Hello everyone. We’ve been in Early Access for a few months now and we’ve continued to work on The Chaser’s Voyage in preparation for releasing the final build of the game. To give everyone an idea of what’s left to do, I created this little “starmap” detailing our plans for the rest of the year.

 

For Phase 1, we’re gonna finish up the essential components that will replace some temporary placeholders and improve the overall experience of our game. Right now, we’re working on getting our cutscenes done so that anyone playing the game can enjoy the base narrative of The Chaser’s Voyage.

Once the cutscenes are done, we will implement the tutorial. Right now, we have a video that teaches people the controls and mechanics of the game, but that was never in our vision for the final product. This new tutorial will let players learn how to play The Chaser’s Voyage in a more hands-on way that will also act as a prologue to the main story.

Once those are both complete, we will have hit our milestone of having the game ready for streamers. We will be connecting with our friends over at VoxPop Games to get their streamers playing the game and spreading the word. We’ll also try and have an updated trailer that will show off our new features, as well as give VoxPop Games equal standing with Steam as a place where people can purchase and wishlist the game.

 

Phase 2 will be our homestretch to complete all the features we really want to add in before launch. First, is a client update. Client stories were actually some of the first in-universe stuff we wrote for the game since they play a role mechanically, resulting in a lot of ideas that weren’t solidified. Since then, we’ve written a lot more narrative and added a lot more world building elements, which naturally means some client stories need to be adjusted to better fit the larger backstory. There was also plenty of room for more in-universe stories and adventures that you and your crew play a part in, so we will be adding in even more client stories.

In addition, we’re going to add in a brand new client type. If you’ve played the game, or watched our streams, you might have encountered the cartographer client. Cartographers are map makers who explore the galaxy to discover new planets and routes for fame and fortune. They are neutral clients who offer incredibly high rewards for extremely long trips, meaning your repairs could be limited and bounty hunters will be a constant threat. But, what if you also had to worry about a pursing Imperial batttleship? Or having to break through a patrolling UGS fleet? Aligned cartographers offer the same a challenge as a normal cartographer, but with the added threat of aligning with one of the two warring factions. This makes choosing such a client much more… exciting!

 

Going back to the lore, phase 2 will also see us adding in the Crew Journal. It’s a collection of excerpts from in-universe books, news articles, messages, and transcribed log entries that periodically unlock over the course of all your voyages. These entries can provide you with extra tips on how to survive in Sector 99, teach you more about why the galactic war is happening, provide info on every species of client you meet and every planet you land on, and even give you some backstory for each of your crew mates. There are over 380 entries in this journal, all of which also come with commentary from your crew.

 

The last big thing we want to include in The Chaser’s Voyage is the addition of a training mode we’ve been calling the “Flight Simulator.” A limited version of it already exists in Captain and Ace Mode, in the form of letting you retry a scenario after you lose, allowing you to practice your toughest encounters until you’re ready to start a new voyage. In the Flight Simulator, you’ll be able to choose any scenario to practice, preparing you for any challenge The Chaser’s Voyage can throw at you.

 

But, the Flight Simulator is not the last last thing we want to add. That would be some extra modes we’ve been excited about, but that never seemed as important as everything else. Right now, Voyager and Captain Mode split the challenge of the game into tiers. Things start off fairly simple, but eventually you will be given bigger threats, like battleships, and combinations of threats, like pirates in a debris field during a hail storm. In Ace Mode, you can get any combination of enemy, obstacle, and storm right from the beginning, while also taking more damage. For our last update before we exit Early Access, we want to add bonus “plus” modes that let you play Voyager and Captain Mode without the challenge tiers, but also without Ace Mode’s extra damage. These modes will be a fun twist for those who like Ace Mode’s randomness, but prefer a less punishing experience. This means there will five difficulty settings to choose from in our game, instead of three. Combine that with the 24 insignias currently in the game and that’s a lot of different ways to play The Chaser’s Voyage! But don’t worry, insignias unlocked in Voyager and Captain Mode won’t need to unlocked again in the Voyager+ and Captain+ Modes. The “Plus” modes are just a fun addition after all!

 

Once all of these things are complete, we plan on leaving Early Access and concluding major development on The Chaser’s Voyage. We have some ideas for later additions and polish, and will also be responding to any feedback we get, but nothing too big or game changing. We’re aiming to complete this starmap by the end of 2022, but estimating development time isn’t an exact process, which is why we decided to group the remaining work into phases rather than specific dates.

 

During this entire process though, we’ll also be focusing on updating some of the art and putting together an art book that will be sold with the game on Steam. If you want to keep up-to-date on stuff like that, we’ll be posting a bit more regularly on this blog and you’ll also be able to find more on our Twitter and our Discord.

We’ve done it! We have officially released The Chaser’s Voyage on Steam via Early Access! It’s been quite a voyage so far, but there’s more in store! We’re looking forward to adding in more features like fully voiced cutscenes, a crew journal full of lore, a practice mode, and a playable tutorial. We hope you check out and enjoy our game!

We also set up a Discord where you can receive updates on our progress and submit feedback. Join the Bright At Midnight Discord!

Hello everyone. Today we’re finally announcing what we call our “Starmap to Launch”!

Let’s discuss really quickly what each of these things means.

First, Early Access. We have been revamping our UI since about January and it’s been a ton of work. I’ve had to make all new UI assets from scratch, something I’ve never done before, and Cameron has been adding animations and flair that we previously didn’t have. Overall, everything looks way better, but it hasn’t been a simple job of just replacing one set of assets with another. This unfortunately meant we had to push back the release of The Chaser’s Voyage. In addition, we’ve been busy playtesting the game with every insignia on our Twitch (every Thursday at 4:30 PST) and would really like to get the game into more hands for feedback before properly launching the game. That’s why, since most of our UI has been updated, we’ve decided to put the game into Early Access as soon as we’ve checked off a few more things.

Keep your eyes on our Steam store page for when the game becomes available.

When we put the game up, there will be some big features missing that we will be steadily adding to the game. The biggest thing that’ll be missing is the Crew Journal. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s a collection of in-universe lore that we use to paint a bigger picture of the galaxy you find yourself in. Your crew will also comment on these entries, slowly revealing more and more of their backstories and personalities. It’s a really big part of what we would call the overall experience, but at the same time, not as important as actually getting the game up and running.

In addition, we also won’t have any of the surrounding story stuff, like opening or ending cutscenes, or the proper tutorial ready at the beginning of Early Access. The tutorial is always something we planned to make last, as we didn’t want to commit to any game mechanics that might change over the course of development or constantly be remaking the tutorial. As a temporary replacement, we have a video planned that will be in the Early Access build to explain how to play the game and will be removed once the the tutorial is in place.

 

Next, let’s talk about Discord. Since we’re finally ready to get this game into people’s hands, we thought it was best to create a central hub for discussions about The Chaser’s Voyage and to create a community around the game. Our goal with creating a Discord server will primarily be for receiving feedback, but we’d also like to chat and get to know people who are interested in the game. It will also be a hub for any future projects we begin after The Chaser’s Voyage.

 

Lastly, “Test Pilots“. We want streamers, Let’s Players, etc. We want to give those people copies of our game to help spread the word about it. If you are such a person looking to become a test pilot, send us an email at br**************@gm***.com (or DM us on Twitter) with some information about yourself as well as a link to your channel, so we can see what kind of work you do. We’re really interested in channels of all sizes and only ask that if we give you a copy of the game, that you do play the game to an audience (stream or Let’s play) in some fashion.

 

Well, that’s it for this update. We’ll be sure to let everyone know when the Discord server is created and when the game becomes available for Early Access. This is going to be such a major milestone for us and we’re both very excited and very nervous!

We are very excited to announce our first game: The Chaser’s Voyage!

In this side-scrolling, space-faring adventure, you become the captain of the Chaser and embark on a voyage across Sector 99, delivering clients from planet to planet in order to pay off your debt to a dreaded pirate lord.

As captain, your main duties are to manage the power systems of the Chaser and pilot it through all kinds of obstacles, while surviving attacks from pursuing pirates and bounty hunters. Thankfully, you’re not alone! Your crewmates operate the weapons, shields, engines, and auxiliary systems. They rely on you to allocate power to their systems and to order repairs when their component’s become damaged. However, power is limited so you must choose how much, or how little, each system gets. Will you fully power the weapons in order to blast enemies with a barrage of lasers, amplify your shields for better survivability, or take a more balanced approach and hope for the best? Learning which systems to focus on and when to switch strategies will be absolutely essential to surviving the dangers of Sector 99.

Your other duty is to pick the best clients to accept missions from. Each mission begins with selecting a client. Some may be refugees looking for a new home, while others might be criminals on the run. They all have their own reasons for employing your services, which can provide hints as to the kinds of dangers you might find on your trip. It will be up to you to calculate the risks and rewards of each client and choose the one you feel is best. You won’t always want to choose the person offering you the most money because, on this voyage, time is not on your side.

That debt you owe has a deadline. The notorious Pirate Lady Styx has given you only 100 days to pay her back 1,000,000 units. Fail and she will place a bounty on your head so large that it will attract only the most elite bounty hunters. If that happens there may still be some way to appease her, but perhaps it’s best not to let it come to that.

As you continue your voyage, a galactic war will enter the sector, bringing with it new obstacles and new clients. If you thought navigating an asteroid field while being chased by a lowly pirate was tough, try navigating that asteroid field while outrunning a massive battleship firing its particle disruptor cannon and sending in waves of fighter ships to stop you.

Enjoy The Chaser’s Voyage in your own way with three different difficulty modes. In Voyager Mode, you’ll have plenty of options to tailor the game to be as easy or hard as you like without having to worry about your trip ending early due to a miscalculation. If you prefer a less forgiving experience, try out Captain Mode, where the difficulty is set and you only get one life. Think of yourself as an ace pilot? Then test your skills in Ace Mode for an even greater challenge.

There’s lots of lore to collect in your crew journal as you voyage across Sector 99, as well as plenty of insignias to equip that can completely change your play experience. Survive this treacherous venture when the game releases spring 2021. Until then, we’ll be releasing periodic transmissions containing more information about your crew, the galaxy, and various game features of The Chaser’s Voyage, so be sure to wishlist it on Steam, follow our social media, and check-in every now and then!

We can’t wait for you all to experience this game which we’ve poured years into. It’s been quite an exciting voyage of our own just to get to this point and we hope you’ll join us soon!

The Chaser’s Voyage Website