Starcom: Unknown Space FAQ

[justkevin]

What platforms will the game be available on?

At launch, the game will be Windows only. Linux is also a goal, but as many players are reporting that the game runs well under Proton, this is not as high a priority as other QoL improvements. If native Linux is important to you, please let me know (particularly if there are reasons you can't or don't want to run the game under Proton).

What kind of game is this?

The game exists in an old, but nameless space adventure genre dating back to the 1980s. It is a "space exploration ARPG where your ship is your character". Inspired by games like the classic Starflight and Star Control II, you start by piloting a small ship that grows in power as you explore an open-world universe.

It is a mix of exploring star systems, investigating planetary and space anomalies and interacting with alien races. Where "interacting" includes both diplomacy and blasting them with an increasingly devastating arsenal of weapons. This arsenal improves as you research the large technology tree and build out your ship from a scout to whatever kind of ship you want.

How long is the game in its current state?

As of the most recent main build (Kepler), first time players take an average of 28-30 hours to reach the current end of the main storyline.

What is the game's connection to Starcom: Nexus?

In terms of story, the game starts in the same universe as Starcom: Nexus did, and like Nexus, very quickly jumps into a new universe for you to explore. There may be a number of references and Easter Eggs related to Nexus, but players will not be expected to be familiar with the Nexus storyline. The characters, lore and aliens are all new.

What languages will the game be available in?

At the start of Early Access, the game will only be available in English. The reason for this is that it has a large and constantly growing amount of text from character dialogues, planet anomalies, items, etc. Starcom: Nexus eventually had around 65,000 words, the equivalent to a short novel. As the game approaches full release, I'll evaluate what languages it makes sense to have professional translation done in. This will be based on a number of factors like sales & wishlists by region, availability of translators, etc. Even if the game doesn't get a professional translation done, all the text will be stored in a format to make it easy for volunteers to create their own translations and share them.

[Roadrunner]

I'd love to see a native linux version!!

[Henry]

Originally posted by Roadrunner:

I'd love to see a native linux version!!

Me too! ;).

[Marc]

Hey when will it Start today??? Cant Wait :-)

[kailekoncel2]

so today?

[Lancer VI]

Loved the first game, even though I didn't finish it. I'm an old skool gamer, going back to `79, (yeah, that's right! I'm an old bastard! All hail Pong) so I'm a huge fan of Star Flight and Star Control.

So glad someone out there is making games like this! Purchased and Kudos! Keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing this develop.

Cheers!

[[GER]Sixtus_Freebyte]

Originally posted by Durcheinander:

Loved the first game, even though I didn't finish it. I'm an old skool gamer, going back to `79,

Jungspund :-)
Game runs perfectly with Proton, so its playable under Linux.

Graphics, Music, Gameplay is OK sofar, I love it!

[Madpinger]

Enjoyed Nexus and look forward to this one, once Linux native is available <3

Any chance there will be some expansions/dlc/additional content long term for this release ?

[StellarSkys]

any plans for a mac os port? starcom was always a fun game to be able to open and play on my laptop when i'm supposed to be at work. XD

[justkevin]

Originally posted by Madpinger:

Enjoyed Nexus and look forward to this one, once Linux native is available <3

Any chance there will be some expansions/dlc/additional content long term for this release ?

Well, there's definitely going to be a lot more content added during Early Access. And one of the goals for the new game's architecture is to make adding content post-release easier (and possibly give players the tools to create their own, but nothing definite on that yet).

[Madpinger]

Originally posted by justkevin:

Originally posted by Madpinger:

Enjoyed Nexus and look forward to this one, once Linux native is available <3

Any chance there will be some expansions/dlc/additional content long term for this release ?

Well, there's definitely going to be a lot more content added during Early Access. And one of the goals for the new game's architecture is to make adding content post-release easier (and possibly give players the tools to create their own, but nothing definite on that yet).

I had hoped given the format, I could see where a few places could use some basic mod content to expand variety, but didn't actually want to ask about modding support. That's great to hear tho.

I think from my past experience with Nexus, this game has a format of presentation that could do well with more substantive expansions down the road.

Look forward to it, With some effort I'm sure you'll be able to turn it around in a year or so again. :D

[GnomeSlayer]

Thank you for this great FAQ. And apologies if I asked what was this game in a different thread. And thank you everyone for being kind to answer my questions. I am trying to make a list of these types of games and buy them, since I love space adventure and science fiction.

[hurleybird]

Breaking save compatibility being unavoidable makes sense. However, it would be a nice option to be able to "migrate" as much of the non-story progress as possible between versions, to take the edge off the grind.

[justkevin]

Originally posted by hurleybird:

Breaking save compatibility being unavoidable makes sense. However, it would be a nice option to be able to "migrate" as much of the non-story progress as possible between versions, to take the edge off the grind.

The biggest hurdle there is that it makes testing much harder. There's no easy way to detect what combinations of previous progress and current content might break the game in a way that soft locks progress. And if a player reports a mission bug, I won't know whether it's due to a flaw in the current version or an interaction between them.

Ideally, eventually the game will get to a stable point where the main story is complete and additional content that's designed without any dependencies can be added on as a side quest.

Second best might be some way to share saves and make it easy for players to change their captain/shipname so you could grab a save at a certain point.

[NotAKenku]

Out of curiosity, how complete would you say is the game in terms of map, ship components, tech and story?

[Zhrakkan]

Is there a specific place to submit feedback or bugs on the game for you?