Space Salvage Blog #4 : Demo – Pickups – Combat

The first month of the new year is nearly over and boy have we been busy! We have a lot of new things to tell you about this month!

First, we would like to give a big thank you to everyone who has downloaded our demo! We are currently at 6.7k downloads on SideQuestVR and we are ecstatic! Thank you so much for all of the support and because of this, we have a big treat for you all!

If you haven’t already, please tell more people to give our FREE demo a try!

Demo

As mentioned before, we are currently at 6.7k downloads for the demo on SideQuestVR. The demo has been a huge hit and we want to give more back to the community, so we have decided to update the FREE demo with a whole bunch of new things! Including pickups, infrastructures and so much more!  Keep reading to find out more.

Player

One of the changes we will be adding is a player body with a special Space Salvage suit; you can’t start your job without a uniform to represent Space Salvage Corp! We’ve also incorporated some gloves for your hands which are animated to give you a better feel when sitting in the pod. No more robot body!

Below are some images:

Sound

One of the feedbacks we got from you all was that the sound effects didn’t feel quite right. So we did a complete rehaul and updated them all! We have a lot more satisfying button presses which really give it that “umph” as well as switches!

We’ve included ambient background music so you don’t feel so lonely while cleaning everything. We aimed for it to not be intrusive but we would love your feedback when the updated demo is out!

Below are some videos giving you a little teaser:

VFX

We have also updated our visual effects! We know some of you felt like you weren’t really moving in the pod and didn’t feel like you were going fast; don’t worry, we got you. A bunch of visual effects have been updated and new ones have been added, one being the classic speed lines you see in retro-esque games. Sticking to our style, we want you to feel fast in your pod and feel like you’re really driving a space pod; controls help with this alot but visual effects also provide support.

Another important effect we have changed is the tractor beam! Previously, it felt like the pickups would just float towards you, this time, we really feel like it gives you a more pull effect with an accompanying sound to give it more of an impact.

Have a peek below at the video and tell us how you feel about it:

We have so much more to tell you about but we don’t want to spoil it all for you! We’ll only go through some of the biggest changes so keep on reading to find out more!

Pickups

Looking back at the current game, we have the standard pickups you see in any  game where they look like loot boxes. We felt this was very out of place and wanted our pickups to relate to the lore of the world. So, we have created objects which your clients will actually want you to obtain, such as battery packs, server nodes and so much more.
With new pickups comes a tier list as well; the higher the tier, the higher the value. However, don’t be fooled by common game conceptions, instead of having a standard colour scheme, we have wear and tear to differentiate the value. No one will pay for a broken up battery pack!

Here is an image to give you a better understanding of the pickups and the tiers they come in:

Hidden Loot

As devs, we love to give you players a challenge so we have included S tier, top of the range pickups hidden in places you’ll (hopefully) never find. We’ve scattered them in new infrastructures and in new environments! So keep your eyes peeled for those high quality pickups to grab those juicy credits.

Combat

One of the common feedback we got from you all was that you wanted combat. The current demo doesn’t really showcase that very well so we’ve decided to give you a better taste of what’s to come! 

Hopefully you’ve completed the demo, if not sorry but there’s spoilers! At the end you have a Space Pirate who is angered that you stole his booty and he will shoot you down, you have to find him and shoot the mines to blow him up. This combat system is very basic and doesn’t feel exciting. We are planning to completely revamp the entire combat system.

Instead of you stealing his loot, the pirate will now protect it as any good pirate should! You won’t be able to sneak past without his radars picking you up and you better be prepared when it does.
As with any boss fight, the pirate will have multiple stages to his health and combat. We want to implement a modular ship system which will allow you to target different parts of his ship. This will allow you to determine what is the highest threat, what needs to be destroyed first and how to manoeuvre around him and outsmart him.
That’s not all, we will also be introducing turrets. They will fire back at you, target you with various patterns so don’t think this fight will be easy!

This is all under development so it is subject to change but this is what we are hoping to achieve for the demo, we look forward to creating a pirate which will give you a challenge as well as a better excitement factor.

What’s to come!

We are hoping to release this update for the demo next month so please look out for it! You’ll be able to grab it on SideQuestVR as well as the App lab.

Next month we’ll talk about the release of the demo update and what other new things that are added into it, such as a pod update, lore and much more!

Don’t forget to follow our social media to keep up to date with Space Salvage!

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Space Salvage Blog #3 : Navigation – Job Types – Upgrades

It’s that time of month again Space Salvage Cadets and we have a lot of things to show you. Ranging from how you navigate through the menu, how you make money and upgrades for your pod!

We’re hoping this blog will give you more of an insight for what’s to come and you can see Space Salvage really take form.

A couple of mentions before we begin though!
We have currently set up a discord server! So if you want to talk to devs or get the latest news come join us! Link is below:

DISCORD

We have also been approved by Oculus and our demo is on the SideQuestVR store and App lab! If you missed us at EGX and want to try out the demo, don’t worry, follow the link below and give it a try! Please leave us a review and any feedback, it would help us greatly.

DEMO

Navigation

An entirely new Home UI system has been built to satisfy all of your button pressing needs! As we all know, pressing buttons in VR is VERY satisfying so why not add more! 

SSC has kindly provided you with a navigation tablet! It may look a bit rusted and old but it works perfectly fine and that’s all that matters right?
You will be able to select your jobs as well as purchase upgrades for your pod through the shop menu.

The tablet starts as a small handheld which is ambidextrous, so no matter what your dominant hand is, it will know! Do you see how kind SSC is to provide you with such a luxury?
Once a button is pressed for example “Job”, a panel will pop out, giving you a bigger screen and more options for you to press. 

We believe that this type of menu system is a lot more intuitive and fun to interact with as it gives you a more real world application but in a Sci-fi environment. We all love the types of gadgets Sci-fi offers in various movies or other games; so what better way to showcase it than having your own personal handheld. 

Enough about that though, let us go more in depth at what the options available to you are!

Job Screen

Once the “Job” button has been selected, a panel will pop out from the side showing you a selection of job types. The jobs available will depend on your player rank; the higher your rank the more options.

Using the four buttons on the side to determine which one you want, once selected, it will then take you to another screen. This will show you your client, the description and possible hazards in the area.

Once you are happy with your selection, pressing “accept” will move you forward into your pod to start the job.

Shop Screen

Similar to the “job” screen, a panel will pop out when the shop is selected, or if the panel is already out, the shop screen will appear on the panel. Multiple categories will appear, this includes:

• Promotion
• Upgrades
• Weapons
• Cosmetics

The promotion screen will show you a set of requirements needed to advance your rank; this could include an upgrade purchase or a job type you need to complete. SSC also does not offer free promotions, you will need to pay them to advance but don’t worry, a little surprise will happen when you promote! Maybe…

Upgrades will allow you to purchase items for your pod to make your job easier. This could include more health, bigger fuel tanks or shields!

We decided to give weapons its own category as we will be adding a multitude of them. There will be alot for you to shoot or mine! We look forward to creating them all and showing you the possibilities different weapons can provide 

Lastly we have cosmetics. Everyone wants to design their pod their way. If you want a decal, change the interior walls, bobble heads or dinosaur figurines, you name it, SSC has it and they will give it to you… for a high price of course.

Quick Job

SSC has also installed a button into your handheld that will let you instantly jump into a random job. This allows for faster efficiency with no hassle, so if you’re grinding for money to get that certain upgrade or cosmetic, this is the button for you!

Job Types

During this sprint, we have created four different types of environments for you to explore through but only two different job types to begin with. First, let us talk about the ranking system and how this ties in with the Job types

Ranking System

Players will be given the “Trainee Operative” rank to start off with. To progress further, they will need to complete a set of requirements which are available under the “shop -> requirements” option in the handheld. This will tell you what you need to do to acquire the next rank.

Each rank is broken down into stars. For example, you are a Trainee Operative, you complete the requirements, you will go up by 1 star but are still a Trainee Operative.
Once 3 stars are claimed in that rank, you will be boosted into the next stage which will be a Junior Operative.
Each rank requires a different amount of stars to progress further but it will also unlock a lot more for you. 

Currently for Trainee Operative, there are only two Job types: collect and destroy. Later on you could unlock mining jobs or even racing, we can’t wait for you to see what you will get! Harder jobs will appear but that means more money and loot!
For now, we will talk about the current job types available.

Collect

Collect jobs are your standard missions where you need to fly around the environment and gather a certain amount of loot the client has requested. However, don’t get used to the layout as everything could change the next time you’re in there. It’s better to focus on your flying abilities, the trusty radar as well as your eyes and ears to spot them all.
You will have a chance at the end of the mission to keep flying around and find more “hidden” loot that could be worth a whole lot!
On the other end, if you choose to leave the mission before even completing it, SSC will fine you and take half of your credits. 

Destroy

Destroy jobs will give you the chance to fire your laser beam (once you’re purchased it) at enemies. Various things are in space and one of them are mines which are placed by the other faction; the Scavengers.
Don’t worry, considering your low rank, SSC will not send you out to the super dangerous places, these mines and/or probes will not fire back or chase you. However, remember to shoot them from a distance because they will explode and they will damage you.
This job does require you to destroy enemy objects, but don’t forget to look around for loot! There will always be loot for you to pick up and get some extra cash

Below are some environments you’ll be flying around completing these types of jobs.

Upgrades

We have spoken about what jobs are available, what rewards you can obtain, ranking system and more. However, what do you do with all that money you get from completing jobs? SSC will gladly take it all but they aren’t tyrants mostly. In your handheld, there is a shop option available, there are multiple options here for you to spend your credits! But one of the most vital pieces for Space Salvage is upgrading your pod. 

The upgrades range from Pod health, Fuel tank increase and many more. Again, the higher your rank the more different options at things you can buy will become available. 

These upgrades are vital in making your jobs a lot easier or even helping you complete a job which is too difficult. Some promotion requirements will make you purchase certain upgrades so grab as much loot as possible when you’re out and about! You’re going to need it!

Another category which will help you are the weapons. You won’t just have a laser beam to help you, later on you’ll be able to purchase homing missiles, better combat lasers, target assists and so much more. But of course, this will only unlock as you progress further into the ranks! There may even be a special surprise when you reach the top, or maybe SSC won’t care, you’ll have to find out.

What’s to come!

This concludes our Dev Blog for December, we hope this has given you more of an insight for what’s to come and makes you excited to play!

We are currently working on the different factions which will be in Space Salvage, giving our game a bit more story-rich environment. Get to know the Scavs, SSC and even civilians more. The type of objects they want you to scavenge for them and their general aesthetics. 

We are also having a revamp of our visual effects, this includes bigger and better explosions, a shield to protect you from enemies and even some speedy lines to make you zoom through space!

Thank you for reading this dev blog and don’t forget to join our discord server as well as follow our other social media to keep up to date!
We also have the demo available for you to play for free on the Sidequest and App Lab!

DEMO

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Space Salvage Blog #2 : EGX London

Hello Space Salvage Cadets!  We are back from EGX London and we are so happy with the attention and feedback! We have met so many lovely people and we just want to recap everything that happened in EGX.

Demo

EGX was quite an experience for us and we were overwhelmed by the amount of people who wanted to try it out! We had so many wonderful people that were polite and gave us amazing feedback. 

Our demo consisted of the player learning the controls from the AI assistant that is provided by Space Salvage Corporation (SSC). She may be a little snarky but its the best AI SSC can afford for you
The general idea of the demo is that the players must manoeuvre through giant asteroids and debris to find salvageable crates. Once you’ve collected enough you may even find an enemy also wanting the crates you found, shoot him down before he shoots you! But let us stop talking about it and let us show you instead! SSC has kindly recorded a bit of gameplay footage and is willing to share it with you all!

Special Mentions

We have some notable people we want to mention and thank! 

Our demo was often compared to “No Man’s Sky” and we are thrilled to be able to be on that level. We had streamers, influencers and press come to our booth and we hope you had a great time trying out the demo. We even had a few colleges/universities come over, teachers having a blast when trying the demo and all sorts. The comments provided by everyone who carried out the questionnaire and verbally were helpful and insightful.

Below are some of the photos we took during the event:

Feedback

The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive. Reading through the questionnaires has given us some great ideas and mechanics. Some feedback include, moving UI in a better location for people to see, multiplayer, better combat mechanics and so much more. We are so thankful to you all for the feedback and will be reading through every single one to help improve our game and to show you all in the next event!

What’s to come!

That wraps up EGX and again, thank you everyone for your feedback and comments. We will be adding new features and polishing current ones, creating new environments and adding so much more. We can’t wait to show you all in our next dev blog.
Follow our social media to keep up to date!

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New Environment: Barnard’s Star

A new environment has been added and we call it the Barnard Star; filled with thousands of asteroids for you to navigate and manoeuvre through. Be careful though, if you collide with one, your pod will be damaged so fly for your salvage with precision and speed. 

Barnard star gives a standard space environment so you can explore and enjoy the environment with ease sprinkled with a small amount of difficulty. A great starting area for newly hired cadets!

New Environment: Barnard’s Star

A new environment has been added and we call it the Barnard Star; filled with thousands of asteroids for you to navigate and manoeuvre through. Be careful though, if you collide with one, your pod will be damaged so fly for your salvage with precision and speed. 

Barnard star gives a standard space environment so you can explore and enjoy the environment with ease sprinkled with a small amount of difficulty. A great starting area for newly hired cadets!

Space Salvage Blog #1 : Venture – Salvage – Upgrade

Hello to all Space Salvage Cadets. Welcome to our first blog update.

With EGX coming right around the corner, we figured everyone would like to know what they are getting into, who their Overlords most trusted employers are and what does Space Salvage entail.

Venture: Vast Environments

Space Salvage provides you with a once in a lifetime experience. Work under the almighty Space Salvage Corporation(SSC). They have given you the chance to venture through vast environments filled with salvageable goodies accompanied by danger. With your pod, fly through asteroids, dodge meteor storms and blow stuff up! 

We have multiple environments for you to explore all with a different scenario and story; so you can never be bored when flying out and starting your day at work. It is also under SSC rule to not be bored or deductions to your salary will be made.

Due to SSC feeling generous, we are able to provide you with some screenshots of the type of environments you are going to explore.

Salvage: Collect Useful Cargo

As a Space Salvage Corporation Cadet, you are expected to fly through dangerous territories while picking up anything that could be useful. Containers are scattered around and you need to grab them with your tractor beam. This highly expensive technology has been kindly provided for your pod by Space Salvage Corporation (SSC).

Upgrade: Expand your Pod

As you carry on with your journey you’ll become more used to your surroundings, an expert at piloting your pod and know where all the good loot is. You’ll then want to explore more dangerous and deadly areas in which your pod can not survive. SSC is kind enough to provide you a store that will give you the chance to upgrade your pod; whether this be increased health, a bigger fuel tank or adding new features such as a shield. However, nothing is free and everything is overpriced so salvage as much as you can.

What’s to come

We hope this has given you a better insight to what Space Salvage offers. We have some features to come, such as a Cadet Ranking System, Factions and more. We’re really looking forward to creating a unique space experience in the VR world and can’t wait to release it in 2022.  

If you’re in London, we have a demo lined up at EGX on the 7th-10th October 2021. For more information be sure to sign up on our newsletter and follow us on our social media!

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