Hey everyone.

We’re getting really close to our closed beta but I wanted to make another gameplay video in the meantime.

In this video we show off the updated stealth ship. This ship requires a very different strategy from the Kestrel. It has a cloaking system and very high engines however it starts with no shield system. With the advanced engines and cloaking you can dodge a lot of incoming fire however you’re very susceptible to environmental hazards without shields. Currently, it also starts with two augments to balance it out.

You can also catch a glimpse of the sector map. When your reach the end of a sector you’ll usually be given a choice of two new sectors that you can jump to.  Each type of sector can have its own unique events, alien races, items, threats and secrets.

I also show off the boarding drone (which is just cool), a unique strategy against the Mantis ships, as well as a pretty epic fight. Check it out below.  (Once again, I suggest you watch in HiDef so you can follow what I’m doing)

EDIT:   Here’s the YouTube link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMQ8vG3M8Gk

I’ll put it on Youku later.

Below are all of the pre-beta gameplay videos we have made have made so far. We made a number of these during the Kickstarter event, but we only made one in the past month since we’ve been in developer crunch mode getting ready for the impending beta launch.

Keep in mind that the public demo and Kickstarter that I mention in the videos have ended.   Also the upcoming closed beta is restricted to only Kickstarter donors, so for now everyone else will just have to wait until our release this fall.

This first video I give a brief introduction to how the game works:  showing off the main game UI; the basic structure of the game; how boarding works; the cloaking and teleporter systems.

In this second video I show off: the stealth ship; the drones system; the first alien race; beam weapons and more.

This video was meant to be a very brief introduction to how the game works in general.  Therefore if you really don’t know what goes on in the other videos, this should help a bit.

This latest video shows some of the stuff we’ve been adding since the end of the Kickstarter.  I show off the Engi playable ship; talk about the customization in the game; new rebel ship design; and some higher level combat.

Hello all.

Our apologies for not updating the site recently.  After the Kickstarter ended, we started a pretty serious crunch-mode to prepare for our upcoming closed beta.    The workload is easing up as we move into testing so we’ll try to provide you with more frequent updates.

FTL is really coming together at this point.   A lot has been improved since the old demo and  there are more changes than we could easily list.  So for now here are some of the highlights:

• The core game structure is functional with branching paths; varying types of sectors; unique alien specific sectors; and the final sector including (the incredibly hard) boss.
• There are currently 5 playable ships with more on the way.  They each have their own layout, load-out, crew arrangement and require unique strategies.
• The “hangar bay”  allows you view your unlocked ships as well as name your ship and crew for the current mission.
• Six alien races including ships and crew that have unique traits.
• A dynamic music system that provides seamless transitions between ambient and subtle tracks for exploration and more intense and energetic tracks for battle.
• Tons of new events; lots of new weapons, drones and equipment; improved UI; and many more improvements!

We will post some more screenshots and other changes in the coming days.

Kickstarter Update:  Once again, thank you to all of the backers and everyone who spread the word.   We recently passed 1000% of our goal.  We never dreamed there could be so many people excited about our little experiment.  Check out the most recent update here.

The demo event has ended:  The OnLive Indie Showcase was hugely successful:  FTL was one of the most played demos of the event.  At one point it was the 2nd most played game on the entire OnLive service!  Thank you to everyone who tried it and gave us such positive feedback (except about the lag-induced FloatyMouse™).

New Gameplay Video: We’ve also prepared a short video going over some of the features we’ve been adding recently.  In it we show off the Teleporter & Cloaking systems as well as new weapons and UI.  Check it out in either Vimeo or YouTube.

Wallpapers:  If anyone is interested, a wallpaper of our game’s logo is available in the following sizes:  1280×800; 1280×1024; 1440×800; 1600×1200; 1920×1080

That’s all for now!

Well, I just got back from this year’s GDC (Game Developers Conference) and it was quite an experience.   I met tons of awesome people, had productive meetings with distributors, loitered at OnLive’s booth and stayed up way too late at parties.

It was wonderful meeting so many people who felt passionate about FTL; including many who backed our ongoing Kickstarter without even trying the demo.  I spent some time explaining the game and generally pretending the sole purpose OnLive’s booth was to show off FTL; so thanks to all the folks at OnLive who helped organize it.

Meanwhile, back home… Matt has been furiously working and testing various improvements to the game.  We’ll be working hard to get ready for the beta; there’s still a lot to do.  Below is one change: our new equipment UI. 

Thanks again to Bryan for the support and photos.

If you’d like to pre-order the game, join our upcoming beta or just contribute to FTL’s development check out our Kickstarter!

Big news times three!

FTL Demo Available!  EDIT:  The OnLive Demo has ended!!

OnLive asked us to take part in their Indie Showcase, which is an event where the public can try a number of IGF Nominees and Honorable Mentions. It lasts two weeks starting February 27th to coincide with the festival itself. If you sign up for a free OnLive account you can try an alpha demo of FTL right now! Go to the OnLive site or their Facebook page to get started!

If you like the game you can also…

Support FTL on Kickstarter!

We are running a 30 day long Kickstarter along with the demo. If you’ve never heard of Kickstarter, it’s a website where independent creative projects can receive funding from the community through a pledge and reward system.  If we reach our goal of $10,000, backers receive rewards including pre-order copies, beta access, posters, art and custom events.  If we don’t reach our goal we will not receive any of the funds and backers will not receive their rewards, so help us make sure it succeeds! You can find the Kickstarter project here!

You probably noticed, but in addition…

We Will Have a Closed Beta!

Pledging at least $25 on Kickstarter will give access to our closed beta. You can not only play the game as it progresses, but also take part in our development process by giving us your feedback and suggestions. Check the Kickstarter page to get extra info on the beta and its restrictions.

The exact dates of the beta are uncertain but we hope to start it within a couple months. Your funds are vital for making the beta, and ultimately the project, successful. Please help us make sure FTL is the best game it can possibly be!