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Incline NEO Scavenger: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival RPG

dcfedor

Blue Bottle Games
Developer
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
I know what you mean. There was a sort of "pure science meets eerie/suspense" vibe to the game. I don't think my game will have interstellar flight or aliens, at least as they appear in Starflight. But I do plan on aping their attention to physical hazards. Things like gravity wells too strong to escape, crashing onto planet surfaces, inclement surface weather, being stranded without fuel, and hopefully some tricks of my own.

And, of course, there's always the Kuiper Belt, or Oort Cloud :)
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,938
I don't think my game will have interstellar flight or aliens, at least as they appear in Starflight. But I do plan on aping their attention to physical hazards. Things like gravity wells too strong to escape, crashing onto planet surfaces, inclement surface weather, being stranded without fuel, and hopefully some tricks of my own.

It doesn't have to have any of that at all. What Starflight evokes is that fear of nothing at all, which is the scariest thing of all because your greatest enemy is your imagination. A good example of that is landing on planets where there are no scary threats, but the sound effects and lack of music make you feel like you're out alone in the wilderness where everything is a part of the wilderness - there is no civilization to run to, no where to hide save for a brief moment (Something already evoked in NS, though I can't compare them well enough, I've yet to play you game). In fact the only safe bit of civilization in the starting space station, and watching that video again, the music even reflects that too being entirely different from the rest in the game.

Actually talking about this brings back ideas of a kind of game I'd love to make that's a meld of low key TES hiking simulator where civilization is vastly spread out single farms and such forcing you to trek through a very mountainous and forested wilderness in between filled with a mix of sci-fi and fantasy horrors, but just enough to keep you on edge without dispelling that fear of the nothing.

And ideal situation would be wandering along at night in the middle of nowhere only to come across strange lights in the low in the sky like in a typical UFC situation and have just that play on your mind and what to do: Do you keep going towards them and save time to save on supplies or work around them at the cost of time? Could there be things in the woods around you already? Is this just a fancy gimmick to get you scared and there's nothing to worry about?

Given you're Location, I think you can understand where my ideas come from if you're ever gone up the logging roads outside of Vancouver - I'm Lower Mainland born and raised myself. If you haven't you really should do so on a rainy day just to stand around and get a feeling for it. Long Beach on the Island also has the same feel, only with the wide, open Pacific crashing on on shore adding to it.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,938
Finally got the game and am loving it for reasons well listed in this thread.

I'll just add one thing: It's really striking when you finally reach Detroit, you actually feel like you've walked into civilization again after the lonely desolation you came out of. It's also a testament to the writing and what the simple graphics can convey that you know this is a huge city that's a little fortress surrounded by chaos, something that games often constantly fail at (Fallout by Bethesda) or are undermined by what else is out there in the world that lessens the impact (like the Oil Rig in FO2 and Vault City when all it is is a more cleaner, ordered town in a game littered with others, some as large or larger).
 
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Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
dcfedor congratz on reaching 150k sold coppies. Amazing achievement considering it is your first game and you had 0 PR.
Hopefully you will continue this tell don't show type of game-play everyone here loves.

Don't spend everything on Ferraris :D Leave some budget on your next few games :D
 

dcfedor

Blue Bottle Games
Developer
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Perkel thanks! It blows my mind that the game went as far as it has. When I set out to make it, I was thinking Kongregate/Armor Games/Newgrounds and a sponsorship. I never would have expected the first game to take years, and what's more, for people to actually pay for it!

Which scares me a little. We'll soon find out if I'm a one hit wonder or if I can stay relevant.

That said, I'm in no danger of visiting Ferrari dealerships anytime soon. A good proportion of those 150k "owners" are discounted sales, bundles, and freebies (e.g. Operation Supply Drop). And after Steam's cut, and Canadian taxes, let's just say I was able to visit a Honda dealership to score a sweet CR-V :)

Nathaniel Hawthorne once said of The House of the Seven Gables, "At any rate, it has sold finely, and seems to have pleased a good many people." And that's about all I could ask for!
 

Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
dcfedor nah i don't fear you are one hit wonder. Stuff you put into NEO were not some lucky features but carefully designed features that had certain goal to achieve.

BTW seriously think about patreon. Steam is good and amazing for small devs but from what i see Patreon seems to be the best way to finance yourself and your projects in future. Patreon itself doesn't exclude releasing paid 1.0 on steam.
 

thesheeep

Arcane
Patron
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Tampere, Finland
Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
BTW seriously think about patreon. Steam is good and amazing for small devs but from what i see Patreon seems to be the best way to finance yourself and your projects in future. Patreon itself doesn't exclude releasing paid 1.0 on steam.
That is pretty much a no-go for developers.
Patreon is a way for producers of content that comes often, at the very least once per month (and that IMO is not nearly often enough). A good game takes at the very least a year to develop, especially alone. Probably more if you don't want to burn yourself out.

Of course, you could also create a game for 17+ years, but your actual product is textual entertainment in obscure communities.
 

Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
BTW seriously think about patreon. Steam is good and amazing for small devs but from what i see Patreon seems to be the best way to finance yourself and your projects in future. Patreon itself doesn't exclude releasing paid 1.0 on steam.
That is pretty much a no-go for developers.
Patreon is a way for producers of content that comes often, at the very least once per month (and that IMO is not nearly often enough). A good game takes at the very least a year to develop, especially alone. Probably more if you don't want to burn yourself out.

Of course, you could also create a game for 17+ years, but your actual product is textual entertainment in obscure communities.

I think you don't understand how Patreon works.
It is more about fanbase following than actual products.

Naturally you need to do initial work because no one will give a shit about ideas.
 
Joined
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Messages
1,350
PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
BTW seriously think about patreon. Steam is good and amazing for small devs but from what i see Patreon seems to be the best way to finance yourself and your projects in future. Patreon itself doesn't exclude releasing paid 1.0 on steam.
That is pretty much a no-go for developers.
Patreon is a way for producers of content that comes often, at the very least once per month (and that IMO is not nearly often enough). A good game takes at the very least a year to develop, especially alone. Probably more if you don't want to burn yourself out.

Of course, you could also create a game for 17+ years, but your actual product is textual entertainment in obscure communities.
You would be surprised at how many people would fund development of a game (per month, per week, or whatever), even if they don't get to play it for 20 months.
 

thesheeep

Arcane
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Messages
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Location
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Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
I think you don't understand how Patreon works.
It is more about fanbase following than actual products.
Of course that is how Patreon works, but how are you going to rack up a following without a product to begin with? For KS, you just have to produce something showable, a demo is very rare.
And how big does that following have to be (and stay!) if you aren't going to release actual content?
A lot of people would have to be willing to pay you 1-10$ per month for a very long time, which really adds up. That requires some dedication I simply can't see happening for an indie game. With KS, you pay once and hope for a game in a year or two. But for this, you are paying nonstop. You really have to believe.

For something like an Early Access title, I could see that working somehow. But in that case, Early Access gets you a broader audience and a bigger spotlight than some very devoted but few people on Patreon could.

Ironically, I could also see this working for episodic content. Because then, people would actually get something every once in a while.
Or games that are basically finished, but you can keep on producing content for.

You would be surprised at how many people would fund development of a game (per month, per week, or whatever), even if they don't get to play it for 20 months.
Was there ever a project that was financed this way?
 

Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
I think you don't understand how Patreon works.
It is more about fanbase following than actual products.
Of course that is how Patreon works, but how are you going to rack up a following without a product to begin with? For KS, you just have to produce something showable, a demo is very rare.


I never said that you should release nothing and expect people to give a shit. No. Earch alpha should be moment where you set up your patreon fundraizing and not for game but for you or your studio.

Secondly i think you don't understand how it really works.

Let's say i like what you do and i want you to continue what you do. Then i set in patreon 1$ per month for you.
Not 30 not 150 not 1000 but 1$.

This way there is almost no chance i will ever remove that monthly pledge unless you shutdown or you do something i really don't like.

Getting those 1$ people is far more important than those 20$ people. And those 1$ people are mostly your fanbase which you build.

Here is Fenoxo making 25k$ a month for making essentially browser games with very little acutal programing and mostly writting about 2 huge pennises fucking cows.

Dude has 2 projects. 1 which is like decade old (but updated) and other rather new which is like 2-3 years old at this point.


https://www.patreon.com/user?u=121401
 

thesheeep

Arcane
Patron
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Messages
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Location
Tampere, Finland
Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
That example really is what I meant as a working example.
It is exactly what I described, as that guy produced content pretty regularly. Not necessarily new projects, but new content for those projects.

There simply is no fanbase without regular updates.

But I agree that it might be a good idea to just try and go for Patreon in addition to other things.
 
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dcfedor

Blue Bottle Games
Developer
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Thanks for the vote of confidence! I think you will see the same pedantic attention to detail in my future games, for better or worse :)

As for Patreon, it's an interesting idea. I think it could work in a situation where I was pushing out content/feature updates regularly. That way, there is a stream of fresh stuff to make the recurring payment worthwhile.

I'm thinking that the next game will probably go a lot like NEO Scavenger. Some beta/early access launch where the game is functionally complete, and some (possibly long-ish) period of content, refinement, features, and fixes leading up to a final launch at a higher price. That seemed to satisfy most players, as they could come back later and try new stuff, making the game a better value for money long-term. I'm unsure if it'll launch on my site first, or simultaneously on Steam/GOG, or what. But now that I finally have the hang of launching things that way, it'd be useful to employ those skills :)

One interesting way to leverage Patreon, though, might be to keep the door open on NEO Scavenger (or other old titles) longer. In the sunset of a game's sales curve, work on that game is essentially just good-will. Any time spent on it is detracting from more responsible, revenue-generating alternatives like a new game. But if there were a trickle of revenue to support it, that could help offset the cost of working on a low/non-revenue product.

It might even be possible to have that Patreon revenue get funneled into a contractor to continue maintaining the codebase and adding stuff, keeping me free to work on the primary project.

In any case, it's something to keep in mind as an option!
 

Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
yup. Main reason why people are so happy about patreon is that it keeps bills paid when you work on actual game vs getting paid after you completely finish game.

Like i said Patron doesn't only work in way that you NEED to have updates. It also works as a support. Like in sense i love you work. 1$ isn't much. So i will giveyou 1$ each month for next x or xx years because 1$ isn't much and i love you work.

Which is why people who use patreon don't like 20 or more bucks paid by people because those kind of people will look into their account and they will feel those 20$ sometime soon.

Patreon naturally won't work for medium or big studios.
 

pippin

Guest
I just wanted to say Neo Scavenger is one of the best games I've played recently, it really gave me way more than what I was expecting initially. I'm completely shit at it, but there's some intangible element that keeps me playing and trying again. Funny how some lines of text can make you more immersed than anything you could ever make. I will buy the next game when it's done.
 

agris

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
6,761
Funny how some lines of text can make you more immersed than anything you could ever make.

Imagination is a powerful thing. This is one of the secret ingredients lost in modern game design, where everything is show-not-tell.
 

Perkel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
15,805
Yup one of the reasons why 3D rpgs suck. Because in 2D rpg all faces movement, gestures and so on are filled in by your imagination based on some static portrait while in 3D you have this ankward shepard face.

In the end when you finish some game you have clear picture of what was done. Text or 3D animation doesn't matter.
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
Patron
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Apr 24, 2015
Messages
19,110
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
http://bluebottlegames.com/main/node/6110
Memory Lane


published by dcfedor on Thu, 02/23/2017 - 17:10
Hey Folks! Despite not touching an ounce of code today, it actually felt pretty productive. Not having errands really helped :)

First order of business was to get trailer inspiration and materials together for Josh to digest. Since a live action establishing shot is on the table, I collected some of the old cosplay photos as well as the PAX East photos, for reference. I also started digging through old quotes, reviews, and other commentary on the game for hallmark moments.

This led to me re-reading the RPGCodex NEO Scavenger thread. And as I mentioned on Twitter, what a nostalgia trip that was.

The thread begins as NEO Scavenger is in early beta. Still just a baby Flash game and an unknown quantity. It evolves into a desktop game, gets more and more features, until it becomes recognizably what it is today. And it all happens over the course of about 30-60 minutes of reading. Multiple years of work crammed into a dozen pages of funny anecdotes, feature discussion, and some hilarious fan art.

Got me itching to start an NS2 project to add new features. But I had to slap my own wrist before starting, because I have homework to finish first!

I've sent over that idea-fodder to Josh, and I'm awaiting his feedback.

In other (unrelated) Josh news, the latest spaceship editing track is a "go," after a few dedicated listens. This one feels a bit like a mix of 80s and 90s sci-fi music. Technical, yet ambient and unobstrusive, like reviewing schematics.

And while we're on the topic of 80s sci-fi, it appears the new Alien: Covenant Prologue debuted today. Talk about setting the tone. It feels more like the original, and close to how I'd like the new space game to feel. Banter in the breakroom, and blue collar industrial. Maybe I'll figure out a way to see this one before it's out on DVD :)
 

dcfedor

Blue Bottle Games
Developer
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
This'll be an interesting read, for sure. I don't necessarily agree with his "this is who we are" statement. We are social creatures, after all. There's a reason we like stories and their structure, and it's not because we told them to ourselves in isolation :)

But I agree that what we've become is quite separate from what we once were. Detached from our (natural) world, and paradoxically in the case of cities, more detached from our own communities than times when towns were smaller. His perspective is likely to be a unique and educational one in a world where it is rare to go a week without contact, let alone years.
 

Taka-Haradin puolipeikko

Filthy Kalinite
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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Bubbles In Memoria
http://bluebottlegames.com/main/node/6132
Hey Folks! Sorry for the several days of missing devlog. I was on an important business trip. And by "business," I mean this:

screenshot-2017-03-20.jpg


Research!

Braving 45°F (7°C) Vancouver rain in nothing but a hospital gown and pink flip flop, we set about filming the new NEO Scavenger mobile trailer. Let me just say, I have a newfound appreciation for what Philip Kindred must go through in every early game. And what's more, how a film production works!

Digital Cyclops ran the production up in Vancouver, and did an amazing job. Especially considering the cold, rainy conditions! And what's more, they brought in Dalias Blake to play the veteran scavenger! You'll see soon enough how imposing this man can be, decked-out in layered attire and strapped with tools and optics for the wasteland. He had some great suggestions about the various shots, as well.

The footage is currently being uploaded to Josh for editing, and he's already lined up none other than @WritNelson and @ElConquistadork to do VO.

That's right folks. This trailer is going to be a pretty stark contrast to my first, game-footage-only trailer back in 2012.

I'm pretty psyched!
 

pippin

Guest
So Philip does drop the wrist tag as soon as possible, huh? I do that too.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
http://bluebottlegames.com/content/neo-scavenger-mobile-released

NEO Scavenger Mobile Released!

Hey Folks! NEO Scavenger Mobile Edition is officially launched!



After a few stumbles, and nearly a year of development, NEO Scavenger is now available on your iOSand/or Android device of choice. This is the same game you've grown to love/hate on PC, with all the same features, except the UI has been adjusted to work with multitouch instead of a cursor. That means the same slow-burn, deep-mechanics, play-at-your-leisure experience can now be enjoyed on your favorite bus/couch/train/bed/plane/armchair.



What's New?
This version of NEO Scavenger learned a few new tricks! The mobile version has the following improvements:
  • Achievements - Track your progress in exploring all the game has to offer.
  • Leaderboards - See how your performance stacks-up against friends and other players.
  • Improved Save System - No more Flash cookies!
Is There a Demo?
Yup! You can download the free demo at:

and play it as long as you'd like. It's an unlimited time, limited features/content demo, and it should be enough to help you decide if it runs on your device, and whether you like the experience or not.

How Do I Get the Full Version?
To get the full version, just click the "Full Version" button in the app's main menu, and follow the prompts for the in-app purchase (IAP). It will permanently unlock the full version on your device. The price is 9.99 USD to unlock the full version (adjusted for local currencies).

Why Does It Cost $X? Why Not $Y?
I originally wanted to charge the same price on mobile as desktop, since it's basically the same product. (Slightly improved, even.) But the mobile world is weird and prices there don't look like prices on desktop. So instead, I chose a price similar to other mobile games like NEO Scavenger (9.99USD). And just like on desktop, there are games that are both more or less than the price I chose, for better or worse.

If I Already Own the Desktop Version, Do I Get a Free Mobile Copy?
Unfortunately, no. It's a neat idea, but even if I could afford to do this, I'm not even sure I could reliably link desktop owners to mobile accounts without rampant free-copy exploits.

Will the Desktop Version Be Upgraded, Too?
Hard to say. It's something I'd like to do, but it depends on a lot of factors. On one hand, I'd like to unshackle desktop players from the finicky Flash engine once and for all. But on the other hand, I'd really like to resume work on my next game. It's probably something I'll explore in my free time, but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.

I Want To Help! What Can I Do?
Well, buying the game helps, of course. But if you can't (or prefer not to) do that, you can still help by spreading the word. Posting on sites like Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or similar are a big help, too. And if you know anyone who might dig NEO Scavenger, please tell them!
 

dcfedor

Blue Bottle Games
Developer
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
111
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Kudos on the quick scoop! I stealth published that in preparation for the apps launching, but neither Google nor Apple have listed it on the store yet.

Rumor has it that it's usually pretty quick (minutes to hours), so I'm hoping they're live soon!
 

Mustawd

Guest
Finally, I can say, "Eh, looks like mobile crap. Pass"

:troll:
 

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