Interviewee: Michi Hana (Lead Artist) and her selfie

“The expression of art is not straightforward or mechanical. I’d like to display Nostos’ look, cultural features, and stories in a pleasant way.”

When choosing the art style, we rejected a realistic style due to the uncanny valley effect and performance consumption of VR and felt that the low-quality model or pixel style lacked sufficient expression. After a period of testing and adjustments, we finally decided to adopt the oriental Animated Film style.

It possesses traditional celluloid graphics and a watercolor-like atmosphere. The bright, fresh colors and wide scenes help to relieve dizziness while playing VR. All of these are perfectly integrated with our team’s original idea about Nostos and corresponds with the player’s experience requirements for VR games.





We created many resplendent scenes in the game to highlight the loneliness felt in this apocalyptic world. In regards to characters, we placed an emphasis on the cultural features of Nostos. Some sci-fi and fairytale elements were added when depicting the historical relics and Celestials. And we tried our best to build and present a complete ecological chain consisting of animals and plants. As we mentioned in the Community’s post, each kind of animal on Nostos has its own habits and even their own natural enemy.



We hope, with these meticulous designs and graphics, to display a vivid Nostos to players, and that the art of Nostos is not a straightforward and mechanical design created to satisfy functional demands but is a unique style that facilitates storytelling.



Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/

http://nostos.163.com/index.html

Interviewee: SHUI GE

We have released a series of pictures and details of Nostos on our social media sites; the focus of which has been on the development team and their designs for the game. So, for this installment we have invited the producer from Nosto, SHUI GE to introduce the world of Nostos from within the development team and the content they hope to present to players.

“Nostos is not a typical MMORPG. I prefer to describe Nostos as a multiplayer open-world survival game. The theme of Nostos is ‘EXPLORE’.”

Sandbox games allow players to create content. The high degree of freedom and possibility associated with sandbox games saves game developers time on many details that are not all that important, enabling us to pay more attention on issues like gameplay, which will inevitably improve the gaming experience. We have also realized that VR games, due to their ability to further immerse gamers into the game, are the future of the game.

When I was looking at possible game genres for Nostos, I thought to myself, “Why don’t we combine these two promising game genres together,and present the sandbox genre in a VR environment, creating a fascinating world with a higher degree of freedom?



We chose “EXPLORE” and “SURVIVAL” as the themes for Nostos because we hope players will be able to explore freely in-game and enjoy its content. Nostos focuses on PvE and is set 1000 years after the collapse of human civilization. In a world that is now wild and isolate, players need to explore the land with friends, discover historical sites and the remains of war, build shelters and fight against “Coralseas”, gradually uncovering the truth hidden by time and revealing stories of hope and regret that once took place in this mysterious and desolate land.



We initially considered choosing post-apocalyptic as the game’s theme, which is currently a popular subject. But we wanted to bring a more relaxed, enjoyable gaming experience to gamers instead of the typical dark and depressing elements found in traditional post-apocalyptic game. We decided to incorporate Animated Film to brighten up the world of Nostos.



We are also striving to add plenty of fun gameplay and game modes to Nostos to make exploring more interesting. It is not uncommon for players to be at a loss in some sandbox games, so the game has added a central storyline. In addition, players are free to choose how they develop and how the game progresses.



Randomly occurring events and side-quests, and even the randomly changing ecosystem and the distribution of vegetation will bring a fresh gaming experience to players every time they enter the world of Nostos.

In the future we will share gameplay content on our social media pages, so stay tuned!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/

http://nostos.163.com/index.html

It’s been a while since last Episode of "You Ask, We Answer" was released. Below are the answers of the questions we collected from our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Steam in this period~ Let’s check them out!


Q: Will this game allow PvP with other players when in the wild?
A: Nostos focuses on PvE more, while we are also planning how to add PvP mode into our gameplay. We are considering adding PVP mode in the middle& later period now. Some players will play as the intruders who enter other players’ world to fulfill some task, and the original players need to stop them. The winners will receive rewards (Still TBD). We are very willing to receive suggestions from you guys.

Q: Are you guys considering making story elements? You know having quests available to everybody, but only one person of the team can complete them, which then changes the story/world slightly?
A: The player who create the world need to achieve your storyline. And other players come to this world could help him/her with that.

Q: Is Nostos a MMORPG? So far third party online sources for the game gave the impression that it was to be more so a MMORPG but then the Q&A says only a max of 20 people.
A: Individual in classic MMO is not very important since they have thousands players in one world. We hope every player in Nostos could enjoy as much recourse as possible.


Q:Will there be a leveling system?
A: Yep, but when you create an new world, everything will be reset~

Q: I assume that the game will feature free locomotion and free rotation with the controllers, right?
A: Yes, rotation relies more on the rotate of the real you, and there will also exist hot key for rotation.

Q: Will the game contain some sort of magic aspect with attacks, buffs, and debuffs?
A: According to the setting of Nostos, we rely on the scientific rather than magic :)

Q: How will you balance different class (like worrier and archer)?
A: We won’t set class limitation, players can use any weapon they like.


Q: Seeing the bike move I felt like it needed a bit more weight on the rear part of it, maybe it's just me?
A: We won’t change the design of this part, as players can carry people or goods through the rear part of it.

Q:Will it be possible to use guns and melee weapons while riding vehicles?
A: Passengers can, but the driver can't use it.


Really thank you for all your patience and attention in this period, and we also hope to receive more feedback from our audience. Please keep being free to leave your questions and suggestions in the future, we are always willing to communicate with you!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Ins: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/
Official site: http://nostos.163.com/index.html

Hi, everyone!

Today we are going to introduce you the weapons of Nostos! They are important items for exporing and surviving in this world. Let's see what is inside the designers’ weird brains!
https://youtu.be/68O1f9mCCu0

Btw, We will continually reveal more information from the development team and share them with you. So, leave your comments and tell us what you want to know!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/
Official Website: http://nostos.163.com/index.html

Nostos Devs Team

Hi everyone!

We’ve received a lot of questions and suggestions from you on Steam, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Thank you so much for your support! We hope to be sure that our answers reach all of you, so here it is:


Q: Which platforms will Nostos release on? How about cross-platform?
A: Both PC and VR platforms (STEAM VR, HTC VIVEPORT, PSVR and OCULUS STORE). Players can play with others from different platforms no matter PC or VR.

Q: When will Nostos be full released?
A: In Q3 of 2019

Q: Why can’t I find many information about Nostos online?
A: Nostos is still at its early stage which far from full release and extensive publicity. But we has also attended Gamescom 2018 and there were also some professional game media like Gamasutra, VentureBeat, Upload VR and Road to VR reported the news about Nostos before.


Q: What is the open world size? Is there a story campaign?
A: It is 10km X10km and will expanding with the development of this game. And we wish to create an open world for players where you will play the game with some purposes and stories rather than a simple sandbox game.

Q: What is the client and server of Nostos?
A: Our client and server is Unity and SPOS respectively.

Q: What is the version of your unity? Is Nostos built on SpatialOS?
A: Our unity version is 2018.2 currently and will be updated in the future. And yes, it is built on SpatiaIOS.


Q: Nostos is first person or third person game.
A: It is first person VR Game.

Q: How many people can play the game together?
A: Up to 20 people, but we recommend 4 to 6 people team.

Q: Will Nostos offer transportation like airplane?
A: Yes, we will offer players a plethora of interesting vehicles.

Q: Can we fishing, hunting and climbing the tree in Nostos?
A: We will consider fishing in the next period. Hunting and other actions like camping and climbing have already been confirmed to be achieved.

Q: Can I say “Hi” and wave my hand to passengers in other vehicles when I am driving?
A: Yes, you can talk with others at any time and any situation~ while say hello with other players with action can only be achieved on VR platform.

Q: Will blocking and dodging attacks be as important as striking/shooting?
A: Blocking is very important as you can use shield or some other items to block the attack in Nostos. While due to the intense movement in VR game is not easy for players, the effect of dodging will be reduced to some extent.

Q: What does each season mean for the player in the game? Different threats, food matter. Can we find rare items in different climates?
A: There are various seasons in which will influence the growth of plants and even ecosystem. You will also face a serious of problems these season bring to you.

Q: Can we crafting and upgrading weapons and armour?
A: Weapon upgrading will be achieved in the game. We will also provide players a series of armours.

Q: I don't want the combat to be repetitive. Dynamic combat would be better
A: No worries! As we are VR game, the combat is definitely real-time and dynamic.


That’s all for this time! Be sure to follow our social channels:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Ins: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/
Official site: http://nostos.163.com/index.html

Hi, everyone! We are the development team for Nostos and through this series of Developer Updates, we hope to share with you some of the cool things we are working on as we develop the game. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for coming along for the ride!

Talking about rides, we always planned to add all kinds of vehicles into the world of Nostos, because, let’s be honest, it’s so much fun burning rubber in a VR open world environment! Today, we are giving everyone a sneak peek at our prototype motorbike. Well, it’s actually a maglev bike. Driving a car in VR is one thing, but just wait until you try out this speed demon as you open her up on the open, virtual highway.

The Truck revealed earlier in screenshots.

We absolutely love the end design. It’s a maglev bike that is built using the remains from a plane engine and is stabilized using wood. Well, the explorers are scavengers after all and they probably couldn’t find any masking tape; don’t judge, guys. It’s perfect for our explorers and brings to life the reality of their existence as scavengers; they gotta make use of what’s lying around, right?

The design is looking good and so is our designer

First, we tested the physical mechanics of the bike to make sure that it behaves like a bike in real life.

This image is used only to demonstrate the bike’s controls and does not represent game quality.

Next, we painstakingly transferred this mechanism to the VR platform, including simulating realistic controls and optimizing shock absorption to prevent dizziness. We spent a lot of time tweaking with the mechanics to give the gamer a more natural experience. As of now, our maglev bike is running smoothly in the VR environment and some of our daredevil team members have even performed some challenging maneuvers.

The maglev bike really is a brilliant idea. The feeling of hovering above the ground is amazing. And, after those tweaks we mentioned, you don’t feel at all dizzy.


VR platform demonstration
https://youtu.be/tuDt1spkU2o

The development of the maglev motorcycle is still in its infancy. There are still many resources that need to be created, and details to be adjusted but it is worth it. I’m sure that everyone will love the end product when the game is released!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the Nostos community! We are so thrilled about bringing our game on Steam!

Nostos is NetEase's first self-developed VR multiplayer online game with an open world setting. Players, play as the role of explorers, could adventure, combat, build up, and even save the world with their partners. A variety of terrains, miraculous ecological communities, and meteorological system, special doomsday costumes, as well as realistic combat experience will offer players extraordinary immersive gaming experiences. This land of Nostos will open to you in the next year.

Check in with us to stay up to date on all things Dev and game related. We'll be bringing you a behind-the-scenes look at the game in the making and holding some Q&A sessions to answer your questions as well as gathering outstanding ideas about the game.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nostosgame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nostosgame
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVw_H_MO-oax619ja-Rngw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nostos_vrgame/
Official Website: http://nostos.163.com/index.html

Nostos Devs Team