Hi everyone!
It's time for a fresh update about what's been happening on Stranded Deep 2.
Firstly, if you're new here–welcome! Stranded Deep 2 is the sequel to Stranded Deep that's being developed by North Beach Games. I'm Sam, one of the co-creators of the first game and I've joined the team here at NBG as the Creative Director for SD2. If you're an OG fan you may remember the dev blogs I started way back in 2013 for the first game. I really enjoyed sharing the details about what goes into crafting a world and making it an immersive experience so I knew I had to get the blog going again for SD2.
This post will be the first in a new series of regular blog posts where we'll keep you updated on our progress, ideas, and all of the cool behind-the-scenes details as we go. Whether you played the first game or have just discovered it, I'm excited to have you along for the ride.
So let's go!
Scaling Up, Staying True
Since we last checked in, the dev team has grown quickly. We've been building the team out over the last 9 months and I'm proud to say we're gathering a fantastic group of talented people who I'm enjoying working with very much.
Over the last few months, we've been exploring and prototyping new ideas. I'm really excited about the direction we're heading in. A favorite part of my week is collaborating with the team on our creative calls and hearing each person's ideas and the unique perspectives they bring to the project – there's a lot more voices than the first time around! A big part of my role is injecting the soul of SD1 into this game and ensuring SD2 is a faithful successor. Thanks again to everyone who filled out the feedback form which helped us understand what made Stranded Deep enjoyable for you. This is helping guide us to keep the heart of SD1 and take SD2 to the next level, going bigger and better.
Bigger and Better
One thing that is getting bigger and better is the environment. Open water played a huge role in defining the atmosphere of the first game. It was an overwhelming natural element that isolated you from civilization and could be a source of life or danger. We're exploring how this natural force will challenge you in SD2.
We're also developing other features to make the world richer and more immersive like our new animal AI system. We're already seeing a fascinating ecosystem form in our latest prototype, with emergent behaviours and a "food chain". This will be a massive evolution of animal interaction and behaviour which will affect everything from hunting to combat and even how you travel through the world.
We're also creating a new dynamic crafting system; We've figured out what we want to do and now we're exploring different ways to do it in a fun and meaningful way. Even in an early prototype I was testing, I found myself thinking "OK, that's cool" – always a good sign.
The first version of "Building 2.0" dropped internally last week and it's a significant iteration and improvement from SD1. We've worked through many versions of the building system now and it feels like this is the one.
To wrap it up, the art team is creating new assets for the character, environment models and animations. They're also mocking up art styles for the game, including texture styles, shape languages, color grading and post effects.
There's so many cool things that I'm looking forward to sharing more about next time. I'm also excited to introduce you to the rest of the team. They've been hard at work and are eager to show you what they've been creating.
This is the beginning of something great.
Until next time – Stay Alive!