KickStarter Free Stars: Children of Infinity - upcoming Star Control 2 sequel from original creator Fred Ford

[Infinitron]

Fred and Dan talk with Mac Walters about his experience on Mass Effect and Jade Empire, plus his transition from his leadership at BioWare to his new studio, Worlds Untold. Mac breaks down his sci-fi inspiration, and how he approaches game writing, building a vision, and working as a team.

0:00 - Theme music
0:14 - Introductions
01:22 - Mac's path to BioWare
06:20 - Inspiration and nostalgia
09:20 - How to begin a game story
12:00 - Playing your own games
13:52 - Creative possibilities and wisdom
23:55 - Delivering on an idea
28:38 - Prototyping versus finishing
41:45 - Building a shared vision
47:23 - Distributed teams and remote work
59:14 - Individual styles and personalities
1:07:10 - Star Wars, Dune, and styles of sci-fi
1:15:28 - Sequels versus new stories
1:19:45 - Staying inspired

 

[Infinitron]

Pledged $30. It's been a while since there was such a popular Kickstarter that I was interested in.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4078701

$100K Goal Met!!​

Happy days and jubilation! WE DID IT! We met our $100k USD goal in just under 3 hours for Free Stars: Children of Infinity!!!

This is the ultimate, best feeling in the world. It is even better than the feeling of snuggling up to a warm campfire, petting a soft animal, or getting into bed after a long bout of Frungy–combined.

We are so grateful for everyone’s support on our journey here, and we absolutely could not have done it without all of you. This is only getting started, and we still need your support to meet our stretch goals. We want Floyd! You want Floyd! Please keep spreading the word, come tune in to our live streams (first one tomorrow!), and check back in to see just how high we can climb and what secrets we'll be revealing for the forthcoming game.

We have a few additional backer tiers we're working on for those who really want to help us reach for the stars. More info coming soon!

With Love,
Fred and Dan

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4078754

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Enhanced Super Melee!​

We just hit our first stretch goal: Enhanced Super Melee!

After doing some prototypes that support multiple players, enemies, and even an asymmetric mode where you defend your star base from onslaughts of attackers, we have the funds to create assets to support even more, exciting ways to experience Super Melee!

Next up are more ships, which would let us generate assets for some of our new, fun, and wild ship designs! Let's go!

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4078860

Stretch Goal Unlocked: More Ships!​

We just hit our second stretch goal: More Ships!

At this time of this update, we have over 20 additional ships that had been designed and prototyped but we couldn't commit to finishing more than our budget would allow. With your support, we can take more of them to completion with finished assets!

Next up is a fan favorite with tons of charm and personality: Captain's Windows!

Keep it going, we can do this together!

 

[Cael]

Didn't these guys sell out to stardick?

 

[Baron Tahn]

That was the other end of the legal battle over the SC IP. This is the end that made skylanders/Toys for Bob and has shitloads of money.

 

[Cael]

That was the other end of the legal battle over the SC IP. This is the end that made skylanders/Toys for Bob and has shitloads of money.

Something to avoid like the plague, then.

 

[Baron Tahn]

Not sure. This one was always a bit of a left field situation due to the massive bitch fight over the franchise. Currently I'm avoiding it but I don't do kickstarters anyway. Been in the alleged works so long already....Might just check back in 5 years.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4079055

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Captain's Windows!​

We just hit our third stretch goal: Captain's Windows!

We're happy to be able to fund this wonderful, charming, and fan-favorite feature for all of our aliens in Melee. Part of getting to know an alien in Children of Infinity is through conversation, but the other half is through meeting them and their weaponry face-to-face in battle! We love imagining how the aliens pilot their ship, and we're going to have a lot of fun with this one.

Up next is Gas Giant Gameplay, adding fun interactivity and a reason to explore gas giants in the many stars you'll be visiting!

With your support, we've got this!

 

[Infinitron]

Infinitron will the thread be moved to General RPG if game self identifies as one?

Oh yeah, about that: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/description

Free Stars: Children of Infinity is an action-adventure game inspired by the golden age of science fiction, defined by its hopeful future, wondrous technology, and a grandiose galaxy filled with eclectic stories.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Infinitron will the thread be moved to General RPG if game self identifies as one?

Oh yeah, about that: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/description

Free Stars: Children of Infinity is an action-adventure game inspired by the golden age of science fiction, defined by its hopeful future, wondrous technology, and a grandiose galaxy filled with eclectic stories.

Kickstarter blurb describes it as "An epic space Action-RPG, and the long-awaited sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters."

 

[Unkillable Cat]

These stretch goals are brought to you by the Crimson Corporation.

And I'm hoping this Floyd-robot hasn't run into the Zeenak pyramid yet.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4079229

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Gas Giant Gameplay!​

We just hit our fourth stretch goal: Gas Giant Gameplay!

With a universe full of so many planets, we always wanted to be able to interact with all the interesting gas giants in The Ur-Quan Masters. For Children of Infinity, we're excited to add a reason to explore gas giants with a unique twist on the experience as you pilot a ship instead of a lander. Of course, every mission has its dangers... we'll be testing your piloting skills and choice of ship, Captain!

Up next is one of our technical features which we know people would be excited for: Mac & Linux Releases. Help us expand our reach so more people get to experience our game!

 

[Ivan]

Dreed disliked this post

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4079234

Additional Backer Tiers Coming April 18th​

We are thrilled to have so many *happy campers* joining us for our campaign. The only problem we have is a good one: we ran out of ways for our most generous backers to contribute more! We've received many kind notes from backers asking for ways they can get involved. We're excited to announce additional, limited-slot backer tiers launching tomorrow, April 18th, at 8am PT.

$600 USD: Private Playtest​

Fred and Dan will join you for a live video call to talk about whatever you like, and, if you wish, duel in Children of Infinity's Super Melee with you! (You will crush us, in all likelihood) Also includes everything in Message from Earth.

$4,400 USD: Modding Membership Club​

We'll help you learn to make your own ship! Join our team and other backers for an exclusive ship creation session in our team's Slack or Discord where you'll learn how to use our tools and make a ship as a mod, which you can share as you see fit. Also includes everything in Message from Earth.

$10,000 USD : Precursor Legacy​

Be part of what the player will discover Beyond the Great Arrow. Include your name and/or message in a report from planet surface on one of the planets visited by the Precursors which the player will discover in the game. Also includes Modding Membership Club.

Let us know if you have any questions, and don't forget to *enjoy the sauce*.

- Fred and Dan

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4079742

Live Development Streams Starting Today​

Today at 1pm PT marks the beginning of our live development streams during our Kickstarter, where you can join Fred and I (Dan) to watch us actually work on the game.

Tune in at https://twitch.tv/pebby

While today might just be a lot of Q&A, cheering, shaking (virtual) hands, and kissing (virtual) babies in appreciation of the amazing turnout of our community, we actually do try to really do work and show you what our development process is really like!

Going forward throughout the Kickstarter, we'll be having alternating afternoon/morning streaming slots. Mondays will start at 2pm PT and Wednesdays will start at 11am PT, and we usually go for 2-3 hours at a time. VODs are available for those who miss it.

Hope to see you there!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4080050

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Mac and Linux Releases​

We just hit our fifth stretch goal: Mac and Linux Releases!

Thanks to your support, we will be able to reach even more players with Children of Infinity and bring the game to these additional platforms. We're excited to be able to extend our reach to hit a whole galaxy of operating systems.

Next up is one that will also help us give the gave to more players: DRM-Free PC Release! Help us reach even higher and farther with an even bigger audience.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4080177

Stretch Goal Unlocked: DRM-Free PC Releases​

We just hit our sixth stretch goal: DRM-Free PC Releases!

Because of your overwhelming support, we will be able to support releases on other storefronts (e.g. GOG, itch) which do not require DRM! While this is a seemingly small thing for many players, we value those who help keep games alive, accessible, and future-proof, supporting storefronts which provide games in this format. We care about it too, and we're glad we can commit to the technical aspects of doing this! Thank you, everyone, for helping us achieve this exciting goal and helping us reach an even wider audience.

Next up is yet another classic feature: Local Melee Gameplay. Want to duke it out with your friend (or enemy) side-by-side just like the old days? We can get there with more support! Spread the word and get this classic mode added!

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4080536

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Local Melee Gameplay​

We just hit our seventh stretch goal: Local Melee Gameplay

Thanks to everyone's contributions, we'll be able to build the classic, local Super Melee experience with two players jousting together while being at a single PC. We're not sure if we'll need to include a key-jamming test program to help players at a single keyboard out, but given modern PC's ability to support different input devices and our controller support, we're pretty sure you'll be able to have a good time. Just be sure to send us photos of you playing together!

Next up are Additional Languages (French, Italian, German, Spanish), which we'd love to support so even more players get to experience our game.

And don't forget our additional backer tiers we just added today which will help us reach even higher in our stretch goals!

 

[Infinitron]

OK, not a stretch goal: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4080553

Star Map Showcase​

We hit so many of our stretch goals so fast, we didn't even have a chance to share some of our special content updates! We're finally taking a moment to show a deeper look at what we're making and what players can expect when they back Free Stars: Children of Infinity. In this update, we'll be looking at the Star Map!

The original game came with a star map which was not just a cool piece of art and a part of the fiction of The Ur-Quan Masters, but actually a helpful tool for playing the game! If you're anything like us, you may have even made some notes and doodles on your own copy or consulted with it in the course of gameplay. Having trusty tools at your side are part of the fantasy we love and often say: "Be the Captain!"

Following in our footsteps while making our game accessible for a modern era, Children of Infinity includes a more sophisticated, in-game star map which players can use to plot their journey, aid in exploration, and experience changing story with things like moving spheres of influence. We have a few more tricks up our sleeve for the in-game star map being dynamic and are still exploring other fun things to do, but it's important for us to recapture that same feeling of having an enjoyable, interactive tool the player can consult to help aid in discovery and decision-making as they explore the story.

Here is a small slice of one section (I wonder who's in that sphere of influence, anyway?) with some of our new constellation names and shapes seen in detail.

For those of you excited to have a physical star map, let me tell you... this thing is going to be huge. We'll be printing it at 24" by 36", and there's a lot of map with details to show, especially fine lines and text. The slice you see above was printed at home on my (Dan) low-budget laserjet printer (yes, I still have one, it is very low on toner), just as a test on a standard 8.5" by 11" page. We wanted to check legibility of different elements, getting a sense of how the lines and text would read. We've Sharpie'd over some secrets for your safety, but you can see it below.

That font and text size is certainly too small! Oops! But this is why we test. We went back and changed it to something larger and more legible, since the worst feeling would be having a star map you can't even read. We changed several other details like the tick marks since printing this early test.

I still have this page sitting on my desk after printing it. In spite of its brutal, low-toner ugliness and changes to many elements, just staring at this thing excites me as I think of having a full size poster! I actually stuck this on my wall so I could imagine what it would be like to have it as a beautiful piece of art and inspiration while I work. Even this crummy little printout fills me with a kind of awe I hope many players of The Ur-Quan Masters felt. It's what we want you to feel playing Children of Infinity too as players journey through our new region of space beyond the Great Arrow. Space in our game is huge, and I want to explore it! I can't wait for the real thing.

Some of our community members have asked about game length and size, too. You may notice it if you squint at the black and white printout, but we can confidently say the game is bigger than The Ur-Quan Masters. How much bigger? Exactly 200 by 200 units.

- Dan

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4081731

FAQ Update - Addressing Common Questions​

We wanted to update everyone with some answers to common questions that we've heard regarding the Kickstarter campaign and its rewards, especially now that we’ve smashed through so many of our stretch goals so quickly!

Can I exchange my Steam key for a key on a different platform (e.g. GOG)?​

Yes! Now that we’ve reached our stretch goal, you’ll be able to select what platform you’d like your key on when we handle fulfillment. If you are receiving multiple keys, you will be able to select different platforms for each key. If we reach our console port stretch goal, you will be able to select which console you want a key for as well.

What are the system requirements required for Children of Infinity?​

It is too early in development to give definite answers, but we are not targeting high-end technological requirements. As a cautious guess, we would expect most systems with a dedicated GPU manufactured in the past 10 years to be able to run the game.

Will there be a Digital Deluxe Release available for purchase after the game releases?​

We are planning on making the goodies available, though it’s not clear exactly how at this point. For example: will it be a bundle, or will you be able to just purchase the soundtrack? We will look for ways to distribute the extra digital goodies after the fact, but we aren’t sure what form this will take.

Why does this Digital Founder’s Edition say it includes 2 keys?​

Because we made an error! Oops! We are not the Crimson Corporation, though, so we’re just rolling with it. Purchasers at this tier will simply get 2 game keys. We know you’ll be able to find a friend – or foe – to play with. The itemized lists of rewards in each backer tier and our reward grid should represent what you’re getting.

Will I be able to pick my name for inclusion in the credits of the game? And the lost crew log?​

Yes! During fulfillment, we’ll ask for you the name or alias you would like to represent yourself. If you are adding a name to the lost crew log, you can request the same name/alias, or a different one if you like.

Will there be a physical, boxed edition? How about a physical console version?​

We’ve gotten this question a lot and we know how many people (ourselves included) would love it! We don’t want to promise anything right now, but depending on how many backers we get, we may be able to offer something special you can put on a shelf. Shipping is the biggest logistical challenge, and we don’t want backers to be surprised by additional shipping costs if we do this.

Console physical editions are more sophisticated and would usually require a minimum amount of orders, so we probably won’t be able to do that unless we’re wildly successful beyond just reaching the console ports goal.

We hope this answers some of the questions you’ve had! If there are other questions you have about our rewards or stretch goals, please let us know.

A Huge Thank You​

To close, we just want to say, again: thank you so much for all of the enthusiasm and support. The internal development group has pretty much become the Chamber of Cheering, excited to finish so many features that were wanted. Our Discord is full of a community thrilled to see this finally happening. Fred and I are simply happy to keep doing what we love with so many people who have turned out to show their love.

Thank you again, everyone! Keep spreading the word, and don't forget to *enjoy the sauce*!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4080890

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Additional Languages​

We just hit our eighth stretch goal: Additional Languages!

Because of your support, we'll be able to handle translation into French, Italian, German, and Spanish. First and foremost, it means we can reach more players who otherwise wouldn't be able to experience our game and story. But it also means that we will also be able to add general, localization technology. Why does this matter? Even if do not wind up with the languages every player wants, it means fans who want to create translation packs as mods will have a much easier time of doing so. It always would have been possible, but with the additional funding, it becomes that much easier to expand upon in the future.

We are flattered that a few backers have generously offered to help translate the game into their own languages, too! We are so happy to have such a supportive and global community on board.

Next up is Interior Gameplay, which we really should have titled Floyd the Robot, a beloved character dreamed up by the team that we'd love to bring to life.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Star Map Showcase​

We hit so many of our stretch goals so fast, we didn't even have a chance to share some of our special content updates! We're finally taking a moment to show a deeper look at what we're making and what players can expect when they back Free Stars: Children of Infinity. In this update, we'll be looking at the Star Map!

The original game came with a star map which was not just a cool piece of art and a part of the fiction of The Ur-Quan Masters, but actually a helpful tool for playing the game! If you're anything like us, you may have even made some notes and doodles on your own copy or consulted with it in the course of gameplay. Having trusty tools at your side are part of the fantasy we love and often say: "Be the Captain!"

Following in our footsteps while making our game accessible for a modern era, Children of Infinity includes a more sophisticated, in-game star map which players can use to plot their journey, aid in exploration, and experience changing story with things like moving spheres of influence. We have a few more tricks up our sleeve for the in-game star map being dynamic and are still exploring other fun things to do, but it's important for us to recapture that same feeling of having an enjoyable, interactive tool the player can consult to help aid in discovery and decision-making as they explore the story.

Here is a small slice of one section (I wonder who's in that sphere of influence, anyway?) with some of our new constellation names and shapes seen in detail.

For those of you excited to have a physical star map, let me tell you... this thing is going to be huge. We'll be printing it at 24" by 36", and there's a lot of map with details to show, especially fine lines and text. The slice you see above was printed at home on my (Dan) low-budget laserjet printer (yes, I still have one, it is very low on toner), just as a test on a standard 8.5" by 11" page. We wanted to check legibility of different elements, getting a sense of how the lines and text would read. We've Sharpie'd over some secrets for your safety, but you can see it below.

That font and text size is certainly too small! Oops! But this is why we test. We went back and changed it to something larger and more legible, since the worst feeling would be having a star map you can't even read. We changed several other details like the tick marks since printing this early test.

I still have this page sitting on my desk after printing it. In spite of its brutal, low-toner ugliness and changes to many elements, just staring at this thing excites me as I think of having a full size poster! I actually stuck this on my wall so I could imagine what it would be like to have it as a beautiful piece of art and inspiration while I work. Even this crummy little printout fills me with a kind of awe I hope many players of The Ur-Quan Masters felt. It's what we want you to feel playing Children of Infinity too as players journey through our new region of space beyond the Great Arrow. Space in our game is huge, and I want to explore it! I can't wait for the real thing.

Some of our community members have asked about game length and size, too. You may notice it if you squint at the black and white printout, but we can confidently say the game is bigger than The Ur-Quan Masters. How much bigger? Exactly 200 by 200 units.

- Dan

200 by 200 units means 44 extra 'squares' on the map to explore, which translates to ~40% more space to explore, assuming there isn't a Quasi-Space dimension.

12 visible spheres of influence does not mean only 12 species - just that 12 species are known to the mapmaker. It wouldn't surprise me that at least one SoI starts off-map then 'moves in'.

I'm curious about the markings in the top right (the one pointing to a specific planet) and the line in the bottom-left. Directional markers?

At a quick glance I cannot see any similarities between the SC2-map and this one, this seems to be 100% brand new territory.

Looking good so far.

 

[Infinitron]

I'm imagining this as a little mini-roguelike on every planet: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4082575

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Interior Gameplay with Floyd​

We just hit our ninth stretch goal: Interior Gameplay!

In spite of our terrible job branding this truly exciting feature, you supported it anyway! Players will now be able to explore deeper than just the planet's surface with one of our team-favorite characters, Floyd! Floyd will be your protagonist while delving deeper into danger in places like alien ruins, cave formations, and crashed vessels. Fear not! Floyd does not fear death, as Floyd has no programming for such emotions, and your lander has been equipped with a Friend Floyd Printer. Floyd is always excited for the adventures you'll be going on!

The team is excited to have budget to create these adventures after scaling this feature back partway through pre-production. We had big plans for Floyd! We were sad to see them go, and Floyd lived on in our hearts and minds as a one of the things we missed the most. Now we are no longer sad. Fwiffo, however, might be concerned to have someone else jockeying for his mascot status.

Next up is one that we know some of you have been asking a lot about: Local Co-Op Gameplay. This lets us expand our Local Melee Gameplay which lets two players experience the 1v1 portion of the game at the same machine into an entire experience for local co-op play in the Adventure mode.

Do you want to play together with someone sitting right next to you, but not just competitively? We do too! Let's make it happen!

 

[Cael]

I'm imagining this as a little mini-roguelike on every planet: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pistolshrimp/free-stars-children-of-infinity/posts/4082575

Stretch Goal Unlocked: Interior Gameplay with Floyd​

We just hit our ninth stretch goal: Interior Gameplay!

In spite of our terrible job branding this truly exciting feature, you supported it anyway! Players will now be able to explore deeper than just the planet's surface with one of our team-favorite characters, Floyd! Floyd will be your protagonist while delving deeper into danger in places like alien ruins, cave formations, and crashed vessels. Fear not! Floyd does not fear death, as Floyd has no programming for such emotions, and your lander has been equipped with a Friend Floyd Printer. Floyd is always excited for the adventures you'll be going on!

The team is excited to have budget to create these adventures after scaling this feature back partway through pre-production. We had big plans for Floyd! We were sad to see them go, and Floyd lived on in our hearts and minds as a one of the things we missed the most. Now we are no longer sad. Fwiffo, however, might be concerned to have someone else jockeying for his mascot status.

Next up is one that we know some of you have been asking a lot about: Local Co-Op Gameplay. This lets us expand our Local Melee Gameplay which lets two players experience the 1v1 portion of the game at the same machine into an entire experience for local co-op play in the Adventure mode.

Do you want to play together with someone sitting right next to you, but not just competitively? We do too! Let's make it happen!

OK... Did anyone else read that as "Stretch Coal Reached!" at first glance?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

They have to give Floyd the Robot lines from Planetfall and Stationfall.

They just have to.

 

[AndyS]

They have to give Floyd the Robot lines from Planetfall and Stationfall.

They just have to.

I was going to say Floyd must surely be a reference to Planetfall.