At The Singularity Workshop we are building software for the singularity. Our latest Milestone has been reached: the resubmission of our Unity Integration package for sale on the Unity Asset Store. Before the release of our 45kb of raw digital power, and before our integration with Unity, there was the driving vision which forced us to forge our core technology, and then integrate it back into Unity.
I. The Vision of Unprecedented Scale
We are focused on the 4X aspect of our game: letting our players wage war on a scale beyond anything ever seen on Earth. The player's role is that of a grand strategist, watching the battle happen safely from their bunker on a holographic table, surrounded by their support staff, commanders, and advisors.
A. The Necessity of Low-Poly
To achieve the scale necessary for this vision—allowing for massive conflict simulation—we deliberately chose a low-poly aesthetic. This decision is not about style; it’s about performance, enabling our engine to simulate the massive 4X-scale conflict we promise.
We started with these assets:
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set 2
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set 3
II. The Solution: FSM_API Technology
Our commitment to scale is unlocked by the FSM_API, a proprietary Finite State Machine system. This technology is designed to handle incredibly complex unit behaviors without becoming overly complex for developers. Because we are leveraging the FSM_API, we can create these behaviors efficiently. This is the core technology enabling true digital singularity.
A. The Digital Lifeblood: Our Soldier
We decided that the soldier will be the heart of our game.
Our soldiers are trained from a highly advanced barracks which has VR training modules for a single squad. Once trained the squad leaves the barracks and, if not immediately assigned to another training program, will begin marching around the player's base. Barracks using the same technology allow squads to be trained how to operate vehicles, use weapons, pilot aircraft, etc. Barracks can also be tooled to provide additional training, increasing the squad's operational ability. A soldier must undergo a complete training program before they and their squad can hop into a tank and operate it.
Now here our soldiers are standing ready for review!
III. Proof of Concept: The MVP Demo
We determined that our critical path to release is to establish an MVP demo that allows for a quick immersion, giving players an immediate idea of what to expect. We targeted the arrival of the player with their forces arrayed before them for review as a great start.
Here is what the player would see upon starting our demo:
Here is a bird's eye view:
This demo provides enough environment to give the idea of what we are striving for, while keeping it simple enough for rapid development. The player simply walks forward to the HQ building where their advisor will greet them and inform them that the rest of the game is currently under development.
A. The Next Challenge: Oppressive Darkness
Our work now shifts to bringing down the visibility to make the environment oppressively dark. We want to show the environment through the high-contrast lenses of the light beams from our various light sources (light posts, headlights, etc.). This design choice provides a stripping down of visual context, creating a naturally dark and oppressive feeling environment, which is the goal... to immerse the player and make them feel innate dread, the inner fear of darkness we all acquired from our ancestors... The lack of visual context only makes our small demo feel much more massive.
Stay tuned as we bring this static scene to life using the power of our API.
Attributions and Credits
A shout out to the talent who created the assets we are bringing to life:
Asset Creator: Planesfar studio
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set 2
Canopus-III Low Poly Sci-fi Desert Units Set 3
Resources & Code:
The FSM Package (Unity Asset Store): https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/slug/332450
NuGet Package (Non-Unity Core): https://www.nuget.org/packages/TheSingularityWorkshop.FSM_API
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/TrentBest/FSM_API
Support Our Work:
Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSingularityWorkshop
Support Us (PayPal Donation): https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=3Z7263LCQMV9J
We'd love to hear your thoughts! Please Like this post, Love the code, and Share your feedback in the comments.
