KickStarter Underworld Ascendant Pre-Release Thread

[Infinitron]

That is a fair criticism. This is the key point:

You're pushed to adapt with novel approaches by resource scarcity, difficult encounters, and your own carefully constructed plans going off the rails.

But the question is, what happens when there isn't much resource scarcity, when encounters aren't so difficult, and your plans don't usually go off the rails? Those things usually happen in "low-powered" games, where the player's toolkit of options isn't very wide or powerful and he quickly runs into hard constraints that force him to improvise. But that's a limitation on design space that most game designers don't seem to be interested in these days. They want to give players wacky, overpowered abilities and let them do crazy things.

The challenge for designers of the modern "superpower sandbox" game is - how do you get your most hardcore players, the ones who ruthlessly optimize every single thing they do instead of just fucking around randomly, to enjoy the full set of options you designed into your game? How do you get them to not be bored despite the fact that your game contains so many non-boring things to do?

 

[Zep Zepo]

Nobody is going to play this game except for (maybe most?) backers and some outliers.

It will flop hard like most past Blue Sky/Looking Glass games, along with whatever abomination they have Warren working on.

My prediction, Studio will close shortly after release.

Zep--

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

There you are! I was worried you abandoned us for trainer work on Grimoire.

Can't wait for your UWA trainer. Hopefully you hate the game enough to dedicate many hours making it.

 

[Zep Zepo]

There you are! I was worried you abandoned us for trainer work on Grimoire.

Can't wait for your UWA trainer. Hopefully you hate the game enough to dedicate many hours making it.

Unfortunately, I'm working on my own little blobber thing now. No time for coding more trainers.

Main movement and Map Loading is done, I just got to add the "game" part (stats, enemies, flavor text, etc..)

I wrote the engine part in 4 days. So if I follow the Grimoire release schedule...I still have about 7,296 days to finish the rest.

Sorry to disappoint you, Dr.

Zep--

 

[Ash]

But the question is, what happens when there isn't resource scarcity, when encounters aren't so difficult, and your plans don't usually go off the rails?

Thankfully, the devs have passionately emphasised a little the importance of challenge. They said they want it to be challenging (at least on some level), that there will be minimal handholding etc. Not sure if just PR talk but I don't think so. I have a hunch it will be about as challenging as Prey was (nothing particularly difficult, a bit declined yet a little above the AAA norm).

I'll still be getting the game even though it seems like decline. It's not like there's much of anything else out there on the modern market, and it'll probably better than some of the LGS alum's worst: Invisible War, Dishonored and Bioshock, as it's not a AAA game with an extensive marketing budget and can't afford to not appeal to the hardcore fanbase on some level.

Edit: forgot that have a publisher contract now. Still, it's probably AA status (if that), not triple.

 

[Ash]

Hmm, Joe responded on the forums regarding complaints about the feat rewards system:

Definitely noted. This is a topic I mean to explain more deeply -- along with a few other elements -- in next month's update. If you can table your concerns for just a bit, I can assure you that it's actually very different from what you're describing. That cool?

He sounds almost annoyed, but holding back like a pro. Understandable if people are jumping to incorrect conclusions based on a lack of information...I've been on the receiving end of that.
Still, I'll be HIGHLY surprised if this method is not decline. Pretty sure there's no other way but down from the old esoteric monocled method.

 

[Zep Zepo]

Dev: Everybody thinks our idea is shit...

PR: DO DAMAGE CONTROL!!! Give us a month to spin it.

Zep--

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

There you are! I was worried you abandoned us for trainer work on Grimoire.

Can't wait for your UWA trainer. Hopefully you hate the game enough to dedicate many hours making it.

Unfortunately, I'm working on my own little blobber thing now. No time for coding more trainers.

Main movement and Map Loading is done, I just got to add the "game" part (stats, enemies, flavor text, etc..)

I wrote the engine part in 4 days. So if I follow the Grimoire release schedule...I still have about 7,296 days to finish the rest.

Sorry to disappoint you, Dr.

Zep--

You going to need testers? I'll gladly help.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=1894.0

Good morning everyone!

I'm in the middle of editing the mini update that we promised, and you should see that this WEDNESDAY. We'll be briefly going over what was revealed at PAXSouth for anyone who isn't checking socials for their UA updates, as well as a backer-exclusive reveal...

In the meantime, to tide you forum-goers over, Chris Maire wrote up a new INSIDER BLOG (password protected; for EXPLORER backers and above): click here!

Work-wise, we're pretty heads-down again this week. Animations, lava, creatures, tweaking interactions between monsters, making sure the audio is working, and of course, adjusting the level design. (Don't worry, we hear you on the claustrophobic spaces! We have a few that haven't been shown yet, and a few more that are being fleshed out as we speak!) Also T-shirts, the novella, and making sure you all get your KS rewards, NEARLY done with those Mac and Linux builds... phew! There's a lot, but we're happy to be working on it. Can't wait to hear what you guys think of the mini update on Wednesday!

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

The Abyss is Claustrophobic by its very nature, not a few spaces within it. Even in areas where there is vertical room it needs to feel like you are deep underground. The original had plenty of places that were several to many stories high yet managed always to be cavernous.

 

[LESS T_T]

https://schedule.sxsw.com/2018/events/PP80884

Exploring 'Underworld Ascendant' with PC Gamer

MAR 16, 2018 | 2:00PM – 3:00PM

AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER
GAMING EXPO - DISCOVERY STAGE - EXHIBIT HALL 2

SPEAKERS
WARREN SPECTOR (Otherside Entertainment), PAUL NEURATH (Otherside Entertainment), EVAN LAHTI (PC Gamer)

OtherSide Entertainment’s Paul Neurath and Warren Spector join PC Gamer to discuss the upcoming release of Underworld Ascendant. Known for their critically acclaimed work on Ultima Underworld, System Shock and Deus Ex and their contributions to the founding of the ‘immersive sim’ genre of games, Paul and Warren will take the audience through a journey of the world of the new Stygian Abyss to showcase one of the most anticipated PC titles of 2018.

 

[LESS T_T]

https://otherside-e.com/wp/mini-update-paxsouth-backerkit-and/

[Mini] Update: PAXSouth, BackerKit, and…

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to give a quick update with some important backer information and exciting news that was revealed this week following PAX South!

PAXSouth Screenshots, Videos, and More:
Last weekend, OtherSide’s Joe Fielder, Paul Neurath, and Walter Somol flew to San Antonio to demo the latest build of Underworld Ascendant behind closed doors for press and influencers.

The crew had a fantastic time showing off the game, with a demo that concentrated on a few areas that we feel make Underworld Ascendant really special: the immersive sim ecology and the many options the player has for combat skill, stealth abilities, powerful magic spells, and a rich, interactive environment. (Fans of Looking Glass’ games smiled when they saw elements like The Silver Sapling and Soaker Arrows in action.)

Rather than provide a tightly-scripted demo, Joe showed off the game’s improvisational nature, taking audiences through a few high points, then letting them decide how to finish up a quest. Did they want to sneak past the remaining enemies? Use magic to set foes against each other? Or combine game systems to weaponize seemingly innocent crates using a non-offensive spell and fire?

We released a new video containing new footage (voiced by Stephen Russell) and screenshots including the first in-game looks at The Ripper, Eidolon, Spectral Knight, and Spectral Champion.

You can start to read some of the reactions and coverage online.

Here are a few highlights:

• TechRaptor – “An immersive sim that lets you wreak this much chaos is something that I simply must be a part of.”
• USGamer – “Underworld Ascendant feels like a boiling cauldron of a number of games I really love”
• Verge – “We’re looking forward to playing the game ourselves, to see if it lives up to its big promises.”
• Watch an IGN-exclusive video walkthrough (“Underworld Ascendant’s Multiple Choice Gameplay”) featuring the latest footage and narration by OtherSide’s co-founder Paul Neurath.

First Look: Cabirus
As a backer-first exclusive, we wanted to present you all with the first look at the spirit of Cabirus, a major character from the series’ backstory and your enigmatic advisor in Underworld Ascendant.

The concept art is from Robb Waters, who designed System Shock’s SHODAN and many of the most memorable characters from BioShock and BioShock Infinite.

As you know, Cabirus is given voice in-game by fan-favorite performer Stephen Russell, who’s known for Garrett in Looking Glass’ Thief games, Nick Valentine in Fallout 4, and Corvo in Dishonored 2.

You can hear his voice in our recent videos, his iconic mask appears in our new logo, and you’ll soon see him in-game.

BackerKit: Locking Orders February 15
We’ll be locking down all surveys by February 15, 2018 11:59 pm ET, so please log into your BackerKit account to review your survey information and make sure it is properly updated!

You will not be able to make changes to your order once the surveys are locked. This includes upgrading your pledge, buying add-ons, and changing your shipping address.

Next Insider Blog Available
Last but not least, a new Insider Blog written by Chris Maire is available for EXPLORER backers and above here.

(The blog post is password-protected. If you have forgotten it and are an EXPLORER-level backer or above, please refer to an earlier email for the password or contact us at support@otherside-e.com)

That’s it for this time!

But know that with this latest event, we’ll be gearing up coverage about the game more and more each month in 2018 as we get closer to launch.

There’s still much about the narrative, bestiary, levels, skills and abilities, and more we haven’t revealed, let alone shown in screens or video. Next month, for instance? We intend to touch more on the game’s evolving environments, how player growth works, and our “big bad,” Typhon.

Much more is on the way from here on out! (Some due even as soon as next week…)

Cheers,

The Team at OtherSide



In Other News…

In case you missed it:

• Curious how Thief/Thief II systems and mechanics inspire games today? Watch Jared Mitchell’s level design video on The Bank from Thief II (also he’s on our QA team!)
• Arkane Studios’ Prey developers talk about their design process for building a modern immersive sim
• Ultima: Most. Important. Game Series. Ever. by Engadget
• Dark Blue Monkey recounts the first night he picked up System Shock and couldn’t put it down via GameTripper

 

[unfairlight]

Washed up hacks make a Kickstarter scam that will end up disappointing everyone or being casual shit. Whocareslol.

 

[LESS T_T]

Some European non-English previews:

(French) https://game-guide.fr/226367-underw...descendant-dultima-underworld-arrive-en-2018/
(French) https://nofrag.com/2018/01/25/106848/
(Spanish) http://es.ign.com/underworld-ascend...rworld-ascendant-primeras-impresiones-para-pc
(Spanish) http://www.3djuegos.com/juegos/avances/19813/4989/0/underworld-ascendant/

Two of the previews mention Breath of the Wild, one is by the Spector himself apparently

According to the first French one, Tynan Wales and Nina Freeman (both worked on Tacoma) are contributing level design of this game:

Members of the team:

• Lead Designer : Tim Stellmach (Thief, System Shock)
• Writer/Director : Joe Fielder (BioShock Infinite)
• Creative Director : Paul Neurath (Thief, System Shock)
• Character Artist : Pete Anderson (BioShock Infinite)
• Level Designer : Justin Pappas (BioShock Infinite)

With the contribution of:

• Level Designers :
  • Tynan Wales
  • Nina Freeman
• Concept Artist : Robb Waters
• Character Artist : Jed Wahl
• Audio Director : Jim Bonney
• Voice Performers
  • Stephen Russell
  • Terri Brosius

Also the same gameplay video but without Paul's commentary:

 

[Zep Zepo]

You going to need testers? I'll gladly help.

Sure, BUT...

Engine I'm using is pretty old, just like my laptop.

Uses some version of Direct X 9c

What OS you on currently?

I'm on XP at the moment before I head back to the United States and my beefy machine (which then I'll probably port what I have to Unity..or something).

I'd gladly PM you a link just to see if it runs for you in its current state. (which isn't much at the moment)

Zep--

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

I sent a PM Zep

 

[Infinitron]

Hey Ash, I made a thread for you: https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=1899.0

Yep. If we were doing what's described above, I'd likely agree. But it's a bit of a mischaracterization, likely based off a few details that have recently come out that have conflated our player growth system and how we're rewarding creativity, along with some assumptions about how and what we're tracking. Completely understand how people have gotten there and would probably feel similarly, but please try not to jump to too many conclusions just yet.

Again, I'll be getting into details about player growth and rewards (and ties into our fiction), our changing environments, and Typhon in our February update -- which, as Sam's pointed out, is scheduled for early Feb, so isn't too far off.

Happy to debate merits afterward. Thanks for the patience in the meantime!

 

[Morgoth]

Something's telling me that awful frame rate will be with us in the final version...

 

[LESS T_T]

Stones are rolling: https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel...nt-plumbs-the-depths-of-immersive-sim-w515957

'Underworld Ascendant' Treads The Line Between 'Ultima' And 'Dishonored'
A look into the player-empowering spiritual sequel to Ultima Underworld


At Dungeons & Dragons' core is the tabletop game’s ability to create a platform for both cooperative play and storytelling. The give and take of dungeon master and players as they craft an experience, results in a thing much better than its parts.

The dice rolls are incidental to the experience. Or as Otherside Entertainment studio director Warren Spector puts it, the need to roll dice to determine outcomes was the best mechanic the creators of D&D had at their disposal when they made the game. So when the folks at Looking Glass set about developing one of their first games, it was the feel of D&D they were trying to capture, not the mechanics. “My entire career has been trying to recreate that feeling of telling my own story from when I played D&D,” Spector says.

Looking Glass founder Paul Neurath says the studio didn’t know what it was making back in the early 90s when they started work on Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, and later System Shock and Thief. “We knew we wanted to do something different,” he says. “We figured we would mix the simulation of a flight game with role-playing and that became Underworld.”

Now, some of the team is back together at the newly founded Otherside Entertainment, working on a successor to those early Underworld and System Shock titles and hoping to push forward what has since been called immersive simulator games.

Underworld Ascendant is the result of a decades-long discussion between the game’s original designer, Paul Neurath, and Electronic Arts. In 2014, EA granted Neurath a license to Underworld (though not Ultima). In 2015, OtherSide Entertainment, founded by Neurath, took to Kickstarter where it raised enough to develop the game. After more than two years, including a year of relative silence, the team says the game is coming out in 2018 - published by 505 Games - and that they’re ready to talk about it a bit more.

“It’s a pretty exciting, fresh, original take on RPGs and simulators,” says Joe Fielder, who is writing the game. “It’s story-driven open gameplay in a highly interactive world - an emergent RPG.”

In the game, the player takes on the role of a person plucked from the modern world and dropped into the dangerous subterranean Stygian Abyss. “It’s a place where life shouldn’t exist,” Fielder says. “And this improbable ecology has formed there.”

The hidden world has a different sort of life-cycle that revolves around mana. Many of the creatures of the world consume the mana, which floats throughout areas like motes of glowing dust, and then excrete light. So, for instance, the undead of this world aren’t evil, they’re simply parasitic creatures which have seeped in from other dimensions, subsisting off of the mana.

The player’s ultimate goal is to prevent a primordial Kraken from awakening. But to do that, you’re going to need to seek help from and work with the game’s three key factions: Dark Elves, Dwarves and Shamblers. Doing too much for one faction can through the underworld’s politics out of alignment and cause much bigger issues for you.

While the relatively short bit of gameplay I saw of Underworld featured fetch quests, the key distinguisher was how those quests were accomplished. Instead of relying on developer-constructed pathways of play, the game presents open opportunities and the ability to be creative.

“You need to think creatively,” Fielder says. “In the game, you need to grow your skills and abilities by taking on missions from the three factions. They present you with these series of challenges. How you solve them is up to you. You have combat skills, stealth, magic. There is useful flora, creatures with interesting behaviors you can exploit.”

In showing off the game, the team pre-created three different sorts of kits, which loaded out the character in different ways. One favored combat, one stealth and one magic. Magic in the game is perhaps the most interesting skill. Instead of being offensive spells, they’re sort of open-ended actions. Fielder says they give players “verbs.” So, for instance, you might have a spell that can lift objects, or pull them together in clumps. How a player uses that spell determines if it’s something that creates bridges, flattens enemies or makes bombs.

This approach to magic is strongly influenced by the world’s construction which is governed by a series of relatively easy to figure out rules. For instance, wood burns and fire spreads. When confronted with a door, you can open it, chop away at it or set it on fire. Those more conventional rules are then augmented with rules that govern the unconventional, like the game’s Ripper plant monsters. They have claws, are aggressive but also bear useful fruit and leave a trail of flammable liquid behind them. They’re essentially walking potential for mischief and creative problem-solving. In one location, I watch as the team walks up to a glue plant and plucks a glue bulb. Later, that bulb is used to set a trap.

During my time watching the game, I saw a myriad of ways to take advantage of the environment, the magic, the flora and fauna to conquer an enemy or achieve a goal. The simplest solution, hacking at a bad guy with a sword, was rarely used. Spells were used to befriend an enemy ripper, to create a floating bridge of crates or set alight a slime trail.

It’s clear the impact games like Thief, System Shock and the original Underworld has had on today’s titles. Just look at Prey or Dishonored, BioShock or Fallout and you can see the lasting influence Looking Glass and its titles had.

“We never imagined our games would still be remembered, let along fondly looked upon by so many, years later,” Neurath says. “With System Shockand Thief, we took immersive simulator genre forward, but then when Looking Glass ended, Underworld and System Shock both went fallow for many years. Getting the rights back to take things forward with Underworld and System Shock was an intriguing opportunity.”

Neurath adds that Underworld is not meant to be a nostalgic look back. Sure, things like the Silver Sapling checkpoint system are in the game, but that sort of nostalgia is only lightly used.

“It’s really trying to reimagine what an immersive sim would look like today. The same with System Shock,” he says. “We’re trying to take everything we learned from making games and show where immersive sims can go. Where can we continue to innovate and push it forward?”

The temptation to make a direct sequel is further counter-balanced by a desire to reach the largest audience possible. "Most of the audience for games today wasn’t even born when those original games (System Shockand Underworld) came out," Spector says. "You can’t really do a direct sequel. You can tap into the essence of the game, use some elements, but knowledge of those first games isn’t necessary.”

And a direct sequel would have one other major issue, Neurath adds. “It keeps you from innovating. That holds you back. We needed to feel free to innovate where we can innovate.”

While this one doesn't mention, from the looks of other previews it looks like the Breathe of the Wild analogy was part of Spector's script.

 

[Ash]

Infinitron good stuff in that thread

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=1899.msg25375#msg25375

I'd like to assure you that what you've been referring to in regards to the balance of introducing innovative new features and being true to the amazing original games, while all tied into a memorable narrative, is exactly the game we're working hard to make. (And ensuring that it all comes together is... basically the main focus of my job as its writer and director.)

Also, you've seen a lot about game features and there's still more to tell, but what's been really missing is how they're introduced in-game and tied into the larger narrative. That's part of the challenge with giving an ongoing behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game, since, if we waited until everything was integrated and polished to share, we'd more or less be showing the final product.

I'm going to tackle some of those topics in our next update, but it's still me writing about features and how they're tied into the story, which is unfortunately far less believable and immersive than being in the game world, surrounded by environmental sfx and hearing amazing voice work from Stephen Russell and others. (I'm reading a Mark Twain book right now with the kinda sorta relevant passage, "Words are only painted fire; a look is the fire itself.")

Anyway, long story short, I hope you might find it reassuring to hear that these issues are similarly important to us (potentially more so, since we've been dedicating our careers to it) and that we're on the case.

So, you might hear about a game feature and think, "I can't imagine how they're going to pull that off" or "I can't imagine how that's going to be a seamless part of the game narrative." But we have an incredibly talented team, who are dedicated to -- like Looking Glass, our constant inspiration -- innovating in an immersive world.

And, hey, where's the fun in making a game, if you don't have interesting challenges?

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

The art direction has come a long way since the vertical slice. Looking more closely as recent video and screens, Skeletons and Lizmen are looking much better.

 

[Sceptic]

Also, you've seen a lot about game features and there's still more to tell, but what's been really missing is how they're introduced in-game and tied into the larger narrative. That's part of the challenge with giving an ongoing behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game, since, if we waited until everything was integrated and polished to share, we'd more or less be showing the final product.

Anyway, long story short, I hope you might find it reassuring to hear that these issues are similarly important to us (potentially more so, since we've been dedicating our careers to it) and that we're on the case.

So, you might hear about a game feature and think, "I can't imagine how they're going to pull that off" or "I can't imagine how that's going to be a seamless part of the game narrative." But we have an incredibly talented team, who are dedicated to -- like Looking Glass, our constant inspiration -- innovating in an immersive world.

I think this is the first time since they announced the game that they say something that gives me a glimmer of hope. Everything they've said or showed so far, including the vertical slice, was exclusively focused on systems, with not a single mention of the kind of content we could expect from the game. The last time I saw a campaign so one-sided we got Ultima 9. I understand their reluctance to spoil story and content, but to me systems are worthless if they're not fully integrated with level design and other aspects of quality content. I don't rate Ultima Underworld as highly as I do because of its physics or the specific tools it gave you to provide multiple solutions to problems, I rate it as great because the problems themselves were good quality puzzles and challenges, because the level design was stellar, because item placement made exploration worthwhile, because the game oozed atmosphere, because the writing was great and enhanced all of the above, and because the technical innovations (the free movement, the physics, the lighting, etc) all contributed to the quality of the content design without ever feeling like they were tacked on just for the sake of showing off. All I wanted from the devs was an acknowledgement they understood this, and now that Fielder's done it I'm happy. The game still looks more "immersive sim" than Ultima Underworld, but this may just be a side effect of focusing on the systems. We'll see. For the first time I'm actually optimistic though.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=1902.0

Morning everyone!

I know I'm a day late, so let's just get straight to all the points I've been seeing on the forums since last week and all the PaxSouth hubbub:

Q1: FEATS?! What are feats? Please don't tell me it's going to [insert your worries here]
We (more specificially, Joe) will be elaborating on the Feats system in the next newsletter, which I'm aiming to have polished and ready to go by next week if I can. We know a few of you on the forums are anxious about how this will affect the immersion of the game and if it'll belittle the process of figuring out how to achieve your goals, so we'll also take the time to explain how we're keeping track of Feats to reward players WITHOUT being "in your face" about it.

Q2: The screenshots we've seen of the Abyss has been pretty big and open recently

where are my tunnels? Where is the darkness?
A number of people have worried that the rest of the Abyss will be just as "well illuminated" and with areas that are "too large" based on the screenshots we've released so far. That is not true! Just as there are areas with lots of activity (torches, mana-fueled lanterns, glowing creatures, etc), there will be levels that are quite dark and not as welcoming. Understandably, it's a little difficult to advertise screenshots of the game that aren't very well-lit, and we'd like to leave some of the darker areas a surprise for when you stumble upon them yourself. We hope that you'll be prepared when you find them in addition to discovering ways to safely traverse through the larger areas. While some areas may seem welcoming and awe-inspiring, you should never let your guard down... for example, if you see a large clearing and no one else around......

Q3: Please help me, I can't log into BackerKit, I used an old email/the link in the newsletter told me that I can't log in...
Most of these arise from an email discrepancy between Kickstarter and BackerKit. A lot of backers used an old email tied to their Kickstarter at the time, and that's what we have on our records for your BackerKit accounts. If you've updated your Kickstarter email since the end of the UA campaign, that new email is NOT automatically updated in OUR records, which is where the lost emails and login failures are stemming from. That being said, if you email support@otherside-e.com and can recall your old Kickstarter email, we can help you change your BackerKit login to your new email to make sure you can check on your pledge before we lock everything down on the 15th.

Q4: ... wow there's been a lot of news! What have you guys been working on in the office?
After we pushed a build for PaxSouth and our publisher, we have been tuning the pipeline as much as possible. The new Lizardmen are nearly fully implemented, Cabirus will be ingame soon, and the quest and level designs continue to be fleshed out alongside these additions. I believe the Design team is working on 6-7 levels at once (!!) with close coordination between all those involved to make sure that they offer different experiences and can be traversed in multiple ways. We're also working on a few secret things, as always...


Also half of the office is sick.

A number of us have been working from home to fight it off, as well as halt the spread of disease among the living.

So that's it for our work from last week and our plans for this week! Also, what sort of screenshots/gifs/content would you like to see from us after this newsletter? I've seen a few suggestions asking about the RPG elements and skills, so we're planning on covering that after the February newsletter, but I want to make sure I don't miss any other pressing questions you may have!

 

[LESS T_T]

Looks like they're already preparing for the next project. Otherside Boston is hiring Lead Game Programmer for "a new, as yet unannounced game.": https://otherside-e.com/wp/jobs/

Nothing so specific about the next game in the description. (But they've been implied the possibility of a spiritual successor to Thief. Who knows?)

Lead Game Programmer

The OtherSide Entertainment Boston studio is seeking a talented Lead Programmer to join a team getting underway on a new, as yet unannounced game. You’ll report to and work closely with the Project Director. You’ll set the technological vision of the game, and lead a small team of engineers to create a rich and compelling player experience. Together with the other project leads, you’ll collaborate in making core game design decisions and build gameplay systems. You’ll be called upon to write significant amounts of code yourself, troubleshoot existing features, optimize game performance, and work with other members of the team to make a great game. You’ll also mentor and help motivate the team of programmers on the project.

Job Responsibilities

• Participate in all aspects of the project from design to staffing to technology/tools. Share knowledge, motivate and inspire others to generate new ideas in highly collaborative environment. Help empower the less technically oriented team members.
• Lead and manage the programming team. Mentor and inspire the engineering team to meet project quality levels and deadlines.
• Produce the technical specification of the game and oversee the code development process, delegating the different elements to engineering team members as necessary and coding, personally where it makes sense. A fair amount of hands-on coding is expected.
• Work with production staff and other leads to define engineering tasks and determine schedules. Estimate time to accomplish programming tasks and commit to meeting objectives. Help ensure that the team delivers on time and within budget.
• Efficiently communicate and support messages and decisions from management.
• Identify risks and provide solutions to complex technical problems.
• Work independently and collaboratively in a team setting with minimum supervision.

Required

• 6+ years of experience programming in the games industry, with at least one commercial hit PC or Console game that you were in a senior or lead programmer role.
• 2+ years of relevant experience as a programming lead. Must have proven technical, managerial, and leadership experience.
• Track record of contributing to and leading high-quality engineering teams, and solving challenging technical problems effectively.
• Expert knowledge of programming with experience in C++ and C#, and a proven aptitude for technical design.
• Experience working with various game engines, especially Unity.
• Experience in core engine development, AI, networking, gameplay, and tool development.
• Knowledge of the technical pipeline and all the processes needed to make a game. A deep understanding of and appreciation for the entire development process.
• Strong sensibilities in designing and implementing compelling gameplay experiences.
• Solid organizational and communication skills, and ability to collaborate with other disciplines, and being a strong team player.
• Exceptional leadership, communication and team management skills.
• A passion for developing and playing games, including the sort of “immersive sims” OtherSide makes.
• BS degree in Computer Science, or equivalent experience.