Craft Game Studio – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

May 28, 2019

Crooked Waters Sets Sail in June With Major Update

Nautical warfare is about to get a lot more intense this summer thanks to a couple of pirate-themed titles. Survios announced Battlewake last week, filled with sea monsters and co-op gameplay. The other is Crooked Waters by Dutch indie team Craft Game Studio, which is due to leave Steam Early Access next month.

Crooked Waters

For the launch, Craft Game Studio will be releasing a major update called Crooked Waters: Conquest which will add a bunch of new features including a completely redesigned world. However, the biggest addition is the new game mode which should hopefully alleviate one of the bigger issues with the original version.

To begin with Crooked Waters was a multiplayer focused combat experience, pitting four vs four against one another, with each team member having a particular role; one to steer, one to fire the cannons, one on the sails and one as a lookout. As VRFocus found in its preview, this meant that if no one else was available to man the ship, it wasn’t entirely feasible on your own.

The new Conquest mode addresses this by offering solo, co-op and versus all in one package. For the first two options, players have to fight their way through enemy territory in a bid to secure the guarded treasure by destroying three outposts. In the versus mode, two teams are vying for the same three outposts, meaning that at some point they’ll come in close proximity with one another and fight it out.

Crooked Waters ship

Once those objectives have been destroyed players then have to contend with a huge fortress that is stationed in the centre of the map. Its outer defences might be gone but players will still have to deal with heavy fortifications including cannons, mortars and pesky skeletons.

The update will also add new mechanics for sailors to get used to, such as repairing and adjusting sails. Plus, a smaller two-person ship will be introduced. Fans of the original deathmatch mode will be pleased to know that it has been retained.

Crooked Waters: Conquest will be made available on 21st June via Steam as a free update for current owners. For those yet to play the videogame Craft Game Studio will be running a free weekend on Steam to celebrate. For any further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

July 13, 2018

Preview: Crooked Waters – Nautical Warfare That’s Lacking Some Rum

It’s fairly common knowledge that multiplayer titles in virtual reality (VR) can offer a bit of a mixed experience. If they take off and become popular you’ll get some decent matches, otherwise it can be a barren wasteland of disappointment, even if the videogame is good. Arriving today from indie developer Craft Game Studio is a multiplayer focused pirate experience that’s about teamwork. Called Crooked Waters, it’s an Early Access title with grand designs on the multiplayer genre.

Crooked Waters

As mentioned VR multiplayers are hard, that’s even when you consider simple all-out deathmatch modes. Crooked Waters takes that difficulty and ramps things up by making every match a 4vs4 battle, you can start with less but that just complicates things.

The reason for this is the semi-simulator approach that Craft Game Studio has gone for. As you would expect an old fashioned pirate ship can’t be manned alone, there’s way too much to be done. Meaning Crooked Waters ships need a four-person team, one to steer, one to fire the cannons, one on the sails and one as a lookout. Realistically the latter can operate the cannons as well, but that still means three players are needed. VRFocus did attempt a solo sailing, however, there was way too much running around to succeed in one chore productively, especially when trying to aim the ship and fire the cannons at the same time.

Before you get that far you start off in a tavern, a nice little meeting area where you can chat with friends, invite them and choose your teams. There’s even a piano in the corner if you’re feeling musical. The trouble is, things do tend to glitch every now and then (which isn’t unusual in an Early Access title). Loading times can be somewhat erratic, occasionally fast but generally slow. And there was the moment VRFocus fell through the floor of the bar and into oblivion (not good if you suffer from VR nausea).

Crooked Waters

Those details can be fixed, what’s more difficult to arrange are players. Getting friends online and into a VR match is one thing, eight on the other hand is a little more challenging. The multiplayer mode has no AI to make up the numbers, so without a minimum of four people there’s not a lot of point to playing.

Craft Game Studio has included a Solo Challenge mode which can certainly help you to learn the basics. In a much smaller boat you do have to do everything which isn’t so much of a struggle. The mode is all about getting a highscore, so find rival boats as quickly as possible and sink them. Unfortunately the challenge is somewhat mute as the ships are completely stationary and don’t fire back, leading to a rather dull 10 minute battle.

The idea of taking four of you out on a pirate ship and going on the hunt for fellow seadogs is a great idea, and completely understandable. Achieving that goal on the other hand is fraught with difficulties which can only be overcome if the Steam community get behind the experience. If Craft Game Studio can add the right amount of finesse as well as some deeper options then Crooked Waters could be a decent team multiplayer.

July 10, 2018

Become an Old Sea Dog as Crooked Waters Receives Early Access Release Date

While the continual influx of zombie-themed videogames has slowly begun to wain, another is beginning to take its place, pirates. Taking to the high seas to loot and pillage has really begun to gain popularity, whether its non-VR such as Sea of Thieves, or in virtual reality (VR) with titles like Pastimes for Pirates, A Tale of Pirates: A Dummy Mutiny, Ship Ahoy, or Narrows. Adding to that list is Craft Game Studio with its Steam Early Access experience Crooked Waters, ready to set sail this week.

Crooked Waters

Crooked Waters is an online pirate battle game where up to eight players battle it out in a 4v4 ship battle. The goal of each encounter is to sink the other ship which can only be done through cooperation with your team. This isn’t some arcade style experience where you can steer the ship and fire the cannon liberally. Only together can you manage the ship and achieve victory.

Ships require their crew to be on top form. One needs to be the navigator, steering the ship in the right direction; but a ship is no good without sail being adjusted to get optimal speed and load. There will always need to be someone on lookout in the crows nest to find the enemy and when you do so the cannons will need to be loaded, aimed and fired to take down the opponent.

VRFocus first reported on Crooked Waters last month ahead of an Early Access release on 19th June. That didn’t occur due to the team trying to improve performance, in doing so a few network bugs surfaced. The delay has meant further bugs have been ironed out, plus a singleplayer mode where the goal is to get the highest score on the leaderboard by sinking ship targets has been added.

Crooked Waters

Crooked Waters is due to enter Steam Early Access this Friday, 13th July 2018. The initial version will feature everything mentioned with Craft Game Studio also planning to add destruction of ships, more offensive weaponry, and a progression system so players get rewarded for winning matches. As further updates surface for Crooked Waters, VRFocus will keep you posted.

July 10, 2018

‘Crooked Waters’ to Bring Co-op Pirate Ship Battles to VR, Launching in Early Access This Week

The Netherlands-based Craft Game Studio is bringing Crooked Waters, a multiplayer pirate ship game for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, to Steam Early access this week.

Pitting would-be pirates in a four vs. four battle on the high seas, the goal of Crooked Waters is to sink the other ship. While it sounds simple, cooperation here is the ultimate key to success; players will have to work in concert by navigating the ship it by steering, adjusting the sails to get optimal speed, and loading, aiming and firing cannons at the enemy.

You’ll be able to join up with a randomly selected crew, or invite your friends to join in the battle. A tavern below deck gives you a chance to strategize, play mini-games, or just toss back a few pints of grog while you wait for a match to start.

Craft Game Studio has put special emphasis on the game’s many locomotion schemes, which includes free locomotion, snap-turn, arm-swinging locomotion, and a climbing mechanic that lets you climb the mast to adjust sails and get a better vantage point.

The game is online multiplayer-only, although the developers say this is an issue they’ll keep this in mind while developing the Crooked Waters throughout its Early Access period on Steam; the game is slated to hit Steam on July 13th.

The post ‘Crooked Waters’ to Bring Co-op Pirate Ship Battles to VR, Launching in Early Access This Week appeared first on Road to VR.

June 10, 2018

Become A Virtual Private In Crooked Waters

If there is one thing that will never not be fun, it is playing the role of a pirate. Craft Game Studio have taken this to heart with their upcoming virtual reality (VR) title which puts players up against each other in immersive sea battles where only the best pirate crew will win. This, is Crooked Waters.

Crooked Waters

In Crooked Waters, players will face off as two teams of four each with their own ship that needs to be managed in order to succeed. This means adjusting the sails angle and length, steering he ship, loading and firing the cannons, and even climbing up to the lookout for a better view of the rolling sea in front of them. Of course once you find the other ship it will be time for all out navy warfare.

The title will feature a number of options to help make movement as smooth as possible for players including the option for free locomotion, driven by the touchpad or thumbstick. Swinging your arms is also a valid movement option and their is the included feature of quick turning which offers 90-degree, fast rotation by means of the touchpad or thumbstick once again. To top it all off, Crooked Waters has roomscale support meaning players will really feel immersed within the pirate world.

Crooked Waters

Craft Game Studio will be bringing their title to Steam Early Access later this month with the plan to keep it in that state for no longer than a year. It will release with functioning online multiplayer, including a tavern lobby with working mini-games and pianos, for up to two teams of four players to battle it out on the open seas. The team have plans for the future of the title writing on the store page saying: “We would like to add destruction of ships. This combined with more offensive weaponry can add an extra layer of depth to the ship vs ship battles. We also want to add a progression system so players get rewarded for winning matches. We also considered larger crew ships and possibly increasing the ship count. We also thought about adding a treasure hunting mode or storyline, however this completely depends on what the community sees fit for the game.”

Crooked Waters is set to release on Steam in Early Access on June 19th, 2018 with support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. You can see a gameplay trailer for the release below and for more on Crooked Waters in the future, keep reading VRFocus.