Under the Ocean future updates revealed

Under the Ocean is a survival platformer which sees the player washed up on the shore of an island. Their goal? Survive.

This is achieved through finding shelter, hunting for food and creating electricity. Recently released on Steam as part of the Early Access feature, the developer, Paul Greasley, is getting ready to release some big updates to the game and has outlined them in a new roadmap.

This 8,000 word, 33 page long document is a bit of a slog, however, so we’ve decided to squeeze that down into a bitesized form,

If we’re not giving you enough info, and you’re feeling brave enough to tackle it all, you can read it here.

4.04 Update

  • Fix game stopping bugs
  • Double left click to use and remove items
  • Right click to throw items
  • Equip with single left click in inventory
  • Attacking and dragging single left click
  • Throw and binding single right click

Construction

  • Restricted build zones
  • Current construction system can be abused e.g. blocking enemies
  • Replace current construction mode
  • Less changing between screens
  • Build system needs to cover more aspects instead of just placement of items
  • Current interface is too confusing
  • Adding in new build system will fix problems
  • Remove collision on objects that are currently selected to stop “plank surfing”
  • Construction box being added, double clicking it will activate/deactive build zone in which players can construct structures
  • Box, chests, shelves, hooks being added in for storage
  • Fireplaces can be made to provide warmth and decorative items can be placed around the house/raft

constructionbox

Core Game Changes

  • Hardcore mode – Death means death
  • Player being able to dig into the sand and dirt, these will be made up of “blobs”
  • Auto drinking when near a water source
  • Water technology to blend with the rafting sections, smaller water pools and water shading
  • Structural damage to rafting which will force the player to repair it
  • Illness has an effect on platforming e.g. cough increases alertness of wildlife
  • New GUI

Inventory 

  • Appear as a collapsible sack
  • Clicking around the edges will collapse and enlarge it
  • Sack can be moved around the screen
  • Weight and bag size to be accounted for
  • Hotkeys to be added
  • Clearly label the inventory
  • Binding screen removed
  • Full item list can be viewed here

Crafting screen and journal 

  • Collapsible like the inventory UI
  • Items can be dragged from environment in crafting area
  • Journal to include crafting recipes
  • Cookpot, woodmill and sparkies boxes can be crafted
  • Recipes can be discovered through experimentation and discovery in-game

Illness and character screen

  • Illness to be in one bar instead of several
  • All illness bars to be viewable by choice
  • Illness and death to displayed by player’s skin colour
  • Collapsible player stats screen
  • Illness, XP and perks to be visible in the UI
  • Text bubble icon to display illness

char1

Island Tile and Random Generation

  • Improve random generation
  • Backstories to islands
  • Island map to visible in-game
  • Paths to be added in, multiple choice on where to go
  • Doors to branch sections; rock tunnels, tree thickens to be used
  • Bigger tiles
  • Bolder shapes, less rubble, more texture variation and blending in tiles

Platforming

  • Tree swinging
  • Swinging ropes
  • Hail, lava, wind and other weather effects
  • Bogs and swamps
  • Small streams – push a player in a direction
  • Rockfalls and old bridges that can collapse
  • Climbable walls
  • Weight to affect jump height, run speed and sinking speed
  • Clothes and trinkets to affect player stats
  • Co-op abilities such as fireman carry

map

Increasing Dangers

  • Terrirotrial enemies – Protect home locations in high numbers
  • Aggressive enemies – Chase the player across screens
  • Bears, Boars, Natives, Wolf packs, Sharks, Angry Birds and Dire beasts to be enemies
  • Death pits – Do what they suggest, cause death

Character Loadout

  • Inspired by Team Fortress 2
  • Players will enter a lobby to edit loadout
  • Choice of clothing and items will be based around the disaster scenario
  • Set of generic items available across all scenarios
  • Military plane crash -Firestarters, camouflage, high powered weapons and mines
  • Fishing ship – Nets, spears, cold weather gear and skinning knife
  • Civilian boat – Fancy outfits, junk food, large backpack and trinkets
  • Containers for each player that equip the special item
  • Special item to be a generic pool of items
  • Limit on items in the pool
  • Large range of items retrievable from chests
  • Special items earned from completing heroic events
  • First perk can be selected before game begins
  • Perks to exist over games and are gained every level
  • Perks to be broken down into three skill trees; strength, agility and intelligence.
  • Experience in each skill tree allows a perk upgrade in that area e.g. physical works gains strength experience

Multiplayer

  • Multiplayer games to be server based
  • No character crossover between servers
  • Server variables changeable

Rafting 

  • Broken in several sections
  • Player must break through the surf, change in camera angle
  • Almost impossible to swim to another island
  • Waves will degrade raft
  • Raft controllable via sail in the open sea
  • Rudder can be added to assist in control
  • Camera can be rotated to view various distances
  • Other players can complete tasks while on raft e.g. fishing
  • Raft must be repaired after taking damage
  • Storm zones can occur while sailing
  • World map uncovered while travelling
  • Hazards to include sharks, sandbars, drifting items and fish

rafting1

Scenarios and Game Types

  • Game to have mutators and game modes which affect gameplay and end goal
  • Game modes – Restless natives, super beast, native wars, long lost city, native combating dire beast, pirates treasure, lava island, fantastical disease, haunted, unexplored ordnance and treasure island
  • Mutators – Sabotage, lucky map, considerably drunk, disabled, my heart medicine!, tidal wave, captured by natives, army deserters, survival mode, seperated, seaplane landing, hunt for atlantis, passing ship and marooned

Hopefully that was easier to take in that the full roadmap post.

Under The Ocean has a long journey ahead of it. If you’re interested in buying the full release, its available on Steam for just £5.

 


About the author

Joey Edwards

Philosopher of video games and the internet. A wise man once told me "I'm here and I'm ready. They're not. Bring it."
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