Exobase Vertical Slice

I’m thrilled to share that we’ve successfully deployed the first iteration of our codebase. Seeing the logic finally meet the visual prompts we’ve been perfecting is a massive milestone for the project.

Current Status: On Track / On Schedule.

Exobase Online

Vertical Slice: Milestone 1-5

Deliver a 30–60 minute playable experience where the player:

  • Builds a small economic operation
  • Influences AI behavior
  • Faces risk
  • Makes meaningful strategic decisions

Player Experience

Stage 1: Arrival (0–10 min)

Goal: Teach the core loop

The player begins the game in the sector where the Exobase Jump-gate and the space station is located.

Content:

  • 1 Start Sector
  • 1 Player Ship
  • 2 AI Ships

Mechanics:

  • Movement
  • 1 Active Job (Mining)
  • Resource Income

👉 Outcome: The player understands: “I don’t mine, I create jobs.”

Phase 2: Growth (10–25 min)

Goal: Introduce strategy and optimization

Player unlocks:

  • +1 Active Job
  • Player Ship Aura

New layer:

  • Efficiency optimization
  • Competing job priorities

Introduce:

  • AI preference
    • Some ships start favoring player jobs

👉 Outcome: “I can shape a system, not just trigger actions.”

Phase 3: Pressure (25–45 min)

Goal: Introduce risk and disruption

Add two threats:

  1. Environmental Hazard
    1. Periodic “Radiation Storm”
    2. Slows or pauses mining
  2. Light Hostile AI (Pirates)
    1. Scares off low-loyalty AI ships

Player tools:

  • Move Command Ship to stabilize
  • Increase rewards
  • Stay and defend (presence = safety)

👉 Outcome: “My system can break and I have to react.”

Phase 4: Expansion Decision (45–60 min)

Goal: Deliver a meaningful choice

Player unlocks:

  • Second sector

Choice:

  • Stay safe → optimize current sector
  • Expand → higher rewards, higher risk

New sector has:

  • Better resources
  • Higher hazard

👉 Outcome: “Risk vs reward is real.”

End Condition (Soft Goal)

Instead of “winning,” give a clear milestone:

Example:

  • Reach 1000 resources/hour income

OR

  • Stabilize 2 active sectors

Gameplay Systems

Player Ship

  • Movement
  • Aura radius (buff effect)

AI System

  • Job evaluation
  • State machine (Idle → Work → Return → Repeat)
  • Basic “loyalty” (preference bias)

Job Board

  • Place job
  • Set reward
  • Assign AI dynamically

Economy

  • 1–2 resources
  • Income flow
  • Reward cost balancing

Risk Systems

  • 1 environmental hazard
  • 1 hostile behavior (very simple)

Multi-Sector

  • 2 maps
  • Simple transition (no need for full galaxy yet)

Excluded Systems (Still Too Early)

  • Multiplayer
  • Jump gate construction
  • Ancient AI (full system)
  • Complex combat
  • Persistence backend (can fake/save locally)

Success Criteria

You’re not measuring “fun” only—you’re validating design.

Slice succeeds if players:

  • Adjust rewards strategically
  • Move ship intentionally (not randomly)
  • Choose between safe vs risky expansion
  • Feel ownership of AI behavior
  • Say: – “I feel like I’m managing a system, not units”
  • Naturally:
    • Watch AI behavior
    • Experiment with incentives
    • React to disruption
  • Ask: – “What happens if I scale this?”

Milestone Plan (6–10 Weeks)

Milestone 1 (Week 1–2)

  • Movement
  • Basic AI loop (mine → return)

Milestone 2 (Week 3–4)

  • Job system
  • Reward tuning
  • UI feedback

Milestone 3 (Week 5–6)

  • Command Aura
  • AI preference/loyalty

Milestone 4 (Week 7–8)

  • Hazard + pirate behavior
  • Second sector

Milestone 5 (Week 9–10)

  • Juice (VFX, feedback)
  • Balancing
  • Playtesting

The One Thing to Nail

If nothing else, get this feeling right:

“I place something in the world… and the world starts moving because of it.”

That’s your hook.

Notes

1 AI: Patrol Ship (Terran Federation / Security Fleet)