octantastudio

[octantastudio]

Hi guys! We inform you that we will no longer be running this community. But we invite you to the discord channel and our other social networks. Thanks to everyone who was here.

[octantastudio]

The second part of our decentralization research is out on DOU. For now, we're focusing on development to show more rather than tell.

[octantastudio]

Today we thank the GameDev DOU community for merch gift! 🙌

Check out our latest article on the forum:

Eng version here:

[octantastudio]

☕ A way to write a story: write a story and write another story after the moment it ended. This requires abandoning current developments and stopping the rumination of "brilliant" ideas that have already come, but in return provides a foundation with well-developed background, rather than a vacuum.

[octantastudio]

Cloning. All temporary assets in the project have finally been replaced. In our games, both previous and current, we don’t use ready-made solutions; we design and code everything from scratch to fit our needs. It’s easier in terms of code since you know where to look for bugs. And there shouldn’t be any issues with copyright either.

[octantastudio]

Redesigning battle system. Initially, we wanted it to reference ancient bas-reliefs and emphasize the culture of dialogue, but interesting mechanics are more important than visuals. We're considering adding movement between combat zones

[octantastudio]

Animating

[octantastudio]

AI usage for additional ideas

[octantastudio]

What is the Aquarius Age about?

Here's the basic plot: The main character (MC) is born in a utopian city, where everyone is grown in capsules and their knowledge is programmed. However, MC begins to see unfamiliar images in his mind, like a snapshot of a newborn baby. He discovers that the scientist who created him has vanished. Driven by curiosity, MC decides to explore the places from his photographic memory to uncover the truth behind the city's seemingly perfect exterior.

[octantastudio]

Slides from Aquarius Age presentation

Partners were told how the voting system works in the game, and how players will be able to cooperate.

"Time is afraid only of pyramids" and other long buildings. We came across a theory that some pyramids were built by almost all citizens (not slaves) and thus everyone had a job. This project of ours is also open for joint construction, although it does not pretend to be monumental. But we will continue to develop Aquarius Age for as long as possible and after release. We put our main dreams and hard work into the game.

[octantastudio]

Recently conducted a survey and received feedback from you that movement in game is sometimes too slow, so we are currently making a subway map for fast teleports around the city.

You can still take the survey here. Will do anything you ask for over time.

[octantastudio]

Voting in Aquarius Age demo

You can already slightly change the balance of the game online anonymously. Side effects, their strength, passive effects of combat prisms. And for those who value single-player, this function can be disabled and balance configured by the developers.

[octantastudio]

Pyramids and cossacks

While studying materials on ancient Egypt, we discovered that structure of quartz crystals = structure of pyramids = structure of human cells, therefore a person’s stay in a pyramid or quartz cave is considered healing (they resonate). Whether it is pseudoscientific or not, the fact is it was used historically, for example, by our ukrainian cossacks. If it is not crystals themselves heal, then at least the belief. An interesting thing to use when thinking through game world.

[octantastudio]

Shadow mechanics in Aquarius Age

Needed mainly for stealth. In the shadows, you can hide from pursuit or secretly go somewhere where the normal body cannot. By the shadows, you can determine approximate time of game day, they shift with the Sun, and the central huge Sun temple works as a gnomon.

In the imagination of ancient Egyptians, the shadow of a person (Shut) was considered it`s separate hypostasis. Also, in addition, there is a spirit (Ka), which functions as an energy scale in Aquarius Age. There are many more elements of human personality in ancient Egyptian culture we have not yet adapted.

[octantastudio]

Aquarius Age demo updated. Find it in our Discord channel

[octantastudio]

Piece of Aquarius Age game pitch deck

[octantastudio]

3 colliders on the player

Since society and mental confrontation play an important role in the game, we took the circuit from proxemics to build an interaction system with people.

1. Entering personal automatically leads to dialogue.

2. People outside public space turn into black passers-by and are not loaded fully.

Based on this, it is possible to create other mechanics, for example, evading pursuit by leaving the public area of another character. Or getting out of a dispute by simply taking a step back.

Fewer clicks, more immersive experience.