The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here, we’re live with our first publicly available build, affectionately dubbed the “Seedling Edition”!
Now let me take a moment to give you a clear idea of what you can expect from the Seedling Edition. It’s essentially a ‘Creative Mode’ building experience, there’s a nice variety of blocks and items to make use of and an unlimited open world to put them in. The Seedling Edition will give you an idea of our game’s visual style, and let you get to get a bit more hands-on by trying out the building mechanics we have in place so far.
You will also be able to do a little bit of modding. We’ve made it very easy to mod in your own content, so if we’re missing a hairstyle you’d like to use you can just add it yourself!
Speaking of hairstyles, you have the option to customise your character with a range of available hairstyles and clothing. This is going to be a huge feature for Staxel and the items available to you right now are only a sneak peek at what stylish attire you can expect in the future!
Right now the game is exclusively available at the store page here onplaystaxel.com/store for just $5. Buy today and when the finished game arrives on Steam you’ll receive a steam key too!
That’s all folks, hope you have a blast with Staxel’s Seedling Edition!
Hey all! This issue of the Staxel Reporter only has one article, a pretty exciting announcement!
Staxel ‘Seedling Edition’
We have a big surprise for all of you, tomorrow Staxel’s “Seedling Edition” is going to be available to purchase! What’s in the ‘Seedling Edition’?
Now I need to make it very clear, the ‘Seedling Edition’ is a very early look at Staxel. The gameplay we have envisioned for Staxel isn’t there yet!
What is there, however, is ‘creative mode’ building. In this mode, you’ll have unlimited access to a huge variety of blocks, furniture, and objects.
You’ll also be able to get a feel for Staxel’s visuals and atmosphere and maybe get an idea of what kind of game we’re envisioning.
How much is it going to cost?
We’re putting the Seedling Edition up for $5. We feel like this a good price as it rewards players for getting involved so early. Whoever purchases the Seedling Edition will also get a steam key of the full version of Staxel once it’s complete.
Seedling Edition will be updated while we are building towards the full version of Staxel.
Where can I buy it?
The ‘Seedling Edition’ will only be available on our official website http://playstaxel.com/, so make sure to keep an eye on it!
Well, that’s it for this issue of the Staxel Reporter! Thanks for reading!
Hey all, we just wanted to give you a general update on what’s going on over here at Staxel.
We’ve been a little quiet since around mid December owing to the holiday season. We decided to take a couple of weeks off and now that everyone is nice and rested up we’re getting up to speed again. Good thing too, now that we’re all under a big crunch getting Staxel ready for the January early-alpha build we’ll be putting up!
Damon and I are currently working on a video which will give you all a little idea of what you’ll be able to do and create in the upcoming January version. We’ll be pretty loud about it once it’s out so as long as you’re following us on twitter, the forums, or facebook you shouldn’t miss it!
Finally, we here at Staxel would just like to take the opportunity to wish each and every one of our followers the best for the new year! This is going to be an very exciting time for us and we couldn’t do it without your support.
Hey all! In this issue of the Staxel reporter we announce something really cool, and I did a pretty slick interview with Staxel’s musician, Curtis Schweitzer.
Staxel Pre-alpha
Okay so, we’ve got some pretty big news for you all today!
We’re planning on releasing a super early version of Staxel for you to try your hands at. In January 2016 (as long as all goes to plan) you will be able to purchase Staxel pre-alpha from our site playstaxel.com
Now, I should emphasize that at this early stage functionality will be very limited. This is a way for you all to get an early look into Staxel, the visual experience, a little taste of the creative potential that will be available to you upon full release. You will be able to build with all the assets we currently have in game. Host a server for you and your friends to play around on, or just have a wander around on your own! Just keep in mind that the actual gameplay isn’t there yet.
This will also give us a chance to get some feedback and suggestions from the community while we continue developing.
I should probably mention that this build is going to be a lot cheaper than the price planned for release, and on top of that if you purchase at this point, you will also get your copy of the full version for PC when it’s out!
So stay tuned for more news on this. As long as you’re following us on any of the social media platforms we’re on you won’t miss it.
Interview with Curtis Schweitzer
This quick interview is with Curtis Schweitzer, the man in charge of creating Staxel’s awesome music.
Q:Let’s start with a technical question, what kind of software or tools do you use to create your music?
A: My primary DAW (digital audio workstation) is Apple’s Logic Pro X. All of our instruments are digital samples— for Staxel I’m also relying on some really great software synthesizers. Most of the synths in the Volume 0 OST are from u-he’s Dark Zebra synthesizer, with patches from The Unfinished’s beautiful Kronos, Serenity, and Humankind patch libraries. The piano samples are from East West’s gorgeous QL Pianos library, and all of it is hosted in Vienna Ensemble Pro 5, on a sample server from Puget Systems.
Q: Obviously music is incredibly important when setting the atmosphere for any game. What kind of atmosphere are you aiming to set with your music, and how have you approached that goal?
A: Staxel is really laid-back and relaxing, and we’re definitely hyper-aware that music can either help or hurt you get into the game’s intended feel. Everything in the Staxel soundtrack is composed with this in mind— we’re avoiding any sound that could engender feelings of conflict or stress. We really want players to be buoyed along by a score that helps them feel warm, happy, and above all, peaceful.
Q:So you’ve worked on a few other projects, what’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed when creating tracks for Staxel compared to your other soundtracks?
A: One of my big “selling points” as a composer has always been my orchestral work— even though most of my scores are produced from samples, I’m usually trying for as organic a sound as possible, using mostly a standard orchestral palette. Staxel is different in that we’re going for a sound that is a bit more “digital” from the outset. We’re still relying on organic, real instruments (particularly piano), but there’s definitely a lot more emphasis on purely electronic sounds and textures. The voxel-based world of Staxel definitely needs a soundtrack that is aware of its digital roots.
If you want to give Staxel’s music a listen, Curtis has just uploaded ‘Staxel Volume 0’ to Bandcamp, so make sure to check it out here!
Well, that’s it for this issue of the Staxel Reporter! Make sure to subscribe if you want to be the first to get new issues. Thanks for reading! -EGadd
Music is key when it comes to setting the perfect atmosphere. Luckily for us, we have Curtis Schweitzer taking care of the music!
Curtis has put a lot of work into getting the music just right. The tracks he’s come up with are crafted for a specific purpose, and they really hit the nail on the head.
I could keep going, but why read about the soundtrack when you could give it a listen? Curtis has just uploaded ‘Staxel – Volume 0′to Bandcamp, so if you’re curious as to how it sends then be sure to check it out here!
Hey everyone, the second issue of the Staxel Reporter is here! We've got exclusive Reporter-only details on furniture and character creation: get 'em while they're hot!
Furniture
In Staxel, there are all sorts of collections you can build. Right now the collection we're going to talk about is furniture.
Obviously furniture is important. What's the point of being able to create some nifty buildings when they're completely empty inside? That's why we've made sure to give it a lot of attention.
We want you to be able to really go nuts with your interior design. So, not only are there a bunch of different furniture pieces, but they come in all sorts of styles as well! This way, you'll be able to give your buildings the perfect atmosphere.
One big aspect of the game we're focusing on is interaction - we don't want players to fill their houses with nonfunctional objects! Our goal is to make sure that if something looks interactive, you can definitely play with it. We've got tables, chairs, wardrobes, kitchen counters, storage boxes, and everything else you'd expect to find in a house plus the kitchen sink (bu dum tsh). It's all functional too!
Character Creation
Last issue we talked about how you can customize your character with all sorts of awesome gear, and this time we'll be going one step further, and looking at the control you have during character creation.
We're working very hard to make sure the player has great control over their character, we really want people to be able to let loose and create something unique to them!
The options you'll have control over include the following:
- Gender
Pretty self-explanatory, check out the image above! Like every other option the gameplay doesn't change depending on which option you go with.
- Species
We've got a range of playable species for you to choose from, ranging from Humans and Elves to... Zombies? Absolutely. Zombies forever.
- Skin tone
There's a wide range of skin tones for you to choose from, and the options change between selected species. Humans have the standard skin tones, with a spectrum between light and dark skin, but the more exotic species, like the aforementioned Zombies, will be able to choose bright colours to really stand out!
- Eye colour
I know it's crazy but this option actually lets you pick your eye colour.
- Hair style
We've shown off a bunch of the available headwear items on Twitter recently... but what if you want to let your hair flow free in the wind, like that one actor in that famous movie? Well good news, you absolutely can!
- Hair colour
So many options! Brown! Blonde! Black! Red! Pink? Blue? Green!? We need to stop letting Damon make hair colour decisions...
As you can see, we really want players to be able to express themselves, and we think we're heading in the right direction. If you've got feedback, or just want to tell us how hyped you are, please let us know - either reply to this email, post on our forums, or tweet us! We'd love to hear from you!
Well, that's it for this issue of the Staxel Reporter! Make sure to subscribe if you want to be the first to get new issues. Thanks for reading! -EGadd
Hey everyone, the first edition of the Staxel Reporter is here! This is our new newsletter designed to keep everyone up to date on Staxel's development.
The Staxel Reporter will always be posted to our blog as well as emailed to everyone who signs up for it. If you like what you see then hit the subscribe button at the bottom of the newsletter.
Stylin' Threads.
SteampunkStein has been showing off some seriously awesome outfit designs lately, but the screenshots he's posted are just scratching the surface!
Your character’s outfit isn't just one piece of gear you throw on, it's made up of a few different parts. That's right, shoes for every occasion! You can mix and match the clothing pieces you obtain throughout the game however you like.
Some clothing items won't ever be found in a store, and you'll have to meet specific requirements to obtain them. For example, you may be find a super cool knight helmet while exploring.
Another important aspect is the diversity of style you'll find. Some clothing is styled to a specific species' taste, so Zombies might use some cool neon colours for their clothing while mole people prefer something a bit more rustic. Not only that, but you'll find clothing ranges from the standard, normal style to the more eccentric, attire. (For example, adorable frog helmet.)
It's important to note the clothing is designed to keep everyone happy, so if you want to dress your character up as a regular farmer with a nice tweed farmer's cap you absolutely can.
Bart has been working on the villagers' AI. We want the villagers to really breathe some life into the game, and we have a lot of ideas on how we can do that. Anyway, it’s all still work in progress but really beginning to shape up, check out a vine of the current path finding below.
Remember, Bart livestreams Staxel development often over at www.twitch.tv/bartwe
Whoa! PAX Aus! It was a thing! It’s a week later and my feet still hurt! What’s the deal with that? Despite that, it’s back to work for me and the rest of the Staxel team (who were still at work during PAX anyway). We had a huge amount of awesome player feedback, and, let me tell you, it’s certainly informing our work on what’s shaping up to be one awesome game, if I do say so myself! With that in mind, I’d like to give you all some insight into the development process by listing a few things that we’re improving in Staxel due to player feedback. Disclaimer: it’s all ideas at this point!
1. Reworked item dropping and pickups!
This sounds pretty mundane, but it’s something that almost everyone at PAX ran into: apparently setting the B button on the Xbox controller as “Drop Item” is a terrible idea. Fellow devs, never do it! In light of that, we’re also looking at reworking the way that the player picks up items. Formerly, you had to look at an item on the ground and press a button (left trigger, in our rushed PAX control scheme), which… isn’t super intuitive. We had lots of feedback on that one, and one group of playtesters even took turns hitting the drop button to throw out all 425 admin-mode inventory items!
(The game didn’t crash, which was encouraging!)
2. The user interface!
Our current UI has been in the game for “too long,” according to Liam, who I’m in a Skype call with as I’m writing this. I’d say it’s been around for approximately 8 dog years, which is equivalent to 16 cat years, which is… pretty close to just over 1 human year. Anyway, point is, it’s pretty outdated, and luckily enough, we’re working really hard on giving it both a redesign and a facelift. For example, here’s what our character creator looks like now:
And here’s what Conor’s work-in-progress mockups are looking like!
As you can see, we’re going for a naturalistic vibe with our our interface, which we hope reflects the fun and friendly nature of the game. We’re always open to feedback, of course, so if you’ve got thoughts on that, please pop on over to our forums and let us know what you think!
3. More support for social activities!
In Staxel, you can already cook, go on picnics, hunt bugs, catch fish, and explore for secrets on the island, alone and with friends. But at PAX, the players wanted more. They wanted something extreme. They wanted… Staxel 2?!
Actually, no, they wanted beacons. And we’re happy to put those in the game! We’re thinking that each player will have a small number of beacons that recharge over time, so you can let your friends know exactly where you are on the island, no matter how far away you are. Because, hey, we don’t want to get in the way of you having fun with your friends. That’s a major part of our game design: letting you have fun, unobstructed!
There were plenty more points that players brought up at PAX, and most of them are things that we’ve either considered already or, even better, we’re working on already! It’s super exciting to know that we’re on the same path as the players with regards to game design and expectations, and it tells us that we’re doing just fine when it comes to getting this game ready for everyone to play.
Soon? Maybe. Who knows? We know. You wanna know? You’ll have to wait! Mwa ha ha!
By the way: there’s a secret hidden in our reveal trailer. Did you find it? We’ll be letting you know about the second part of that before the year ends. Look out for it!
Today we’re gonna talk about Staxel’s crafting system: specifically, baking! In Staxel, all the cooking is done through our state-of-the-tart in-world crafting system, without the drudgery of dragging and dropping items between menus. For example, say you want to bake a cake! First, you place your mixing bowl on any counter, then add your ingredients. You’ll be cracking in eggs, pouring in flour, adding a little bit of butter. Basically, all the standard stuff that goes in a typical cake. Mix it all up, add the mixture to a cake tin, and throw it in the oven. Don’t leave it in too long, though, otherwise it might burn!
Bam, easy as pie! You think we’re done thought, right? You ain’t seen muffin yet! Now, while there will be in-game recipes you can follow, which you can read from a recipe book of sorts, we want to encourage experimentation. We want you to be able to make a standard cake mix and think, “Hey, let’s throw in some jam!” which in this case, would result in a delectable jam sponge cake! Yuuuummy!
We’re hoping that most crafting systems in Staxel will follow this pattern, whether you’re cooking for a three-course dinner party or crafting a stylish Elven fence.
That’s all for today’s post! Let us know what you think on the forums, or tweet your ideas at @StaxelGame!
We wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your support and helping us with our greenlight campaign! All your comments and interest in Staxel has been amazing, the whole team is incredibly pleased. 🙂
Right now we’re working very hard on the next step for Staxel, and we can’t wait to show you all some more Staxel stuff. Don’t forget, you can follow Staxel’s development through our Forums, Twitter, Reddit, or Facebook. Again, thank you all for your support!
P.S Feel free to pop into our IRC channel and say hello, most of the team hangs out in there and we’re pretty active. 🙂
