As you can see, a new site has been launched along with a blog where I will be posting regular updates and details about INSIGHT. The previous website had problems for some users and was difficult to update and maintain. You should expect to see more frequent updates and more content (screenshots, previews, info) added here in the coming weeks.
What’s been going on?
Things have been publicly quiet since the Greenlight campaign success, but the work behind the scenes has continued. Along with working on the new website I have taken the time to address some of the main issues that were pointed out based on the Greenlight trailer. Including YouTube comments, Greenlight campaign page comments, feedback on sites such as Reddit and direct messages. So far this has mainly been:
Revamp in map design
Models, textures and mapping style have been improved and worked on since the Greenlight campaign. When 3d artists and professional level designers are involved with the project these areas will continue to be improved. The main goal has been to create maps that look professional whilst remaining uncluttered and suitable for competitive play. There will be a variety of customisation options available, some of which will be talked about in more detail in future posts, allowing you to simplify the graphics or tweak settings to your preference.
Sound replacement
A frequent issue people noticed from the trailer was that the sounds used were mostly low quality or too simple. Over the past few months I have worked with sound designers to replace the previous sounds (some of which can be heard in the website launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEQJTBYwRCs&feature=youtu.be). More sounds will be added and replaced as the project progresses.
Models, animations, particles
Player models and animations, weapon models, and particle effects have been tweaked and improved. Most of these changes are not shown in the latest video but will most likely feature in upcoming videos and the Kickstarter campaign.
I also have been working on the server build, replay capture, integrating the Steam API, and most importantly the Kickstarter campaign.
What’s Next?
The next major milestone will be launching the Kickstarter fundraising campaign. Successful funding will mean that I can hire other developers to work on different areas of the project to help bring it to a more professional state in terms of visuals, sounds and gameplay. The video is the primary selling point for a Kickstarter campaign and is currently being worked on along with other important elements (graphics, backer rewards, screenshots). I hope to be able to highlight the current game along with painting an accurate picture of how the game will be when it is closer to completion. The process of recording and capturing gameplay takes time, however, with the use of UE4s Sequencer this has become easier – videos posted previously were captured using a rough custom built linear recording system and did not have the capabilities of Sequencer.
When can I play?!
I try to avoid giving out specific dates or estimates because a lot of the time it is helpful to delay the project rather than rushing to meet deadlines. As more people have become interested in the project I have increased the scope and decided to aim higher for the Kickstarter campaign, since fundraising is most likely a one-time opportunity. The time spent now is in order to help the campaign reach a higher funding goal, which will mean much faster development down the line when other developers are working on the project. I work on the project solo in spare time around my regular work (website design / development), which often involves learning new skills and programs, and so the development so far has been slow. However, since there are no current customers or backers I feel like this time can be spent as necessary to improve the project in the long-term. Once the game is being sold or backed on Kickstarter there will be a bigger responsibility to ensure fast development, releases and updates – which will be made easier when various artists and programmers are contributing.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments or get in touch via Twitter, Discord or the contact form on this website. Remember to share the project around social media, gaming communities and to friends.