Rockfish Games, creators of Everspace 2, AMA

[prwilson]

What is the most innovative aspect of the new game?

 

[GioHash]

What inspired yous to create/develop everspace ?

 

[lampshade]

I hear that Everspace 2 is going open world with handcrafted environments and non-linear storytelling. I do prefer that, but I was wondering whether there's going to be any procedural generation left over from the first game? That was cool too.

 

[Nirranjan Vara Prasad]

How many hardships did you and your crew go through to complete these games(EVERSPACE AND EVERSPACE 2) successfully? And did you ever feel irritated over something while building the game? If so, what is the worst problem or difficulty you and your crew ever faced while building the game?

 

[Rhamkota]

I know this was somewhat already touched on with the question of modding, but will there be a custom area building tool or a custom ship building tool with steam workshop integration? Also will there be multi-monitor support in a way you can have your map, stats, and other HUD items on the other screen?

 

[Ezmia]

Can I pilot larger ships?

 

[RFG_Erik]

What gave you the idea on the game?

What inspired yous to create/develop everspace ?

These are great questions and we've provided a rich response for you here:

Okay, BIG RESPONSE time! I checked in with @RFG_Michael to ensure we got the best details straight-from-the-top as well, so here we go!

EVERSPACE itself stems off one simple element: Taking what we enjoy and know best, and champion it for the PC/Console market. You see, we previously created Galaxy on Fire 1 and 2 for mobile. And after some colorful moments in history, we left that playing field to build EVERSPACE from the ground-up, with more powerful tools, and expanded ideas. We're inspired by many sci-fi stories from all mediums, including childhood games as well. FTL influenced a bit of our progression system, since we were diving into the realm of the roguelike, while the controls stem from games like Descent and Freelancer.

After the commercial success of the orignal EVERSPACE, it actually took us several months to come up with the right ideas and forge a strong vision for EVERSPACE 2 even though the core pillars (fast-paced arcade-y 3D space combat, intuitive controls, stunning visuals) have always been in our hearts. In the end, we decided to drop the roguelike formula and go all-in for an open-world space shooter RPG driven by a compelling single-player story campaign - which is a quite unusual approach for a sequel to a successful first installment of a new IP if you think about it.

However, to really understand what aspects of the original EVERSPACE fans liked and disliked the most, and what they wished for our next game, we also evaluated some 30,000 comments on social media and 5,000 user reviews on Steam. While almost everyone loved the fast-paced 3D space combat and tight Freelancer-inspired controls, the roguelike game loop was clearly not for everyone, especially for those who were hoping for a spiritual successor of Freelancer or Galaxy on Fire 2, which we were best known for back in the day when our previous studio was one of the best in 3D mobile gaming.

We love the freedom of exploration that Elite Dangerous provides the player, as well as the added weight to traveling through the consumption of limited resources and navigation through dangerous territories. But strong storytelling and the arcade-style gameplay of EVERSPACE 2 is less about the simulation of spaceship management and more about jumping into combat, so a lot of the design ends up being dramatically different in comparison.

In fact, Freelancer is our main gameplay reference, which we took a lot of inspiration from both regarding controls and the desire for an open-world experience and deeper storytelling. Our visual look and sound design comes more from Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars, while itemization stems from Destiny and Diablo. Second-to-second combat gets its roots from classic shooters like Halo.

Of course, beyond having been inspired by other iconic sci-fi games to build our vision, we also want EVERSPACE 2 to stand out from its peers, so we are throwing a lot of our own ideas into the mix, especially when it comes to locations filled with lots of points of interest and various activities, which we believe is unique in the space games genre.

 

[RFG_Erik]

In which graphic motor Everspace 2 game is built-in?

Unreal Engine 4! We're happy with this engine for a number of reasons, and Epic has been great working with.

And just in case that made someone jump, know that we both a solid relationship with Epic and Valve, and we are holding our promises bringing EVERSPACE 2 to Steam, first. It wouldn't make sense for us to do any kind of an exclusivity deal to a game launcher, because then we'd be stepping on toes. And we like toes to be unsquished.

 

[RFG_Erik]

what is the biggest difficulty in creating games? I am new to the area and would like to know how to avoid it if it happens, please haha

From the QA lens, it has to be the balancing of systems. If a looter shooter doesn't have meaningful loot, that's a big problem. If a skill-based shooter doesn't have challenging challenges, that's a big problem.

Testing over and over and over again, while monotonous, is an absolute necessity in gamedev. And this cycle becomes more powerful when a passionate community jumps on board as well. We're very fortunate for the support that surrounds us and are thankful for the many contributions that are made, giving us further direction to our daring vision of the game and ensuring it reaches optimal fun factors through the delicate balancing act.

 

[RFG_Erik]

Does it have VR support?

Currently no, and it's not likely either. There's a story here.

We received a TON of feedback through EVERSPACE's implementation of VR. For those unaware, we added VR as a bonus (our community asked for it), and you has access to VR simply for owning the game. So, you paid once for EVERSPACE and EVERSPACE VR. Yay!

Except not yay. Turns out, the VR community is very picky about VR titles (and rightly so). Because our title wasn't built for VR from the get-go, we got hit hard with criticism of this added bonus for our playerbase. So, we took that feedback to heart and pounded out patch after patch after patch of VR adjustments, updates, and fixes to get to a pretty good state today, well after our initial launch.

But what we've learned is that IF you go a VR route, you go ALL IN as though it's a VR-ONLY GAME.

Would VR be amazing in our game? Sure. But this isn't a VR-only game here. We have to recognize that and work on the content we desire for the game.

IF we go into VR with EVERSPACE 2 (and this is a very big IF), we'll make it a separate application that we can devote all the time and resources it deserves. Basically, we'd be making a second game. And...currently we don't have that kind of time on our development schedule. IF we went that direction, it would very likely take place after launch.

 

[Fictional Skill]

Is the main focus of the game on exciting action-packed space dog-fights, or is the commodity trading deep enough and interesting enough that a player can enjoy themselves just focusing on 'space trucking'.

I suppose that is a bit subjective. Maybe instead I should ask: How does this game compare to Freelancer

 

[RFG_Erik]

Will averspace2 be available on ray tracing technology, especially with the detection of modern Nvidia graphics cards?

We want to have a big impact when EVERSPACE 2 launches, so we are utilizing new technologies as we see fit. We are experimenting with and utilizing ray tracing in some regard and seeing how it affects performance.

 

[RFG_Erik]

Would it be possible to create a stripped down version of Everspace 1 / 2 for mobile devices - eg. like Everspace for the Nintendo Switch? I'd love to be able to play it on the go, even if it means buying it again.

EVERSPACE is currently available on the Nintendo Switch! HA! Just keep in mind, it does take a healthy punch to the fidelity.

Otherwise, we have no means to venture back into the mobile industry anytime soon. And EVERSPACE 2's scope is far to large to bring to the Switch in any timely matter, so maybe we'll see what Nintendo cooks up and keep our options open?

 

[RFG_Erik]

I know EVERSPACE 2 won't have multiplayer, but if there is an EVERSPACE 3, would multiplayer be something your would consider? Or would the balancing issues be insurmountable? Not complaining, just curious.

Yes, absolutely something we'd consider. Sure there'd be a lot to balance through that process, but I think we'd let future Rockfish figure that all out.

For now, our focus is getting EVERSPACE 2 prepared for v1.0. And after that, we'll look at DLC options if our community seeks more content. And then, after that, maybe some time after healthy additions have been made, we'll explore what a potential EVERSPACE 3 could look like.

 

[RFG_Erik]

What is the most innovative aspect of the new game?

Going straight for the throat, eh? I like you.

I've never played a space game where you could grapple nearby objects, including mines or asteroids, and toss them around using the in-game physics. I LOVE this addition we've included in EVERSPACE 2, and it adds a surprising amount of flexibility to your strategic options, in the right situations of course.

 

[RFG_Erik]

I hear that Everspace 2 is going open world with handcrafted environments and non-linear storytelling. I do prefer that, but I was wondering whether there's going to be any procedural generation left over from the first game? That was cool too.

Yes, we are already looking into end-game situations that provide incentives for the player to keep playing. One of these elements is known as the Ancient Rift, which effectively creates a wormhole through a procedurally generated sector of space for you to overcome. It's almost like a slice of EVERSPACE is plugged into EVERSPACE 2's end-game.

 

[IndecentLouie]

@RFG_Erik not a question I just want to say I downloaded the Prototype last week and very much enjoyed it, the first thing I did was warp to another system and fly directly into a planet to see if it would kill me or force me to turn before crashing. I'm glad it killed me as it should.

It's looking to become a favourite space sim of mine and I look forward to the full release.

 

[RFG_Erik]

How many hardships did you and your crew go through to complete these games(EVERSPACE AND EVERSPACE 2) successfully? And did you ever feel irritated over something while building the game? If so, what is the worst problem or difficulty you and your crew ever faced while building the game?

Hardships will always happen, especially when you have multiple brilliant minds with competing perspectives. And we've definitely had our fair share of internal conflict moments here and there. But ultimately, we have each other's backs, which is why we get so passionate about the game we're all working on. We want what's best. So does everyone else. That's the bottom line.

For me, personally, I'm constantly irritated by leveling systems. HA! Obviously there's a wrong way to make them (like making stats just go up and that's it, making higher level enemy health go up and that's it, yay fun boring no thanks) but there's also the right way to use progression systems. So, while I don't like leveling progression, I trust our team to make it the best fit for the project and a powerful tool to help ease player understanding while granting access to new abilities and locations through a healthy system of growth.

And if I don't feel we're getting to a healthy point, well. I'll harass someone on the team and we'll butt heads for a moment or two before figuring out the best option forward.

 

[RFG_Erik]

I know this was somewhat already touched on with the question of modding, but will there be a custom area building tool or a custom ship building tool with steam workshop integration? Also will there be multi-monitor support in a way you can have your map, stats, and other HUD items on the other screen?

I love this follow-up question regarding modding!

I suppose I should say up-front that it's really hard to answer these questions, but let's have some fun here.

DISCLAIMER: Mod support is a hot item we'd love to include, but is currently a low priority item for us.

Modding could be a minor inclusion, or a massive (and literal) game-changer. We'd want to give as much modding potential as possible for EVERSPACE 2, which could include full access to area assets and ship modules. As such, I think this very much falls in line with crafting custom areas and custom ships, as you've mentioned. I'm not 100% sure what that would look like at completion though, so not confident to say that would be in working order through Steam workshop integration or not.

Otherwise, we do have multi-monitor support! Though moving HUD around isn't a feature, I question the impact of making it as such. Could be a LOT of work for us without a lot of value for others, and we want to be careful with our dev schedule.

Now please take this response with a grain of salt, as we're talking about possible ideas for a possible feature, neither of which are guaranteed at this time. Otherwise, we'll go all-in as much as we can.

 

[RFG_Erik]

Can I pilot larger ships?

The focal point of EVERSPACE 2 is from the perspective of a one-man fighter. All the handcrafted environments are modeled with this in mind, and all of the itemization is adjusted with this in mind. Designing around a multi-crew ship changes a LOT, almost as though a new game is created for it.

But to give a sense of scale for the fighter craft you'll be customizing, they range from the size of a Star Wars A-Wing up to the Millennium Falcon, give or take a few feet/metres.

 

[RFG_Erik]

Is the main focus of the game on exciting action-packed space dog-fights, or is the commodity trading deep enough and interesting enough that a player can enjoy themselves just focusing on 'space trucking'.

I suppose that is a bit subjective. Maybe instead I should ask: How does this game compare to Freelancer

Freelancer is one of several games we've been heavily inspired by. But also note, we're not trying to make some kind of spiritual successor here, either.

EVERSPACE 2 is not a space sim, it's an arcade-y looter shooter at it's core. Additionally, it's an open world RPG. What this means is that we'll absolutely have a focus on exciting action-packed space dog-fights of course, though we also need to have a valuable economy to support the player's exploration and travels over the course of the game. While space trucking might not be the most optimal be-all-end-all job you can take on in our game, it will certainly be a viable option should you choose to go that route. Just know that a lot of systems are being simplified; you'll not need a second monitor with a spreadsheet tracking some kind of dynamic price fluctuations at multiple stations, for example.

 

[Kellyroxannesmith]

Any plans for an everspace 3 do you think? ❤️

 

[Red Rum is Yum]

Will the locations we can explore only be within the different star systems? Or are there plans to have locations outside of a system in the middle of no where?

 

[AR2127]

Are there plans for fleet based super weapons and Larger fleet class ships to form battle-groups? In turn large scale campaigns between clans/ AI?

 

[RFG_Michael]

Will averspace2 be available on ray tracing technology, especially with the detection of modern Nvidia graphics cards?

Pulling up my response from above: DLSS 2.0 is high on our list. We also saw some promising early test results with RT shadows. However, they don't work correctly within the double-precision range of numbers that we're using for ES2, yet. We have to wait for Epic to fix the issue in an upcoming version for UE4. Generally, RT reflections don't make a lot of sense in open-space games, so you most likely won't see those in ES2.