Affordable Space Adventures - story info, multiplayer, considering 3DS connectivity
A portion of a C3 interview with Nifflas and Knapnok producer Dajana Dimovska...
Cubed3: Will there be a storyline and protagonist, if so, how goes this side of the game come into play?
Nifflas: You have rented a cheap spaceship by UExplore, and they have provided transportation for you and your friends to go on an adventure to explore a safe and friendly planet. However, the planet doesn't seem that safe and friendly at all. Plus, the fact that your transportation is scattered over the landscape in hundreds of small pieces might mean you got more adventure than you asked for.
The protagonist in the game is the spaceship, and the planet you landed on. There's definitely a story, but it's not really told. The idea is that you can work it out if you look carefully enough at the landscape and environments, but players can still have a good time even if you don't care for that. We have not created an avatar or personality for the pilot, because the idea is that it's you who is inside that ship. Our job as game developers is to make you regret trying to get away with low-budget space travel. Seriously, if you want to cut costs, maybe do it with something else, silly.
Cubed3: Could multiplayer work given the strong focus on a single-player adventure?
Nifflas: The game can be played single-player, but don't think of it as a single-player game first. It's designed to be super fun for two or three people since you can all fly the same ship and control different aspects of it. My recommendation is definitely multiplayer if you have someone to play it with. However, there's no mode where you have different ships, and no competition, and no deathmatches. That just wouldn't make any sense in this game.
Dajana: In the multiplayer mode, a second player can take on the spaceship movement controls and a third player can use the scanner controls. In this case the first player is the engineer and has to control the engines and spaceship systems (adjusting values and turning on and off systems), while the second player flies the spaceship and the third player controls the scanner. They have to all work together to be able to operate the spaceship and avoid dangerous situations together.
This mode is to some extent inspired by Start Trek, especially the setting where the captain gives commands to the crew. The multiplayer mode has this atmosphere since communication between players is a key to passing the puzzles.
Cubed3: Would you consider portable platforms like Nintendo 3DS for a port or extra controller?
Nifflas: Definitely! Only, it's a quite heavy game when it comes to graphics, and the 3DS touchscreen is way too small for the current ship interface. It'd require some major work to make it fit the 3DS, but hey, you never know!
Cubed3: Will there be a storyline and protagonist, if so, how goes this side of the game come into play?
Nifflas: You have rented a cheap spaceship by UExplore, and they have provided transportation for you and your friends to go on an adventure to explore a safe and friendly planet. However, the planet doesn't seem that safe and friendly at all. Plus, the fact that your transportation is scattered over the landscape in hundreds of small pieces might mean you got more adventure than you asked for.
The protagonist in the game is the spaceship, and the planet you landed on. There's definitely a story, but it's not really told. The idea is that you can work it out if you look carefully enough at the landscape and environments, but players can still have a good time even if you don't care for that. We have not created an avatar or personality for the pilot, because the idea is that it's you who is inside that ship. Our job as game developers is to make you regret trying to get away with low-budget space travel. Seriously, if you want to cut costs, maybe do it with something else, silly.
Cubed3: Could multiplayer work given the strong focus on a single-player adventure?
Nifflas: The game can be played single-player, but don't think of it as a single-player game first. It's designed to be super fun for two or three people since you can all fly the same ship and control different aspects of it. My recommendation is definitely multiplayer if you have someone to play it with. However, there's no mode where you have different ships, and no competition, and no deathmatches. That just wouldn't make any sense in this game.
Dajana: In the multiplayer mode, a second player can take on the spaceship movement controls and a third player can use the scanner controls. In this case the first player is the engineer and has to control the engines and spaceship systems (adjusting values and turning on and off systems), while the second player flies the spaceship and the third player controls the scanner. They have to all work together to be able to operate the spaceship and avoid dangerous situations together.
This mode is to some extent inspired by Start Trek, especially the setting where the captain gives commands to the crew. The multiplayer mode has this atmosphere since communication between players is a key to passing the puzzles.
Cubed3: Would you consider portable platforms like Nintendo 3DS for a port or extra controller?
Nifflas: Definitely! Only, it's a quite heavy game when it comes to graphics, and the 3DS touchscreen is way too small for the current ship interface. It'd require some major work to make it fit the 3DS, but hey, you never know!
Related Posts:
