News Updates 17thJuly 2001 Overcast page added to VOTI site.

OverCast News About Screenshots Features History Future Cost Requirements

It is an era of space travel and a period of reflection and regret. A survivor of the great war that raged less than a year ago and devastated his home and much of his world, looks into the bleak distance. Taelix, a pilot of one his united world's defence fleet craft had just returned from a routine patrol mission of the local system.

The war had been a long and disastrous one for Taelix's people. Their foe had been a formidable enemy, technologically superior, unrelenting, merciless and unresponsive to negotiation. Seemingly intent on sustaining the onslaught, the enemy abruptly left the local system and the sector as if distracted by matters elsewhere. The world of Haeveran was left to recover as best it could, a process hastened mainly by the dreadful prospect of a return by the Vikrans - a name given to the untold enemy, which meant to Taelix and his people 'the invaders'.

Whilst reconstruction of military capabilities and towns proceeded it was left to the remnants of Haeveran defence fleet to patrol the sector of space which the world shared with its allies who had suffered also. It was Taelix's job to make regular passes around the outermost space-ports of the sector. On a visit to port OSP21, a larger base which in peaceful times had served as a repository of shared historical information for the allied star systems, Taleix stumbled across a story which would occupy his thoughts for the next few days. It was a story of a legendary journey which had been made in a distant age on a planet an unspoken distance away and had been brought to the sector of space by mysterious travellers in the early days of the alliance.

The story described the voyage of Jadhein the adventurer and his struggle to win back an ancient land from dark forces which had swept through it. Enthralled with the account, Taelix read on and found much which touched him in how the struggle, he envisaged, resembled the current situation that had befallen his world.

On Draconus, the force of good remained and it became a place of happiness and good fortune, a source of goodwill. To those who seek and believe in the power of benevolence, Draconus will share its blessing.

The conclusion to the story that had so captivated Taelix gave him new hope that his people could return to the peace that had been taken from them. Closing the ancient document, Taelix made ready for his return home.

On his return, Taelix spoke to no-one about the story for several weeks for there was no good reason. It was only on findig out that an antiquated star-chart had been discovered on a world in the outer reaches of the sector that Taelix's interest was recaptured. This chart supposedly depicted a route to the mystical homeworld of Jadhein and Draconus. The images of desolation and suffering that were a result of the war came clearly to mind and Taelix became silently convinced that the legendary planet of aeons past could be found and that the land of Draconus could offer much to relieve to the dire predicament of Haevaran.

The journey would be immense and he would have to convince Haevaran fleet command of the value of his intended voyage but Taelix had the trust of his people whom he had fought for in the past. He was sure that the help Haevaran needed could and must be found in this distant place.

On the morning that Taelix entered his trusty craft 'the skymaster', there apeared to be a feeling of optimism that carried through the air and the sun was clearer than the journeyman had seen it for what seemed like a lifetime. There was only one immediate concern on Taelix's mind though, a journey to Fehrani III where a fateful astro-navigational relic awaited for loan.

Game objective & gameplay features

• An epic journey across space to a fabled distant planet.
• Navigation between up to 60-70 planets.
• Planet landing and exploration of local star-port via an overhead sprite-based contol mechanism.
• Interaction with local inhabitants as part of large series of puzzles including simple dialogue interface and object exchange.Puzzle set to include:
  - Supply transport (interplanetary).
  - Delegation / ambassador transport (interplanetary).
  - Information / object transport collection and exchange (interplanetary).
  - Planet based tasks: rescue; demolition; combat (within rescue); manual tasks (mining, espionage, scientific survey / experiment; internal trqnsport.
  - Surveillance, sabotage of hostile craft (player will take control of game character within enemy vessels).
  - Personnel transport followed by escort / protection on planet surface.

• Management of interplanetary travel.
• Extensive in-game music to provide atmosphere.
• 24-bit derived graphics taking advantage of newer RISC OS hardware but minimising memory/disc usage.
• More in-game characters and objects than Overcast.
• Improved resolution and colour depth (as mentioned) over its predecessor.
• Animations and artwork at intervals (hopefully some pre-rendered) to depict storyline of progressing game.
• Flexible game engine whereby a variety of puzzles / tasks can be added and planet layout rearranged without altering core-routines.

Overcast is being developed by the Overcast division of VOTI.

Alpha Screenshots

New Preliminary Title Screen.	Preliminary Menu Screen.
Planet information screen.	Current game screen layout.
Mission message box.	Explosion.
Enemy game elements.

Features

Game environment

• Overhead 2D representation of planet starport and its features (similar to Overcast but with slightly altered elevation and improved graphics and larger gameplay area).
• Full, interactive gameplay on both planets and within other space-craft.
• Dialogue and interactive help via display boxes / panels.
• Planets featuring different climate and terrain (which only have bearing on graphical appearance at present).
• Up to 60-70 planets distributed throughout galaxy.
• Interplanetary travel has proportional duration requiring input of player for completion.
• Interplanetary travel to include life-support control, encounters with asteroids and other phenomena and other ships (hostile and friendly).
• Such interplanetary events are to be dealt with via dialogue boxes/panels in a similar way to Exodus.

Control

• Control via mouse and keyboard input when appropriate.
• Navigation through selection panels and cockpit panel.

History

July 2001: All sections of game implemented in their most basic form. Graphics for desert level scenery are being focussed upon in planet-stage parts of the game. Tropical, polar and space-vessel graphics sets planned.
Interplanetary travel features receiving most attention to add interactivity with ship's features (inventory and status displays for example) and communication with planets.
Alien images and emblems being designed.

May 2000: Overcast game released as simple walkabout and puzzle-solving game. Ideas for greatly extended version came to mind and so a sequel was embarked on.

Future Developments

Graphics are constantly being revised for all aspects of the game, it is a continually shifting pattern. The main work is currently being done on the actual game engine.
Non-player character graphic designing and animation is a major requirement to be started when possible.

Cost

More emphasis has been put onto the actual game so cost is low down on the agenda. We are unsure at this time whether we will be releasing it ourselves.

Requirements

Overcast runs on a StrongARM RISCPC. Game is looking set for a CD release.

Test computers used:

• RISC PC SA

Unproven but likely candidates:

• RiscStation