Neo Scavenger

Metallikat

Neo Scavenger

http://youtu.be/_2K3mihtzrA

So, I've been playing this game recently. It's a post-apocalyptic survival game where you wake up from a cryo chamber, stumble out into the ruined shambles of a world gone by, and get beaten to death by a wrench wielding looter. If you're lucky.



It's turn based, where you can choose various options. Some areas can be scavenged and searched for loot. But do you choose to cover your tracks and hide before you do? It takes turns to do so, but lowers your chance of being found and hunted. Likewise, you choose traits when creating your character, which come into play while scavenging. You can use the Strong trait while looting to gain a better chance of finding stuff but draws a lot more attention to yourself, or you can use your Hiding trait to make looting much safer, but reducing the chance of finding anything.



Combat is very dangerous. Getting wounded can easily lead to infection, but might be worth the risk to strip the dead raider of whatever goods he has. Combat is turn based as well, and has a number of options. You can tackle your opponent to the ground, taking him down and leaving him vulnerable for a turn. When down on the ground, you can get up, try to roll away to increase your chance of dodging a kick or attack, or drag your opponent to the ground. You can try and lure your opponent into dangerous terrain, causing them to be hurt and stunned. If you want to try and avoid a fight, you can wave your weapon and threaten them to try and make them run off. You can also run away screaming and flailing your arms, if you don't mind the risk of tripping and looking like an idiot. If you chose to hide before being found, you can try and duck for cover, and wait for the enemy to wander away.



You have to worry about making sure the water you drink is clean. Grab yourself a pot, some water and build a fire to boil it. Dirty rags can be boiled in water as well, turning them into useful clean bandages. While drinking any whiskey you might find sounds nice, it makes a good topical disinfectant as well.



The game is still very much in development, and has several bundles you can buy. The cheapest is $10 bucks, and gives you beta access and access to the full game when it comes out. The game just got launched onto Desura as well. There's an on-site flash version of both the buyable beta version and demo, but there's also a downloadable version of each too.

TychoCelchuuu

I've been keeping my eye on this one for a long time. I've heard some pretty good impressions of it, it has really come a long way since it started, and the developer is really good about keeping people in the loop and telling them what he's working on/what he's planning/why he does things.

urahonky

This looks like a game I could get addicted to... Not sure if that's good or bad yet. :P

dcfedor

Hey Guys!

Just figured I'd drop by to say thanks for the shout-out, and to let you know about recent updates.

First of all, thanks for the kind words! I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen so far, and I'm glad that my verbose devlog has been helpful. I figure, the closest thing I have to a boss is my customers, so I better show what I'm doing for their patronage

As for updates, quite a lot has developed since last September. Some of the more significant changes include:

• NEO Scavenger now supports multiple resolutions. To-date, the game supports 800x450 (original size), 1600x900 (double size), 2400x1350 (triple size), plus a 1360x768 mode (larger font, some artwork 2x zoom, others 1x zoom). The game also supports fullscreen, aliasing/smoothing, and fixed-aspect stretching to fit window. Note: these resolutions seem a bit arbitrary to some, but are basically the best I could manage without distorting the original pixel art (or redrawing everything in the game).
• The beta now has several music tracks that play at random intervals.
• Beta players can now enter Detroit Mega City, which offers some new sights and sounds, and a few handy services for those willing to pay (including medical attention and minor prosthetics).
• Combat has continued to evolve, and now supports surrendering, looting unconscious creatures while in combat, a wider variety of range bands (short vs. long reach melee, missile and firearm ranges that make terrain and ranges more important). Retreat has become more reliable.
• AI has evolved a bit, and now supports solo vs. pack mentality in some creatures, morale effects from ally/enemy outnumbering, more idle activities.
• There are a handful of new, major encounters in the beta (roughly equal to or greater than complexity of the opening cryo encounter)
• The beta now has quite a few, random mini-encounters that appear throughout the game, offering a mix of setting info and moral quandaries.
• Several UI changes have been made, to help ease the clunkiness found in earlier versions. Most buttons have hotkeys now (described in tooltips for each button). The cursor can switch between drag+drop or click-to-take (flinging item across screen to first appropriate slot). Double-click also does the take/fling. Holding the 2 key makes the cursor "use" anything that is clicked, the 3 key "destroys" the item. Shift key allows stack-splitting. Right-click and drag to scroll the main map. Message window now opens via click instead of rollover. Click to sort items in a container. Plus several other tweaks.
• The beta has lots of new items floating around the game, including new firearms, primitive melee and missile weapons, hardware and software to mine for paydata (and lore), electronic tools now require charged batteries, more primitive vehicles (sleds, carts, travois).
• New crafting system which allows substitutions, so it's possible to use, say, a necklace and hospital gown to tie a splint, instead of just rags.
• There are a few new creatures in the game, including deer, and melonheads.
• Creatures now leave corpses behind, which can be skinned/butchered. (Previously, only trapped squirrels would provide meat/fur.)
• Items now have a right-click context menu, for various operations (e.g. use, destroy, take, empty out).
• Some items now require skill to identify (e.g. drugs, bullets), but still can be used by anyone.
• Water sources now have their own special tiles. Players need not hope for water in regular scavenging sites anymore, rather, they can get as much water as they want from certain infinite sources (rivers, lakes, swamps).
• Items within a stack now maintain their individual stats, so no more stack-spamming recipe hints.
• Substantial and numerous memory/performance optimizations and bug fixes.

Plus, a sneak peek at some of the recently added items:


It's been a pretty busy year, all told. So if you haven't checked it out in a while, do come by and see what's new. And if this is your first encounter with NEO Scavenger, welcome!

Thanks again, and good luck surviving the apocalypse!

TychoCelchuuu

This game is really great. I have barely played it (even though I own it) because every update it just gets better and basically I'm just waiting until it's even more complete. But thanks for stopping by, and keep doing an awesome job.

Corpekata

Yeah this is definetly a "utterly intrigued but want to play the final game" entry for me. It's fun what little I've actually played though.

Kias

Been watching this one for awhile and, though this may be silly, the only thing that has stopped me from getting it is it not being on Steam yet. Not that Desura is bad, but its just so much easier to manage the back log and library of games if I keep it all in one place! Was super excited to see it get approved for greenlight though. Is it available on Steam yet?

TychoCelchuuu

No.

dcfedor

Not on Steam yet, though a number of folks are encouraging me to do Steam Early Access (NEO Scavenger was Greenlit a few months ago). I've been hesitant, but maybe I have no good reason to be

And I totally get the desire to wait until NEO Scavenger's done before digging in. A lot of players are in the same boat!

Kias

dcfedor wrote: »

Not on Steam yet, though a number of folks are encouraging me to do Steam Early Access (NEO Scavenger was Greenlit a few months ago). I've been hesitant, but maybe I have no good reason to be

And I totally get the desire to wait until NEO Scavenger's done before digging in. A lot of players are in the same boat!

From what I hear the game is in a good place. I think the main reason to be hesitant on the early release stuff is if the current version poorly represents the game. Then again, I don't really know how much difference we are talking between what is there and what it will be (i.e. will the core of the game change, or will it be the same game with a lot more awesome). It seems like a lot of the early releases that are functional are generating really good attention for the respective games, though I don't have any sort of hard data to back that up, just my impression!

In other words, yes! Do Steam early Access! This is in no way me being biased because I want to play your game!

dcfedor

Kias wrote: »

From what I hear the game is in a good place. I think the main reason to be hesitant on the early release stuff is if the current version poorly represents the game. Then again, I don't really know how much difference we are talking between what is there and what it will be (i.e. will the core of the game change, or will it be the same game with a lot more awesome). It seems like a lot of the early releases that are functional are generating really good attention for the respective games, though I don't have any sort of hard data to back that up, just my impression!

In other words, yes! Do Steam early Access! This is in no way me being biased because I want to play your game!

Lol. Well, if you've played it and you think so, that's a good data point!

I think NEO Scavenger is at that point where what comes next is more of the same. The core mechanics are pretty stable, and it's down to more items, creatures, recipes, and encounters to play with. So by that measure, maybe it's in a good place.

In any case, it's good to hear that folks are looking forward to it!

dcfedor

Hey guys!

NEO Scavenger has officially launched on Steam Early Access! Thanks for the encouragement and feedback. You were right that Steam Early Access was a helpful step!

If any existing customers want to get their Steam key, there should now be a link on the bottom right of the beta page on my site.

Alternatively, if you're a Desura customer, you can also access that feature by connecting your Desura account to bluebottlegames.com, which will grant you access to that beta page.

Thanks again!

Sokpuppet

Unique enough that I bought it on general principle. Might not be able to get into it for a while - post steam-sale backlog being what it is.

Seems super cool though. Very intriguing.

dcfedor

Awesome, thanks! And yeah, I totally understand the backlog issue. A lot of folks are worried about launching near the holiday sales for pricing reasons, but player free-time is just as scarce during those times!

Drake

Nothing makes me crap my pants like seeing the word "crowbar". So far the most fearsome weapon I've faced in this game. The combat is just incredibly harsh and a crowbar does to people exactly what you'd think it would if you stop to think about it for a second. Any chance you'll expand the list of negative attributes you can take? I really like that little bit of Fallout flavor in the character creation.

Gotta say I'm really enjoying this a lot @dcfedor. It's been a while since I played a build and the love and attention shows. Also thanks a lot for the Desura to Steam key, I really appreciate that sort of thing.

Dartboy

This' game's pretty neat so far. Though I have absolutely no idea how to do certain things, like use rivers/lakes to fill my 500 water bottles, start a fire, or really just survive in a manner better than "flail frantically at whatever's in front of me and hope it dies first."

Morkath

Picked this up at Drake's recommendation, enjoying it so far.

Two main suggestions I have so far @dcfedor;
* It's annoying that I can't stack 2 piles of berries because they have different conditions. Does the condition on food go down to become inedible?
* Would be nice to be able to rotate an object to get it to fit in the bag. I may not have the verticle space for an object, but if I turn it sideways I could have plenty of room.

Useful tip for people;

Sleds/shopping carts/etc are equipped in the vehicles menu.

Drake

Sled + Strap is civilization.

I find that like types of berries can stack up to five. Of course you have the various colors as a type. There is also the the poison and edible modifiers, which are hidden unless you have the appropriate skill. Be careful what you eat.

I want a Eat At Zom Zom's BBQ t-shirt. That was an awesome encounter. I may have to go back and see if that goes anywhere else. Also concerning that encounter;

My hesitation got me put into the "stock" category, I beat the giant robot with my Mechanic skill. After leaving I got a message that there was something additional in my stuff that said "Dude" or something on it. My backpack was full and I didn't see it on the ground. Did I miss something? Or did something not work correctly with the encounter?

Dartboy

Ok, so to use water you need to CRAFT the lake into water droplets, that you can then collect. Also, while you can start a fire with a cigarette lighter and twigs, I do think it'd be nice to be able to get something going with sticks and rocks or something.

I also really wish the sleeping bag rolled up smaller. For how useful it is with the whole survival thing it just takes up too much space to be worth taking with you. Finding a hide tunic is more practical.

Fleeb

There is a smaller mummy bag you can find. Much more space-friendly than the big bag.

dcfedor

@Drake, thanks for the kind words!

It's possible I'll add more skills/traits if time permits. My first priority is probably to balance the existing ones, though. In particular, some might need shrinking to reflect their lower value, in practice (or else more practical ways to use them).

Also, re: Zom Zom's, the "DUDE" loot might look like garbage to the casual observer. However, it was meant to be a hint about a future (not yet implemented) encounter.

@Dartboy, it sounds like you've solved the water issue. (And in truth, that UI might be changing soon anyway. E.g. water drops inside the lake, right-click->empty out to get them, and right-click->use to generate more droplets)

Fleeb has already covered the sleeping bag, too. As for fire without a lighter, there is a way...

@Morkath, I think the berries might not have stacked for you because they were red, and some red are poisonous vs. not, like Drake says. Conditions shouldn't matter with stacking, but some items look the same until identified, and will not stack if different.

And rotating items can be done via the A/D keys while dragging.

Thanks again for the encouragement, and for the feedback!

Kias

Glad you decided to go with the early access! I went ahead and grabbed a copy also. This is now at the top of my backlog list. I will be sure to post impressions and experiences once I get the time to play!

Fleeb

Heh, this game is a lot more brutal than I remember the demo being. Can hardly survive two nights without being swarmed by looters and raiders. Granted it was quite some time ago that I played the demo. Good job getting it on Steam, you got my $10! Really a great game.

Morkath

dcfedor wrote: »

@Drake, thanks for the kind words!

It's possible I'll add more skills/traits if time permits. My first priority is probably to balance the existing ones, though. In particular, some might need shrinking to reflect their lower value, in practice (or else more practical ways to use them).

Also, re: Zom Zom's, the "DUDE" loot might look like garbage to the casual observer. However, it was meant to be a hint about a future (not yet implemented) encounter.

@Dartboy, it sounds like you've solved the water issue. (And in truth, that UI might be changing soon anyway. E.g. water drops inside the lake, right-click->empty out to get them, and right-click->use to generate more droplets)

Fleeb has already covered the sleeping bag, too. As for fire without a lighter, there is a way...

@Morkath, I think the berries might not have stacked for you because they were red, and some red are poisonous vs. not, like Drake says. Conditions shouldn't matter with stacking, but some items look the same until identified, and will not stack if different.

And rotating items can be done via the A/D keys while dragging.

Thanks again for the encouragement, and for the feedback!

Hrm, I had botany so the berries were identified and both blue or purple, I forget which at this point, both were non-poisonous. When I get a chance to play again I'll see if I can reproduce it.

Good to know about the rotation!

Kias

@dcfedor Finally got around to this and am currently up far too late considering I have work early tomorrow morning. Really love the game so far and how everything plays out. My first real combat (not counting the couple times I just got demolished) was so laughably long I couldn't help but imagine me and that bandit rolling around in the ruins of some town for several hours trying to slowly pummel one another to death. He ended up limping away bloody and I called it a win.

Is there a complete main plot in place yet, or is that still coming along? I am...

already in detroit after getting the silver urn for hatter (that sequence was creepy as hell, no idea what was in the basement because frack that place). I got some cash, bought my first good meal, which was sort of like winning the game in its own way, but now I am kind of at an impasse on what to do. I trekked back out in the world to explore and scavenge, but am I missing something in Detroit or is it still under construction? I thought maybe I would get a lead on my ID at the bank, but no dice even after giving her the wrist ID thing.

Anyways, this is an excellent game and I highly recommend it.

dcfedor

@Kias, thanks, I'm glad to hear it! Your epic fight is not unlike many players' experiences. One even described it as rather like that fight between Roddy Piper and Keith David in "They Live."

To your question:

The story is still incomplete. My guess is that you haven't seen everything yet, but you've seen most of the main plot. 0.982 has at least one more major encounter in the city beyond the bank, which it sounds like you missed via different choices (it's possible to get info from bank). Also, there are a handful of encounters "out there" which are large like haunted house, and dozens of smaller, random encounters (usually in cities).

Thanks again!

Raiden333

Just picked this up tonight, REALLY loving it so far. I feel like a god among men just for finally having a full set of clothing and a backpack. So far basically all my encounters with other people are "STAY BACK FUCKER, I'VE GOT A POCKET KNIFE", which seems to work when you don't see anyone with more than a crowbar.

Great game @dcfedor, can't want to see how it evolves. Question though: Is there (currently, or planned for the future) any way to "level up" and get more skill slots, or get new skills via plot events? Or are the ones you tag at the start of the game what you're locked in with forever?

RoyceSraphim

While I know its unlikely, being able to beat a man to within an inch of his life, patching him back up and earning a friend would fulfill a long time dream.

But you're still fulfilling daydreams so be glad you have my $10.

Raiden333

Crossposting from the steam thread, it's story time:

So I'm roaming around, King Shit of Fuck Mountain with 4 layers of clothing and a backpack full of drugs, water, food, and knives, carrying a knife in my left hand my sleeping bag in my right. It's the middle of the night and it's raining, and I'm just looking for a safe place to crash.

A raider decides I look like an easy target and engages me. I stab him several times, he doesn't get in a single hit. But my exhaustion catches up with me and I pass out from lack of sleep mid-fight. I wake up stripped of literally everything but the shirt on my back. I get a couple hours of sleep to recover, and then I track down the same raider, who had collapsed to nurse his wounds in a nearby forest. Armed with one of my knives, but still very weak from our last encounter, I am able to knock him to the ground and kick him in the head until he dies and recover my gear, fixing up my single stab wound with the medical kit in my (now-recovered) backpack.

So, in short, FUCKING BUY NEO SCAVENGER.

hatedinamerica

Yeah, I added this to my wishlist for future reference when it showed up on Steam, but reading this thread earlier made me just go and buy it.

Just finished my first game (survived 11 hours!): Beat some guy to death with a tree branch and took his knife, bandaged my many stab wounds, and set off for adventure......that lasted another 4 or 5 hours as I got progressively more tired and weak and infected.

Eventually a dogman or something smashed my brain in while I was trying to sleep in some ruined apartment building.

Alright, gotta beat 11 hours this time...

RoyceSraphim

Save yourself some trouble and threaten people with your big sticks, then accept their surrender. They drop everything and run. Much better than getting beat up a few more turns and wasting more bandages and energy.

vegeta_666

So far I've just been murdering everyone I come across, I don't say a word but just charge at them swinging a large branch (and now a monkey wrench) and wail on them on they stop moving. They never even try to attack back, they always try to retreat and stumble and try to dodge. I guess I am a frightening sight. I've managed to get a Hunting Rifle too with a strap but I lack any ammo.

Thank you @Morkath for the vehicle tip!

Donnicton

vegeta_666 wrote: »

So far I've just been murdering everyone I come across, I don't say a word but just charge at them swinging a large branch (and now a monkey wrench) and wail on them on they stop moving. They never even try to attack back, they always try to retreat and stumble and try to dodge.

You are exactly the type of creature that players are warned about potentially encountering.

Dr. Chaos

vegeta_666 wrote: »

So far I've just been murdering everyone I come across, I don't say a word but just charge at them swinging a large branch (and now a monkey wrench) and wail on them on they stop moving.

This man gets it.

I would like to shake your hand...and then flee as quickly as possible before you can finish me off.

Drake

What's the difference between a man and a howling animal? Five minutes after coming out of the tank is the difference.

RoyceSraphim

Donnicton wrote: »

vegeta_666 wrote: »

So far I've just been murdering everyone I come across, I don't say a word but just charge at them swinging a large branch (and now a monkey wrench) and wail on them on they stop moving. They never even try to attack back, they always try to retreat and stumble and try to dodge.

You are exactly the type of creature that players are warned about potentially encountering.

Dr. Chaos wrote: »

vegeta_666 wrote: »

So far I've just been murdering everyone I come across, I don't say a word but just charge at them swinging a large branch (and now a monkey wrench) and wail on them on they stop moving.

This man gets it.

I would like to shake your hand...and then flee as quickly as possible before you can finish me off.

Drake wrote: »

What's the difference between a man and a howling animal? Five minutes after coming out of the tank is the difference.

Neoscavenger's ad campaign right there. Get a gravely voiced narrator and a sexy female voice for the bold and millions made.

vegeta_666

My strategy worked for awhile until a bandit got the better of me and managed to knock me down and kick my head in.

Now I am repeating said strategy but with a bit more luck/smarts this time. I don't have a gun but my large branch has now been fashioned into a spear with sharp glass at the end and I now wear multiple layers of fur. I may or may not also be carrying human meat with me. It's very nutritious.

Fleeb

Careful... eat that stuff for too long and you'll start to... crave it... that succulent meat, that tender flavor... any other food tastes of ashes and you need the meat, you have to have the meat... the meat... oh the meat

Sokpuppet

Just took down my first deer.
"Like veal" nothin'
I've got the real deal.

Basil

I beat a local to death with a branch and now I'm looking for something sharp with which to harvest the flesh.

goty 2014-20xx

RoyceSraphim

Basil wrote: »

I beat a local to death with a branch and now I'm looking for something sharp with which to harvest the flesh.

goty 2014-20xx

How close are you to the cryo lab? You could put it in your arms and carry it back there.