Hi pin thanks for the feedback. I really have to do something about that. People are getting frustrated while getting destroyed when locked in the station at the beginning. Going to fix that right away for the 1.0 release.

It's supposed to be a safe zone, but maybe something has crept through heh 🙂

Icons glowing. I'll rig that up.

Crew and ship customization, reminded me of SF1.  Is there any planetary exploration? 

Best to make the start a safe zone as it gives us player a chance to familiarizes them self's with the game.

It also would be handy to remove the crew member name from the crew list once they have been assigned to their station.

Hi PIN, that has been fixed in the latest version which sadly is not yet visible on Desura...let me know your impression from 0.8 to 1.0.2 when you get it, feedback I've got from testers is its just so much more streamlined. From launcher to in game interface.

There is not planetary exploration in this. Although I coded a shuttle you coudl launch into from your ship. But I left it out, it didn't add to the gameplay and in the end it wasn't a 'cut' feature since I never intended to have it in. If the game does well enough to justify its sequel, then I want to add ship interiors and planet landings in the next one. But I have built this game from the ground up myself over almost exactly a year. It was built on zero budget except for my own funds.

Planet landing is a whole 'nother' game. I don't want to just hash it in and say it has it, it has to be fun and make sense. I really want to do it, I think it would really complete VOD to be able to fly to any planet, land explore and haggle, but it is a lot to do for a game that might not even get any exposure anywhere.

Right now things people love so far besides the immersion feeling is the haggling with the AI when trading, I wrote it to be a direct homage to starflight. I plan to expand it some more with some more dialogue post release.

So much awaits you in VOD. I had not planned a mission system but I started to write one, it will be completed, once all the bugs/kinks are worked out and the game is fully stable. Then I can slowly add the post release features, properly tested, without breaking anything else. And since the mission system has already been written, it just needs polish and testing, so it won't take long to add once I begin working on it again.

You have to explore in the game though, you have to talk to the aliens, and you have to check out the places they tell you, it is an rpg after all and a direct inspiration from starflight, and this was how you got your 'goals' so to speak. There is even a captains log, you write stuff in the log, save it and re-load the log later. I prefer writing on a note pad myself with a pencil when playing starflight.

There's a lot of pirate stations, and they are heavily defended. Some have turrets and others have wings of pirates who will defend it. It's fun to take a fully upgraded ship and fully kitted out and own the pirates.

Here is the launch trailer. The game will be available also on Gamersgate from 16th December, 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxjJUcpGy-M&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for all your help, kinds words and support. I am always available to help you with any issues with the game or any hints you need! 🙂

Right now things people love so far besides the immersion feeling is the haggling with the AI when trading, I wrote it to be a direct homage to starflight. I plan to expand it some more with some more dialogue post release.

 

Did notice that in the trade section, nice to see it has been brought back 😎 😎

Combat video of the new faster paced combat. Me in a corvette vs pirate vanguard ships (protecting the pirate base)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_I-BMarB6M&feature=youtu.be

Hey there, VOD is now on Gamersgate

http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-VOD/void-of-darkness

😉

I see Desura has not updated yet.

Desura updated and messed up the patch.

I have uploaded a full one. With a warning stern request for them to push it asap, since they messed up the patch mcf.

I am looking around meanwhile to host the patches somewhere, for those who wish to download it elsewhere.

Patch for 1.05 is now hosted here:

Incremental only (you need version 1.05 from Desura)

http://www.gamefront.com/files/23922202/VOD+Patch+1.06.zip

Install instructions (also comes with the patch)

http://www.desura.com/games/void-of-darkness/forum/thread/alternative-patch-install

I see Desura have a 1.4 full, then a 1.5 patch now.

Update: The stand alone download for the game from Desura works fine. It is the Desura client install/update system which is borked.

So you can grab the game from the file download list on the main VOD Desura page (it;s the area above the box shot) Shows all the releases.

I have uploaded a .EXE installer to replace this zip file. Now that I know the issue is with the Desura client. So that people can download and install easy without any zip/unzip hassles. But that .exe won't be live for a few days of course. But the zip is easy, just download, unzip and play! You can make a short cut on the desktop for the exe file. But I much prefer to do all this for people with the installer. It adds the manual to your programs folder and everything.

All you need now is the 1.0.7.3 patch listed below, even that will be an installer in the future.

Desura has an extremely complicated delivery service...all I can say in public.

Then 1.0.7.3 HERE

Support and notes to install: here

Patch notes: Here

Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I had to do this as Desura is far too slow for my liking with updates. Gamersgate on the other hand is instant.

-Justin

Desura seem to have got their act together now it's up to V1.07 will be download that one. :good:

the stand alone version only, the install/client side one isn't working. Either that or just leave out desura and let me send you a key to get it on gamers gate free? 🙂

Some gameplay tips for those who don;t like manuals.

Hi everyone, some tips for getting going. (NOTE:All of this is covered in detail in the manual, but trying to give you the tl:dr version. )

1) First you might have realized after reading the (long) starting message and flying around a bit, the war is really on and ships are constantly jumping in and coming in to attack and military patrols are dealing with them. You can salvage the wrecks left behind after or during these fights (if your brave) they give quite a bit salvage which sells well, sometimes high end salvage. The tractor beam doubles as a salvager, if the debris is outside the range of the salvager, the beam will bring it closer. If it is already in range, the beam won't activate.

2) Speaking with the aliens, they will give you places to investigate and other general information which drives the story of the game and will help you find artifacts and other technology.

3) In relation to number 1, it is best to upgrade your ship to the best components. When you decide to explore further out, there'll be less military patrols, and you'll be on your own (except when aliens respond to your distress call). The better equipped you are, the easier it will be to handle the alien warships. Additionally, invest in the special weapons at Nova Station (starting station). Cluster torpedo, and others.

4) Buy a jump drive to round out your ship. You can them jump to anywhere. You will discover the locations of other alien homeworlds by asking the nearby ones (the Eurians) about other races. You should make a note of these for future, or you can review your conversation log with the Eurians using the log reviewer.

5) You can track your reputation to the other races (how they view you) by perusing the captain menu. Some are set in stone because of the war, such as the U'Guul.

But for others, you can repair your reputation or get it higher, by destroying pirates who are located inside the territory of that race. Example: If my reputation to the G'Lani is low, I jump to their space (by inputting the coordinates of their home world in the jump computer, as given to me by the Eurians). Then you use the starmap and search for a nearby base inside their territory. All you have to do is open the navcom, click on the base you want to jump to with the mouse, and it will in put the coordinates for that base automatically. Remember that your crew will lower your shields to jump, so you should raise them as soon as you jump in.

Every pirate you destroy will increase your reputation slightly. Be warned that these bases are protected by several flights of vanguard ships and some have turrets. The pirates also have an engine disabler, which really hangs you out to dry for a few seconds. The nova engine updrade from Nova Station is immune to that engine disabler (it is the purple effect they shoot).

Crew

6) Crew skills, every time you go through an anomaly, sell resources gathered, destroy a U'Guul or pirate ship, your crew will increase in experience. The higher their experience, the higher the passive bonus they give to the ship. These bonuses are detailed in the manual. So a highly skilled crew in a fully upgraded corvette even is a very powerful ship. And the heavy cruiser/battle cruiser would be 5 times as powerful as that. But the corvette is very maneuverable and fast, and I prefer it sometimes to weave into and out of big melees, picking my targets.

Your crew can become 'stressed' if you engage in too much combat, their morale drops and if they are 'stressed out' they no longer offer their passive bonuses to the ship during that period. Their stress slowly lowers over time so long as you are not in combat. (I left out this stat as an oversight, it will be viewable in the next patch)

When speaking to an alien race, if you have hailed or speak to them in the wrong way your crew will prompt you, the manual contains an intelligence brief on which posture to use as well.

7) You might be receiving distress calls about stations under attack etc, but until you get your jump drive these might be a bit far off, although the nearby distress calls you are receiving are probably only five minutes away at max warp. Just fly towards the coordinates given by the aliens, your current coordinates are specified at the top of the screen. X:    Y:

If you run low on fuel, fly to a planet, click on it to target it, get near and activate your fuel extraction device.

Prestige & Rank:

Every resource gathered, exploration and combat adds to your prestige which you can track in the captains menu. When you have achieved a certain amount your rank will increase. The various ships require certain ranks, but you do not have to actually pay for the ship. Once you achieve that rank, you can 'acquire' the ship. And switch back into any as you like.

Only the Frigate and up can have point defense. This will be an item you can buy instead of finding during exploration (change in patch 1.0.7.4)

Rations

Your crew eats, when they reach a hunger threshold of 50 they go to the galley and eat, you can see their location by clicking on them in the crew window. They also go to the barracks when tired.

Based on the above pointers, while engaging in any of these activities, quick reference to either the manual, or the ingame tip system will guide you.

Remember if you have disabled tips, you need to re-enable them, before clicking on the list of tips on the left will work.

No problems with the download and the game working fine just not had any time to play it at the moment.

Hi guys, in case you missed the broadcast, this is on sale on www.DailyRoyale.com

After reflecting on the future here is what is coming for VOD.

The 1.1 update which will be released on February 25th will include the following changes (in brief, I'll funny explain them and my reasonings on release)

- The use of special weapons are tied to crew man abilities which they learn as they get more experience. So as they become more experienced their active and passive abilities become unlocked.

-A tutorial which guides you on basic gameplay and has you perform some actions like combat, mining, flying around, using the jump drive.

-Mission system

-Other fixes and changes for better user experience.

-A demo

-Revised price

After that I'll continue to support it and include new interesting ideas. But I've been having ramblings in my head for a new space game which I'd like feedback as well as ideas from the community to see if it is an interesting enough concept.

That being said I am wondering if one of the admins here could give me a subforum for VOD, where I can lay out the concept for the new game, which will be available to everyone to try as it is developed. It will use the same framework as VOD and the same assets for place holders. Maybe some other assets with authors permissions as it will be free to download during initial development.

You need to give D1 a pm about forums Justin.