Yup using the keyboard and the mouse. Was planning to add narration to the exploration video.

Been getting a lot of private mails asking about a switch to kickstarter....bummer. Anyway I'll investigate such a switch to see if its worth it.

Going to keep adding the videos. I wonder if I have a face for video 🙂

Kickstarter has a lot higher profile than Indiegogo, although only residents of certain countries can start  Kickstarter unlike Indieggo where I believe anyone can.

yup that's the issue.

Looking good, thrown in $10 so far, hopefully up it abit after pay day,so can get in the alpha as well, good luck with the campaign 🙂

Hey Neagoth thank you. Overall it is slightly discouraging when you have people mail you and tell you if it was on kickstarter, based on its performance thus far on indiegogo, KS is at least 10 times more popular with 10 times more users/browsers looking to back stuff and has 10 times more consumer confidence in terms of putting your money out there.

It's discouraging since I will never know what could have been since I can never launch it on that platform. If I were to launch it on kickstarter and it failed, then I'd know for sure the pitch and presentation and how I get the game across to people are my weak points.

But VoD will be a stubborn project, it won't get away. It might not look as pretty as it could in the end, but it'll tell a good story. 🙂

I've found it kind of odd that Space Sector won't even mention the game in a news post even though I've spoken with Adam Solo via email. He mentions every other space indie game.

To be fair to space sector they cover more 4X and RTS games and maybe just have not had the time to do anything yet.

Have you given Space game junkie a shout http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/ ?.

I would not be discourage by it as Indiegogo campaigns have succeeded.

Oh 4x and Rts.

Yeah I am going to be on the Spacegamejunkie podcast in July. Can't remember the date, that's why one has a smart phone 🙂

Will get back to you with it, in case anyone wants to listen in live and ask questions.

I would also say more updates, just looking at God Factory they had a 40 odd day Kickstart but have only done 18 updates.

At the other end we have Void Destroyer with 38 updates over 30 days.

VOID's updates were videos every day?

Hey there gang, posted an update relative to an aspect of exploration.

Going to be honest with you Cruisin1500, I have received a few emails from developers of games that have contacted Space Sector for coverage and get denied. I have even had one individual tell me he wanted some funds to post something about a game or whatever, I am only going off what I was told so who knows if it is true? But in my opinion your are either a 'fan' website or in it for the money. SSC and SpaceGameJunkie are fan sites in my opinion and try their best not to sell out, yeah I have some ads but I have to pay the bills for my VPS and this sweet software running this thing 😉  

I offer forum/gallery/download space to whomever wants it free of charge, I will do my best to support any developer because we have to stick together to keep space gaming alive and to keep the devs fed so we get more games haha. So use SSC as you see fit, no one has yet approached me about the ability to have paid downloads (ie: selling your game) so you do have options.

That would be cool a digital download service for space games.

They are not wrong. You see if Adam didn't want to cover it, he could at least say well, you need to do this, or I only do this or we don't do this. Not that he owes any reasons, but because he bills his site as a site dedicated to space game news, then it might be only fair to say what criteria you publish certain ones under.

I don't see any benefit to anyone emailing you and lying about what they were told. It's not like they were putting it in the public domain to try to libel/slander his site.

He probably feels that VoD is terrible and decides not to post about it. Can't do anything about that 🙂

VOID's updates were videos every day?

No but he did do quite a few videos .

Not had chance to view the vid but will later on.

Just watch the vid Justin, Excellent 😎 give a good feel for the exploration in the game and a great nod to the Starflight worm holes.

One thing I would say is that you should turn the sound effects and music down as they interfered with the audio every now and again.

Have you thought about having a demo of the game?.

Hey PIN thanks. I have not actually given a demo any thought. I suppose when the release of the final game is pending I might look towards it. Going to post another video later.

Hey everyone, the video demonstrates the use of some of the advanced defensive technology you will be able to out fit your ship with in the final game.

Great video Justin :good: the only criticism I would make is you audio seem to be dropping in and out.

One other thing I meant to say yesterday is that Paul Zakrzewski who did Void Destroyer came up with a very good idea of writing a history of the making of the game for  his updates, why he made certain choices ect might be some thing to think about doing.

Can you fire when you ship is clocked? or is it just a defence.

Hi PIN I sincerely apologize for the poor audio. It was a combination of frustration, repetition, my strange accent and general swallowing of words. I had recorded a long 22 minute video full of dynamic events, encounters etc, while showing off using the defensive stuff combined with the weapons. But the sound mix can't work that way since its too bland to disable the game sound and use my voice only. Also after having that issue where I had to do it again right after, it got late and I couldn't speak as loudly or clearly as I would have liked.

I never claimed to be very good at videos poor me, but it hit me that I can record an audio file at the same time, disable the audio recording while recording the footage and then import the separate audio file into the video, and there will be no out of sync or post recorded audio and it will be real time as I am playing which is preferable. That's how I lost the explanation of the phase modulator being done a few seconds after it had been used. Hopefully people see the note I put in the description about that mishap.

The next video I will probably just explore an area of space and deal with what events happen.

You cannot at this time fire while cloaked. I am open to peoples opinions on it. If they feel it is something which would be fun then I would certainly make it a possibility. But with a caveat that there will be more than one cloaking device to obtain, the basic one which you can't fire while cloaked and an advanced one whereby you can.

However, to cloak while constantly draw energy from the capacitor and therefore you will not be able to remain cloaked indefinitely. Probably make it a slow drain. And additionally, although conventional weapons do not draw from that 'special' capacitor, I might make it so they when you fire conventional weapons while the advanced cloak is enabled that it does drain the energy, so you will then shorten your time cloaked even further.

There are some pretty difficult enemies in the game who can though.

Any thoughts on that?

 

You cannot at this time fire while cloaked. I am open to peoples opinions on it. If they feel it is something which would be fun then I would certainly make it a possibility. But with a caveat that there will be more than one cloaking device to obtain, the basic one which you can't fire while cloaked and an advanced one whereby you can.

 

Definitely the way to do it as a high end device or something which can only be obtained through a game mission.

Here is a story intro teaser I made for VoD.

Will play when you begin the game.

Depicting some moments of combat occurring at warp, using the battle jumper (still without special effect) to dodge fire as needed

Any new updates Justin?.

Sadly it looks like Justin has decided to call it a day on Indigogo.

Hi everyone, I sincerely thank you for showing your support for the project. You can follow future updates to the game @ voidofdarkness.com . Development will continue and the game will be released near the end of this year. It might not look the way I wanted it to in the end, but hopefully subsequent games in this trilogy might.

The alpha version is due to be released on Desura in early August. You can still support the game from there. The funds will be used to create the art content for the game. Additionally I may offer the same packages offered here on Inidegogo through my website.

Thanks again,

Justin

 

Good new is their will be a release on August. :good:

Space game junkie has the pod cast with Justin.  http://www.spacegamejunkie.com/

According to a post made by Justin on his forum their will be a release on Desura on the 31 this month.

Hi everyone, and special hi to PIN, who pinned/pinged me on my shoutbox. I took a hiatus in latter July/August. I am actually still on vacation. Sorry if I gave the impression that VOD was vaporware or anything. Although anything unreleased should always be considered as such until you have evidence otherwise.

These are my thoughts on the current situation.

1. Desura gives me enough funds to complete the artwork to illustrate the games story. This is a neccessity. I cannot and will not release a story which doesn't even have a picture of what the alien species you are speaking to looks like.

2. Desura fails to hit the mark. End of the line.

3. Desura fails to hit the mark, I somehow come up with funds to get the art done and fully release the game.

4. Desura fails to hit the mark, an artist joins me on the project to help complete it and joins me as a 50/50 partner on the game sales.

5. Private thought.

VOD as it stands is 90% complete. With the rest being polish and activation of certain features.

It is to be released for Alpha funding on Desura on August 31st, for 5.99. This one time purchase for those unaware of how Desura works, gives you access to all future updates free of charge. So you'll never have to pay another penny, no matter how far along the game goes.

Please support me if you can! Thanks.

-Justin