[Starbound] The end is nigh, again.

SkutSkut

With the preorders coming up soon I thought I'd make a new thread for this since there's a ton of info since the last one. Thanks to Henroid for the new OP.

Server!
thomastasks.org

Password!
Is the usual password, if you don't know what that is you can ask, We Are Nice Guys after all.
i
Notes:
I have a twitter account set up for updates and notifications about the server, this is the best way to recieve information: https://twitter.com/dncpastarbound

Main Page - Game Details - Character Creator (wip)

What is Starbound?

Like the thread title says, it's Terraria in space! But not everyone knows what Terraria is so it needs some explaining. Starbound is an upcoming multiplayer 2D sandbox adventure game, due to release at an unknown date in 2013. You fight space creatures, build on and terraform worlds, and generally explore. There is something of a story to the game, with background details depending on what race you play as, but the shared theme is that you are trying to rebuild your life after your home planet is destroyed.

For those that have played Terraria, this game is leaps and bounds more content and system filled. Some notable generalized points are:

• Slopes! There is sloped ground in the game rather than just sequential tiles rising and falling. Though, those are in the game too.
• Multiple races to play! There aren't any inherent traits like stats that differentiate races, but complete sets of gear belonging to a race's aesthetic / theme provide bonuses.
• Multiple worlds! You don't just generate one world and work with it alone. You can leave it, explore other worlds, and return.
• Space stations! This is your hub to your game, where you can travel to other worlds from, be safe on PvP enabled servers, and perform more crafting tasks in the research lab.
• More expansive crafting system! Aside from more things to craft by a large margin, you learn more crafting recipes from NPCs you help or rescue. Simple objects can be crafted on the field, but more advanced blueprints like for mechs will require you to work on the space station.
• Mechs! You can build mechs of varying purposes onboard the space station and deploy to worlds, stompin' around like a boss.
• Procedural generation! Damn near everything in the game is procedurally generated, be it creatures, worlds, and the stats of items and their aesthetic.
• More expansive multiplayer! When you join a multiplayer server, you will arrive on the hub, and can go to any planet regardless of where other people are. Size of worlds, how many worlds, and player count will all depend on machine power, and dedicated servers are a thing.
• Internet streaming! You can stream your gameplay directly from ingame to Twitch TV!
• Farming! Hey, in this game you'll actually have to eat, and why not farm for food?

More information is available in excruciating detail in the "Game Details" link up top.

What are these playable races?

Humans - How standard! Precise details about human history in this game aren't really worked out, but why not have them.


Apex - Apes in space! Culturally the apex are very science driven, aiming to better all apexkind. Some apex are chosen by the leadership to undergo unknown experiments and are never seen again. This has caused some stir of rebellion to rise up.


Avian - Bird people! The avian are a religious warrior race. They can't actually fly, but hope to achieve it in the afterlife. There are some avian who turn away from religion. This grants them the label of "grounded" and they are exiled.


Floran - Plant people! Don't let the look fool you though, they're actually a very aggressive tribal peoples who engage in cannibalism. Some do wander on their own and isolate themselves, and are collectively exiled from all tribes. How do they coordinate that?!


Hylotl - Fish people! Also the name isn't finalized. They are very much grounded (watered?) in real-world eastern culture. But not many details exist for now.


Glitch - Robot people! Rather than the typical sci-fi hive-mind threat to organic life, the Glitch are a people trapped into emulating medieval society. They reproduce by couples constructing a new Glitch. Sometimes these new ones are free from the medieval mindset and are more advanced as a result. But they are branded as crazy heretics and thus the victim of witch hunts.

Additional Media
Things to do while we wait

Check out some of the soundtrack
Play with the character creator! Here's mine.
Vote on preorder price!

Images!

Hehe, guns.
Dinner on the moon
Crafting!
Farming!
Apex base
Avian temple
Floran tree fort
Human spaceship or space station?
Glitch castle

Videos!

Building Demonstration
Water Demonstration
Forest!
Lighting
Critters!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Xnsy8H31Q8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dnc69buy670
We also got the wonderful Logan Cunningham of Bastion fame on board for the voice acting. The samples he sent today were incredible.

Nalouto

YES.

Penumbra

Why yes. I would like more of this game in my life as quickly as possible.

Al Baron

So Florans are basically smarter 40k Orks? Cool.

Basil

This does look adorable, dunnit?

I like the Glitch. I shall make a Glitch and dedicate myself to exterminating cannibal plant people from the face of the galaxy.

Gandalf_the_Crazed

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

APODionysus

Looking forward to playing this.

Looking forward even MORE to the antics of TotalBiscuit and Jesse in it. They said during the PAX TGS Podcast that they would be following up their now abandoned Terraria series with a Starbound one. I thoroughly enjoyed the Terraria series. It made me buy the game and watching it whole doing chores was a great way to make the chores more enjoyable.

SkutSkut

A bit about crafting added to the OP, now let's see some characters people!

Henroid

Holy monkey shit, this game had more to it than I thought it did. I wanna be an Avian.

NEO|Phyte

Glitch master race.

SkutSkut

Oh right Farming is a thing that's gonna be in too, added that to the OP.

TheKoolEagle

can't wait, this is one of those games that i've totally blacked out information about for the past several months, I will be nothing but pleasantly surprised when it comes out, although now that i know they are close to preorders.... my impatience will begin to grow...

Auralynx

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

We're way overdue for religion in video games and fantasy novels to stop being painted black by Western popular culture, I agree, but I'm pretty sure a video game where a bunch of thinly-conceived but cool-looking aliens build houses in space isn't the forum to fight that fight.

I suspect given my past affinity with the Trilarians I am going to be making a Hylotl and building the black lagoon, though I am not super-fond of most of the available fin styles. Perhaps I'll be Doctor Zaius instead. Anyone want to set up a multiplayer server where we build a half-buried Statue of Liberty on the beach?

Oh, and I cannot get the Character Creator to export anything properly formatted.

BloodySloth

I can see the point, I guess, but of the two "primitive" races in the game, the religious one sounds like it's by far the least violent.

Gandalf_the_Crazed

Auralynx wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

We're way overdue for religion in video games and fantasy novels to stop being painted black by Western popular culture, I agree, but I'm pretty sure a video game where a bunch of thinly-conceived but cool-looking aliens build houses in space isn't the forum to fight that fight.

Oh absolutely, it's not something that's worrying me. It just seems disappointing in light of how creative the rest of the game is, that's all.

SaraLuna

there was already a thread, but this one has a way better op.
hopefully the preorder talk means it'll be going up on steam's new alpha program

and maybe a bit off topic, but the console port of terraria came out today.

Henroid

I poked at the character creator and this kinda came out of it.


Henroid, Hendroid, Canaroid, unnamed Planet of the Apes reference, unnamed fish Jedi reference Metroid the Hedgehog, and a crazy plant man because why not.

Edit - My thanks to @Sollah for the awesome name.

Edit Edit - Didn't like the "Sideshow Bob" / "Crono" look of plant guy, so I changed it.



Edit Edit Edit - Also I screencapped the character creator tool and cut the sprites out myself, the tool doesn't have a "paste this on the web!" component.

Magic Pink

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

You mean the Avians? They're neither; they have technology now and they aren't warmongering. That's the plant people.

Auralynx

Henroid wrote: »

I poked at the character creator and this kinda came out of it.


Henroid, Hendroid, Canaroid, unnamed Planet of the Apes reference, unnamed fish Jedi reference Metroid the Hedgehog, and a crazy plant man because why not.

Edit - My thanks to @Sollah for the awesome name.

Dare I ask what browser you're using? Couldn't get a usable file for the life of me in Firefox or whatever antique install of IE I never stripped out.

Lanrutcon

Why is this not out yet? Stop teasing me, thread

Henroid

Auralynx wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

I poked at the character creator and this kinda came out of it.


Henroid, Hendroid, Canaroid, unnamed Planet of the Apes reference, unnamed fish Jedi reference Metroid the Hedgehog, and a crazy plant man because why not.

Edit - My thanks to Sollah for the awesome name.

Dare I ask what browser you're using? Couldn't get a usable file for the life of me in Firefox or whatever antique install of IE I never stripped out.

I screencapped my browser and cut the characters out by hand. :P

kaleedity

Henroid wrote: »

crazy plant man

more like Crono Butterbur

or Quinoa Trigger?

Henroid

kaleedity wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

crazy plant man

more like Crono Butterbur

or Quinoa Trigger?

Oh man, good call.

I made a new plant design since though and hate the one in that picture.

Gandalf_the_Crazed

Magic Pink wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

You mean the Avians? They're neither; they have technology now and they aren't warmongering. That's the plant people.

Being given technology doesn't make you non-primitive.

As for the warmongering part, I guess I was just reading shades of Sparta in the bit about soldiers trained from birth.

Magic Pink

[quote="Gandalf_the_Crazed;26238935"][quote="Magic Pink;26237881"][quote="Gandalf_the_Crazed;26232096"]So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race?

Try harder, devs.

That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.[/quote]

You mean the Avians? They're neither; they have technology now and they aren't warmongering. That's the plant people.

[/quote]

Being [i]given[/i] technology doesn't make you non-primitive.

As for the warmongering part, I guess I was just reading shades of Sparta in the bit about soldiers trained from birth.[/quote]

Well, yeah it does. They were given the tech a long long time ago. And there's no indication of why they weren't advanced in the first place; they could have just been stuck on a shitty planet with few resources. I don't see why their religion would have any affect on their tech level. I think you might be seeing an insult that isn't there; they seem pretty cool.

Gandalf_the_Crazed

Magic Pink wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

Magic Pink wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race? Try harder, devs. That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

You mean the Avians? They're neither; they have technology now and they aren't warmongering. That's the plant people.

Being given technology doesn't make you non-primitive. As for the warmongering part, I guess I was just reading shades of Sparta in the bit about soldiers trained from birth.

Well, yeah it does. They were given the tech a long long time ago. And there's no indication of why they weren't advanced in the first place; they could have just been stuck on a shitty planet with few resources. I don't see why their religion would have any affect on their tech level. I think you might be seeing an insult that isn't there; they seem pretty cool.

It's not this instance alone, it's part of a larger video game culture that --

-- hey wait, haven't you and I had this same conversation about another topic? ;-)

MordaRazgrom

Henroid wrote: »

I poked at the character creator and this kinda came out of it.


Henroid, Hendroid, Canaroid, unnamed Planet of the Apes reference, unnamed fish Jedi reference Metroid the Hedgehog, and a crazy plant man because why not.

Edit - My thanks to @Sollah for the awesome name.

is it just me, or is the plant guy Sideshow Bob?

Auralynx

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

Magic Pink wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

Magic Pink wrote: »

Gandalf_the_Crazed wrote: »

So the only religious race is the primitive, warmongering race? Try harder, devs. That aside, this game looks amazing and I'll be buying it as soon as pre-orders open.

You mean the Avians? They're neither; they have technology now and they aren't warmongering. That's the plant people.

Being given technology doesn't make you non-primitive. As for the warmongering part, I guess I was just reading shades of Sparta in the bit about soldiers trained from birth.

Well, yeah it does. They were given the tech a long long time ago. And there's no indication of why they weren't advanced in the first place; they could have just been stuck on a shitty planet with few resources. I don't see why their religion would have any affect on their tech level. I think you might be seeing an insult that isn't there; they seem pretty cool.

It's not this instance alone, it's part of a larger video game culture that --

-- hey wait, haven't you and I had this same conversation about another topic? ;-)

Either way, let's not have it in this one. Space is cool, let's focus on that.

Gandalf_the_Crazed

I feel like a video game historian will look back on this decade as "the Minecraft era". It is just spreading its genetics around everywhere, it's like the Tucker Max of video games.

Henroid

I didn't like how Sideshow Bob the plant character looked so I found a better design to run with.

MordaRazgrom

Aw, but I liked Sideshow Bob! Now she looks like a Plagued Toad from Mario.

Henroid

You can use the Sideshow Bob look if you want! It's probably the one hairstyle appropriate for "male" plant people (even though they're androgynous) (even though the females clearly have boobs).

Also I couldn't decide between mushroom hat or a hairstyle with a little flower in it. Or the venus flytrap head.

MordaRazgrom

OH don't mind me, I'm just backseat gaming...backseat character creating...I'm the peanut gallery! having a silly mood today :P

I'll doink around in the character creator later tonight.

Auralynx

Strangely, apes cannot wear white, but whatever.

Don't go to that planet. You may not like what you find.

Decoy

Auralynx wrote: »

Strangely, apes cannot wear white, but whatever.

Don't go to that planet. You may not like what you find.

I hate every ape I see, from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z ...

<pours some out for PHart>

Henroid

I thought I wouldn't like the Apex much at all but then I accidentally stumbled on the one I have above, and it changed how I was thinking of them as an advanced species. So now they're one of my favorites in my imagination.

Auralynx

Henroid wrote: »

I thought I wouldn't like the Apex much at all but then I accidentally stumbled on the one I have above, and it changed how I was thinking of them as an advanced species. So now they're one of my favorites in my imagination.

The free ape is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought, Henroid.

Henroid

Auralynx wrote: »

Henroid wrote: »

I thought I wouldn't like the Apex much at all but then I accidentally stumbled on the one I have above, and it changed how I was thinking of them as an advanced species. So now they're one of my favorites in my imagination.

The free ape is he who does not fear to go to the end of his thought, Henroid.

What.

Basil

Damn dirty apes.

Henroid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAkz3Wwr9NQ

Basil

So do we get a space ship or is this more a Terraria "You have landed! Have fun storming the castle/subjugating the natives under your mechanical fist."

I mean I see a space ship there under the human description but do we get to build it or do stuff or anything?