Hello everyone. Today I thought I would just give you all an update on what I’ve been doing since starting work this year.

 

With some minor graphical updates made to The Chaser’s Voyage and our tutorial and intro cutscenes from last year now behind us, it was clearly time to begin work on making a new trailer to celebrate the milestones of our latest version. To prepare, I’ve been watching various tips & tricks videos on game trailer editing coupled with some feedback during our time in early access, I’ve been honing my trailer making skills to hopefully best convey the wonderful game I know Cameron and I have been working on.

 

For anyone curious, I have been singing the praises of Derek Lieu over on our twitter for providing such in-depth looks into what makes game trailers work. Personally, I have felt for a long time now that indie game trailers never adequately explain the “game” part of their game and instead try to sell me on either a world or a vibe. Worlds and vibes are cool and all, but, when I think of indie games, I think of new and exciting ways to play games. Derek’s videos helped me put into words why I think so many indie game trailers either look very unappealing or leave me asking “What am I actually going to do in this game?”

The plan now is to use the advice provided in Derek’s videos to make a game trailer that not only entices, but also explains just what makes The Chaser’s Voyage the fun and unique experience we’ve aimed for since the beginning. Some feedback we’ve gotten is also helping shape this trailer. Perhaps it’s because I’m too close to the project or a game like The Chaser’s Voyage is one that I’ve always wanted to play, but it seems like it was too hard for me to notice the extent at which potential players weren’t understanding the core idea of The Chaser’s Voyage and why it’s fun. That being the tactile, on-the-fly, power management system and the Han Solo-esque ace pilot maneuvers one might pull off.

 

So, we’re just going to have to explain it people. As mentioned in this Derek Lieu video, sometimes just explaining how to play a game is necessary if it uses a lot of abstract symbols or whose basic mechanics cannot be fully understood until someone plays. Based on the feedback we’ve received, once people understand what our game is about, something clicks and the mechanics all start making sense and are very fun. I think right now, what we’re battling against is people’s assumptions that our power management system is more akin to a power health bar system (which to be fair, we technically have something like that).

Fortunately, we devised a way to deliver information about the game while keeping that Star Wars inspired cinematic feel of daring space flights and intense chases. This will require some new voice work but luckily, that’s easy enough to obtain since Cameron also provides the wonderful voice of Edwin. A draft of the trailer has already been made that also utilizes some new video editing techniques I learned how to do (such as split screen) and so I’m very excited to show you guys it when it’s done.

 

For more updates on The Chaser’s Voyage, be sure to check back on our blog, follow us on Twitter, or join our Discord! If you wish to play The Chaser’s Voyage, you can buy it while we’re in Early Access on Steam: