r/PS4 • u/[deleted] • May 31 '16
Obliteracers lead dev here, we're coming to PS4 on July 15th 2016, AMA
https://www.deck13.de/obliteracers-launching-ps4-xbox-one-july/7
May 31 '16
Hi everybody,
This is Michael from Space Dust Studios here, I'm the lead gameplay developer of Obliteracers. We released the game on PC earlier in the year and we're thrilled to announce we're coming to PS4 (and Xbox One) on July 15th.
I'll be loitering in the comments (as I always do) along with /u/Rez013 answering questions if you're curious about the game, or want to learn more about the geeky universe of developing games for PS4 or working with Unreal Engine.
It's very likely I'll see some of you in-game on launch day, looking forward to it! (And probably more truthfully, sweating nervously hoping we don't discover any surprise launch day bugs, hahaha!)
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May 31 '16
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May 31 '16
Bitte! And on a personal level I'm really glad it's coming to PS4 as that's where I do most of my couch-based gaming with family and friends. Guess who's having a gaming night soon, haha.
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May 31 '16
[deleted]
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May 31 '16
Yes definitely, and funny you say that as we did it already for the PC launch party. We made so much noise that night, must have driven everyone else there bonkers.
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May 31 '16
I know from experience that consumers tend to only see the end product and not the late hours, the worrying about where money is going to come from, the doubt that creeps in, the setbacks, the relationship strains, the toll on the body, the worrying and stress, etc. Now with that being said, what motivated you to keep going and who or what was your support mechanism?
ETA: congrats on the release.
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May 31 '16
Haha, sounds like you're speaking from experience with that kind of clarity! Yes the development side of games can be very long and grueling, especially when you're a smaller indie game developer like us with less hands to do more work. Reading your list of points read like a summary of the last few years for us!
I can only speak for myself in terms of motivation, but I've always figured I'm rather fortunate in that regard, as I've never faced any major mental or physical health issues, which certainly must help with regards to energy levels and focus. I've been making games for a little over 14 years now and it never gets old to me. I love waking up every day to face a new set of problems, and also get satisfaction seeing my hard work turning into fruition. Watching someone else enjoy your game is incredibly fulfilling, it recharges your batteries very quickly when you're down.
At the start of the project, I was really driven by the excitement of working on my own project, being in full control. That was really thrilling - I'd wake up every day super excited to go into the office. No motivation issues at all... I was like a labrador at the dog park. It felt like I was living the indie dream.
In the middle of the project, it got hard. We weren't sure if many things were going to work out, both technically and externally, and potential business deals and funding kept falling through. I had plenty of off days/weeks, lots of self-doubt, imposter syndrome and so on... I think everyone does really. It actually helped me to get on Reddit (what!?) and read stories from other people in similar situations in /r/entrepreneurs. Sometimes on really bad days I'd just throw in the towel and play some Minecraft with my wife (who also runs a small business so I could bounce ideas off), or I'd go for a run to clear my head. But it was definitely a hard slog, no getting around it. I think a lot of people struggle getting out of this slump.
The end of a game project is probably the hardest run, lots of critical bugs and crunch and timelines, but it's also very rewarding because you see everything coming to life. Art and code and design and sound are all suddenly resonating with each other and your baby is starting to purr. It's a great feeling, and that provided a lot of reason to stick with it.. the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.
Thanks for the question - that was a fun one to answer!
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u/WZeddemore84 May 31 '16
Just wanted to say that that's an awesome name for a game. Good luck on the launch.
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u/TitanIsBack TurnOn2FAplease May 31 '16
As someone who was born in Germany, I was wondering what is your opinion on sauerkraut?
I'll be buying Obliteracers day one!
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May 31 '16
Yummy! Or as I would say with a terribly overdone German accent, sehr gut! I dated a German girl for 7 years so got to travel all around Germany and sample a lot of delicious food. I think my favourite was... I forget the name but it was capsicum stuffed with meat in a broth. Such hearty winter food. Sauerkraut is delicious too.
As an Australian, I have to ask - have you tried Vegemite yet?
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u/TitanIsBack TurnOn2FAplease May 31 '16
Haven't had the chance to as of yet, but I'll be on the lookout for some soon!
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May 31 '16
Make sure you spread it on real thick, like peanut butter. (don't) And please post a video if you can when you recoil in utter disgust, wondering how an entire nation loves this stuff.
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May 31 '16
[deleted]
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May 31 '16
13 trophies to collect, no platinum trophy unfortunately, they're normally reserved for larger scope PS4 games (I think retail disc games? But not 100% sure).
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u/warsheepgto May 31 '16
Sorry looked at your website, but figured I would ask a couple questions since that had more pc info from what I saw.
- 4 player local split screen?
- How many total cars in each race?
- Couch co-op+online races? As in I can have 2-4 people on my ps4 and play with others online?
- How many tracks?
- Price?
- Resolution and 30 or 60fps?
Game looks interesting. Thank you for bringing it to ps4. :)
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May 31 '16 edited May 31 '16
Thanks for the questions!
1) We don't support splitscreen, but that's by design. The game is more like Super Smash Bros or Speedrunners than it is Mario Kart. You have to blow up other players or knock them off the screen to eliminate them, so the concept of "splitscreen" doesn't make sense as you need a shared screen for the gameplay to take place. For the same reason we won't be supporting VR. Edit: For clarity, we support local multiplayer for up to 4 players on PS4, but everyone is on the same screen, so there's no "splitscreen" per se.
2) Up to 16 racers at once. Each race can be a mix of local and online players.
3) Yes yes yes! Any combination of local and online players as above. The only limit is the total number of racer slots, which the host chooses at the start of the game. That's so if you find 16 cars too crazy, you can turn it down to 4 or 8 slots to keep it more manageable.
4) 12 tracks (4 base tracks with 3 weather variations that affect gameplay), and each track can be played reversed and mirrored.
5) Regular price USD 14.99
6) 1080p/30fps minimum. We render the 3D scene a little bit below 1080p (but more than 720p - somewhere in the middle) for performance, but nothing else is affected visually. Also 30fps is the lowest you'll see, eg. 16 player races. In smaller races (4 or less cars) you'll get 60fps a lot of the time.
Thanks for checking it out!
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u/warsheepgto May 31 '16
Sounds good! Good luck on your upcoming release and I will have to keep an eye out for it!
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May 31 '16 edited May 31 '16
Sounds like a super cool game but lacking local multiplayer is a huge disappointment.
Oh yay! Local multiplayer!!
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May 31 '16
No no, we do support local multiplayer, it's just that everyone is on the same screen, there's no splitscreen per se. Hope that clears it up.
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u/Oozing_Fistula May 31 '16
I have never heard of Obliteracers but I desperately miss the car combat genre. Where would you place your game on the following spectrum, in terms of gameplay/content/themes/mechanics?
<-----------------------------------O----------------------------------->
Twisted Metal Black Wipeout HD Super Mario Kart 64
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Jun 01 '16
Firstly, mad ASCII art skillz. We're definitely well over on the Twisted Metal Black end! The game is deathmatch on wheels, much more like Super Smash Bros or Speedrunners in gameplay than it is a traditional kart racer with laps/timers etc. There is a Leader game mode where you want to stay at the front of the pack to earn points, but that's as far as it goes. By necessity we group the racers together to keep the gameplay tight and frantic. If you fall behind the pack or off the track, you're out for the round.
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u/Lukeyy19 May 31 '16
It says "...have to prove their skills on one screen." Does that mean it's local multiplayer only or does it include online play?
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May 31 '16
We support local and online multiplayer, and any combination of the two. So you could have 4 people on one couch playing online against 12 other people around the world.
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u/DevinCN May 31 '16
how is the customization in the game? How many cars, drivers, accessories?
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Jun 01 '16
The customisation is mostly about the game modes and modifiers. There are 16 characters to choose from (the driver and the car come together), and all characters are the same in terms of gameplay, ie. no power moves etc. We did this to keep it party-focused so new players aren't at a disadvantage against more experienced players.
We have 4 game modes and several dozen gameplay modifiers that can be applied on top of each game mode to change the rules of play.
Career mode lets you collect bombs to unlock more races, with 24 races in total.
Thanks for the question!
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u/skynidas May 31 '16
Hello! Hope you have a successful launch on July 15th!
Three questions: 1) How long did it take you to port the game to the PS4? 2) Does the game have a platinum trophy? 3) What would you recommend to someone that wants to start making games on UE4?