers,
We've updated the demo to v0.6.0. Let's take a look at the changes!
New Save System
In addition to your overall progress and the discovered areas of the maps, the game now saves each dive's current objective, and the states of significant objects in the dive (such as the activated beacons in Hawaii).
New ROV SONAR
Complete Rework The ROV SONAR now works in a way that is much closer to its real counterpart, by showing the areas blocked by a projected beam gradually rotating around the ROV. We've also changed the grid and coloring, so it looks and feels very different from before.
Tracking Dots When you ping your surroundings, you will see dots in the SONAR view tracking the positions of nearby relevant objects and creatures, in addition to the icons already present in the external view.
Other visible changes and Fixes
We've revised the ROV information panel. The Depth reading now has a dedicated subpanel with an icon indicating if the ROV is ascending or descending (sometimes it's not obvious, especially right before surfacing), and it works passively, even if the ROV is offline.
Pressing the Quick Exit button has the same effect as leaving the map. This saves you the time of getting to the edge of the map after completing a dive's objectives, and helps streamline short dives (such as the certifications). In combination with the save system, things are snappier now 😀
The map's grid is now static. In previous versions it was always centered on the ship, which was not practical.
Camera views now keep correct proportions when changing screens (up until now they were just stretching to adapt to the screen they were at).
The Humpback Whale should not get stuck on the surface anymore. (sorry! 😬)
The main menu now shows random background images, the globe has a more satisfying spin and zoom, and we've revised the Gallery Layout.
Changes under the Hood
Aside from the changes above, we've worked on other things that you won't see much or at all in the demo, but we'd like to share because they still represent important progress:
New Dives Three at the moment: one where we'll search for DDT barrels off the coast of California, one where we'll track Humboldt Squid in Cocos Ridge, and another where we'll explore a seamount near the Phoenix Islands.
New Spawning System We've made a new system that allows us to have fine control over which creatures appear and where, particularly in the water column. The system gives us flexibility to place creatures in specific spots if we need to, balancing hand-crafted with procedural content.
New Creature Behavior System The creatures in the game now use (when appropriate) behavior trees to control their actions. This sets the foundation for custom behaviors per creature if we need to (e.g. Humboldt squid react to the ROV's light and let you get close... but only so much). We've also revised the creatures' overall movement system to make them swim around more gracefully.
And more!
Dives now allow for custom parameters, such as Oxygen readings.
Data buoys now can upload data to the ship (such as oxygen readings!😂).
The light curve now fades smoothly at dark depths.
Improved whale animations.
Fixes and optimizations across the board (always!)
And lastly
We've dropped support for 16:10 resolutions, at least for the time being. The game is designed with 16:9 in mind, and allowing for 16:10 has ramifications we'll have to assess calmly later on.
What's next?
Moving forward we'll be focusing on content. There's already new content in the game (e.g. squid!) but we've opted not to add it to the current dives as that was not the focus of this update. We'll add as much new content (creatures, corals, wrecks, activities) as we can to gear up to the game's release, which is approaching rapidly!
Happy ROVing! 😃⚓
PS. Your feedback is very important to us. This update introduces lots of changes and though we've made our best to test everything, we'd really appreciate it if you'd let us know of any issues you find or thoughts you have on the game.
Seriously, keep in touch! we'll love to hear from you.
Demo Updated
Dear subROVers,
We've updated the demo to v0.5.3, fixing an issue that reset the discovered areas of the maps when leaving the game, and making the two main dives of the demo available from the onset.
Up until now, going through the certification course was mandatory prior to going into full dives. This was meant as a way to minimize frustration by teaching the controls gradually, but we've seen people equally frustrated because the tutorials are, after all, a bit dry. Being able to fiddle with unrestricted controls will hopefully make new players want to learn on their own and take the certification course in a positive spirit. Hopefully 😂
NOTE: if you update the demo from the previous version, these dives won't unlock by default -you can either finish the certification like before, or reset the game (which also resets your profile).
The other change is most significant to people who invest time scanning the maps, as the updated areas are now kept between plays. We're amazed that some of you have scanned whole maps without this feature present -thank you for your commitment!
Moving forward, we're now working on creature behaviors -you can expect updates on this front very soon.
Happy ROVing! 😃⚓
Stay tuned: wishlist subROV, follow us on Twitter, and come say hi at our Discord Server!
Demo Extended Indefinitely
Dear subROVers,
We've decided to not remove the demo today as planned but to leave it open indefinitely. This will make it accessible to people that are not usually on Steam, or find the game outside of the "event windows".
The scope of the demo will remain similar to what it is now, but it will be up to date with the game's overall progress. We will still organize playtests to get feedback on specific features, and we'll incorporate them into the demo when appropriate.
Enjoy the demo - happy ROVing! 😃⚓
Stay tuned: wishlist subROV, follow us on Twitter, and come say hi at our Discord Server!
