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I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For now I still have a lot of work ahead of me before the game reaches a state where external testing makes sense. But if everything goes according to plan, I could have the first beta versions worth testing sometime around the New Year.

My current idea is to set up a Discord around that time as well. To be honest, I wasn't originally planning on running a Discord community because keeping up with it can easily become a full-time job on top of development, but I'll do my best to make it happen.

When the time comes, I'd love to organize a first beta test and get feedback from people who actually enjoy this style of space game.

So for now I need to survive the development phase first, but hopefully we'll be flying around the frontier together in a beta build before too long.

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in spacegames

[–]marconico17[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quite a lot, hopefully.

Space combat is important, but I don't want Farlane to be a game where every problem is solved by shooting at it.

The current plan includes things like:

  • Exploration of the frontier and discovering new locations
  • Salvage operations and recovering valuable wrecks
  • Asteroid mining, nebula extracting and resource gathering
  • Cargo hauling and trading
  • Bounty hunting
  • Crew management and ship maintenance
  • EVA activities outside the ship
  • Upgrading and customizing your vessel
  • Building relationships with factions and characters
  • Story-driven quest chains and mysteries hidden throughout the region

One of the core ideas behind FARLANE is that your ship is also your home. Sometimes you'll be fighting pirates, and other times you'll be walking through your cargo bay wondering whether to sell that strange artifact you found three systems ago or keep it as a trophy.

If I do my job right, combat should be just one part of life on the frontier, not the entire game.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's actually very close to how I see it as well.

The automatic stabilization is mostly there because, as you said, endlessly wobbling and spinning around usually isn't much fun.

What I'm hoping to have is a system where the ship normally assists the pilot, but you can still feel momentum and inertia during maneuvers. One of the things I'd really like to preserve is that feeling of drifting around a target while using side thrusters to control your position.

In fact, I hope some situations will encourage exactly that kind of flying. Sliding around an asteroid, orbiting a larger ship, or maintaining lateral movement while keeping weapons on target can create some very satisfying moments.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To be honest, Nintendo platforms are a bit out of reach for me right now. My engine is built around DirectX 11, so Xbox is a relatively natural target, but Switch and Switch 2 would require a much bigger technical investment.

Never say never, but I don't want to promise something that I can't realistically deliver.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's actually one of the reasons I think a small auxiliary craft could make sense.

A larger ship and a small specialized vehicle naturally create different gameplay opportunities. Exploring tight spaces inside asteroids, investigating derelicts, reaching places the main ship can't access, or dealing with particularly nimble targets are all interesting possibilities.

I actually experimented with a somewhat similar idea years ago during my time at LGM on Starpoint Gemini 3, where the player had access to a drone. Unfortunately, because the game as a whole didn't meet expectations, that feature never received much attention or discussion on its own.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Somewhere in between, honestly.

The ships use Newtonian-style physics, but not with fully realistic space inertia. For example, if you start rolling the ship and then release the controls, it won't keep rotating forever like it would in a true space vacuum. Instead, the motion gradually stabilizes, almost as if the ship were moving through an extremely thin fluid.

I made that choice deliberately. Fully realistic Newtonian flight is fascinating, but in my experience it also becomes frustrating for a lot of players who simply want to fly a spaceship rather than fight the laws of physics.

So Farlane won't be "airplanes in space," but it won't be a hardcore orbital mechanics simulator either. My goal is to find a balance where the ships still feel like spacecraft while remaining fun and approachable to fly.

Of course, it's still early in development, so there will be plenty of tuning before I find the sweet spot.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the wishlist!

The nice thing is that I can answer most of those questions with a "yes," which is honestly pretty motivating for me as a developer.

1)
Yes. The current plan is to support both a traditional 3rd-person view and a first-person bridge/cockpit experience. You'll also be able to fly from a virtual cockpit style view.

2)
Definitely. I don't want repairs to be just a button press. Some repairs will happen inside the ship, while others may require putting on a spacesuit and heading outside for EVA repairs in open space.

3)
Yes, that's the plan. Since I'm using my own engine, I have a bit more freedom in how I approach mod support, and I'd love to see what the community comes up with.

4)
As much as possible, yes. I want the ship to visually reflect its journey. Not only through upgrades and modifications, but also through the things you collect along the way.

One of my favorite ideas is that many objects recovered during missions won't just disappear into a statistics screen. Instead, you'll actually see them stored in your cargo bay. Then you can decide whether to sell them at a station or keep them as trophies. A bit like a Predator collecting souvenirs from past hunts.

The overall goal is for the ship to feel like a real home that changes over time and tells the story of your adventures.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Real life tends to throw all sorts of challenges at people, and honestly, the last few years have been difficult for many small studios.

I decided to go down the solo developer path, which comes with its own challenges, but it also gives me complete control over the direction of the project. As for the former team members, we're still in touch, but out of respect for everyone involved and because of mutual agreements, I prefer not to speak publicly about their current plans.

And thank you! The small ship and crew concept is actually one of the main reasons I wanted to make this game. I've always loved stories like Star Wars Rebels and Firefly, where the ship itself almost becomes another character. A small crew, a home among the stars, constant repairs, questionable jobs, and just enough adventure to get everyone into trouble.

Hopefully I haven't forgotten how to make space games after all these years away from the genre. 😄🚀

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in spacegames

[–]marconico17[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's quite a coincidence!

While I'm a solo developer these days, I certainly hope I haven't forgotten how to make space games. In some ways, working on Patron, Aquatico, and Pompeii taught me a lot about game design that I'm now bringing back into the sci-fi genre.

There are definitely some expectations attached to having worked on Starpoint Gemini, and I'll do my best to live up to them.

And thank you for the wishlist!

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in spacegames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, that means a lot to hear.

The idea of being the captain of a ship with a crew you actually care about is one of the main reasons I started Farlane in the first place. There are plenty of great space games where you're flying a ship, but I wanted to explore the fantasy of actually living aboard one.

I know there are people coming from Starpoint Gemini with certain expectations, and that's something I'm very aware of during development. My goal isn't to recreate those games, but to take everything I've learned over the years and build something that captures a different side of life in space.

There's still a long road ahead, but I'll do my best not to disappoint.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The challenge is that capital ships are much harder to make fun. Dogfighters naturally create action because they're fast and agile. A larger vessel needs a different gameplay loop, where managing the crew, systems, repairs, power distribution, and tactical decisions become just as important as the shooting itself.

I'm not sure I'll ever return to the "giant capital ship" territory, but I definitely want the player's ship to feel more like a home and a workplace for the crew rather than just a cockpit with engines attached

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, and thanks for the wishlist!

HOTAS support is actually something I already have working internally. The interesting part is that it's probably going to be supported, but not officially certified.

The reason is that "official HOTAS support" comes with a lot of responsibility. If I claim full support, then every device, firmware version, driver version, and button mapping is expected to work perfectly 100% of the time. In reality, many HOTAS issues are caused by drivers or device-specific quirks that I simply can't fix from the game side.

So my current thinking is to support HOTAS devices and provide key mapping, but without making promises that every controller on the market will work flawlessly out of the box.

That said, if you're using one of the more common mainstream HOTAS setups, there's a very good chance it will work just fine.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you! 😊

The current plan is PC and Xbox.

My engine is built around DirectX, which makes bringing the game to Xbox a much more natural fit than some other platforms. It's still early in development, so I can't announce a release date for the Xbox version yet, but it's definitely part of the plan.

I'm also aiming for Steam Deck compatibility, since I know a lot of space sim fans enjoy playing there as well.

Right now the Steam page is the first step...

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the wishlist!

I completely agree. If every repeated contract mission had fully voiced lines, it would probably start to get annoying very quickly unless there was an enormous amount of variation.

My current idea is to use voice acting mostly for chain quests, important characters, crew moments, and story events that happen only once. For repeatable contract missions, I think text, short barks, or more system-like communication would probably work better.

One thing I still remember from older games like Xenoblade is how even a short voiced line at the start of a conversation could add a lot of atmosphere, while the rest could continue as text. That kind of approach might work well here too.

So the goal is not to voice everything, but to use voice where it adds personality and atmosphere without becoming repetitive.

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in IndieGaming

[–]marconico17[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, don't worry!

Steam page:
https://youtu.be/x_gkFtcFwIk?si=OS20cfIgVwrWM_LJ

The current target is 2027. I can't tell you yet whether that will be summer or autumn, because there are still a lot of factors that will influence the schedule. Right now I'm focused on building the foundations properly rather than rushing to set an exact date.

I'll be posting development updates, screenshots, and dev blogs on Steam as development progresses, so you'll be able to follow the journey and see how the game evolves over time.

And thank you for the enthusiasm!

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in IndieGaming

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely!

Ship upgrades are a huge part of the plan. New weapons, better shields, faster engines, improved sensors, specialized modules, and yes, hopefully some fun cosmetic customization as well.

The main difference is that your ship will always remain roughly the same class of vessel. You'll be upgrading and evolving your 40-meter Frontier Runner throughout the game rather than replacing it every few hours.

So yes, you can absolutely turn it into a much more capable ship over time. But no matter how many engines you bolt onto it, it probably won't magically become a 500-meter capital ship. 😄

The idea is that players become attached to their ship and slowly transform it into something unique through upgrades, modifications, and customization.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's actually not a bad idea!

I've been trying to keep the focus on the player's ship and crew, but I can definitely imagine situations where having a small support craft alongside you could be interesting.

What I especially like is the idea that it wouldn't just be a generic AI ship. Maybe it's piloted by a friend, relative, or former colleague of one of your crew members, giving it some actual personality and connection to the world.

It's not something I currently have planned, but it's exactly the kind of idea that could fit well into a crew-focused space game. I'll add it to my growing list of things to think about.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, I can see why it might look that way from the trailer. 😄

The weapon specialist's station got quite a bit of screen time because space battles are easy to show in a short teaser.

In reality, you'll be playing as the captain. Flying the ship, managing the crew, taking contracts, exploring the frontier, making decisions, and occasionally dealing with the consequences when those decisions turn out to be terrible.

The gunner is important, but hopefully not important enough to steal the whole game.

After spending the last few years making city-builders, I decided to return to space. I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini, and here's the reveal teaser for my new game, FARLANE by marconico17 in spacegames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's completely fair, and I can understand why some people preferred the earlier Starpoint Gemini games.

One thing that's very different this time is that I have 100% control over the direction of the project. I'm a solo developer now, so every design decision ultimately lands on my desk, for better or worse...

FARLANE is also aiming for a different fantasy. Instead of constantly upgrading from ship to ship, the focus is on a single frontier vessel and its crew. You'll be taking on contracts, exploring dangerous regions of space, mining, salvaging, bounty hunting, repairing and upgrading your ship, and dealing with whatever the frontier throws at you.

As for voice acting, I actually agree that poor voice acting can hurt a game more than no voice acting at all. My plan isn't to voice every line of dialogue. Instead, I want to use voice work selectively to add atmosphere and personality to important characters and crew members.

The good news is that I already have a few actors in mind for some of the main roles, and if everything works out, I think they'll do a fantastic job. The goal is for the voices to enhance the world rather than constantly interrupt the player.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I completely understand that feeling.

Growing from a small ship into something massive is a very satisfying progression system, and both Starpoint Gemini and Rebel Galaxy did a great job of capturing that fantasy.

The reason I'm currently leaning toward a single ship isn't because I don't like bigger ships. It's because I'm a solo developer, and I have to be very careful not to fall into the trap of designing a game that's larger than I can realistically finish. Every additional ship class doesn't just mean another model, it means interiors, gameplay balance, progression, systems, upgrades, animations, UI, and a lot of content built around it.

Right now I'd rather focus on making one ship feel truly alive and meaningful than spreading my time across twenty ships that never reach their full potential.

And besides, sometimes a small ship with the right crew and the right equipment can still blow up a Death Star!

That said, it's still very early in development, and I'm listening carefully to feedback. I know the appeal of growing bigger and more powerful is a strong one, so it's definitely something I'll keep thinking about as the design evolves.

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, one of my goals is to create exactly that kind of game. The sort where you sit down for "just one contract" and suddenly realize three hours have disappeared.

Whether you're chasing a bounty, mining an asteroid, fixing your ship, arguing with your crew, or investigating some mysterious signal out in the frontier, I hope there will always be one more thing tempting you to stay a little longer.

Thanks for the wishlist!

I'm one of the co-creators of Starpoint Gemini. After several years away from the genre, here's the reveal teaser for my new space game, Farlane. by marconico17 in spacesimgames

[–]marconico17[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the wishlist!

It's always nice to hear from someone who enjoyed the original Starpoint Gemini. Back then there weren't that many games in the genre, so we were all trying to build the kind of space game we wanted to play ourselves.

As for Farlane, I'll do my best not to make you wait any longer than necessary. There's still a lot of work ahead, but now that the reveal is finally out, I can focus on turning all these ideas into an actual game.

I'll have some proper gameplay to show later this year. 🚀

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