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Ascent: The Space Game Now on Kickstarter Seeking Funds for New Graphics, Improved User Interface
[October 01, 2014]

Ascent: The Space Game Now on Kickstarter Seeking Funds for New Graphics, Improved User Interface


MELBOURNE, Australia --(Business Wire)--

Fluffy Kitten Studios, the indie developer behind the ambitious space MMO, Ascent: The Space Game, has embarked on a Kickstarter campaign that will allow the studio to complete the art and interface overhaul that began earlier this year. The added funds will also allow Fluffy Kitten to add features such as active NPCs that respond to text commands and new gameplay-including smuggling, bounty hunting, and assassination missions.

Kickstarter URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1832776017/help-make-ascent-one-of-the-greatest-space-games-e

Three days in, Fluffy Kitten has already received $16,680 of its AU$ 35,000 goal. The money will be primarily used to hire George Karandais, the artist responsible for Ascent's new ship designs-all of which have been widely acclaimed by the game's thriving user base.

Ascent's Steam Greenlight campaign is near 4,400 "yes" votes--and inching closer to a green light from Valve. Every Ascent premium user will receive a Steam key from Fluffy Kitten.

"I spent $70,000 out-of-pocket to create Ascent," says James Hicks, founder of Fluffy Kitten Studios. "Without external help and relying only on my savings, I have just four months left of full-time development. We're taking the Kickstarter route so that we can hire an artist full-time and an interface designer part-time-and to add some awesome features to the game. I reckon that's what Ascent needs to become the game it was always meant to be."

Gameplay trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCHlrT1HM7g

Ascent sports a mind-boggling 270 billion star systems-and it allows players to build and customize their own ships, colonize faraway worlds, compete with other players for currency and resources, mine asteroids, trade, and much more. The game's two gameplay modes are roughly divided into "Industrialist" and "Combat" campaigns running side by side - it's possible to switch between the two at any time. "Industrialist" is more trade-oriented: Players are tasked with rebuilding business empires and attempting to restore order to the human race. Priorities include food and raw materials. In contrast, "Combat" features ship-to-ship (PvE) skirmishes as the player is recruited by the last remnant of the military (United Nations Combined Arms [UNCA]) to help protect the wealthy Janus Merchant Cabal against a pirate syndicate. The game's engrossing storyline can be read here: http://www.thespacegame.com/story.html



If funded, Fluffy Kitten will add the following features to Ascent:

  • Active colonists that can walk and talk
  • Keyboard interaction with NPCs-similar to classic text-based adventure games
  • New gameplay: Hire NPCs to pilot ships, smuggling, crime and punishment, bounty hunting, and assassination

Kickstarter users considering backing the game can play the unlimited browser version or download a time-limited demo for PC from http://www.thespacegame.com/download-demo.html


Assets

Gameplay trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCHlrT1HM7g

Kickstarter video
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9186800/Ascent_The_Space_Game_Kickstarter_video.zip

Screenshots
IMGUR: http://imgur.com/a/VZ6UK
Download: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9186800/Ascent_The_Space_Game_Kickstarter_screenshots.zip

Social Media

Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/TheSpaceGame

YouTube (News - Alert) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsUW7efkHEv7x720y-zQB-g

About Fluffy Kitten Studios

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Fluffy Kitten was founded by James Hicks and Chris Mitchell-experienced IT department heads with backgrounds in enterprise development, release management, systems administration, and project and resource management. The duo embarked on a game development journey with a vision to create a space MMO that fills a perceived gap: a mainstream, approachable, PVE-focused space MMO with depth of play and an open-ended world. For more information about Ascent: The Space Game, please visit http://www.thespacegame.com/.


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