The demo is live, 'nuff said! Go get yourself a copy and let us know what you think!
Demo prep
We are getting ready for the demo. Today we made a new video from the latest build. This is the first time we’ve shown a play-though from character creation to combat. We’ve been focused on playability over the last few weeks, so we’re fixing lots and lots of smaller issues.
The big task was working through issues with load and save of games. Because the demo takes you through character creation before you can start taking sample missions, we wanted players to be able to save a character they generated. We also implemented a loading screen while working on load game. We hope these additions make the demo more enjoyable for players.
Another significant change from our previous videos is an updated camera system. While watching people play, we found players used three camera positions frequently. So we added direct support for the most common camera uses.
- A low camera which shows things from the view of the character
- A high camera which shows the tactical situation
- A target camera which flies the camera over to the active target
- And we still have “free” camera so the player can move it around as they desire
For the low and high camera they save the player's view height and angle so if you switch away and come back you won’t have to reset the camera each time.
We also implemented a compass; it shows which way the character is facing. More interestingly, we also added contact ticks to the compass. So you can see which way contacts are relative to your active character. Also you can click them to fly the camera over to any contact.
The map generation has been heavily tested and we have recently implemented a number of performance enhancements. Currently the large maps can strain some mid-range systems so we put some effort into improving performance. There is more to be done, but we got a very nice performance bump for the demo.
For the playable characters we doubled the number of commander appearances available for the demo. There are two male and two female commanders to choose from, each with their three outfits depending on mission. There will be many more for the shipping game.
The demo will also include default genetic enhancements for all the playable characters. You will get to see a small example of the enhancements in action. In the shipping game you will be able to select and choose how your commander is enhanced to mirror your play style.
We implemented new shaders for the trees, firing range, roof of the base, and a few other items. This was done to make them more friendly to the camera so they cut or blur away so you can continue to see the most important parts of the map.
The status screen has been updated to show not only injuries, but also attacks which were stopped by armor or implants. You can mouse over any hit and see the force and type of attack along with how much of it any armor you may have stopped.
Movement was reviewed. and walk, jog, and sprint speeds were double checked for the demo. We spent a bit of time graphing the various movement speeds vs attributes. These are the base speeds with zero encumbrance.
Walk speed graph
Jog speed graph
Sprint speed graph
The jog (max sustained movement speed) graph is 3D because it’s based off both quickness and stamina. This was triggered when we picked up a few too many weapons at the firing range and unintentionally tested our encumbrance system.
Barring any unexpected problems we expect to have the demo out this month. Stay tuned!
Get ready for the demo
The public demo is shipping in February. Learn where to get it and what's inside.
What's inside?
As we are getting close to the first public demo of Spy DNA, we wanted to give you a quick overview of what will be included in the demo release, and where we are with development. Let’s start with some of the major features we want to show.
The demo starts with character creation. On the first play-through, character creation starts with a personality questionnaire. We use the questionnaire to help the players get a set of attributes which are best suited to their play-style. In the shipping game there will be other options for character creation to give the player more direct control over the creation process, but not in the demo. After picking your attributes you are taken to the base.
Upon arrival, the tutorial will start, covering the basics of camera control, character management, and combat.
The base is where you spend your time between missions. It is located on a small island and features the medical facility, an intel/ops center, scientific research offices, the cryogenic storage vault, and extensive training grounds with a 1000m shooting range and a breach-and-clear area.
Between missions you can use the facilities at the base to heal and train your characters. This is also where you can view and accept available missions and pick the team you will take with you. Each team member has at least two outfits, field and casual, and some (including the Commander) will also have a fancy outfit for blending in with a posher crowd.
For the loners among you, we allow the player not to take any other squad members on the missions and go it alone for an added challenge.
Aside from the base map, all mission maps in the demo will be procedurally generated, to allow for high replayabilty. The demo will include a minimum of five missions, covering several terrain types and times of day.
In summary, here’s what you can expect from the demo release:
- Character creation
- UI and HUD tutorial
- Shooting range to try all the weapons outside of combat situation
- A minimum of five missions with procedural maps for higher replay value
- Four playable team member characters to accompany the Commander on missions
Where and how will you get the demo?
When the demo is ready (some time this month!), we will announce it here on the blog, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, GooglePlus, and Tumblr.
The download will be available on RPGmaker.net as well as GameJolt.com and Itch.io (links TBD). The demo will be free to download and play, and we’d love your help in spreading the word about it.
What then?
Once the demo is out the door, and the feedback we get from the community is coming in, we’ll be going to Steam Greenlight. The date of the Greenlight campaign is not yet set in stone, because it’ll depend on whether our demo players will discover any issues that need fixing beforehand.
If you have any questions or ideas, hit us up on social media!
Putting the "super" in super-spy
For the upcoming demo we have put the first round of genetic enhancement in the game. In the course of the game you will acquire enhancements as part of the story line. All player character will start with at least one enhancement.
In Spy DNA each squad member has a number of slots where enhancements can be placed. For example the arms have two slots. One slot is for skin modification while the other is for muscle. Example enhancement for the skin are armor, camouflage, or special attacks such as a shocking touch.
When enhancing your character you can either fill an empty slot, or replace an existing enhancement. If you want to use a modification for a slot that’s already occupied, you have to remove the enhancement that’s currently there.
The standard enhancement that each squad member will have is medical, which effectively auto-applies first aid to any injuries the character may supper. Also as part of creating a character their neural information is scanned and backed up to help restore them even after extensive brain injury. This allows the medical staff at the base to fully heal a character as long as they make it off the field alive.
In the upcoming demo each playable character will come fitted with implants which work best with their combat style.
As you’ve seen in our earlier post, some of the squad will have armored skin (Wolf and Bear), stronger muscles and bones (Bear), or higher-resolution retinas and fine motor control (Skeeter).
However, we are not revealing the full enhancement list at this time, so the majority of enhancements will be unveiled later as we move into early access.
Meet the demo squad
Spy DNA public demo is almost ready and we wanted to introduce the playable characters which will be available for you to take for a spin.
First, the Commander (that would be you).
We have a male and a female Commander versions, which have three outfit modes, each with a unique load-out.
Male and female commander, fancy: P-60, armored clothing
Female Commander, field: R-45, Pb-25, light battle suit, 2x grenade
Male Commander, casual: P-60, P-19, armored clothing
At the beginning of the game, you will have a choice of going through character creation to get the Commander with the stats best suited to your play-style. In the shipping game, you'll also be able to play a ready-made version of Commander that we think will do well with the missions in the game.
Ivan Batts, call sign “Wolf”
During training, Ivan was found to have a far-above-average combination of strength, quickness, and dexterity. As he also passed the high-tech weapons test he was placed in a high-tech fire support role.
Upon his recruitment into Spy DNA squad, he chose to remain specialized in high-tech firearms. He’s notable for being the first soldier to use the new Magnetar line of gauss rifles in combat.
In the field, he typically carries a RG-20 gauss rifle, with a heavy dart pistol as a backup sidearm. He usually wears light to medium armor. In a pinch he is comfortable using any and all weapons. Karsten often refers to Ivan as the team’s “glass cannon.”
Casual: P-70, armored clothing
In a covert setting Ivan has difficulty blending in due to his combat DNA enhancements. This is why he rarely goes on missions where early detection is a major concern. When he does, he typically carries a P-70 or Pa-19.
Quote: You avoid getting shot by shooting first, and repeating as needed.
Field: RG-20, light battle suit
Karsten Meyer, call sign “Bear”
Known for being both about as subtle as a wrecking ball and almost as durable, Karsten made a name for himself with his somewhat reckless approach to combat. This was considered a problem in his squad, which made him easy to recruit into the Spy DNA program.
With the appropriate genetic enhancements to match his style, Karsten is now considered an asset as a one-man army when staying covert is not a concern. Nuri enjoys his approach because while all the attention is on him, she can usually sneak around unnoticed.
His heavy armor implants, scars, and tendency for violence mean he is rarely taken on missions that are not high-intensity combat.
Field: R-70, heavy battle suit, 4x grenade
Casual: P-110, armored clothing
Karsten shies away from high-tech and just prefers big and loud guns. In the field, he typically carries a 7mm rifle, grenades, and the heaviest armor he can get his hands on. For a sidearm he carries an 11mm pistol. He claims no one would notice it under his jacket if the commander would let him tag along when casual outfits are needed. However, the team is dubious of this claim.
Quote: I wear this armor because it turns out, if I’m in range, so is the enemy.
Nuri Tsoi, call sign “Eagle”
A former CIA spook, Nuri was recruited for her ability to get people to talk. She has a long list of techniques for getting what she needs. The CIA was getting concerned that she never showed remorse or trauma from actions in the field, but what they considered red flags, made Nuri catch the Agency’s eye as a valuable asset.
Upon recruitment and brain scan she was evaluated as having some psychopathic tendencies. Thankfully the parts of her brain responsible for loyalty were shown to be strongly functional. The enhancements she underwent were tailored to enhance her ability to manipulate others and increase awareness of her environment. She also underwent minor strength and armor upgrades that would not harm her ability to blend with normal humans.
Casual: P-60, armored clothing
Field: R-45, P-60, light battle suit
Fancy: P-60, armored clothing
Nuri rarely carries weapons heavier than a pistol. Typically you would find her with a small-caliber silenced pistol. That said, she is qualified with rifles and sub-machine guns.
In the field she has earned the nickname “Jane Bond” for her tendency to be invited home by the mark.
Quote: Yes I needed evening dresses in all of these colors. We didn’t yet know what the mark’s favorite was at that time. Just authorize the expense report honey. Do it for me :)
Zoe Komarova, call sign “Skeeter”
A former scout sniper, Zoe was very difficult for the Agency to recruit. Her unblemished record and 81 confirmed kills meant that her previous employer did not want to let her go, as she was considered to be elite at her trade.
Luckily, the Agency was able to make a compelling offer, and Zoe was able to take her trade to the next level with the genetic enhancements Dr. Crotalus synthesized for her. She worked with Ivan to get comfortable with the new gauss sniper rifles and is considered, without question, the best marksman at the Agency.
Field: SRG-29, Pb-25, light battle suit
Casual: P-70, P-19, armored clothing
Unlike most of the team, Zoe is very fluid in the weapons she employs. While she considers close range the “unnecessary hazard”, she is a crack shot at any range, with pistols and assault rifles as well as sniper rifles. For extreme range engagements (1km or more) she typically takes the SR-100, a precision 10mm sniper rifle. However, when the range is merely “long” she prefers the gauss dart rifles (SRG-29 & SRG-20) which have lower recoil and allow for more rapid engagement of multiple targets.
Zoe has developed a strong dislike of the R-16 and R-20 which she refers to as “junk rifles” for their lack of accuracy.
Quote: What do you need me for? If it’s closer than 200m, even Karsten can hit that.
Realistic weapons in Spy DNA: How deep does this rabbit hole go?
As we’ve been known to say on more than one occasion, we want Spy DNA combat to feel very realistic, and by extension this means that the weapons also need to work like you’d expect them to in real life.
On one hand, weapons need to work realistically, in the sense that they should have a range and damage specifications similar to the ones in real life. Sniper rifles are best used at ranges over 100 meters (and we’ll make sure there are maps big enough for that to matter), and handguns are a good choice for concealed weapons or closed-quarters combat, where you’d have difficulty wielding a long-barreled assault rifle.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you know that that’s a given, and a premise of our whole game, really. When we set out to build Spy DNA, we wanted to provide the player with as realistic a combat simulation as possible, while still making it a game.
The main implication is that the realism makes for a slightly different set of perks and challenges than a typical shooter. We want for the player to be able to use the common sense and knowledge of how things work in the real world to navigate the game. Basically, if you think doing something would get you (or the opponent) hurt or killed in the real world, it should be the same in Spy DNA. Case in point, head shots. Best to avoid them. Or land them on your enemies.
Just like the real deal (P25 dart pistol)
But on top of that, the weapons also need to look the part. If we gave our soldiers guns that look like they’d be hard to get through an ordinary doorway, or were too heavy to even lift, the realism and the immersion go out the window. Don’t get me wrong folks, there ain’t a thing in the world wrong with games that do that, but it’s just not where we chose to take Spy DNA.
The little screen on the back shows ammo levels and other useful info to the shooter
So while designing the weapons, working together, Jason, Denis and I have been periodically taking a step back to check whether the weapon still looks usable, practical, and like something that you could imagine the military of 2075 using. You could overhear us having conversations about making sure that we don’t eject brass into the user’s face or hands, or make the shiny trim reveal the position of our sniper.
We put a lot of thought into the ammo feed position, grips, and how easy would it be to reload or unjam in a firefight, what accessories the owner may want to add and where, and so on. Denis put immense attention to detail into each weapon, and as a result we have game guns in which the sights align when you’re looking at them like you’d be aiming. The fact that it’s a 3rd person game where the player will most likely never see these little details doesn’t mean that we don’t pay attention to them.
Most weapons in our game will have a range of accessories/extensions such as scopes, sights, grips, bipods, and extended ammo clips that the player can choose to equip to add a touch of personalization to their kit.
If our Early Access really takes off, we should have the funds to make more customizable parts for the guns, including rare mods, color schemes, and accessories that can only be gained by completing certain missions.
Stay tuned for the announcement of our Greenlight campaign!
Procedural map generation in Spy DNA
by Jason Sams
It’s been a while since I wrote my last update. I’ve been hard at work on a few things. But as promised in the last update, today we will talk about mission maps.
We have the core of the map generation up and running. We have tested it generating maps from 128 meters square to 2 kilometers. Map generation times are pretty good; just a few seconds in most cases.
Procedural map of a wooded rural area with roads and trees
The maps are complete with bushes and trees. We are planning to add grass too, but that is a little harder to do without hurting performance, so it may not make our first Early Access release.
The size of the map will have a large effect on the time a mission takes to complete, and the general flow of a mission. For example, on a small 256 or 128 square meter map, there is no reason to bring any sniper weapons with you on a mission. Most of the regular rifles are “good enough” at those ranges while being much more useful up close.
Closer view of a procedural map, showing transition from sandy to grassy terrain
We understand our players will have a variety of play styles. So we will be adding an option to the settings to adjust the map size to larger or smaller to mirror what you enjoy most. This will apply a +1 or -1 to the map size settings. The supported map sizes are 128, 256, 512, 1024, and 2048 meters. At the default settings all missions will be on maps from 256 to 1024 meters. So applying the +1 would change that to 512 to 2048.
When you start a mission, you will be able to see all of the terrain. We assume that in the future you'll still have satellites and drones to recon the area before you deploy. Hidden or movable items such as enemy patrols will be hidden by the fog of war until a team member manages to spot them. Once spotted, they will be marked on the map. If you lose contact, the marker will remain at the last position a team member saw them.
With the upcoming demo we will be using the procedural maps to allow the player to generate skirmishes. We want everyone to have a chance to try out our unique combat system and get a feel for the game.
Behind the scenes: How are Spy DNA weapons made?
Hey everyone, and welcome to the second part of our introduction to the workflow for creating the assets. If you haven't read the post about who I am, you can check it out first. Today I wanted to talk about my process for creating the assault rifle for Spy DNA.
Conceptualizing the weapon
The first thing that needs to be done before any actual modeling is the concept. This phase of the project is quite important as it will set the dynamic of the work follows.
Another very important thing when creating a model that doesn't exist in real life is to make it appear functional.
Creating the concept for this weapon started with the basic choice of ammunition feed system. For this gun we chose a bullpup design, which means the clip feed is integrated in the stock.
The next thing that was to provide places for the attachments, such as scope, holo-sights, etc. This meant we would be using threaded rails on the gun for the actual attachments.
Modeling the weapon
So now that we have the concept, or the guidelines for our weapon we can proceed to the modeling phase. This is the phase in which we need to be careful on how our concept will come together. Also this is where we need to make our model scale be in line with a realistic model. The reason why this is important is because we want to make sure the weapon animates well in-game, and that the characters using it will look good doing so.
For the actual modeling I used 3ds Max, and basic polygon modeling techniques. The main goal here was to keep the design guidelines in mind and make it into a complete weapon. After a few different versions and going through a few failed designs I ended up with a base model that the team and myself were happy with.
Now that the basic shape was achieved it was time to add in the fine details like little screws, bolts, rivets, threads and the barrel threading. Once all of this is done, we basically have the high polygon count (high-poly) model for our game.
If you are curious as to how all this works, go ahead and check out my YouTube channel.
Getting the model game-ready
Once we have the high-poly model, we need to make a game-ready (low-poly) model. The process of creating a low-poly model of an existing high-poly model is called retopology.
This is one of the more time-consuming parts of the asset creation. Here you basically need to make the 3D model that can be used in the game engine. This means that you will have a polygon budget that will limit how much detail you can put in your model. If you aren't careful of your budget, you can end up putting a strain on the player's computer, and their framerate will drop, and nobody likes that.
This is how the low-poly model of the SR100 looks underneath the textures.
For this project I did most of my retopology in 3ds Max, but I also used Topogun and 3d Coat. When you're done, you get a low-poly model that has the basic shape, but not the surface details of the high-poly model. Next, we'll need to unwrap it so we can apply textures.
Texturing the model
Once we have an unwrapped model, we can continue to the texturing phase. In this phase first we bake the surface details from the high poly to the game model. This way in the game the weapon will look as if it still had all the little screws, buckles, etc., even though the low-poly model has none of that.
After this is done we go with the actual application of the materials. I used Substance Painter which is an application for texturing to do the textures for the weapon. With the model done, unwrapped and textured we have the finished model that will be used in the game.
What's next?
If you're still with me, then you were able to get a little taste of what it takes to create a game asset from start to finish.
As we make progress developing Spy DNA, we'll be making more posts like these, so you can look over our shoulders in a way. You will get to hear from the other team members, each talking about their aspects of creating this game.
So for today that would be all from me, and remember to come back and check on our progress often!
-- Denis Keman