Starbound Live Chat Q&A with Marketh

[10:44] <HerpDerp> I wonder if the game will have liquid physics
[10:44] <@Marketh> HerpDerp, it's planned
[10:44] <@Marketh> but no idea how it is being done yet though

[10:44] <HerpDerp> I hope it has good netcode as well.
[10:45] <HerpDerp> Tough one that though
[10:45] <@Marketh> I've tried multiplayer and it's very stable

[10:45] <WelshPixie> Will the game also be playable in single-player?
[10:45] <@Marketh> yes WelshPixie

[10:45] <Ragen> So the actual game itself is pretty stable, then?
[10:45] <@Marketh> so far, Ragen

[10:45] <Sokina> So, what kind of factors will differentiate one world from another? Block
Types, enemies, gravity, flora...etc?
[10:45] <@Marketh> Sokina, loads of stuff
[10:45] <@Marketh> planets will range from like
[10:45] <@Marketh> desert planets
[10:46] <@Marketh> to snowy planets, to tentacle alien like planets

[10:46] <HerpDerp> So this isn't like Terraria that was tossed together from some SMBX code
right?
[10:46] <@Marketh> HerpDerp, no it is much more than just a cheap clone
[10:46] <@Marketh> a lot of hard work is going into this game

[10:46] <FungusTrooper> Will there be biomes on planets, Marketh? Or just "ICE" or "FIRE
PLANET"?
[10:46] <@Marketh> planets can have more than one biome

[10:46] <GameGecko> Are you a developer or tester or something?
[10:46] <@Marketh> Tester GameGecko

[10:47] <HerpDerp> So they made a much more efficient engine so to speak?
[10:47] <HerpDerp> Because that'd be awesome with better netcode.
[10:47] <@Marketh> HerpDerp, it is a different engine all together, but yes. It is very good,
runs smooth, does what we need it to do

[10:48] <HerpDerp> How are the physics in the game, or are those not complete yet?
[10:49] <HerpDerp> Well not real physics
[10:49] <HerpDerp> But the mechanics
[10:50] <@Marketh> HerpDerp, what do you mean game physics. Like the platforming physics,
running/jumping?
[10:50] <HerpDerp> Yeah
[10:50] <@Marketh> They're good
[10:50] <@Marketh> they may or may not be tweaked, but right now it feels good

[10:50] <HerpDerp> How complex can the platforming get?
[10:51] <HerpDerp> Is it just a basic jump/left/right scheme?
[10:51] <@Marketh> That's hard to say HerpDerp, planets are randomly generated but sure, there
will be holes to jump over, tall mountains to climb, that kinda stuff

[10:51] <FungusTrooper> Is it all working in the current build, Marketh? Slopes, jumping,
running etc?
[10:51] <@Marketh> yes FungusTrooper

[10:54] <Combine_Kegan> How's digging/tunneling gonna be handled?
[10:54] <Combine_Kegan> Picks? Shovels?
[10:54] <Combine_Kegan> And how fast is it gonna be?
[11:00] <@Marketh> There's digging and mining yeah

[10:54] <HerpDerp> Wait wait this is an important question too: Will the world be seamless?
[10:55] <HerpDerp> Will you wrap around if you keep walking to the left I mean
[11:00] <@Marketh> currently worlds loop back on themselves
[11:01] <@Marketh> So if you keep walking left, you'll eventually come back to where you
started
[11:01] <@Marketh> however
[11:01] <@Marketh> It is possible to have a world be infinite
[11:01] <@Marketh> if they wanted to they could make worlds infinite
[11:03] <@Marketh> DarkMarc, not at the same time. I'm just saying, they could make worlds
infinite rather than loop if they wanted to
[11:03] <Sokina> An infinite world would just simply ignore wrapping
[11:03] <@Marketh> precisely Sokina

[11:29] <Ragen> Oh, is there any tutorials in place yet Marketh?
[11:30] <@Marketh> not yet Ragen, no. Buuuut
[11:30] <@Marketh> I believe there is one planned

[11:31] <petelectro> Marketh: One question: How is the combat managed right now? Is it more
then running and jumping (like dodging, blocking, something like that)? A yes or a no is
completely ok if you don't want to give away too much (:
[11:32] <@Marketh> petelectro, combat is pretty cool
[11:32] <@Marketh> enemies don't just walk into you to attack
[11:34] <@Marketh> Combat should be fun without being too repetitive
[11:34] <HerpDerp> Will there be ways to deal more damage based off situational things?
[11:34] <@Marketh> With so many possibilities for enemies with them being procedurally
generated on each planet, it should mix things up nicely
[11:34] <@Marketh> HerpDerp, I'm not sure right now, but I mean
[11:34] <@Marketh> the idea of dealing more damage from behind or something would be cool
[11:34] <petelectro> wait, the attack patterns are also randomized? like AI can change from
planet to planet?
[11:35] <@Marketh> petelectro, the way enemies attack will be different yeah
[11:35] <@Marketh> if an enemy looks similar on a different planet, and the first time you saw
it it attacked with melee
[11:35] <@Marketh> that doesn't mean this new one will also be melee

[11:36] <FungusTrooper> do they all have slightly different paint jobs too, Marketh?
[11:36] <@Marketh> FungusTrooper, yeah colours are all randomised
[11:36] <HerpDerp> Everything should be subject to change.
[11:37] <HerpDerp> Even the physics of each planet
[11:37] <@Marketh> Colours and appearence itself is different

[11:37] <Ragen> How does damage, defense, and health regen work?
[11:38] <@Marketh> I'm not really sure how all the math behind it works
[11:38] <@Marketh> but it pretty much works how you'd probably expect it to
[11:38] <@Marketh> wear armour, get defense bonuses (and any other stat boosts it might give!)
[11:38] <@KosmoKeLi> A few hours probably, it differs, depending on planet size and other
factors
[11:38] <@Marketh> become a walking tank
[11:38] <Ragen> Ok, so i should probably expect a Terraria like system.
[11:39] <@Marketh> Ragen, I wouldn't really say it's a terraria like system
[11:39] <@Marketh> It's the same as any other game out there
[11:39] <@Marketh> in mass effect
[11:39] <@Marketh> you get armour, you wear it
[11:39] <@Marketh> you get armour boosts
[11:39] <@Marketh> It is how any RPG works when you get armour

[11:42] <Blue001_> Will the game have its own launcher/account verification system? or were you
guys going to be using a 3rd party delivery software like steam?
11:42] <@Marketh> Blue001, we're totally aiming for Steam
[11:42] <@Marketh> and we want to make use of all of Steam's features
[11:42] <Blue001_> Im sure they will pick you up
[11:42] <@Marketh> like steam friends, achievements, etc

[14:40] <Ras__> I want to know if enemies will blow up into gory pieces in this game, or if they will just go POOF and drop gold?
[14:40] <@legris> Ras__ they'll blow up in pieces, at least its that way now but its not really bloody or anything, we're aiming for cartoony violence

[14:45] <Blue001> so, Im still curious... will there be items to heal other players? so I can play as a medic person?
[14:46] <@legris> Blue001 yes, yes you can

[14:59] <Ras__> The aiming, can you shoot in any direction using the mouse? or do you automatically shoot in the direction you are turned? Like, only shoot straight.
[14:59] <@legris> no you aim with the mouse :)