General:
It's a science fiction game
Coming to PC, but will be a timed exclusive for the PS4
Almost everything is Procedurally Generated. Ships, Plants, Animals, Planets etc, meaning there are going to be a very large number of variations of each of those things. All the variations will come from a base model though, and there will most likely be a lot of base models in each category.
No saved games. The game will be saved all the time as you go along, but you can’t save and load games. If you die, then you will have to rebuild from where you are in the universe. You’ll never have to go back to the start and try again
Uses an alternative periodic table to help create environmental diversity
There will be a narrative, with a reason for the player’s presence and their activities, and details of various races that preceded you. You won’t be told the narrative, it’s up to you to explore and piece it all together and come up with your own interpretations
The Atlas will be an important part of the lore
There will be an antagonist of sorts - the Malevolent Force
Don’t expect cutscenes, dialogues or much text within the game.
More extensive terrain deformation, ground vehicles and a more traditional multiplayer will come later
The only release date hint has been that it is “Coming Soon-ish” (as of E3). There have been no confirmations as to what year it will be released, so 2015 that most websites mention is just speculation right now. So they know what their release date is, but they don’t want to announce it until they are sure they can meet it
Gameplay:
Can be affiliated with different factions, however you’ll never have indications of this. It’ll simply be that if you destroy ships of one faction, then it won’t like you, or you could help it and it will
If you have a good status and affiliation, then you will be able to call on AI wingmen (Using D-pad)
The alternative periodic table ties directly into the game’s use of resources, which are used to improve your avatar’s suit and your weapon, and can be traded at space stations to earn money to upgrade your craft, or buy a new one
Resources can be combined
There won’t be any quests or missions to go on. It’ll be up to you to decide what you want to do. The hope is that your natural curiosity and the richness of the worlds presented will be enough to keep you interested - this is a game about exploration
Fun is put above scientific accuracy. Flying between planets won’t be long and monotonous, and neither will flying out of an atmosphere
There is an in-game encyclopedia where you can view all the rare creatures you’ve scanned once uploaded
It’s basically up to you how you play. The universe is a living breathing place that just works. Shipping lanes, trade routes, freighters, space stations. Planets have ecologies.
Not an MMO. Everyone will be very far away from each other. But you will feel the impact of other players
It’s been mentioned that you can run into other players, but it’ll be very rare, and the details are very unclear right now. For example “there is the ability to communicate and work with other people” is something Sean said. He also mentions that he is inspired by how Journey and Dark Souls do it. So if you run into another player, you won’t know who they are.
It’ll always be first person
This isn’t a game about staying on one planet and setting up shop, this isn’t core to the game. You can stay on one planet if you want though, it’s up to you
There will be a compelling reason to head towards the centre of the galaxy, as well as an ending that will provide you with a sense of closure. But there will be a reason to continue playing after that ending
You don't have an inventory, but you do have a sort of bank account.
Any employment in the game will net you money and you can use this to buy equipment
There will be ancient artefacts for you to find which could reveal the secrets of the universe.
Universe:
Same universe for everyone
Everyone starts in their own solar system, so people will be very far away from one another to begin with.
Only significant events are shared between people. So for example, killing a single animal won’t be shared. It’ll always be dead for you though. But if you wipe out an entire species, then that would be shared with everyone else
There is an offline mode, which would mean that you wouldn’t see anyone else’s discoveries
Made up of multiple galaxies
The planets within the universe will have a 10% chance of having life on them, with 90% of them having no life on at all. Of the 10% that does have life, 90% of that will be primitive and boring. So the lush garden worlds with more evolved life forms on will be rare
There will be lots of barren planets, but they can still have valuable resources on
Planets will generally only have one type of resource on them
"In every solar system there is one core thing that you can do which is of great significance to that solar system. And that is shared among everyone, and fundamentally changes that solar system, and people can choose whether or not to do that. And there are a number of mechanisms like that, which create emergent gameplay."
Ships:
You start with a lifepod ship, without a hyperdrive. So you’ll have to get money to buy a better ship before you can really begin exploring the universe
Can enter a ship almost instantly, without any laborious animations. (using Triangle)
You don’t get massive ships - you will stay in quite small ships
You can only buy ships that are docked at space stations
There are three main classes of ships: Fighter, Trader and Explorer
Each class has multiple prototypes
Fighters are light and symmetrical
Trader craft tend to be bulkier and slower, but with heavier weapons
Explorer ships will have much better hyperdrives and stealth capabilities, allowing pacifists to run from every fight
Each ship will have between one and three different armaments attached, and you’ll be able to upgrade them.
Enhancements are hinted to be more interesting than simply more power or a faster rate of fire
They are not defined in the game as a specific class, but it should be obvious by the visible hints what a craft is designed for
A certain type of ship doesn’t restrict you to a certain path, but there are of course some ships more suited to certain tasks than other. But you’ll always be able to change to a different type of ship
The cockpit of the ship will be the lifepod, so if the ship is destroyed then you go back to a lifepod and you’ve lost that ship.
You will have the equivalent of a whistle to call your ship over, so long as it’s close by
After a while, the wear and tear on your craft is clearly visible, helping you to form an emotional attachment to your beaten-up old ships
There’s a generous targeting system that only requires you to point your nose near a bogey to loose off a missile or two - you don’t need to be really accurate
Can “pull low above the surface and climb out in mid-air, before returning to the cockpit and flying around some more”
Landing will be simple and straightforward
Space combat will be arcadey
Better ships will be found further into the galaxy, where combat will also be harder
Fuel will be really expensive, and is used to travel from one solar system to the next, like a hyper jump.
A quick and cheap way to get fuel is to go down to a planet and do some mining, but you can also make money other ways and use that buy fuel.
Planets:
Planet sized planets
On the ground you can have a jetpack, which will need to be earned. (Controlled with the X button)
You’ll have a minimap which will show points of interest, such as resource rich areas and landmarks that you or others have uploaded. Won’t know what it is until you get there though
Other points of interest include crashed ships, beacons, something to discover like mountain ranges, a vast lake, new species of creature.
Can name things that you discover first, such as plants, planets, creatures etc. But they will all have latin names by default, which will appear larger than the player names
Suits and weapons can only be upgraded at trading posts on planets
Upgrades include allowing you to breathe underwater for longer, or survive in toxic environments etc
You will have a multi-tool, which will act as a scanner, weapon and mining tool. (Square to use scanner)
There are grenade like plasma balls
You can blow holes in things
There will be combat situations on planets
You have a compass (the heart in the middle of the screen at the top)
There are procedurally generated rooms
The suit nullifies gravity.
