Dev Journal

Star Control: So you want to build a planet?

In preparation for the Game Developer's Conference we wanted to put a polish pass on the planets in Star Control: Origins. There are about 3,000 unique planets that are split into roughly 75 different classes.  Each class of planet has its own challenges, as well as its own mineral deposits that you might want to collect (along with ruins, cities, smugglers, creatures, etc.). Today, I'm going to walk you through how we create our planet classes. Unique, Procedural and Hand-Crafted... [read more]

Dev Journal

The Power of Video Game Narrative: Lohse “Sing For Me” Analysis

Video games are the ultimate form of entertainment media, encapsulating all other media forms and adding interactivity on top of it. In a video game, you can read lore and dialogue, watch cutscenes, listen to music, have a shared experience, among many other unique ways you can be engaged. In essence, there’s nothing that a book or a movie can do that a video game can’t, and the ability to combine all of these with an interactive narrative can create incredibly powerful experiences. ... [read more]

Dev Journal

Star Control: Secret Briefing #1 - The Jupiter Trip

Good afternoon.  Below is the captain's log from the recent Jupiter test of the prototype Emdrive MK I.  As a reminder, all information concerning the Emdrive remains classified.  Please return your Aug glasses to the front counter when you have finished this briefing. Captain's Log: March 2, 2086… There are 69 known moons of Jupiter.  Jupiter is the first planet we’re sending Star Control’s prototype ship to visit. Powered by the Darius Robotics... [read more]

Dev Journal

Star Control - The Art of Storytelling

We live in an age where developers actually brag about creating random quests as if that’s a good thing. In an age of gigabytes of memory the challenge isn’t in how many worlds you have, it is how to make those worlds compelling. In Star Control: Origins, there are no random missions.  No episode of Star Trek ever ended with Captain Kirk receiving 14 Dilithium crystals for his troubles.  Star Control is about telling stories in which you are the central character. ... [read more]

Dev Journal

Q+A regarding Star Control and Paul and Fred

Given the ongoing discussion of the legal dispute between Stardock and Paul Reiche and Fred Ford, designers of Star Control I and II, I wanted to take time to make Stardock's position clear and address inaccuracies that have been promoted. As the need arises, I’ll continue to update this post with additional questions and answers. Q: What are the issues in dispute? A:  On the eve of launch of the beta of Star Control: Origins in October 2017, a game Stardock has spen... [read more]

Dev Journal

Star Control: February 2018 - Of the Lexites

The new Star Control is moving swiftly!  We expect to release Fleet Battles Beta 2 within the next several weeks as most of our work is focused on the adventure game. We have been listening to feedback from the fans and incorporated that feedback into the project. For example, below is a screenshot which shows the updated home solar system: Our home solar system Similarly, the ships themselves have gotten the material system in early.  Originally, this was going to ... [read more]