Hello, Skyfarers! An update, in which we discuss the EXPLORATION release and the ever-closer reveal of ALBION!
This release pulls in a lot of the work we’ve been talking about from recent sprints (TEKTITE and VEGA):
Discoveries and spectacles are now available! Scavenge from wrecks, harvest hives, investigate (or eat) fungal fragments, mine sky rocks for undiscovered hours, scour flotsam and jetsam for random treasures, and carry Curators' Eggs to port before they can hatch.
At the edge of Old Tom's Well, you can discover the Pitchkirk and its bitter sect. Those who can prove they have been aggrieved may even be allowed to take part in their services and enact their well-rite: the Rite of Wrongs (which will modify your captain's skills).
You’ll notice a lot of fun (“fun”) changes to Terror: new visual and audio effects and terror music made by Maribeth that will make the atmosphere more and more tense and unbearable.
Fog and locomotive headlights will work together to add atmosphere to your journey, help you target enemies during combat and make it easier to discern which elements on screen are possible to crash into. Docking will be automatic. You’ll be able to tell how many sovereigns you have more easily.
The next release, coming at the end of February, will cover MOVEMENT AND COMBAT, including work based on your feedback.
With exceeding joy, we can confirm the release after will be ALBION. A whole additional region, with its own look, feel and surprises. If you’ll permit us some over-excitement, it’s time to get on board the SPACE HYPE TRAIN.
It almost goes without saying, but releasing an additional region into the game will immediately make the play experience something much more like the final game; in all likelihood it will be the biggest appreciable change to the game during Early Access for you as players. We are intensely nervous and excited to reveal it to you.
Our next FBG Podcast has been moved to Tuesday 6 February at 4:00pm GMT so that we can take a moment to celebrate Sunless Sea’s third birthday. So bring your captain’s logs and memories to share! We’d also love to show off Sunless Sea fanart, so leave us a link here or tweet to @failbettergames and we’ll cover as much as we can!
As ever, we’re taking your feedback on the Steam, GOG and Failbetter forums. We can’t wait to hear what you make of these changes!
Spectacles Spectacles have arrived! Some of these are existing assets that have been spruced up and had a Terror effect applied, others are new sights to discover. Some Spectacles will fill your crew with a sense of wonder and your Terror level will decrease whenever you’re basking in their beauty. The High Wilderness however is also filled with many horrors and a lot of Spectacles will increase your rate of Terror gain whenever you get too close.
Each wonder and horror spectacle has a charge which begins to dissipate and apply its Terror effect when you enter its immediate area. Once the charge has run out, your normal rate of Terror gain will resume. The time over which the Terror effect is applied varies from Spectacle to Spectacle, and while it eventually runs out they do recharge so plan your journeys carefully.
Discoveries Our first batch of discoveries are in place. Scattered across the Reach you’ll find abandoned wrecks, homesteads, mineable sky-rocks and hives to mention just a few. Flotsam and jetsam litters the space between ports and you’ll be able to pick up a number of items from them on your travels. Some discoveries have accompanying storylets and while most will disappear after interaction or on leaving the segment, some are perpetual. Two permanent discoveries found in the Reach are Old Tom’s Well and Wreck of the Parzifal. Both have storylets though Old Tom’s Well also has a Spectacle-like terror effect when you approach it. You’ll understand why when you find it. Happy hunting!
Fog and Lighting Fog has crept into the Reach helping to build the mood and sense of dread as you explore areas unknown. Unfortunately with this increase in atmosphere came a decrease in visibility, making it even harder to see what objects you could collide with.
To combat this we’ve introduced the long-awaited locomotive headlight. The headlight is purely to help with navigation, there are no mechanics (such as increased fuel consumption) applied to it and as such it cannot be turned off. This perpetual beam is there to help guide you through the Reach and see what you can and cannot crash into. Anything on the collidable level will stop the light passing over it, creating eerie shadows and beautiful scenes of dancing debris. Light will pass underneath bridges too making them much easier to distinguish.
Another benefit is the effect it has during combat. The headlight acts as a targeting reticle, helping you to see when your weapons are lined up and also when you are in your enemy's line of fire (for mechanical beasties as least).
New Docking System There’s now an auto-docking system in place at all ports in the Reach. As your locomotive pulls into the entrance of a dock the docking system will take over and guide your ship into position, meaning fewer collisions and hull repairs! Turning and strafing will be disabled whilever you’re in dock too, helping you to maintain a shiney, damage-free engine.
More Terror Changes Along with the new Survival HUD, November’s update saw the introduction of different rates of Terror gain. We reduced the ambient rate from approximately 1% per 7 seconds to 1% per 14 seconds and applied a Terror-free zone in and around ports. We also added a spooky camera effect that creeps in at the edges of the screen when your Terror rate doubles, owing to having less than half the amount of Crew that your locomotive can carry.
January’s update sees further additions to Terror in order to make it clearer when you are gaining or losing it. The Terror icon and bar is white when you are not gaining any Terror, but will pulse red when it starts to increase on leaving the safety of a port. If your rate of Terror gain increases (around Spectacles, when you have a low Crew count, or both), the pulsing quickens and you’ll see visible colour changes. When your Terror decreases however, the HUD will turn a soothing shade of blue. We’ve also added additional camera overlays to accompany these Terror effects. Now that there are more ways to increase and decrease Terror in game we’ve once again tweaked the ambient rate of Terror, this time to ~1% per 10 seconds.
New Officer HUD We’ve implemented a new Officer HUD so you’ll be able to see who you have recruited at all times. It also incorporates your Profile avatar and the tooltip will display your name, level, experience and how many character points you have to spend (character points are gained each time you level up). Clicking on your avatar will open the character progression screen where you can spend your character points on new Facets.
Not all the functionality of the new Officer HUD is in place just yet however. You cannot yet click on the Officers to interact with them.
Updates
Sovereigns are now visible in the shop and Bazaar interfaces!
The Spatchcock’s cargo space has been raised to 12.
New items are available at New Winchester.
The Bank interface has been reworked so that it is one UI element.
New Title Screen, Terror and Death music.
All locomotives now have their own unique engine SFX.
Enemies now explode on death.
Bug Fixes
There is now a delay between the triggering of in-game messages around ports.
The camera overlay no longer persists after death.
The focus icon no longer overflows the storylet interface at Traitor's Wood.
Settlers can now be dropped off at Traitor’s Wood.
The Possessions, Officer and Profile interfaces now auto-update if they are open when you obtain new qualities, officers, port reports, affiliations or peculiarities.
When the Journal is open alongside a storylet it will now auto-update with quests when you start, advance or complete them.
The Hold now updates automatically if it is open when accepting and completing Prospects or when purchasing a Bargain.
Terror gain now stops correctly around all ports.
Interfaces now open and close correctly after other UI elements have overridden them.
Agents can no longer enter docks and drop loot which cannot be collected.
Adding to Atmosphere: VEGA
You may have noticed these past few sprint blogs that we’ve been changing the format a bit, as we add many large features into the game. We’ve also recently restructured our production process and in 2018 we’ll be handling these blogs and our FBG Podcasts a little differently!
Instead of posting a development blog and podcast every sprint (or every other week), we’ll be shifting to releasing a blog and podcast per release build (when we update the live Steam/GOG builds for players)—so roughly once a month. Now that most of the structural systems and core gameplay features are in the game, we want to make sure each of these updates are packed full of exciting new features, screenshots and gameplay.
That means our next development update (and game update!) will come the 31st of January, with our next FBG Podcast on the 2nd of February! In between these official updates there will of course continue to be patch notes, and Lesleyann and Haley will still be hanging around on the forums (Steam, GOG, FBG) to answer any questions you have and take feedback, too.
ART
We’ve been going over a lot of the feedback regarding game atmosphere, and therefore this sprint was all about adding in atmospheric improvements. One of the largest ways we’ve addressed this feedback is to add fog and shadow into the Reach.
Fog adds more mystery and suspense, allowing AI agents and beasties to loom into the player’s sight. Bringing fog into the High Wilderness also allows us to add a major new feature—a headlight! We’ve wanted to put this into the game for a while, but with the Reach being so bright it didn’t feel appropriate. However, it makes a great deal more sense as a fog light.
Adding the headlight is also helpful in numerous other ways, such as being able to definitively tell which side of the locomotive is which, on both the player and agent locomotives. It also is beneficial to combat, as it acts as a helpful targeting device.
Currently the headlight isn’t tied to any mechanics (ie. fuel, stealth, etc.) and cannot be turned off. However, over the coming weeks we’d love to hear your thoughts on this!
With light of course comes shadow. Shadows are helpful to address feedback we’ve seen, that because of the parallax layers it’s occasionally difficult to tell which objects you run the risk of crashing into with your locomotive. Now, with shadow, it’s easier to tell: anything that casts a shadow is collidable, while anything the light passes over is out of reach.
CONTENT
Content have remained steady in their Albion work, including adding the finishing touches to Meg Jayanth’s port: Perdurance.
"Perdurance is a jewel in the Empire's crown. Here, time is mastered, and the flower of the Empire's youth disport in eternal opulence"
Cash has continued his work on the Eagle’s Empyrean, which is the Khanate’s stronghold in the sky. Meanwhile, Olivia has been writing up the complex looting storylets for agents like the Scorn-Flukes and the chiropterous Curators. We recently changed the name of the Curators (prev. Custodians) for tonal reasons and to make possible the imminent pun that you may want to brace yourselves for.
We've also finalised a special piece of content written by Liam: the Curator's Egg. This is a Discovery: a gooey bundle containing a Curator's collected treasures. If you can get one back to port in time, you may be able to sell it. But take too long, and it could hatch, unleashing who knows what aboard your locomotive.
We’ve also now received all the player responses for our Correspondence Kickstarter reward, so Chris has been working on translating them into correspondence sigils while Paul designs their visual look.
GAMEPLAY & DESIGN
One very welcomed feature we’ve been implementing is auto-docking at ports! Soon, when you get close enough to a dock, it’ll automatically (and gently) guide you in. This also allows the locomotive to stay still while docked at a port. To leave, simply press forward and head back into the High Wilderness.
This sprint Barry has been finishing work on pathfinding and local avoidance improvements. Amongst other things, this will allow agents to fly more smoothly and hopefully get stuck less on rocks.
We’ve also begun designing how transitions will work between regions, in preparation of Albion joining the game. Improvements to transitions between segments within a region have also been implemented by Paul and Tobias, as they add fog and shadow into the region.
Some very agitated Scorn-Flukes have also been created, with excellent animations we can’t wait for you to uncover.
P.S. For anyone wondering, our Sprint 30 over the holidays was called Umbra.
Improving Exploration: TEKTITE
With the recent revamp of the proc gen system becoming available within the game to all, our focus this week has been to add some finishing touches to exploration in the Reach. Final touches and testing are being completed for Discoveries & Spectacles, which we hope to bring into the game soon. Additionally, the update to Terror’s visual effects and music are being finished as well.
ART
Our first overhaul to exploration within the game came with the new proc gen system which has allowed us to really define and curate the environments within the Reach. To build on top of that we’ve been working on Discoveries & Spectacles.
Discoveries are points of interest in the High Wilderness. It could be something as simple as a floating crate of munitions, or the (hopefully) empty wreck of some terrible locomotive crash. These will provide resources and stories for bold explorers to find.
Tobias has been busy bringing our writers’ content to life for many different Discoveries for both the Reach and upcoming Albion. On your way through the Reach you may stumble across Hives or even a Well.
Currently, Discoveries won’t be detectable by your Scout, and instead will have to be encountered up close and in the moment.
Tobias has also been working within the new proc gen system to design different segments for Albion. One of the ports he’s been working into the segment design is the Kickstarter social goal we achieved: The Royal Society.
The once-moribund Royal Society of inventors, explorers, and scientists has received a generous grant from Her Enduring Majesty and a renewed mandate: to unravel the mysteries of the High Wilderness! Were they eager to be at the forefront of new discovery? Or were they keen to be further from the Empire's control?
CONTENT
As Tobias works to visualise the Discoveries, Chris and Olivia have been busy crafting the messages that show up on screen as each Discovery is encountered.
James’ focus this sprint has been more towards Albion. He’s started the content for the Albion wealth ambition, as well as working on the content for The Royal Society. He’s also been writing the content for the Wreck of the Parzifal, mentioned in our Kickstarter!
The Parzifal was Her Majesty's pride, the first locomotive constructed at the Avid Horizon. But despite the pomp surrounding her launch, she never returned from her maiden voyage. What grim fate did she meet?
Excitingly, both Chris and James have also been working closely with our three Kickstarter backers who are designing a port with us. These ports are currently evolving and coming into shape. Two of these ports will be discoverable in Eleutheria, and one within the Blue Kingdom.
GAMEPLAY & DESIGN
Alongside Discoveries, we’ve also been working to finish up Spectacles, which have a more mechanical effect on players and their crew.
Spectacles are awe-inspiring locations in the High Wilderness. Most will strike terror into the hearts of your crew, while others may bring them comfort. A wise skyfarer will learn routes that will keep their people's dread at bay.
In the Reach, you may stumble across the Regent’s Grave spectacle in Traitor’s Wood, or the Apoidean Garden Wonder near the Nature Reserve.
Since Spectacles affect a player’s Terror level, we’ve also been continuing our work on the visual and audio effects of Terror. Along with the on-screen visual effects, we’ll also soon be implementing terror music made by Maribeth, that will make the atmosphere more and more tense and unbearable as their Terror level and Condition increases.
Mac has also updated the Bank UI so that the Bank inventory and the player's hold show up in one screen, as well as making sure the bottom nav-bar refreshes correctly. Also to the joy of everyone, Sovereigns will now be visible in Shops and the Bazaar!
He’s also been working to implement the Officer HUD (or where you see your Officer information on-screen). Your Captain’s experience bar will also be moving from where it previously was on the bottom nav-bar to a more logical place within the Officer HUD on the top right of the screen.
Once the work above makes its way into the live build on Steam and GOG, we hope that everyone will feel the Reach will have a lot of depth to explore! Moving on, our next sprint will focus on tweaking the atmosphere, to adjust how exploration in the High Wilderness makes players feel.
As the holidays approach the Failbetter offices will be winding down until the new year. This will be the last development blog until 17th January. The next FBG Podcast will be on 5th January at 16:00 GMT with Paul, our Creative Director!
Prospects & Bargains Trade System Now Live
Today our Prospects and Bargains trade system is now officially available to players on Steam and GOG!
To discover all the details and its mechanics, check out our Prospects and Bargains post. Or, if you’d like an in-depth look at the system, watch our latest FBG Podcast where Chris and Lesleyann walk you through the system in-game.
Head over to New Winchester and visit the Promise of Days club at Wolvesey station. Here you can learn all you need to know from seasoned sky captains. Once you’ve picked up a couple of tidbits, then open the Bazaar and start wheeling and dealing.
Directions, which will help players find ports mentioned in quests
Bug fixes, which you can read all about in our Patch Notes
More About: Proc Gen Coming to the Main Branch
While the new proc gen system was originally released on its own branch, today it is being merged into the main branch of the game. This means:
If you moved over to the proc gen branch, then you can transfer back over to the main branch once the update is live. You’ll be able to import your save file and this time your map will not be regenerated.
If you’ve never tried out the proc gen branch, then once the update goes live you will still be able to load existing save files, but you will see some changes: your chart will regenerate and you will be moved to the New Winchester starting area. However, you will not lose any progress you have made on that character.
More About: Directions
The High Wilderness is vast, and so we wanted to add in a system that can help players find ports related to quests. Currently the only quest using this is the starting quest to Port Prosper, but we’ll be implementing this feature across a range of storylets in the future.
Directions are based on a 16-point compass (north, north-northeast, northeast, etc.) and are always given from the position of the region’s hub port no matter where you are in the High Wilderness. If the port in question is in the inner ring then it will be ‘some way’ from the hub port; if it is in the outer ring then it will be a ‘long way’ from the hub, e.g. Port Prosper is a long way north of New Winchester.
Dev Blogs and Podcasts Christmas Schedule
The Failbetter offices will be winding down over the Christmas period. The last dev blog before the holidays will go live Wednesday 20th December, before picking up again in January.
Our next FBG Podcast should take place Friday 5th January when we’re back in the office. We hope everyone has a lovely holiday and we can’t wait to show you some exciting things in the new year!
Patch Notes - 1.0.6.3.4ea876f (11th December 2017)
Today’s release sees the main branch updated with the new procedural generation system. This was previously released on a separate branch, check out the patch notes for all the updates and bug fixes that were included.
If you moved over to the proc gen branch, then you can transfer back over to the main branch once the update is live. You’ll be able to import your save file and this time your map will not be regenerated.
If you’ve never tried out the proc gen branch, then once the update goes live you will still be able to load existing save files, but you will see some changes: your chart will regenerate and you will be moved to the New Winchester starting area. However, you will not lose any progress you have made on that character.
Prospects and Bargains! Also included in this update is our new trading system: Prospects and Bargains. Head over to New Winchester and visit the Promise of Days club at Wolvesey station. Here you can learn all you need to know from seasoned sky captains. Once you’ve picked up a couple of tidbits, then open the Bazaar and start wheeling and dealing.
If you’d like a live demonstration of the Prospects and Bargains system then check out our live stream where our Narrative Director, Chris, explains the ins and outs of trading in the High Wilderness.
Bugs There are a couple of Known Issues with Prospects and Bargains that we didn’t have time to fix, and some we deliberately deferred until a future update. We made this decision as we want to make a wider change that will incorporate those fixes but this will take some time.
Specifically, if you have your Possessions or Hold interfaces open when you accept Prospects or pick up Bargains, then they do not update until they are closed and reopened. This was an existing issue we fixed a couple of updates ago, but the problem is also present in the new Bazaar interface. We made the decision to defer these bug fixes until the next update so that we can implement a feedback change alongside it: we will be adding your Sovereigns to the shop and Bazaar interfaces!
Have fun trading and please let us know what you think on the feedback thread on trade.
Directions Alongside Prospects and Bargains we’ve added a feature that will allow us to give directions towards ports. Currently the only quest using this is the starting quest to Port Prosper, but we’ll be implementing this feature across a range of storylets in the future.
Directions are based on a 16-point compass (north, north-northeast, northeast, etc.) and are always given from the position of the region’s hub port no matter where you are in the High Wilderness. If the port in question is in the inner ring then it will be ‘some way’ from the hub port; if it is in the outer ring then it will be a ‘long way’ from the hub, e.g. Port Prosper is a long way north of New Winchester.
Updates
* Prospects and Bargains
* Directions
* The Fastidious Inspector quest has been reactivated now that directions are in game
* Because the Fastidious Inspector quest is active again, we’ve once again reduced the number of Sovereigns handed out in the A Gift for New Captains storylet when starting a new character
* A number of shops from previous builds have been retired and new ones are in place with Fuel, Supplies and the port’s export good
Bug Fixes
* Loot can now be collected from Enduring Dreadnaughts
* The + and - icons within shop interfaces now update correctly when buying and selling multiples
Onward, to Albion: SUPERCLUSTER
Now that the new proc gen system is accessible in Early Access via branch, the team has been busy QAing and bug fixing the Prospects and Bargains system, which is due into the game before the end of the year. Alongside that, Art, Content and Tech have continued their work on various tasks for our other regions like Albion and Eleutheria.
ART
Besides creating the art for the Albion port, the Most Serene Mausoleum, Tobias has been working on visualisations of Terror that we’re hoping to add to the game soon. These Terror visualisations are based on your feedback that there aren’t enough cues that Terror is increasing.
There will now be five different visual stages to show the Terror condition: neutral, losing terror, gaining terror, gaining a lot of terror, and gaining-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-Terror-oh-my-god-I’m-going-to-die.
Example of upcoming Terror border visual effect
Alongside this solution for Terror feedback, we’ve also added a new HUD in the proc gen branch available to players. The new HUD aims to clarify Terror level as well as other conditions and stats the player will want a keen awareness of as they play.
CONTENT
Many of our writers and freelancers are forging ahead on Albion ports and content. James has been busy writing the content for one of our Legendary Wrecks: the Boatman, while Chris has spent time working on the ever mysterious Well of the Wolf.
As most of our freelancers such as Harry Tuffs and Richard Cobbett have been finishing up their Eleutheria ports. Similarly, James have been creating the content for the Eleutheria port of Pan, which was discussed in our FBG Podcast.
Olivia has also written the Blemmigan content for Sunless Skies, so expect upcoming fungal frivolity!
GAMEPLAY & DESIGN
Early Access means we’re creating Sunless Skies in open development. As such, players can witness bug report and fixes, submit feedback and see which changes we make to the game as development continues. With this comes occasional cuts to features or content.
One of the first cuts we can discuss here is a cut to how Isambard Line functions. In a previous update, we described that the Isambard Line would have the possibility of being fixed by the player and used as a fast travel system within the Reach. Depending on whether the player fixed the line or left it in disrepair would please either the Stovepipes or the Tacketies.
Due to recent adjustments to the Content and Tech schedules as well as the technical design behind this type of system, this aspect of the feature has had to be cut. This cut will allow the team to complete other, more essential gameplay features.
During the initial segment design meetings, Content fell in love with the idea of the line being an eerie example of a grand Victorian folly, never completed. So instead of deciding whether to fix the line or not, players will be able to discover the Isambard Line within the Reach, and play out a particular story that wouldn’t be able to be told if the line weren’t in disrepair. A story that will involve a unique Officer.
Barry has been implementing changes to ensure the game performance is optimised, so that ports like Lustrum won’t cause any visual performance issues. Now that the new proc gen system is available, Barry has also been busy implementing various Discoveries and Spectacles, which will add even more fullness to the world.
Meanwhile Mac has begun work on joypad controls. One of our main goals for Sunless Skies is to make it even more accessible than Sunless Sea, which means we’ll be trying to make it as easy as we can for people to map controls. With Prospects and Bargains soon to be implemented in the live-build, Mac has also been working with Lesleyann to resolve any bugs found around this system.
Lesleyann, as our Quality Analyst has also been mental testing the proc gen build to ensure that all the missing and duplicate port bugs have been sorted.
AUDIO
For all audio not strictly music related, we work with the award winning Soundcuts. Moving forward we’re going to work even more collaboratively with them, which will produce some brilliant sound effects within our skies!
Also, we’re continuing to work with Maribeth on the music for each region. Recently, we’ve finished up the two main theme tracks for Albion. We’ve also finished the first draft of the Main, Terror, and Death themes, with the Victory theme coming up next!
As we approach the holiday season, we’ll be winding down a little as people head off towards home for family and festivities. We hope to have Paul come on for the next podcast on Friday the 5th of January to give everyone a little tour of the new proc gen system!
New Procedural Generation System Live
We are delighted to announce that the new procedural generation system, discussed in the QUINTESSENCE blog, is now available for Steam and GOG users.
The new proc gen system addresses player feedback we've received about Sunless Skies feeling empty, as well as solving some tricky technical and design issues on our side. Its segment-based design allows us to create richer, more coherent environments, while still encouraging replayable exploration.
We very much look forward to your feedback on the new design! Feel free to let us know your thoughts via our Steam, GOG or FBG forums.
The new segment-focused proc gen system is available for players via a separate branch in Steam/GOG. This means that the original proc gen system of the game will still be the main playable build available to players when they login to Steam/GOG to play. However, if anyone wants to try out the new system, they can follow the simple steps below to try it out.
A experimental HUD (where you view your fuel, supplies, heat etc. on the screen) will also be available in the new proc gen branch.
Important Note: If you are planning to try out the new branch we would recommend creating a separate character or making a backup copy of your character's Lineage folder, as once you have imported your character’s save file from the main branch into the new proc gen branch, you will not be able to load that save file into the main branch again. More details about this can be found in our Patch Notes.
STEAM
Log into your Steam account
Go to your Library and right-click on Sunless Skies
Select 'Properties' and click on the 'Betas' tab
Enter 'proceduralgeneration' into access code text box and click 'Check code'
Click 'Close' and your game should update with the new proc gen build
To revert to the main branch: follow the same steps above, but select 'NONE - Opt out of all beta programs' from the dropdown menu in Steam’s ‘Betas’ tab
GOG
If you don't have it already, download GOG Galaxy. Only GOG Galaxy users can make use of branches!
Log into your GOG account
Right click on Sunless Skies and select 'Settings'
Make sure 'Beta channels' in the top right of this page is set to 'On'
Choose 'add private channels' from the channel dropdown menu and enter the password 'proceduralgeneration'
Click 'Install' to download the new proc gen version of Sunless Skies
To revert to the main branch: on the ‘Settings’ page, select 'default' branch and click 'install' again
FBG Podcast Scheduled for Today Postponed Also, our FBG Podcast about trade with Chris has been postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances. We are hoping to reschedule for Wednesday 6th December at 16:00 GMT.
Patch Notes - 1.0.4.6.24e7833 (29th November 2017)
The following updates and fixes are for the new proc gen branch only. To access it follow these steps:
Open the Steam client
Go to your Library and right-click on Sunless Skies
Select Properties
Select the Betas tab
Enter the following password into the beta access code field: proceduralgeneration
Click Check Code
Select the procgen branch from the drop down menu - the update will begin queuing
We’re releasing this build initially on a different branch as there are some risks with us having redesigned the proc gen system. However eventually it will become the main branch and everyone will be updated to this build.
We recommend starting a new character/save file within the new proc gen build. However if you are attached to your character or do not want to lose your progress you can load save files from previous Early Access builds. When importing existing saves you will see a warning that this will regenerate your map and move you to the New Winchester starting area. You will not lose any progress your character has made in terms of level, experience, possessions, progress through storylets, etc, but you will need to rediscover all previously uncovered areas of the Reach.
N.B. You will be able to change from the proc gen branch back to the main branch at any time, however once you have imported your character’s save file from the main branch into proc gen, you will not be able to load that save file in the main branch again. This is why we recommend starting a new character within proc gen. Alternatively, make a back-up copy of your character’s Lineage folder before you import it into the proc gen build (details of where to find these files are on our Bug Reporting page).
Please be aware that some saves imported from very early EA builds (builds before v1.0.2.3.2dbd705 released on the 25th October), may see their Scout unequipped when they load the game. Your cargo number may also be inaccurate. Just head north out of the asteroid field towards New Winchester where you can dock and re-equip your bat, and the cargo number will resolve itself once docked.
In the new proc gen system Port Prosper is no longer in a fixed segment, it will appear randomly in an outer segment, like any other port. Since the Fastidious Inspector quest directs you to Port Prosper in the North East, we’ve decided to disable this starter quest until we implement a new feature which can give accurate directions based on where ports are generated. Since this quest gives out a generous amount of Sovereigns we’ve temporarily boosted the Sovereigns awarded in the A Gift for New Captains storylet seen when starting a new character.
After extensive bug fixing and testing we believe we have finally eliminated all incarnations of the missing ports and duplicate port bugs! However, leaving the Reach boundaries may still cause issues with save files and we recommend against doing this (travelling too far out of the Reach and trying to return will cause the loading screen to hang and you will need to relaunch the game).
Updates
A new procedural generation system.
Redesign of the Survival HUD.
We’ve increased the spawn rate of agents.
We’ve changed the chart to accurately reflect in-game assets on the collidable layer.
Changes to Terror batch#1:
Terror is no longer gained when you enter the area around ports.
Rate of ambient Terror gain has been decreased (was previously ~1 Terror every 7 seconds, now it’s 1 every 14 seconds).
Rate of Terror gain doubles when your Crew number is less than half the base Crew capacity of your locomotive.
Camera effects when your rate of Terror gain increases.
Regions boundaries have been removed for now until we are ready to launch the next region.
New labels have been added to Carillon and additional (non-port) labels have been introduced throughout the Reach.
New decorations are in place.
What’s not included in this build
Discoveries and Spectacles: the world may feel a little busier now that agent spawn rates have been increased and we’ve added some new decorations, but Spectacles and Discoveries are still to come. Once released, they should make the Reach feel even more plush (and have effects on your Terror in the case of spectacles).
Bug fixes
UI
Ports are now aligned correctly on the chart in relation to the player's position when the UI scale is increased.
We fixed the issue where region boundaries can overlap or separate when changing the UI scale - however this will not be visible until we reintroduce the other regions.
The tooltip for Fuel, Supplies and Terror now appears over the icons.
Terror no longer overflows the UI if gained during storylets (though it doesn’t update to its correct value until after the storylet UI is closed).
Labels
Hidden labels at Polmear & Plenty's now appear in game.
Content
Several typos have been fixed in the in-game messages including those at New Winchester, Hybras and Carillon.
We’ve made the requirements clearer on the Drill for the fleshy bits branch when harvesting a Cantankeri corpse.
You can now harvest a stinger from a Chorister corpse for your settler.
When you run out of fuel completely the Adrift! storylet will fire (and kill your Captain) automatically rather than having to be selected manually from the ‘Always’ storylets in the bottom left of the screen.
Audio
The broken SFX heard when continuing a game has been fixed.
World Generation and Save Game Issues
Ports no longer disappear within game after returning to the title screen and continuing a game.
Titania will no longer appear twice.
Save files should no longer become corrupted leading to a black screen overlaid by the Survival HUD.
Player's will no longer see a black screen when returning to the Title Screen.
Terrain
Unique decorations are no longer duplicated in game.
Collision damage has now been applied at Port Prosper and Port Avon.
Slow world loading no longer causes players/agents to get stuck in scenery.
Decorations should no longer suddenly pop into existence when travelling across the Reach.
Trade in the Skies: ROCHE LIMIT
The new trade system we're introducing in December to Sunless Skies will be an extensive overhaul that ties into storytelling, economy, UI and character progression. There's a lot to talk about, so we've divided this update into three sections:
The TL;DR Version: a summary of what to expect
Why We've Changed Trade: a look into our design process and goals
The Nitty-Gritty: exhaust yourself with the details of trade
We’ll also be showcasing the new trade system on our next FBG Podcast, which will be at 16:00 GMT on Wednesday 29th November (so our Narrative Director Chris can show everyone the ropes).
The TL;DR Version
The new trade system aims to create the sense of being an independant trader. You're trying to carve out a living in the gaps left by big companies. That means you'll need a sharp eye for opportunities, and wits, boldness, and knowledge of the skies to capitalise on them. If the risk pays off, you could land that big score and make yourself rich – for a while.
At ports, you'll now be able to find Bargains and Prospects:
Bargains are opportunities to buy a good cheaply.
Prospects are news of someone who's prepared to pay well over the odds for a certain good.
You can invest in a Bargain for a quick sale, or pursue a Prospect for a bigger reward. But don't delay! As time passes, old opportunities will vanish and new ones appear. Different ports offer different opportunities, and as your captain levels up you'll unlock new, more profitable ones!
To support this new system, we're streamlining markets. Each region's main port will now buy any good, and each minor port will sell a single export. So if you want to sell, you'll visit the main port. If you want to buy, you'll need to find the right minor port.
Using your map, you'll be able to see each port's export and when new trade opportunities are available there. You can also check the Prospects you're currently pursuing on your locomotive screen.
Trade in Sunless Skies is intended to feel unpredictable and rewarding; to play like a story. It's meant to reward character progression and player knowledge. The initial implementation includes a slice of the Bargains and Prospects that will be in the final game, and we'll be following player feedback closely, and making changes (especially to costs and rewards). We hope you enjoy it!
Why We’ve Changed Trade
Before we started working on the trade system for Sunless Skies, we went back and looked at trade in Sunless Sea, focusing on what worked and what we wanted to improve on. We felt trade in Sunless Sea was:
Flavourful: The trade goods were evocative and playful. They revealed things about the world: Casks of Mushroom Wine, Firkins of Prisoner's Honey, Bolts of Spider-Silk.
Complex: Sunless Sea had about 22 trade goods. It also had more than 30 ports, each of which sold different goods at different prices. That's a lot of permutations, and as there was no UI dedicated to trade, players had to consult a wiki or keep extensive notes to engage with it.
Familiar: This was a huge benefit – the trade in Sunless Sea worked more or less like trade in a various other games (notably Elite, one of its inspirations). Players who had experienced similar systems felt on firm ground.
Reliable/Predictable: With a couple of effective exceptions, trade was reliable and predictable. A single port sold the same goods at the same prices, and once you'd worked out a trade route you could pump it indefinitely.
Stingy, then bountiful: Profit on each unit of goods was low, but the hold space in larger ships was generous. This meant that trade began with fiercely tight margins, but as your resources increased it became trivial. Combined with its reliability, trade tended to provide a steady flow of cash as you travelled.
Secondary: Trade was never the focus of Sunless Sea – it was a supplementary activity to add a sense of authenticity to the life of a captain.
AIMS FOR SUNLESS SKIES
After this, we identified three priorities to govern trade in Sunless Skies.
Simplicity: This is a risky word, because it sounds like we're dumbing trade down. But that's not the case: we're not reducing the design space (quite the opposite!), we just want it to be governed by clear rules and supported by helpful UI.
Harder choices; better rewards: Rather than being a routine, we want trade to be unpredictable. It should pose challenging choices, which can pay off handsomely. There's always risk, but after a good deal you should feel like Scrooge McDuck for a while. Profit won't be a curve or a line, it'll be spikes.
Tighter constraints on hold space are a key part in this (we know hold space feels very tight at the moment – it'll become somewhat less so as new locomotives and equipment become available).
Make trade a story: We want to convey the fantasy of trade – identifying an opportunity and committing your knowledge and resources to capitalise on it. We want to tie it to your captain and the choices you make about them. We want to use it to tell the story of the world.
UNGOALS
To keep ourselves focused, we also identified a number of things we aren't interested in doing.
Market simulation: We aren't making a complex economic simulation where prices fluctuate based on supply and demand.
Realism: We aren't trying to create anything realistic. As in Sunless Sea, the emphasis is on exploration and story.
Familiarity: This is a risk, but we're prepared to try something unusual here. This mean's we'll have to put more effort into explaining the system within the game.
The Nitty-Gritty: How Trade Works in Sunless Skies
The new system combines a number of different elements: trade goods, markets, Bargains, Prospects, and character progression.
TRADE GOODS
As in Sunless Sea we've kept the trade goods evocative. Trading Barrels of Unseasoned Hours tells us something about the nature of the High Wilderness, and it's an item we can use in fun ways in stories.
There are slightly fewer goods in than in Sunless Sea, (currently 14) so there's less to remember. Each region in the game focuses on a subset of goods which help tell its story. The Reach, for example, mostly deals in bronzewood, seeds, hours, souls, and Chorister nectar. A clear story like this aids player memory. Once you know the Reach is verdant and untamed, it makes sense you'd go there to get bronzewood.
MARKETS
'Markets', here, means 'what can I buy at each port, and for how much?' Our goal here was to make them a clear, simple underpinning for the trade system, freeing up 'complexity budget' elsewhere. They're now governed by three rules:
Each main port buys any trade good for its base price
Each minor port sells a single trade good (its export), again for the base price
Main ports only buy; minor ports only sell
This means if you find a bundle of bronzewood in a wreck, you know you can reliably sell it at the nearest main port. But if you're looking for a particular good, you need to find a port that sells it. You can now click on a port on your map to see a pop-up with a short description of it and a reminder of its export.
Buying a good at a minor port and selling it at a main one won't net you any profit. It's like buying something from one supermarket and selling it at the next one. Instead, to profit from trading you'll need to seek out Bargains and Prospects.
BARGAINS
Each port will have a new 'bazaar' area. Part captains' club, part trading-house, anyone needing to buy or sell quickly knows this is the place to come. At minor ports, the bazaar offers Bargains:
A bargain is a good offered for sale at a low price, but with limited supply.
Let's use our earlier example:
You can see how each bargain delivers a snippet of story, giving us another way to communicate the world of Sunless Skies. This Bargain allows you to buy up to three Jumbles of Undistinguished Souls, at the significantly reduced price of 45 sovereigns each (down from the usual price of 70 sovereigns).
You can buy all three, or buy some now and come back later. Don't wait too long though! Bargains change over time. They're randomised, and a system of tags filter which Bargains appear. We can tag a Bargain to only appear in the Reach, for example, or only at metropolitan ports, or only at places with Bohemian leanings.
When the Bargains at a port change, you'll get a notification on its map pop-up, so you can tell if it's time to visit again and see what's available.
Bargains can also have requirements, only appearing after specific story events or for certain captains.
You can always deliver Bargains back to the region's main port and sell them for a reliable profit. They're the meat and potatoes of trade. But you might want to store some in your bank and look out for a big return by combining them with a Prospect.
PROSPECTS
At major ports, the bazaar doesn't offer Bargains, but Prospects instead.
A Prospect is a contract with someone at another port, who will pay an excellent price for a certain good.
You'll need to source the good yourself, probably from a minor port. Here, your expertise comes into play – can you find the best trade route, and navigate the dangers on the way?
The client will only want a certain amount of the good in question. You can just provide part of their demand if you like, but if you fulfil all of it you may see an additional effect. For example, if you complete a Prospect to bring a Tackety sympathiser a supply of munitions you might affect the course of the conflict in the Reach!
The unwritten captains' code means once you've accepted a Prospect, no other captain will take it. It's recorded on your locomotive screen. You can accept up to four Prospects at once, and abandon them at any time.
Here's an example Prospect you might find at New Winchester:
This prospect will pay out 80 sovereigns per unit of seeds: double the normal base price of 40; Prospects are even more rewarding than Bargains, because they're more demanding. And if you can complete a Prospect by buying goods as a Bargain – well, that's how you make the big space-bucks.
AFFILIATIONS
The final piece of the trade puzzle is your captain, and their affiliations. As you level up, you choose new facets for your captain (like Scarred or Mentor), some of which increase an affiliation. Affiliations represent the circles you move in: Academe, Bohemia, Establishment and Villainy.
As they rise, each unlocks new Prospects and Bargains. The higher the affiliation, the more profitable the opportunities. Captains with high Villainy will have more chances to buy cheap stolen goods, while those with high Academe will be approached by researchers prepared to pay for materials to further their research.
So that’s it, our very very short post about the new trade system! We hope the Prospects and Bargains update will go out in mid-December. We can’t wait to see what you think!
