Dev Journal
Star Control DEV DIARY #1: Our little corner of the universe
You know the phrase, “Space is big”. Today, let’s walk through just how big space really is, and how its scale fits into the Star Control multiverse. Star Control: Origins takes place in a sector that is 120 by 120 light years. This is a staggeringly big area, but it is nothing compared to even our local super-cluster. Let’s zoom out. Way… way out, and we get to Lanikea: Nature video has a fantastic segment outlining just how massi... [read more]
Dev Journal
Check out a brand new Star Control preview trailer We’ve got less than half a year left before Star Control: Origins is set to release. So much is happening! Before I get into this month’s updates, here’s a bunch of answers to questions: What is Star Control? Star Control is a space adventure game where you are the captain of a starship exploring the cosmos, meeting aliens, landing on planets, engaging in battles in space and on land, a... [read more]
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]