Really glad you like the game, Usurper. Great to hear it's pushing you into trying out the survival mechanics!

I'm the lead on story/writing/text/voice in the game, too - so thank you for the feedback! We'll be adding more and more of that stuff in coming months :) if you have any specific thoughts, let me know.

Regarding a map, I think it's part of Sjoerd (the director)'s key vision that the game is explored without any map mechanic. You can collect Beacon items and drop these at key locations, to leave a trail for yourself. But more importantly, each area has been designed to have plenty of landmarks/key points, so hopefully you won't need a map in the long run. Sjoerd is a master of level design (has written books on it!) so hopefully you won't get lost!

I've been making my own map on grid paper so I can mark where food, water and shelter are. Landmarks are a little tougher since they're relative to one another, but I'm getting there.

Oh, awesome. Thanks for responding. Its really my own conditioning from modern day real life GPS and other games that use map systems that has me internally and conceptually reaching for a top down, all-encompassing view of everything. I have been using the beacons though (placing one up by the Tower, for instance, or by a cave/shelter, etc...), and because of the landmarks that you mention, I havent in fact felt lost or too disoriented. So, what youre going for seems to be working, is intuitive, and implemented well.

But yeah...I love the concept/story. Im into alternative science and history...alot concerning human origin and duration on earth...so your story is really intriguing for me and is bringing something unique to the table here I think (in addition to gameplay mechanics).

As for dialogue...my thoughts would be that when I saw that youtube video a while ago of the "First 8 minutes of gameplay", there was kind of TOO much dialogue...the character was talking to himself alot, which isnt necesarily realistic and didnt really feel right or natural to me. I dont see that in the game now, which I think was a good idea. What worked really well was the recording/logging that the character did when he reached the depths of the first cave. He was just recapping his progress and thoughts in a realistic and contextually significant way. I felt excited when I did it/heard it because it reaffirmed the story and my path. Without it, I could make up anything that I want about my progresses. You could probably tactfully add more of those without losing their impact (excitement, feeling of accomplishment), which to me makes a connection to a larger cause other than myself silently walking around on a deserted planet, and polishes the narrative/story. If I were the character, I would probably be logging semi-frequently (much as your dead friend in the cave was taking notes/journaling.) to continue my mission and continue my connection to what I believe and hope is still there. Like...he mightve recorded a log about finding his friend, and then the concequent rebuilding of the tower and his progresses.

Regardless. Love it.

Thanks so much for the feedback, Usurper. I've mentioned it to the team, and hopefully we'll be able to add more VA content without compromising the way it works now!

We have a line going in already from Sken when he sees Yuri's corpse - you pre-empted us on that!

Yeah thanks for the very nice feedback :)

No map indeed. Besides technically challenging I also wanted to let people really pay attention to where they are and not become enslaved to a map. Similar to real life, give people a GPS and they drive their cars off into rivers because they just don't take in their surroundings anymore :)

Idea was that besides the beacon items, people would get creative with the limited means they got. The empty food cans are useless for example, but you could use them to mark a path or spots in the caves. We also have a chalk rock, you can't find it currently but when you do it allows you to draw on rocks. Just gives a bit of a problem with performance right now.

I am very happy to hear you are noticing all the alternate history references and such. I've been looking at adding more sacred geometry and measurements too but so far been lacking a bit in that.

Awesome! Its great to hear that you guys are taking such attentive care. I appreciate that and it makes me want to play the game even more than I already do.

And I totally understand about maps and modernization of direction. Ive had conversations with friends about how our actual inner perspectice has been altered by GPS, social media, and the instant access of it all. Before the advent of these things (Im old enough to remember), my perspective of direction and location was singular to my own position...."this town is in this northerly direction...my friends house is that way, a little bit south of here", etc...but now, I just see a GPS screen in my minds eye when considering where I am. Haha.

To reiterate--the simple, and sometimes grand, landmarks found across the land really work when you pay attention. For instance, I went back from the second island to the first, but got stuck in the cave system for litterally like an hour and a half...going in circles, not understanding why...but then I sat back, and made the specific effort to pay attention to things, like the candles, and more specifically in this instance, the little stacks of rocks. I found my way out in no time. Awesome.

Sacred geometry! Oh man. This game is so cool. Im really excited to be able to play it all. I might even hold off from this point until the final release as I want to experience this thing in its entirety, full flushed out. Good work. I hope this thing does well.

Have the game on console and what I've taking to doing is making myself a paper map with landmarks and notes stuff like room with smoke snake (hates light avoid if possible) or room with creepy dolls (avoid if possible). I mean seriously sjoerd those things had my hair standing on end when they started moving.

Loving it so far but I wished I'd dropped a beacon near the top of one shaft on this island as I can't find it again (been goign aroudn the island getting chased by <not revealing the spoiler>

Obviously, a real time GPS-type device would be impossible given that it's a new planet with no such satellites. But it seems odd that I have a palm-pilot that can scan objects and tell me what they are but that I can't have a crude, static map, especially outdoors; maybe it's harder to map the caves so no maps there...

Originally posted by Schlock:

plenty of landmarks/key points, so hopefully you won't need a map in the long run

That's fine if you're expecting to spend a long time in an area such that you can learn the landmarks and the layout "by heart", but I don't think that's the case in this game... Otherwise, landmarks make good things to put on a map.
How about having Wilson show coordinates, if nothing else? That would make manual mapping more feasible.

Coordinates are not a bad idea but not sure if we will still add that.

There is a cheat command in non-VR soldebug that will show the coordinates in the top right corner of the screen.

Your level design is awesome (also mumbled to myself when I got into the first first cave that "take note Bethesda, this is how caves should look like"), so a question: In the future, if there's something more coming to The Solus Project, have you ever thought about adding a secret cave that would be harder and where you could actually get lost without using beacons and light sources to mark places?

Personally I would definitely like such challenge, and I really like about the fact that there's no map ... would make things way too easy and honestly these zones are not too big so that you wouldn't be able to memorize them. :)

by the way with no map,i am looking down a ladder in the cave and all my loot is at the entrance to the cave where i teleported into the cave system, anyone know a way back from said ladder to entrance ? since the socalled demigods that refuse to have a map. at least one that starts blacked out and only shows where youve been ? which is what a smart person would do.unless they want you to NOT BUY any more of their products

Thanks Cerastes :)

There might be, I still would love to do at least one big maze like level. Like a massive ancient labyrinth.

Originally posted by Çerastes:

@ sjoerd:

Your level design is awesome (also mumbled to myself when I got into the first first cave that "take note Bethesda, this is how caves should look like"), so a question: In the future, if there's something more coming to The Solus Project, have you ever thought about adding a secret cave that would be harder and where you could actually get lost without using beacons and light sources to mark places?

Personally I would definitely like such challenge, and I really like about the fact that there's no map ... would make things way too easy and honestly these zones are not too big so that you wouldn't be able to memorize them. :)

I actually got lost frequently in this game, something that almost never happens in games. Some of the best levels I have ever seen.