Wx3 Labs, LLC
Independent Game Studio
Starcom: Unknown Space
Starcom: Nexus
October Progress: Quick Update
October 22, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
After the last round of closed betas, I've been very busy working on all the things needed to get Starcom: Unknown Space ready for Early Access. As I've said before, I'm aiming for a 2022 release and I still feel good about that timeline. Expect a more specific date soon. I've done a lot since … Read more
The Crew/Skill System
October 8, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Here's a quick summary of the progress I've made since the last news update: Work on content for a new storyline. I won't go into detail here to avoid spoilers. Started work on an updated version of the trailer. Various fixes based on additional tester feedback. Crew portraits. Speaking of crew, I thought this would … Read more
Testing & Progress Update
September 23, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Two weeks ago, the first large round of playtest invites were sent to random mailing list subscribers. There have only been about 40% as many testers as emails sent so far, which was expected: some emails end up flagged as spam (check your spam folder!), some players want to wait for the full release, people … Read more
Building the Mission System for an Open-World RPG
September 23, 2022 September 2, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
One of the things I discovered in the development of the original Starcom: Nexus is how difficult it is to create a good mission system. I think of mission logic as a third "ad hoc" logic layer that's built on top of game logic, similar to how game logic is built on top of engine … Read more
Shipyard Evolution
September 23, 2022 August 16, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Development is going ahead at full warp. I've been so busy that I haven't had time to keep you all updated on what I've been doing. I'm going to try to post more regular updates with a quick snapshot on what I've been up to, as well as some more details on particular aspects of … Read more
Closed Beta: First Reactions
September 23, 2022 July 21, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
This is my first blog update on Starcom: Unknown Space since the game's announcement. In the meantime, I've been hard at work on… just about everything: features, bug fixes, content, marketing, etc. The biggest thing has been starting closed betas. (If you're interested in participating, you can still sign-up on the sequel survey page.) So … Read more
September 23, 2022 April 2, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Big news! After maintaining radio silence since I wrapped up development on Starcom: Nexus, I've been hard at work on a follow-up title, tentatively called Starcom: Unknown Space. Checkout the brand-new trailer on Steam and add it to your wishlist: There's a lot of work left to do, but I'm optimistic that it will be … Read more
September 23, 2022 March 13, 2022 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I've considered what I want to do beyond state my support for Ukraine and condemn the terrible violence ordered by the Russian president. I've decided that any sales revenue that Steam identifies as being from the region (Russia, Ukraine, & CIS) will be donated to help the Ukrainian … Read more
Translating an Indie Game with a Whole Lot of Words
September 23, 2022 September 29, 2020 by wx3labs@gmail.com
Starcom: Nexus has about 65,000 words of text, roughly the length of a short novel. How does an indie game dev know which languages, if any, to translate into? Translation costs vary, but I've seen estimates ranging from $0.02 to $0.08 per word if you use a freelancer or $0.10 to $0.30 per word via … Read more
Categories Dev
Pause in Weekly Updates
September 23, 2022 April 19, 2020 by wx3labs@gmail.com
For the past few months I've been dividing my time between preparing bug-fixes/patches for Starcom: Nexus and starting development for my next title, likely some kind of follow-up game in the same vein. In the past few weeks I've developed tendinitis in my left arm and wrist. Until it recovers on its own or I … Read more
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