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Planetary Settlers Game Development

Donation protected
Now available on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/857860/Planetary_Settlers/

I am making Planetary Settlers, a non violent, educational videogame about exploring the solar system.   I am an individual independent developer, in the United States (Planetary Settlers is "made in the USA").

Current State:
Playable on PC, in development.  Now available in Early Access on Steam on the link above!  I now have levels (still adding content) for each of the inner solar system planets!  I plan to keep expanding, with a full release including the outer solar system, as well as more content for the inner solar system.

Planetary Settlers Goals:

* Incorporate learning into game
* Make it fun and engaging
* Make it for kids and adults
* Keep it tame / non-violent
* Make it realistic and a plausible future scenario
* Help other game developers
* Attempt to make enough money to get out of debt

Planetary Settlers Summary:
A devastating solar flare has fried nearly all electronics on Earth and other planetary settlements in the solar system.  Your goals are to help humanity recover on Earth, rescue stranded colonists on other worlds, and help re-establish the settlements on the other worlds.  In Planetary Settlers, you explore the various planets and moons of the solar system, while completing engaging missions, minigames, and even quizzes to increase your abilities as you help humanity re-settle the solar system!  The planetary environments are based largely on actual research, including imagery we have taken of the planets, gravity, and even size of the sun as viewed from the planet.  Gravity is set to what it actually is on the planet /moon, so, if you jump on the moon, you will go much higher, and fall slower than you would on Earth.  As you progress in the game, you learn interesting facts about the solar system, and try your knowledge with interactive quizzes.  Good quiz / mission / minigame scores will enhance your character with increased abilities!  Planetary Settlers is on Steam, and I would like to add it to other platforms as I expand it.  

FREE Desktop Background / Wallpaper:
Feel free to download Planetary Settlers Screenshots and select one or more for your background / wallpaper here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.515671355493102.1073741828.481079608952277&type=1&l=a1bc1864f4

FREE music for you and the world:
I am making music for Planetary Settlers, and making this music freely available for listening and to download and use in your own creations here: https://soundcloud.com/jonathan-lee-copeland/sets/planetary-settlers-music
Feel free to give it a listen!  I hope this helps other videogame developers.  Currently there is not much out there that I can find that is good enough to include in a game and free, and I am aiming to fix that.  Music is created in LMMS.

Check out the website here:
https://levgames.wixsite.com/planetary

Planetary Settlers Game Footage:
Here are some videos of the game throughout various stages of development.  I add new videos here from time to time (newest show first):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Bk1v7iJfdCpRaQ6vTGYOM-lXAO7RAQ1

Game Story:
It is the year 2142.  Connect to and control the robot Blue 42!  Explore the solar system and enhance your brain, and Blue 42's abilities, which you can advance as you collect more nanites.  At full capacity, Blue 42 can move quickly, fly, grab, jump, and light up the area with a powerful light.  Let's explore from the viewpoint of Blue 42.
 
I awaken in an unfamiliar environment, my memory of the past, how I got here, largely erased.  Power is out to the base, and my systems are damaged, but I am still mobile.  A user has logged in to me, and is controlling my movements.  I go outside to find the problem, and I make note that it does not appear I am on Earth!  I think I am on Mars.  Looking at the solar panels, there is no visible sign of damage.  Here is a photo for your observation:

Hmm, there is a strange sphere ahead near the solar panels, could that be the cause?  Let's investigate...

It is interfacing with me!  It says it is a Quivakon delivered probe, sent here to help repair the base.  I recall that the Quivakons are a friendly alien race which are helping humanity establish themselves in the solar system.  Turns out an extremely powerful solar flare damaged the base electronics and wiring.  It is good I was in the elevator, underground when the worst of it hit.  The damage turns out to be much wider than just the local area.  I take the sphere into the base, and it releases nanites to repair the wiring.  The base, along with the teleportation portal upstairs is soon running again, though the elevator remains out of commission.  Memory serves that there is a home base on the moon, let's use the portal to access it. 
Whoosh!  I just stepped through the portal and am instantly transported from Mars to a base on the Moon!  Let us see what is outside.  Gravity is somewhat less here than it was on Mars.  My jumps are now somewhat more "floaty", and if I throw a rock, it goes a longer distance.  Wow, there is the Earth, casting a beautiful turquoise glow on the moon.  Isn't it beautiful?

So, where do I go from here?  Do I investigate why I cannot communicate with humanity on Earth?  Do I go explore the deep reaches of the solar system?  Why was there such a massive solar flare anyway?  The portals can take me to all the planets, and some of the major moons of the solar system!  The only way to know what is out there is to go explore, adventure awaits!  If I want to go to inward toward Mercury or Venus, I am going to need to increase my heat resistance.  Going to the colder, more distant reaches of the solar system will require resistance to the extreme cold.  I need to also take air pressure, radiation, and corrosive chemicals into account to survive and thrive in the more extreme environments.

Fund use:
I plan to use the funds to support development of Planetary Settlers.  I would use the funds to pay for the following prioritized list:
* Steam Direct listing for Planetary Settlers
* Game resources such as texture packs, characters, and music. 
     - ~$200 for marketing, to make my game known to fellow Earthlings.
     - ~$500 to bring in texture packs and developed characters.
* Advanced graphics software to develop better graphics
     - Already downloaded and using paint.net, blender (free)
     - $599.98 a year - Adobe Photoshop Suite
* Development time - Would be nice to pay those of us working on the game vs. pure volunteer effort.
* Other items as necessary to further development of Planetary Settlers.

Fund use:
Funds have so far been allocated to the following:
- Development computer
- Purchased music from Jason Mars to include in the game
- Marketing
- $100 - Steam Direct Listing

Donations 

  • Homer Copeland
    • $20 
    • 5 yrs

Organizer

Jonathan Lee Copeland
Organizer
Virginia Beach, VA

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