Alright, here we go—first blog post! I wanted to kick things off with a deeper update on where the game is at right now. Some details I didn’t want to cram into the FAQ, so here’s a bit more info:
1. What is the state of the game right now?
At this point, most of the core structure is done. This includes the world map first layout, saving and persistence system, weapon mechanics, inventory, interaction, building systems, vehicles, day/night cycles and weather, some enemy types and their AI, Retros and their AI, most of the menus, and upgrade paths for progression.
What’s really missing is this: CONTENT (and the art that goes with it).
For example, while the building system is functional, the UI is still pretty rough around the edges. As you can see in this GIF:
It’s the same for most of the stations and base pieces, where I’m still using placeholder assets and temporary UI (designing UI is not my strongest suit—it takes me forever). The same goes for the inventory, save/load menus, settings, and other elements. They all technically work, but they aren’t exactly easy on the eyes yet.
That is one of the reason I didn’t want to show them in the trailer.
Weapons
Out of the weapons, only the AR and shotgun are fully modeled so far, and even they aren’t final. However, five weapons are functional: the AR, shotgun, pistol, sniper, and grenade launcher. I’d say they’re about 70% done on the playable side, but fine-tuning things like recoil, damage values, and overall balance will take some more time.
Each weapon also comes with two special abilities (so far). You might have seen these in the trailer:
- Cluster Bomb
- Slomo Field
Every weapon can be upgraded through three tiers (MK I, II, and III), leading to a final upgrade that lets you use both special abilities at once, along with some visual customizations.
Plus, there’s the elemental ammo system. To be honest, the UI is in such a rough state that I left it out of the trailer completely, as you can see in this clip :
It still needs effects and polish. Technically, it’s working, but visually, it’s not there yet. You can at least see hints of it, like the AR changing color to indicate elemental charge.
Laser/Gather Gun
The gather gun used for mining is done in terms of its model, and its base animations are ready. Unlike the AR, which still lacks animations, this tool is a bit further along.
Enemy AI
The enemy AI is mostly in place, using a Utility AI system (specifically, Athena AI), which I find to be a more natural approach than the traditional Behavior Tree setup. The enemy models are mainly modified marketplace assets for now, but I plan to enhance or replace them eventually. I’ve tweaked their animations and textures to fit the game’s needs, but like everything else, content is still the big challenge.
Environment
Much like the enemies, the game’s environments also use a lot of placeholder assets that I’d like to overhaul or expand on. There’s a lot more to add in terms of details and variety to really bring the world to life.
2. What was made just for the trailer vs. what’s in the game?
The trailer is mostly straight from the game—whenever you see the UI, that’s all in-game footage. However, I did need to control a few elements to get things just right (especially when the Retros weren’t exactly cooperating!). Of course, the opening sequence with the studio light setup and the camera dive into the map was custom-made. The map itself is accurate (though it’s an early version), but the camera movements were hand-animated using a sequencer.
The part where the Retros gather to show off the big gun was also staged using a sequence. While they might actually trigger that reaction in the game if left idle long enough and no tasks are assigned to them, I wanted to remove the gun/UI and capture it with a more dynamic, moving camera. So, I created a custom sequence and sped it up in the edit to keep things tighter (the original was too long). What you see in the trailer is just the tail end of that sequence. I might upload the full interaction to YouTube at some point instead of using a GIF :
Lastly, I gave myself a bit of a boost for the trailer by toggling invincibility (no dying at zero health) and loading up on ammo.
3. How long have you been working on it?
So far, it’s been about a month and a half. But honestly, I’m pretty quick when it comes to this kind of work. I already had a clear vision of the game because I actually started developing it before I joined Epic Games. Back then, it was called Suspended Workshops—you might still find it on Steam, though it’s not available for purchase. It was a VR game, and the Retros were already part of it!
2017
2024
However, I had to put it on hold due to a conflict of interest (pretty standard in the industry).
Originally, I planned to retire from Epic Games in August, which is why I’m currently in the middle of a big move. But after about a month or so, I realized I wanted to get back to work, this time for myself. So, I dusted off Suspended Workshops and dove back in. With seven years of experience at Epic under my belt and so much learning from some of the best people in the industry, I chose to restart the project from scratch with a fresh approach and in UE5.
I had a clear vision of what the game was about and after a few days of documenting everything and flow charting, I hit the ground running. Epic Games kind of trains you to be fast, they have to with the insane update cadence they have. So when I get into the groove, I move quickly—well, except when it comes to UI art and rigging…those still take me ages.
Feel free to join the livestreams to see all the action and maybe catch some of the struggles along the way!
4. Why will streaming only start in 2025?
I’m in the middle of a huge move, literally relocating from the US to Asia, which means there’s a lot to handle—selling my stuff, finding a place to live, sorting out visas, opening bank accounts, and more. I did live in China for over six years when I was younger, so I’m familiar with the process there, but after 14 years in the US, it’s a big transition to make suddenly. I’m also selling most of my hardware, planning to set up fresh once I’m settled. While I hope to be up and running by early December, I’m giving myself a buffer in case things take longer than expected. That’s why I’ll officially kick off streaming after the New Year.
Alright, as a first post, I think it’s pretty ok, so I’ll stop here.
See ya!
– Simone
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