Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Game News Underrail Dev Log #41: Noise System, Vacation

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Tags: Stygian Software; Underrail

In today's Underrail development update, the honorable Styg shares the game's latest changelog and reveals a new mechanic that he's been working on - the noise system. Here's an excerpt:

Hey guys, while the rest of the team is working on wrapping up the remaining content (a few obligatory teaser screenshot included below), I took the time to work on some of the last game mechanic stuff to be implemented.




Most importantly, I implemented a noise system so the player will now have to consider more than just visual perception when handling a hostile area. This system works in a simple manner - certain actions, mostly relate to combat, such as firing weapons, grenade explosions, etc now emit a certain level of noise that travels through the map, with walls and other obstacles dampening their propagation (with certain thick walls doing so drastically). This will cause certain weapons - crossbows, knives and silenced pistols (and to lesser extent sledgehammers), will now have an edge over other weapon types when doing a stealth assassination.

In addition to this, a lot of NPCs will now holler for help on their turn if they are not stunned or incapacitated, so it's important to dispose of them quickly and silently if you want to avoid fighting the whole camp.

These changes will undoubtedly make some encounters more difficult so we will go through most problematic of them to make sure they are not too ridiculous.

[...] Concerning the content - there's just one "biome" in Deep Caverns to be done before the "final event" in the game, but after that, as I mentioned before, we have to go back and rework some old areas and sprinkle a bit more flavor across the world.

Before we can do that, however, we'll need to recharge our batteries for the next three weeks by ditching our underground coding facilities and getting some Mediterranean sand in our toes (at least in my case). In the meantime, let us know how you like these changes.
See the full update for the changelog. So, a three week vacation. I'm guessing that summer release date isn't on the table anymore.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
I love Styg's work and his approach to development. Here's a guy who's interested in quality and doesn't care about anything else. The slow but steady transformation of this game from the early ideas to what we have today is fucking amazing (something that not a single Kickstarter delivered despite claims of transparency).
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
I love Styg's work and his approach to development. Here's a guy who's interested in quality and doesn't care about anything else. The slow but steady transformation of this game from the early ideas to what we have today is fucking amazing (something that not a single Kickstarter delivered despite claims of transparency).

Kickstarters actually release their games, though. :smug:
 

Sjukob

Arcane
Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
2,052
Oh my , I thought it was already implemented . Because even far away enemies tend to rush to you as soon as you start shooting .
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Sure, they release poorly designed games that range from "bad" (PoE) to "cute" (Shadowrun) or "good foundation to build on later" (WL2), which is nice and all, but if you want a well designed, well thought through game where quality is the only thing that matters, you're out of luck.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Sure, they release poorly designed games that range from "bad" (PoE) to "cute" (Shadowrun) or "good foundation to build on later" (WL2), which is nice and all, but if you want a well designed, well thought through game where quality is the only thing that matters, you're out of luck.

You've certainly arrived at the end of your road to Damascus on this topic. I guess I'll have to lead the Kick-zerai myself!
 

Gwendo

Augur
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
989
Sure, they release poorly designed games that range from "bad" (PoE) to "cute" (Shadowrun) or "good foundation to build on later" (WL2), which is nice and all, but if you want a well designed, well thought through game where quality is the only thing that matters, you're out of luck.

Larian did well with their kickstarter, in my opinon.
 

Raapys

Arcane
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
4,960
Larian also had an unfair advantage in terms of having a clear direction and mostly-finished game engine and systems before the kickstarter even started.
 

Athelas

Arcane
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
4,502
I love Styg's work and his approach to development. Here's a guy who's interested in quality and doesn't care about anything else. The slow but steady transformation of this game from the early ideas to what we have today is fucking amazing (something that not a single Kickstarter delivered despite claims of transparency).
I'm not sure I'd describe a development cycle of (close to) a decade as an achievement.
 

TwinkieGorilla

does a good job.
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
5,480
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Pathfinder: Wrath
I love Styg's work and his approach to development. Here's a guy who's interested in quality and doesn't care about anything else. The slow but steady transformation of this game from the early ideas to what we have today is fucking amazing (something that not a single Kickstarter delivered despite claims of transparency).

Add me to the echo chamber for this statement.

I'm not sure I'd describe a development cycle of (close to) a decade as an achievement.

If most of that time was spent as 1 person and then later as only 3, I sure as shit would. Unless I was a fucking moron.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
It's an achievement in terms of him not giving up by now.

But Underrail has "only" been going on for 6-7 years, it's AoD that has a decade to its name.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
I'm not sure I'd describe a development cycle of (close to) a decade as an achievement.
A guy made a great game with great mechanics that's better than most games out there but it's not an achievement because he took too long?

It's an achievement in terms of him not giving up by now.
It's an achievement in terms of him making a great game.
 
Self-Ejected

Lurker King

Self-Ejected
The Real Fanboy
Joined
Jan 21, 2015
Messages
1,865,419
Kickstarters actually release their games, though. :smug:

You know what people will say about this 20 years from now?

Remember how we used to believe that Kickstarter would bring the cRPG renascence? So much LOLOLOL! We were so naĂŻve, LOLOLOL!

Well, if we depend from another backer platform, we are fucked. There is no chance in the world that someone will believe in a new Kickstarter after the bubble of 2018 and the scandals involving EA money.

This. EA, EA never changes.

At least we got two classics from it. Underrail and Age of Decadence.

Joined: Jan 10, 2025.

:avatard:

They were not funded by Kickstarter, you fucking mongoloid.

No one will discuss how long the games took to be developed. It seems that you have the misplaced idea that game development should be guided by your own interests in posting news. If a Studio finishes a game fast with content, it’s good, professional. Otherwise, it’s bad. Just because someone does a lot of stuff in little time it doesn’t mean will be good, you know?
 
Last edited:
Self-Ejected

Lurker King

Self-Ejected
The Real Fanboy
Joined
Jan 21, 2015
Messages
1,865,419
I'm not sure I'd describe a development cycle of (close to) a decade as an achievement.

What? I don’t even.

I don’t think the Gates of Paradise could be called an achievement, Lorenzo Ghiberti. Sorry, you took too long.

04.jpg



The achievement is the masterpiece Styg is delivering. How long he took? Who cares! I bet that there is a lot of achievers in the industry of mobile games. LOL. Real quality is not measured in expectations about how fast something should be delivered.
 
Last edited:

epeli

Arcane
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
719
a development cycle of (close to) a decade
What game are we talking about here? :? Underrail's been in full-time development for 4 years and nearly all of the game's content has been created in the past 3 years.

The earliest Ouroboros (the game engine) prototypes date back to 2009 though, so I guess you could say 7 years if you include that.
 

Athelas

Arcane
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
4,502
A guy made a great game with great mechanics that's better than most games out there but it's not an achievement because he took too long?
Who said this? Because I didn't - I said a long development cycle isn't an achievement in itself. I'm sure Blizzard took the utmost care in carefully reiterating on Diablo's 3 building blocks during the 11 years it was being developed.

I was being facetious, mostly because I wanted to comment on the dichotomy you drew between indie game development and Kickstarter game development. It's true that Kickstarter game development resembles publisher-funded game development quite a lot. This is a disaster...if you believe publisher-funded games can't possibly be good. Last I checked, the Codex top 70 RPG's of all time was filled with them and had barely any indie games to speak of. :M

What game are we talking about here? :? Underrail's been in full-time development for 4 years and nearly all of the game's content has been created in the past 3 years.

The earliest Ouroboros (the game engine) prototypes date back to 2009 though, so I guess you could say 7 years if you include that.
Wikipedia says development began in (late) 2008.
 

TwinkieGorilla

does a good job.
Patron
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
5,480
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Pathfinder: Wrath
so I guess you could say 7 years if you include that.

Sure, you could say that. You could say all sorts of things about how long it's taking. Y'know...if being a pedantic twat who's missing the point is your thing.

(not directed at you, obvs)
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
7,269
Who said this? Because I didn't - I said a long development cycle isn't an achievement in itself. I'm sure Blizzard took the utmost care in carefully reiterating on Diablo's 3 building blocks during the 11 years it was being developed.

I was being facetious, mostly because I wanted to comment on the dichotomy you drew between indie game development and Kickstarter game development. It's true that Kickstarter game development resembles publisher-funded game development quite a lot. This is a disaster...if you believe publisher-funded games can't possibly be good. Last I checked, the Codex top 70 RPG's of all time was filled with them and had barely any indie games to speak of. :M

Wikipedia says development began in 2008.
You're a fucking idiot.
 

Infinitron

I post news
Staff Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
97,236
Codex Year of the Donut Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
There are gameplay videos from early 2010 on Styg's YouTube channel, so it can't be any newer than sometime in 2009.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
I was mostly being facetious because I wanted to comment on the dichotomy you drew between indie game development and Kickstarter game development. It's true that Kickstarter game development resembles publisher-funded game development quite a lot. This is a disaster...if you believe publisher-funded games can't possibly be good. Last I checked, the Codex top 70 RPG's of all time was filled with them and had barely any indie games to speak of.
I meant that KS promised transparency and players' involvement but didn't deliver. Styg did.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom