INSOMNIA: The Ark (previously InSomnia) has a new teaser trailer, a Steam page is now up and the developer is still aiming for a simultaneous release for Linux—sometime this year. They've also said they're in talks with GOG as well.
You might not remember it, since we've not written about it since 2015. I had forgotten about it too, but a handy Twitter tip came in with the new information. So, what is it exactly? INSOMNIA: The Ark is a complex story-driven RPG set on board a colossal space metropolis brimming with the secrets of a long-gone civilization. It's being developed by Studio MONO and they just announced their teaming up with publisher HeroCraft.
This isn't another RPG with turn-based combat either, it's real time combat with both ranged and close-combat options, along with destroyable cover. It looks like the exact type of RPG Linux has been missing!
Take a look at the new teaser:
Direct Link
In regards to the Linux release that was previously confirmed, they do sound committed to doing it, here's what they said on Steam in reply to a question about Mac and Linux:
We will do our best to make them available simultaneously.
It's built with Unreal Engine which has Linux support, although it can be a bit iffy on older versions so hopefully they won't have too many issues. My other concern is how good the translation will be, since it's going from Russian to English…so many things get lost in the translations, let's hope they do it justice.
It was actually supposed to release in February, but it seems they took extra time to polish it. They're not currently giving an exact date now.
Furthermore, if you check the kickstarter page and all the stuff they are aiming to do & include in the game, this seems to be shaping up to be a real top-contender where upcoming titles are concerned! :D
Last edited by Feist on 30 March 2018 at 3:06 pm UTC
My other concern is how good the translation will be, since it's going from Russian to English…so many things get lost in the translations, let's hope they do it justice.Totally that. Considering that Russian is a highly synthetic language (i.e. it allows to construct new words with subtle connotations using lots of suffixes, prefixes, word-forms etc.) it's expected that the translation would pale in comparison. Another problem is the cultural code that any work of art unavoidably carries along. I always try to consume the product in the original language, which is English or Japanese most of the time, because any translation subconsciously contradicts the original culture the product has been created in. And if possible, I use English subtitles, even if the Russian ones are available, to prevent my own culture influence.
However, the most important concern here is just the translation quality I think. These guys are pretty serious about the game, in another thread they say the studio was founded in 2011 so they've been working for 7 years already. The main Steam language, even after the recent Chinese surge, is still English so hiring a good native translator is a natural choice. It's hard to say if there will be any voiceovers or just text. In the former case I guess subtitles is your best bet.
I heard (but don't quote me on that) that the game is going to be released 2018 "no matter what" because (if you think about it for a second) they might be running low on resources. So, it may be buggy and/or our platform may be postponed. I really hope it's just rumors.
Last edited by Shmerl on 30 March 2018 at 4:44 pm UTC
I'm a backer and I hope DRM-free release is coming as they promised. In their recent updates they were talking only about Steam.
According to this I'd say GOG is still on.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/783170/discussions/0/1697169163396167381/?ctp=2#c1697169163401462117
I'm a backer and I hope DRM-free release is coming as they promised. In their recent updates they were talking only about Steam.
According to this I'd say GOG is still on.
http://steamcommunity.com/app/783170/discussions/0/1697169163396167381/?ctp=2#c1697169163401462117
Not entirely sure as it seems. Dev says it depends on GOG as well.
https://twitter.com/insomniathegame/status/979941204493205504?s=20
Hell.
YES!
I started following this on Steam Greenlight aeons ago, drooling over all the art design in the news updates.
Then ... I don't know. Aliens? Somehow I lost track of it.
Drugs? Grave robbing? A second mortgage? I'll find a way to buy a day one Linux release on day one!
Last edited by Nanobang on 31 March 2018 at 12:59 pm UTC
Looks pretty good.
Did not hear a peep about it.
Hey people! Thanks for covering the news here. Will be happy to answer your questions :).
Hey devs.
Thanks for considering our platform.
Wish you a good launch ;-)
Hey people! Thanks for covering the news here. Will be happy to answer your questions :).
Hi, thanks for beeing availlable here!
You mentioned working on Linux and Mac versions in your KS updates. Did you have any major issues while you did that? How far did it go?
Can you tell us how many Linux backers Insomnia has?
Well technically working on Linux version is easier as we don't have to use some specific Mac software or hardware (which is a problem in our case). We return to Linux version now and then, and knowing that the interest is still there will certainly help :).Hey people! Thanks for covering the news here. Will be happy to answer your questions :).
Hi, thanks for beeing availlable here!
You mentioned working on Linux and Mac versions in your KS updates. Did you have any major issues while you did that? How far did it go?
Can you tell us how many Linux backers Insomnia has?
Unfortunately Kickstarter doesn't give us that kind of stats so the only way to know is by comments which are naturally scattered all over the place.
Hey people! Thanks for covering the news here. Will be happy to answer your questions :).
Hi, and thanks for visiting GamingOnLinux! Did you get some confirmation from GOG, that they are interested in your game? I backed the project after you announced DRM-free Linux version plans :)
We really appreciate when people show interest in our game so this was quite natural to stop by and say hi :). Well we have a long story of negotiations with them and seems like they are waiting for a playable English version to make their final decision. However I don't see why they would reject us. Still this is an ongoing process and we will let you know the results when we know more.Hey people! Thanks for covering the news here. Will be happy to answer your questions :).
Hi, and thanks for visiting GamingOnLinux! Did you get some confirmation from GOG, that they are interested in your game? I backed the project after you announced DRM-free Linux version plans :)
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