Steady, as she goes Starchasers!

You know the drill by meow now.



2 cats 1 bed

This week's content creator spotlight is AZHIGHWAYZ, who did a stellar (get it) job showcasing the economy and customization portions of what Underspace brings to the table. Thanks for the hard work on the video, starchaser -- the rest of you, enjoy! Or else.



Now, for the biggest news pretty much ever:


That's right, you'll all be able to play Underspace in just a few short months! Are you excited? You should be! Because I'm really tired -- but happy -- that this is finally getting off the ground and into your hands.



Can't wait until then? Well, we've announced this already, but for the record:

Underspace will be participating in Steam Next Fest!

Once again, we'll have a playable Steam demo up and running AND I'll be personally playing during the developer stream (naturally). I know there will be a lot of games to try, so it'd mean a lot to me if you'd test out Underspace and see for yourself what's coming out in just a few short months. See you on February 5, 2024 at 10 AM PT!



As always, if you have any interest in trying out Underspace, check out download our latest demo and give it a go (before the official Steam demo version releases). You should also join the Underspace Discord. Because I said so.



Now that you've all joined the Discord (thanks!) and have tried the demo (thanks again!), here's what I did this week:

+ Fixed skill display issues.
+ Fixed some config and loading issues.
+ Optimized some demo code.
+ Fixed some quest code.
+ Star systems can now have level caps on storms.
+ Fixed some misplaced or floating items.
+ Fixed how beam tracking works.
+ Fixed audio issues in comms.
+ Fixed issues with quest rewards.
+ Fixed some music issues.
+ Fixed some description issues.
+ Fixed issues with mission spawns.
+ Added service icons to service NPCs.
+ Fixed some mislabeled service terminals.
+ Improved shadows in various areas.
+ Fixed several mission and ship descriptions.
+ Redid sound stuff in some areas.
+ Improved UI readability in several areas.
+ Added new ads.
+ Fixed issues with ship trading.
+ Worked on texturing several tilesets.
+ Worked on new textures for characters and faction variations.



As always, thank you all for supporting Underspace. It's incredible seeing everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Ahoy, Starchasers!

Cats.



If nothing returns from inside a black hole, explain this.

This week's content creator spotlight is none other than Dan Field. We're excited that he tried out Underspace and seemed to love it a lot. If your French is a bit rusty, don't worry -- his gameplay is superb so just focusing on the video is all good. Anyway, enjoy!



We announced this last week, but for the record:

Underspace will be participating in Steam Next Fest!

Once again, we'll have a playable Steam demo up and running AND I'll be personally playing during the developer stream (naturally). I know there will be a lot of games to try, so it'd mean a lot to me if you'd test out Underspace and see for yourself what's coming out in just a few short months.



As always, if you have any interest in trying out Underspace, check out download our latest demo and give it a go (before the official Steam demo version releases). You should also join the Underspace Discord. Because I said so.



Now that you've all joined the Discord (thanks!) and have tried the demo (thanks again!), here's what I did this week:

+ Redid opening cutscene.
+ Redid some starting title screens.
+ Redid starting loading screen.
+ Redid how the starting loading screen works.
+ Added a disclaimer.
+ Skipping the intro can still point you to the main quest.
+ Fixed issues with skipping cutscenes.
+ Hooked up cutscene options.
+ Fixed some loading issues.
+ Fixed several saving issues.
+ Added more character customization options.
+ Added new voice types for NPCs.
+ Added new icons for old NPCs.
+ Added voice acting to some previous unvoiced aspects of the game.
+ Added ambient NPCs to all demo stations.
+ Added ambient NPC conversations to all demo stations.
+ Added models for some stuff later down the line.
+ Fixed up UI stuff.
+ Fixed some UI display issues.
+ Fixed up tons of loading issues on stations.
+ Optimized stations.
+ Added new records to the in-game record system.
+ Fixed issues with rampage missions.
+ Mining guns can now be set to not consume energy if you’re using them alongside a mining drone.



As always, thank you all for supporting Underspace. It's incredible seeing everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Happy 2024, Starchasers!

Wow. 2024. Hi. Lots to do before the Early Access release this year... whew.



Mimi says hi too.

This week's content creator spotlight is the one and only Splattercat, who has taken Underspace for a second spin about a year or so after his first run. It's cool to compare both videos and see how much has changed between then and now, and we loved hearing the positive feedback about the uniqueness of the Lovecraftian elements. With that being said, a few of his complaints have already been tweaked (which you'll see in the changelog below) so consider his (few) qualms addressed.



Onto our most pressing news:

Underspace will be participating in Steam Next Fest!

This means we'll have a playable Steam demo up and running for the occasion AND I'll be personally playing during the developer stream (I mean, who else, right?). I know there are a lot of games to try out during this time, so it'd mean a lot to me if you'd test out Underspace and see for yourself what's coming out this year.



As always, I'd like to state that, if you have any interest whatsoever in trying out Underspace, check out download our latest demo and give it a go (you know, before the official Steam demo version). You should also totally join the Underspace Discord. You joining would start 2024 on the right foot for sure.



Now that you've all joined the Discord (thanks!) and have tried the demo (thanks again!), here's what I did two weeks ago:

+ Ships can spawn as undocks from stations now.
+ Spawned ships in fights now prewarm.
+ Shipdealing UI now accounts for ship stats when transferring special items.
+ Snakes now flee if you leave a boss arena.
+ Defeating Pyrona’s boss rewards you with extra stuff.
+ Rebalanced big transports with proper hardpoints.
+ Made better spawn points around stations.
+ Fixed some atmosphere rendering issues.
+ Fixed scaling issues in various macrovari and ijuni bars.
+ Restored some missing campaign cutscenes.
+ Fixed some descriptions on ships.
+ Optimized title screen loading stuff.
+ Added intro video tech.
+ Fixed some prewarming issues.
+ Leveling up or defeating storms now heals you.
+ Missions now display what station you took them from.
+ Fire damage systems no longer loop.
+ Player now has an icon on the minimap.
+ Fixed some enablers on the starting area.
+ Added more mid-mission save checkpoints.
+ Fixed some docking issues in the main campaign.
+ Worked on finalizing a fair amount of quests.



And here's what I did last week:

+ Total skill refactor.
+ Quests and other things can now award skill points.
+ Tutorial for leveling up added.
+ Added support for landing cutscenes on planets.
+ Rebalanced game economy.
+ Fixed some display errors.
+ Fixed issues with ships spawning in with voices when they shouldn’t have been.
+ Worked on various quest improvements for their next draft.
+ Began work on full controller support.
+ Station detailing pass.
+ Added support for easy station material changes.
+ Redid graphics on station terminals.
+ Worked on basic NPC station detailing.
+ Modeled out some ocean going vessels.
+ Added various ambient NPCs to places.
+ Restored NPC accessory models.
+ Redid models of various NPCs on stations.



As always, thank you all for supporting Underspace. It's incredible seeing everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Welcome starchasers! It’s a new year! A new you! A new us! New gods, built to burn down the old ones and establish a new pantheon inside their corpses!
We like to do yearly recaps at this point, to summarize everything that’s happened in the past 2023s. So… what is done?



The answer: Everything. The game is content complete. Both campaigns (multiplayer and singleplayer), every quest, system, station, dungeon, boss, random mission, party member, flyable ship. There’s several hundreds hours of play here. As our testers can attest to, the game is absolutely MASSIVE.









Last year saw some of our most important changes ever. In addition to pumping out the majority of the content, we signed on with a publisher, started uploading our first steam builds, got quite a lot of coverage, and acquired a secondary orange cat.



The publisher’s probably the biggest one there. Our publisher, Camlann Games, will be spinning all the plates that my decaying and bruised body simply can’t spin anymore. That includes promotional work, community management, translations, ports, and the eventual subsumption of the continent into our lunar-based hivemind. Typical stuff.
They even filmed a fancy new trailer for us, check it out!




So with all this in mind, you’re probably asking “what’s left?” or more appropriately you’re probably asking “where the hell is my quirky space game you train-eating bastard?”.
The answer: It’s coming. And sooner than you might think. We’re now in the polishing and completion stage, which brings with it a LOT of testing, which itself takes time.



Still, two major blockers remain: The first is station detailing. This is going at a breakneck pace, in no small part because we have multiple level designers out there turning stations into stations with things on them.






The second is finishing up multiplayer. Again, this is going at a breakneck pace but testing can often be slow. If anyone ever tells you developing a multiplayer game is easy, they’re right. If anyone ever tells you that testing a multiplayer game and making a stable multiplayer game is easy, they’re wrong and you shouldn’t be speaking to them.






With that in mind, our release on Steam will be considered Early Access. The game you will be getting will be content complete and utterly massive, but at the end of the day this is a very small studio taking on a game as large as my ego. An early access release will allow us to better incorporate feedback on systems and tweak the game to make it as good as possible. There will not however, be less trains. There will be more trains if you ask for less trains.




As part of that release, Underspace’s demo will officially be coming to Steam quite soon! This brings with it a whole host of advantages, not the least of which is a much smaller download size and an easier way for us to push patches.



And that’s our yearly recap! We’ll return to your regularly scheduled weekly updates now.

Happy Holidays, Starchasers!

Crazy that it's already the end of 2023 -- even crazier that Underspace will come to Steam Early Access next year! It's been such a long time coming and I can't wait until you all get your hands on my blood, sweat, and tears in game form.

Pretend that sounded less weird... here's a cat open as a distraction.



They're even more excited than I am... perhaps.

This week's featured content creator is Alfenwylm. While they definitely enjoyed their time and had some great feedback, I wanted to say quickly that a lot of said feedback has already been addressed. For example, the "emptiness of space" is not so empty now, with plenty of props and items being added into space stations and the like, for example. But either way, great video and I'm grateful for it :)



As always, I'd like to state that, if you have any interest whatsoever in trying out Underspace, check out download our latest demo and give it a spin. You should also totally join the Underspace Discord. You joining would end 2023 on the right note, surely.



Now that you've all joined the Discord and have tried the demo, here's what I did two weeks ago:



+ Added script commands for detecting if the player is looking at something or not.
+ Added more stuff for the campaign.
+ Added new monsters.
+ Worked on new campaign missions.
+ Added pattern spawning to some attack blocks.
+ Worked on advertisement stuff.
+ Added new controls for skyboxes.
+ Added new controls for death trackers to turn off large fighter logic.
+ Large fighters can have override targets that they target regardless of state.
+ Added new projectile types.
+ Went back and added some closure effects to lanes.
+ Added new faction types for big battles.
+ Added new boss scripts
+ Added new boss effects.



And here's what I did last week:



+ Scripted more bosses.
+ Added new interiors.
+ Added new tutorials.
+ Added new conversations.
+ Added effects when entering thruster.
+ Fixed issues brought on by old thruster code.
+ Added a random sound player for on-station announcements.
+ Added alternate routes for players choosing to go more evil and do stuff.
+ Detailed more interiors.
+ Added new textures for interactables.
+ Added Ijuni tradesmen to Vauldric.
+ Finished the next draft of the main campaign.
+ Added new ambience noises.
+ Added flak to various big battles.
+ Fixed some issues with said big battle.
+ Added tech for bloodstains.
+ Began refining some sidequests.
+ Started adding tech for ships to spawn as undocks from stations.



As always, thank you all for supporting Underspace. It's incredible seeing everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Salutations, starchasers!

The end of the year is upon us, which is... really weird. Pretty crazy to think that Underspace is going to finally launch in Early Access next year, just right around the corner. No pressure, right?



The cats, of course, feel no such pressure, as they have no concept of game development nor deadlines.

This week's content creator spotlight is Megxx Gaming Channel. The video is in German so if that's a language you understand, you're in luck! If not, it's all good -- it's pretty clear to see that they understood what Underspace is about and had a good handle for the game. Had a lot of fun watching this one and really appreciate them making a great video.



Yet again, I am here to remind you that, if you have any interest whatsoever in trying out Underspace, check out download our latest demo and give it a go. You should also definitely join the Underspace Discord. There are Underspace updates and cat photos abound. Aplenty, even.



Now that you've all joined the Discord and have tried the demo, take a look at what I've done this week:

+ Added more interiors.
+ Added more specific controls for audio synchronization.
+ Added some new furniture for captain’s seats and such.
+ Added new character icons.
+ Added controllers for phase states.
+ Added more scaling abilities to mission functions.
+ Modeled out more planetside stuff.
+ Production and consumption times and effects of both are shown in the UI now.
+ Ported and UV’d new interiors.
+ Storms affect dynamic economy consumption/production times now.
+ Scanning stuff now stays at the edge of the screen.
+ Fixed respawn issues.
+ Fixed UVs on monitors.
+ Fixed some small save issues.



As always, thank you all for supporting Underspace. It's incredible seeing everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Season's Greetings, Starchasers!

'tis the season for... well, the holidays, I guess. Although this time of year is always busy with festivities, I'm able to work when/where I want on Underspace. Which is awesome. But more cooking during this time of year means more food tax for the kitties.



Which means more cat tax for you all, I suppose. Enjoy them enjoying the smells of Italian food.

This week's content creator spotlight features Bumpy McSquigums, who gave Underspace a great first look. They really love Freespace and Freespace 2 but noted that Underspace gives more mission diversity than those games (i.e., more than just combat missions). One thing I'd like to point out is that they mention the control scheme is "a little weird" -- if you feel similarly, you can remap controls to suit your comfort. Anyway, enjoy their video!



I am once again reminding you that, if you're interested in trying out Underspace for yourself, check out download our latest demo and give it a go. You should also totally join the Underspace Discord. Because I said so.



Now that you've all joined the Discord and have tried the demo, take a look at what I've done this week:

+ Modeled out campaign and quest interiors.
+ Modeled out some ambient exterior models.
+ Wrote out more ambient dialogue for the main campaign characters.



I know it looks a bit light but it was a LOT of detailed work dedicated to major tasks. So it was, in fact, not that light at all.

At any rate, thank you all for supporting Underspace; it means so much to me to see everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Happy December, Starchasers!

So I know I missed last week's devlog. I can explain, but I choose not to. Here's a cat photo instead.



The cats have taken over the office, cementing the fact that it's their house and I just live here.

This week's YouTube video is by The Indie Buffet. He makes some great observations and -- towards the end of the video during the first undersnake fight -- encounters a situation explained by the top comment. It's worth putting here for posterity, but basically you can't fire your weapons when you've got your highengines on since you're shunting power to said weapons to... power up said highengines. Worth mentioning since this isn't the first time I've seen this (may have to communicate this better down the line, we'll see). Anyway, video:



Once again, if you're interested in trying out Underspace for yourself, download our latest demo and give it a go. You should also definitely join the Underspace Discord. Then you can come play with us. Forever and ever. And ever. (and ever).



Thank you for joining the Underspace Discord (this is the honor system, I'm assuming you've done it and won't verify because I trust you), here's what I did two weeks ago...

+ Worked more on the main campaign.
+ Detailed campaign exteriors.
+ Added new commands to destroy storms via campaign scripts.
+ Added new loadouts for main campaign ships.
+ Added way for large ship targets to prioritize targets over one another.
+ Added new projectile types and fixed some issues with capital ships.
+ Fixed collider issues with beam weapons.
+ Added tech for fading in/fading out warp sequences.
+ Added tech for station lighting.
+ Added tech for station cubemap overrides.
+ Station doors can now have requirements for opening.



...and here's what I did last week:

+ Added some instant procs on campaign stuff.
+ Adjusted some aspects of the main campaign.
+ Worked more on polishing campaign missions.
+ Added tech to show if a boss is invincible or not.
+ Added the ability for capships to shut off their attacking completely and easily.
+ Added new missile types.
+ Added the ability to let missiles spin.
+ Added tech to override NPC saving tech.
+ Fixed issue where highengine wouldn’t knock out drones.
+ Detailed new interiors.
+ Worked more on interiors.
+ Fixed some mislabeled lanelines.
+ Buffed the space train.
+ Created some basic character animations.
+ Fixed issue where webbing couldn’t be picked up.
+ Redid effects for underspatial rifts.
+ Redid some textures on underspatial hazards.
+ Fixed save issues.



Thank you all for supporting Underspace, I can't tell you how much it means to see everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube



Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Happy Saturday's Eve, Starchasers!

I was thinking about what would happen if I didn't start this devlog with a cat open. Like, sure, it's tradition, but is it necessary? Anyway I thought about it for like 2 more seconds and came to the conclusion that yes, yes it is necessary. Cats are always necessary.



Not sure what Mimi's doing but it was definitely necessary.

This week's YouTube video is brought to you by Fhiach. Although Underspace has been updated a few times since this video released, the gameplay is still as smooth as ever. He also customized one of his ships towards the end of the video and ngl it's pretty sick.



As I've mentioned many times before, if you're interested in trying out Underspace for yourself, download our latest demo and give it a go. You should also totally join the Underspace Discord while you're at it, because that would make me happy. Don't worry, I'll wait.



Now that you've all joined the Underspace Discord (thanks!), here's what I did last week:

+ Added more stuff to help fix mid-mission saves.
+ Fixed some camera weirdness in cutscenes.
+ Added more detailing to campaign stuff.
+ Fixed doublejumping issue.
+ Fixed some station issues.
+ Fixed several UI readout issues.
+ Fixed issues where some equipment buffs weren’t being added due to new skill system.
+ Added deposit-all stuff.
+ Fixed several issues with the trading UI.
+ Readjusted positions of holograms and such during cutscenes.
+ Fixed some lighting issues on stations.
+ Redetailed several interiors.
+ Added new book models.
+ Fixed pathfinding issues.
+ Fixed issue where planets would shrink due to pathfinding.
+ Fixed a ton of issues related to save permanence.
+ Fixed campaign issues relating to docking on jumpgates.
+ Remade monitor shaders
+ Pet a cat (necessary)
+ Added more cutscenes to places.
+ Fixed issues relating to loading campaign saves.
+ Game saves now display just the filename, not the full path.
+ Fixed loading errors relating to the new scene system.
+ Fixed sunshafts not applying when loading a new save.
+ Added better overriding settings for creating faction based fighter squad spawns.
+ Added new effects for monitor screens.
+ Added new directional particles for lanelines.
+ Fixed issues with in-game memory scenes having the wrong effects.
+ Added more uniforms for various factions.



Thank you all for supporting Underspace, I can't tell you how much it means to see everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube

Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!

Sorry about the cheesy title, Starchasers. I've been staring at the screen for far too long trying to come up with something better, but I cannot. I'm sure there's some law with some random last name that will apply once I click "publish" and I'll think of a better title; until then, enjoy the cheese.



Even the cats are judging me for this one.

This week's Underspace playthrough is from ryanad 2000, who has been a long-time supporter of the game. This is someone who knows what they're doing when they play, so if you've been curious about seeing a more experienced player in action then this is one to watch.



As always, if you're interested in trying out Underspace for yourself, you're more than welcome to give our latest demo a test drive. You should also totally join the Underspace Discord, because that's where I currently exist. All the time. In fact, all I know is code, pet my cats, video games, eat hot chip and talk to players on Discord.



I am sure all of you reading this joined the Underspace Discord (thank you!), so let's move onto what I did this week:

+ Added more cinematic cutscenes.
+ Added more cinematic camera controls.
+ Fixed some flickering in the opening cutscene.
+ Added more tutorials.
+ Fixed issue where tutorials would repeat.
+ Fixed issues where tutorial quests wouldn’t complete.
+ Added branching choices in some of the tutorial missions.
+ Fixed some missing warps on Rikenrend.
+ Added popups to NPC stuff.
+ Fixed duplicated NPCs in places.
+ Restored some missing map functionality.
+ Fixed bounds on big ancient gates.
+ Added bottoms to space tentacles.
+ Fixed issue where battleships targeted the wrong stuff.
+ Game audio now pauses voices.
+ Fixed some issues with subtitle popups.



One note -- I post a lot of Underspace videos to the Underspace Discord and to my personal Twitter (which gets retweeted on the Underspace Twitter) so if you want to see video updates as they come, definitely join/give those a follow. Steam only likes YouTube video embeds, and uploading very short videos to YouTube seems silly. So... yeah. Go there. Thanks.



Thank you all for supporting Underspace, I can't tell you how much it means to see everyone's comments, videos, and posts. If you haven't already, please help support us and give the Underspace socials a follow:

Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Facebook
Reddit
YouTube
Discord

And, because obviously:

Twitter
Tumblr
YouTube

Thanks for checking out this week's devlog -- stay tuned for more Underspace updates!