Finally new Devlog, Merchant platform reworked, reached over 400.000 Wishlist on Steam 💪
4 days ago – Tue, May 14, 2024 at 06:01:00 AM

Hello Solarpunk Community!

First of all, we wanted to apologise for the long wait. We are currently working on so many things at once, that we simply didn’t had the time. The next devlog should be released much faster.

We're thrilled to share some exciting updates with you regarding the Merchant in our game. We've undergone a complete visual and content overhaul to bring you a more immersive and engaging experience. 

🎥 Watch the 3min devlog on Youtube or read further!

Visually, the Merchant platform has been expanded, now boasting a charming little front garden. Inside, the interior design has been meticulously crafted, and we've even added a second room for the cockpit.

As we really want the player to feel stranded in our world we removed the merchant NPC and improved the merchant plattform. It now represents a derelict, abandoned hub wandering aimlessly through the world. Accessible only by the player's Airship, it hosts various electrical devices that players must repair to utilize. Within the shop lies a malfunctioning scanner. Once repaired, players can scan "electrical components" found on islands, unlocking invaluable information and new recipes for technical components like Solar Panels and Farmbots.

We've even included a little Easter egg and immortalised our first game in the cockpit. Which, by the way, is available on Steam.

Out in the front garden, players will find an old vending machine. Repairing it rewards players with skins for their Airship, Farmbot, and flowerpots. Additionally, a Fabricator stands nearby, essential for enhancing the player's Airship. We are sure that all these changes and improvements help to get a better player experience.

We've also implemented numerous quality-of-life improvements. Players can now split stacks by right-clicking, drop individual items from hand to inventory slots, and automatically drop items that no longer fit in the inventory. Furthermore, with a simple Shift + Left-click, players can seamlessly transfer items between their hotbar, inventory, and storage containers.

We're also excited to announce the addition of a respawn system. If a player perishes due to hunger or falling from great heights, they'll drop all of their items, retrievable for a limited time. However, crashes with the Airship or falls from islands will result in items being lost permanently.

And last but not least, we've addressed various bugs and made significant performance optimizations. Just to list a few of these, we:

• prevented the spamming of the water can
• refined our demolition mechanics (including different sounds for things you demolish)
• prevented the “building preview” to be displayed “in your face” after crafting one at the crafting table
• added water particles at growboxes or farmlands for better visual feedback
• added a feature that prevents important (not craftable) items from getting lost if the player falls of an island
• added a standing torch that can be refueled
• fixed a bug where mouse sensitivity set by the player would not load correctly
• fixed a bug where taking water out of a rain collector with a watering can would not update the rain collectors visual water level
• implemented a feature where the “load world” dialogue now accepts savefiles you put in the folder by yourself (outside of the game. If you are sending your save to a friend for example)
• fixed some audio bugs
• fixed not beeing able to open the crafting menu when the player has a “placeable” in his hand
• and much more 

We are also finalizing our building system rework. We’ve done a lot to make the building experience much more fun and we cannot wait to show this to you in the next devlog. Take a look at those sneak peek images in the meantime: 👀

💪 400.000 Wishlist on Steam

We just reached 400.000 wishlists on Steam for Solarpunk - that's incredible. Thank you so much! We are beyond happy for all your support! 

Thank you for your patience and continued support as we work tirelessly to bring you the best Solarpunk experience possible!

Best regards
Cyberwave & rokaplay Team

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☕ Cozy & Family Friendly Games Newsletter

We invite each of you to subscribe to rokaplay's Cozy Games newsletter, which they have been working on for the past 4 months to create value for Cozy Games players and developers. 

All wholesome & cozy games news in one monthly FREE Newsletter. 
🔸 News & Games of the Month
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Solarpunk development progress & Alpha update (postponed)
3 months ago – Fri, Feb 09, 2024 at 06:45:43 AM

Dear Solarpunk Community,

We sincerely apologise for the delay and thank you for your patience. With today's update we've brought you a lot too. We've been working behind the scenes and look forward to showing you what we've been up to. But first, we have to adress the alpha version of Solarpunk.

📆 Alpha Version postponed:

This is not an easy step for us, but it is the best for the project. Unfortunately, we have to postpone the alpha version of Solarpunk. There are various reasons for this, which we will list below, and we hope for your understanding.

1. Stretch goals: The development timeline we showed on our Kickstarter page was created before the campaign. The campaign received more than 10 times the goal amount, which has had a significant impact on development. Due to the stretch goals reached, some new features such as the recycling system or the character editor have been added to the schedule, which we have already started to work on but were not originally planned in our timeline.

2. Additional features: Additionally, the success of the Kickstarter has enabled us to listen more to community requests. For example, we have integrated fishing into the game, which was often requested but was neither originally planned nor included in the stretch goals.

3. Reworking and improvements: The success of the campaign also allows us to rework some aspects of the game and improve areas, that we couldn´t have reworked without the success of the Kickstarter.

We hope you understand that we were not prepared for the unexpected outcome of the campaign and that the original timeline no longer fits the project. We are working tirelessly on the project and trying to finish the alpha as soon as possible. Please understand that due to our team size, it is very difficult to make accurate predictions for the development. For example, if we encouter a major bug that takes 2 weeks to fix, all other features are also delayed by 2 weeks because we are only 2 people and there are no other people who can keep on working on other features like in bigger development teams. It is a great burden for us when we cannot keep the promises we make to our community, so we also find it difficult to give a new concrete release date for the alpha. Therefore, we can't say more at the moment, except that we are optimistic and determined about finally releasing the alpha in summer this year. 

🎬 Solarpunk update / devlog

We have created a devlog video for you, but for all those who prefer to read a text, we have also listed all the changes.

🎬 Watch Devlog 
Since our Kickstarter campaign, we've accomplished a lot. Here's a rundown of the key developments since the end of the Kickstarter:

User Interface (UI) Overhaul:

• Revamped UI for easier navigation, including main menu, player inventory, chest inventory, furnace, research table, crafting menu, and more.
• Added functionality to display recipes not craftable at the current location (some recipes need a crafting table, others can be crafted without a crafting table).

Gameplay Enhancements:

• Research system: Unlock new crafting recipes at the research table.
• Fishing: Introducing the magnet fishing rod for catching useful items in lakes.
• Chickens: Now with dynamic behaviors, including following wheat trails, seeking shelter at night, and taking cover during rain.
• Bed feature: Skip the night by resting in a bed.
• Furnace: Smelt ores and clay for crafting.
• Expanded crafting recipes for decorative items like sofas, tables, and flower pots.
• Redesigned airship with enhanced features.
• Trees now yield different loot based on growth stages.
• Player effects system: Temporarily alter gameplay mechanics based on environmental conditions.
• Watering can refillable at rivers or rain collectors.
• Added various sound effects for immersive gameplay.
• Introduction of new resources like clay, leaves, wheat, bread, bricks, metal scrap, and more.
• Objects requiring water (rain collectors, grow boxes, farmland, water troughs) now detect rainfall and shelter status.

Additional Improvements:

• Performance optimizations, including imposter meshes for distant assets, reducing polygon count from >3000 to 8 per tree.
• Save-system optimizations for faster loading and reduced network traffic.
• Database optimizations to prevent frame drops in certain situations.

🍬 BONUS CLIP

We would like to show you the rain system that isn´t shown in the devlog. In it, you can see how the environment reacts to rain.

🎬 Watch Bonus Clip "Smart Rain Detection"
Thank you for your unwavering support and understanding. We can't wait to share more updates with you as we continue to progress.

Best regards your cyberwave & rokaplay team ❤

------------------------

Project we love: 

Sugardew Island - Your cozy farm shop

Restore harmony to this enchanting world!
In this cozy farming game, you have to run your own farm shop. Take care of your animals and your farm, sell your goods to the cute Forest Folk, upgrade the island and fulfill small orders from the Harmony Tree to fill the island with life again.

🎉 Follow the project on Kickstarter

🌽 Farming: Take care of your plants, make fertilizer and sell your farm produce.
🛒 Your farm shop: Sell items in your shop and negotiate with the Forest Folk for prices.
⚒️ Resource Gathering: Collect wood, stones, and weeds for farm improvements.
🐑 Animals: Feed, interact & build bonds with animals for eggs and milk. 
🐈 Pet Companions: Give names to pets, interact with them, and let them follow you around the island.
☯️ Harmony Tree Quests: Fulfill orders to heal the Harmony Tree and upgrade the small island.
💰 Trader Brownie: Purchase seeds, animals, and more from the friendly trader.
👷🏽‍♂️ Upgrade System: Improve your house, barn, and tools to enhance efficiency.

Airship facelift
6 months ago – Tue, Nov 28, 2023 at 08:14:50 AM

Hey Solarpunk community!

We're back with another exhilarating update on the Solarpunk frontier! 🌞✈️

🚀 Airship Makeover Extravaganza!

We have adjusted the look of the airship. Among the new features are the ingenious directional propellers, which are now clearly visible in 3rd person mode. 

Get ready to fly through the skies in style! 🌪️ Check out the stunning visual overhaul in the attached images.

🛠️ Dock & new flight physics! 

Remember that Dock concept we teased last time? 

Well, buckle up, because it's officially in the game! You can upgrade your airship at the dock. The airship will land automatically as soon as you are near it and press the docking-button.

We have also reworked the flight physics. The airship now flies much more comfortably. Fun fact: At the time we produced the trailer, the flying was extremely spongy and not polished at all. But it was enough for the trailer :D 

Take a look at the dock + the flight physics in this little clip.

🩹Damage system

The airship now has a damage system. If you're not careful and hit something, it takes damage. From 50% damage it starts to smoke and is much more difficult to steer. If the damage reaches 100% or you crash directly into a wall at high speed, it breaks immediately. You will be able to craft repair kits to repair your airship. The hull can be upgraded later in the game so that the airship doesn't break so quickly.

🚧 A lot of what you see is still WIP and may differ from the final product! 🚧

📖 Airship manual

In case you're wondering what all the Buttons/indicators mean, here's an explanation for those who like lists :).

Throttle:

• Forward speed
• Reverse gear

Docking Indicators:

Upper lamp: Indicates whether you can dock in the open. (Works everywhere as long as the airship is stationary and relatively straight. You can also dock in mid-air, for example)

Lower lamp: Indicates if you can dock at a dock (if the dock is within a radius of approx. 5 meters, you can dock there automatically)

Battery / Solar panel

• Battery is charged by the solar panel when exposed to sunlight
• Charges less quickly in the morning and evening than in the midday sun
• Also dependent on the weather. In the rain it charges slowly, in sunshine it charges quickly
• If covered by shade, also less charging power
• Flying consumes battery
• The faster you fly, the more energy the airship needs
• The small rotors also consume energy
• Light also consumes energy. (If you land at night and forget to switch off the light, your battery runs down because the solar panel does not charge the battery at night. So you shouldn't forget to switch the lights off again. Just like in a car)
• Solar charging indicator Indicates whether the battery is currently being charged or not

Altitude indicator

• Shows how far the airship is from the minimum and maximum altitude
• If the altitude is too low or too high, the autopilot switches on and automatically pulls the airship up/down again

Camera

• Free look around while flying
• 1st/3rd person camera

Upgradeables:

Things that are not available from the start, but can be upgraded as the game progresses

• Chest: The chest is not in the airship from the start, and you have to install it first
• Holographic display: The Holo HUD is currently still very wip. It will show additional information such as exactly how much power is being consumed, how much the solarpanel charges and other information such as the level of damage taken, flight altitude, time, etc

• Battery storage can be upgraded
• Solar panel charging speed can be upgraded
• Engine (more speed)
• Hull (less damage from collisions)
• Balloon can be upgraded so that you can fly higher overall with the airship

What do you think of these adjustments?

That's it for today. We would be delighted if you could tell us what you think about the adjustments in the comments. 

- Best regards from Cyberwave & rokaplay

Dev-Update: Decorative Items, Dock update, Solarpunk in a magazin
7 months ago – Mon, Oct 23, 2023 at 03:03:39 AM

Hey there, Solarpunk backers! 🌞

We've got some quick news to share about the progress of our open-world game.

🌱 Decorative Plants 

We are working hard to enriching the game with lush, living plants. These decorative plants serve to give you the opportunity to decorate your house in the game as cozy as possible.

✈️ Airship docking in Progress 

Remember that stunning airship dock concept we teased last time? Well, we're now deep into creating the 3D model for it! Get ready to take your Solarpunk adventures to new heights. 🚁🌅 Sneak a peek at our progress here.

🔬 Research Table Insights 

Patrick has been working tirelessly on the game's research table. He's spent the last few weeks making sure everything runs smoothly, including a decent save system for multiplayer so that everything works smoothly in co-op as well. He is currently putting the finishing touches on the research table's user interface.

📝 Backer Surveys: 85% Complete!

Big thanks to all of you who filled out our surveys last month. We're thrilled to report that a whopping 85% of our backers have submit their Survey answer.

🌟 In the Spotlight 

We're excited to announce that "Solarpunk" recently made an appearance in a local magazine! Check out the article (german only).  

 ✨Social Media

------------------------

 Projects we love: Tavern Talk - A Cozy Visual Novel Game

Tavern Talk is a cozy visual novel where Coffee Talk meets Dungeons & Dragons, experienced from the perspective of the most beloved NPC of any TTRPG campaign: the Innkeeper.

Meet a diverse cast of characters 🏳️‍🌈, found family 💖 and listen to engaging stories 📜. Make meaningful choices 💬  and mix glorious drinks 🍹.

Brace yourself for a long journey as you venture into the world of Asteria with over 10 hours of playtime and multiple endings!

Survey, Bonus Games & more!
8 months ago – Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 02:01:44 AM

Hello everyone,

It took much longer than expected, but we are finally ready to send out the survey and the bonus games. For those who want to know what the problem was, we will put an explanation at the end of this update.

Some of you already received the survey and the bonus games because yesterday we sent out a „smoke test“ to 5% of our backers to see if everything is working. If this smoke test is successful, we will send out the survey to all backers via Backerkit on Monday or Tuesday :)

You will receive an email from us with a special link to your BackerKit survey. You don’t need to create a BackerKit account. When you receive the email, click the survey link to respond. Answer the questions about your reward preferences and purchase add-on items if you like.

Until we close the survey, you can go back and make changes to your responses at any time by clicking the link in your email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://solarpunk.backerkit.com/.

If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you prefer to use, please contact support at https://solarpunk.backerkit.com/faq

Bonus Games

After completing the survey, you should receive keys for the bonus games and you are FINALLY be able to play. 💪🏽

What have we done in the meantime?

A lot happened with us after the Kickstarter. Patrick (developer), and Bonnie (publisher rokaplay), who is responsible for social media, were on stage at Gamescom together with the Vice Chancellor of Germany Robert Habeck and CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer 👀 ... 

... Achievement Unlocked ✅.

And Bonnie was also invited to talk about TikTok, because she did an excellent job on TikTok before and during the campaign.

Of course, we are still deep in development. Most things that we are currently working on aren't visually interesting like the battery stystem of the airship, small stuff like being able to refill the watercan once ist empty, using the hoe to create fields, the furnace-system, general performance improvements for the game and stuff like that. But we can show you a new model for the research table and a concept for the wood-dock.

Why the distribution of the bonus games took longer than expected:

We are working together with BackerKit to distribute the surveys and bonus games. They have great tools that make life for our publisher, who is taking care of this, much easier. But we didn´t know that there are some limitations to their system and that distributing the bonus keys is technically binded to the survey. So in order to distribute the bonus keys, we had to create the survey too. But, some things that we want to ask about in the survey, we can only ask at a later time in the development. Therefore we couldn´t create a complete survey yet and we had to find a way to ask more questions in the future. Since we can only create a single survey with BackerKits tools, we reached out to BackerKits support and together we came up with a solution to make changes to the survey in the future. So we might add new questions to it at a later time and ask you to come back to your survey and respond to the new questions. We will inform you when this happens.

--- Two projects we love ---

 Out and About 

Out and About is an adorable cozy life sim that introduces you to the hobby of foraging.

Learn real-world recipes, explore seasonal biomes and make wonderful friends in this wholesome adventure

Base Features

• 👩‍🦰 Customize your character!
• 🌲Explore a beautiful open world with lots of nature!
•  🔍Identify and gather wild plants & fungi!
•  🍳Cook recipes and herbal remedies!
•  💰Sell at the local farmers market!
•  👩‍🔧Trade ingredients & recipes with the local townsfolk!
• 🥰 Build friendships with the characters in town!
•  🏡 Rebuild, restore, and upgrade the town!

Check out their Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elenahoge/wholesome-out-and-about?

------------------------------

 Anima - Song from the Abyss 

An Action RPG with a deep storyline and a dynamic combat. Explore a rich world and uncover the secrets behind a lost civilization.

Anima Song from the Abyss is an action role-playing game (ARPG) with hack and slash style elements in which players explore an interconnected world. In the adventure you will take simultaneous control of two different characters, the knight Soren and the strange entity Noein thought a journey that will take them through the remains of an ancient extinct civilization to discover the secret of its fall.

You can check their Kickstarter campaign in the next link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/animaproject/anima-song-from-the-abyss