Why Early Access?

“Inkfish is dedicated to making the best game experience possible. EONWAR combines mechanics from many different genres and we realise there is a fine line between creating a coherent game progression and creating a confusing mess.

During our beta testing we’ve learned how valuable and necessary it is to keep things simple and clear from our community, and we will continue to value their input at every step of our development.

We see first hand how much of an impact our testers have had on the final product, from the inclusion of on-screen prompts to clearer explanation of the mechanics in-game that eliminates the need to refer to a game manual. This continual back and forth will remain a staple of our design process to ensure EONWAR is accessible to the largest number of players possible.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“For at least 4 months, but depending on player feedback and the amount of features we choose to put into the final game such as local multiplayer split-screen, it may take longer.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“We are currently tweaking all the current systems and balancing the game to ensure an enjoyable pace is experienced when playing a match. Not too short that the player is sat around waiting to join a new match, and not too long that it will discount older players that usually have less time to commit to gaming. We are striving to hit the perfect in-between balance by the time the full version is released, but that comes with some significant testing with our community.

The full version will include planetside battles (currently engagements on planetside are resolved by comparing total unit group strength and adding a touch of RNG for variation) where each player will directly control 1 of their 3 unit types at a time and fight to win the contested arena. This is currently the case for space battles, and will extend to planetside in the final version.

All faction planets will be unique in the final game. We currently have 2 implemetned, 1 in the works and 3 yet to be realised.

Other features we hope to implement include:

• PvE mechanic (control the Kollektiv inc. its OP specials for a chance to score higher XP)
  
• Additional Commanders
  
• Local same-screen Multiplayer (Local LAN play is already implemented)

”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“ Core game is in and fully playable as intended for retails release, minus planet-side battles and some faction planets. The current build has a ton of control optimisations (gamepad / mouse & keys) and features such as:

GAMEPLAY
• Online Multiplayer via Steam
  
• Local LAN Multiplayer
  
• Custom Match Setup
  
• Phase-based Strategy (Planet/ Space)
  
• Real-time Arcade Style Battles with Physics (Space)
  
• Varied Battle Arenas (Planet)
  
• Varied Sectors with different gameplay considerations in Space
  
• Empire Mechanic
  
• Allies (force opponents to fight for your empire)
  
• Randomised Planets (2/6)
  
• Planetary Shields
  
• Commander Ranking
  
• Resource & Deck Management
  
• Missile Piloting Mini-game & Upgrades
  
• Service Hex's
  
• Waypoint System
  
• Multiple view modes (Overview, Empire, Holo-map)
  
• Micro / Macro Manager
  
• Hijacking
  
• Unit construction
  
• Mining system
  
• Colony capture
  
• Interactive asteroid belt
  
• Command Posts
  
• Prisoner Breakouts
  
• Encounter Mini-game
  
• Envoys
  
• Kollektiv Mediator
  
• Leaderboards
  
• XP and Levelling Up
  
• Multiple Win Conditions: Domination, Obliteration, Greatest Empire & Servitude

POWERS & SPECIALS
• Cloak
  
• Over-Shields
  
• Advanced Scanners
  
• Bribe
  
• Kidnap/Capture
  
• Ransom
  
• Assassinate
  
• Sabotage
  
• Jump Gates
  
• Engine Priority
  
• Weapon Priority
  
• EMP
  
• Reinforce
  
• Shield Repair
  
• Shield Rotate

”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“No concrete plans yet but Yes, it is likely the price will increase over the course of the Early Access period.

The most significant will likely be on release of planetside battles (largest milestone) to reflect the games content.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We welcome feedback from the community, typically on game balancing, suggestions and discovering bugs. We will be hosting a number of open BETA's and gathering data such as game length in order to fine-tune match progression via currency rewards for player actions; this is the main catalyst for determining match length.

Our Discord server is available for players that wish to learn more, have a suggestion or just want to feedback their experiences. We are in the process of setting up a forum on Steam to also facilitate this.

There are still a few aspects about planetside battles which will be wholly decided by the community such as limiting battle length via arbitration should it need to be addressed. Other factors relating to the PvE component where one player will take on the role of the Kollektiv and its over-powered abilities will also be tailored based on community feedback.

We are attempting some new things and as such we are also learning more about our game each day. By combining our technical knowledge with the community's feedback, we will achieve an enjoyable game that suits the grand majority of gamers.

Local-multiplayer has always been our first love, though we are waiting to gather feedback on such a feature before committing. We call on the help of the community to help us determine which format we will be developing this feature. We are currently experimenting with the idea of a supplementary smart-phone app, though such a radical feature would need to be greenlit by our community first.”