Devlog

Alpha 0.1.1 is out

Alpha 0.1.1 is now on the launcher. It is the first build where two people can host, join and play the whole Vesper story together on the release package. Before it went out, we ran that package through a two-player session and a start-to-finish story run. These notes list what changed since the September progress post, including what is still rough.

New

  • Play together. Host a crew of up to four, or join one over your network or by IP address. Ready up in the crew lobby, and the host starts the night. The game uses UDP port 7777.
  • A new interface. A redesigned main menu, character screen, multiplayer page, crew lobby and HUD, with a compass, the objective, survival readouts and radio subtitles.
  • Character creator. Male or female, three outfits, three hair styles and your own display name. Your crew sees the look you pick.
  • The Rule. The Sleepless are inert where the power is off and wake when current returns.
  • Cover. Press Q near a wall or fence to crouch into cover, then lean out at an open edge.
  • A real map of Vesper, with a rotating minimap, a full map and powered/dark zones.
  • Quorra is on the radio as Vesper’s volunteer operator.
  • Saves. Progress is saved at every objective. Continue picks up from your last checkpoint, and a Saves page manages four slots.
  • Clothing is equipment. You can find garments around Vesper and wear them.

Changed and fixed

  • The story now plays in order and all the way through. The cabin conversation that used to block the dam road is fixed. If you reach a place early, that part of the story waits until it is your objective.
  • The host freeze is gone. On the release package, a host and a friend played for over twenty minutes with both games responsive the whole time.
  • A joined player no longer dies and respawns every few minutes while standing still.
  • The interact prompt now shows up when you look at breakers, generators, loot and people.

Known issues

  • Characters are still rough. Clothing can look speckled, some outfits hang or clip, a few menu thumbnails are blank, nobody’s lips move yet, and female characters use the shared walk.
  • Every player starts out named “Merritt”. Set your name on the Character screen.
  • Internet play needs the host to forward UDP port 7777 on their router. Steam sessions aren’t live yet.
  • The first start and the first trip into Vesper stutter while shaders prepare. Give it a few minutes.
  • Clothing pickups show an empty name, and you can still fire while in cover.
  • Windows 10/11 (64-bit) only. The download is about 12 GB, and the launcher wants about 36 GB free on the install drive before it starts.
  • Extract the launcher before you run it. Unzip the whole folder first, then run PatcherXGameLauncher.exe from it. Started from inside the zip, it stops with “CreateProcess() returned 2”.
  • If the launcher says NOT ENOUGH DISK SPACE, free up space on that drive, or press INSTALL FOLDER and pick a bigger one. Making the download and the disk check smaller is first on the list for the next update.

What’s next

The first playtest is running now. What testers run into comes first in 0.1.2, followed by a smaller download that only fetches the files that changed, your own name from the start, the rough edges above, and a pass on the characters. The roadmap has the full list.

Alpha access goes to supporters through the launcher, via the Patreon. The progress page and the roadmap have the bigger picture.