UNIVERSIM new upcoming RTS game

Crytivo Games have released a new set of screenshots for their upcoming game, The Universim.

Kickstarter campaign brought money for the project called Universim.Being a god game simulator, The Universim is a member of a rarefied genre. The idea for The Universim came from a simple source – “a general lack of good god games lately”. The Crytivo team are fans of the genre, and that drove their passion and interest with The Universim. “We were definitely inspired by some of the greats,” Lautenbach said, “but we are also trying to differentiate ourselves quite a bit and shift the god game genre into the ‘next generation’”.

What’s actually being simulated is extensive, exhaustive, and incredibly intricate. All civilisations in the universe are controlled by AI – the player has no ability to directly control anyone. “Workers and the AI will not wait for an order,” Lautenbach told us, “they will immediately spread out and start working on ways to improve the civilization. The AI will make many of its own decisions. Some will be highly beneficial, and others not so much. You are there to try and keep them on the path you want. However, you cannot take direct control of different units which is another element that compliments the dynamism of the AI. You are always looking at the bigger picture.”

“We came up with a concept called ‘Organic Gameplay’ which is mentioned in our trailer. This pertains mostly to the dynamism of the AI, but can also be extended to the way the entire world works. Seasonal change, disasters, random events, and so on are all related to the concept as well. It always makes for a very ‘organic’ feeling in all aspects because of how differently a simulation operates when compared to the norms.”

The Universim does demand some micromanagement skills from the player, placing civilisations’ research and expansion in your hands, letting you shape the way a civilisation progresses. “We just recently announced the Object Editor as well which allows players to change everything about how their buildings, vehicles, and even certain technologies function and look.” Lautenbach added. “Of course, there are godly powers involved in the game as well.”

Story-wise, The Universim is relying on its procedurally generated nature to create emergent narratives. “[W]e are effectively allowing players to make their own story.” Lautenbach told us. “There isn’t a predefined one to follow. You are writing history as you play. However, there will be a lot of smaller stories packed into the game. Many emergent narratives will spring up and make a comment on different aspects of life. Others may even come from the dynamic news system where most stories will be very humorous and possibly even span multiple eras as somewhat of a running gag. We have other stuff planned that can add a lot to your story, but we haven’t announced anything yet.”

The Universim’s universe will be a huge place. Lautenbach is promising a game that is “[a]bsolutely massive”. New worlds and colonies offer different challenges and opportunities, which the player must manage. “[A]ll of our dynamic systems actually work wonderfully together towards the end-game.” Lautenbach said. “Gameplay will constantly change based on the different planets you encounter.”

The Universim is ambitious, and it’s still a long way from completion. With news of the project’s Kickstarter success, the project’s sure to remain on track for a while longer.