From the Depths

**From the Depths** is a physics-driven Real-Time Strategy game (RTS) for PC, Mac, and Linux systems, and is the first game made by Brilliant Skies. It was Greenlit on Steam in 2014 and continues to evolve in a semi-polished alpha state with community feedback driving many improvements to the game.

## Gameplay

From the Depths is a Real-Time Strategy game (RTS), which can be played from either a 1st or 3rd person perspective. In the game, the player designs, produces, and commands or controls various voxel-based vehicles and fortifications, with the general goal of conquering additional resource zones in the short term, and achieving world domination in the long term.

A key feature is the in-play, out-of-play mechanic, whereby constructs can be navigated around the world on an un-loaded state to minimize resource use. Thanks to this mechanic, dozens or hundreds of units can be moving about the game map with a minimal computational load.

## Plot

From the Depths is mostly focused on the main game world of Neter, in particular the "Quest for Neter" campaign. Although the campaign itself provides only a handful of hints as to the player character's background, further information can be found in the briefings of the Deepwater Guard story missions.

Over the course of the dozen or so missions in the series, the player character -derisively nicknamed 'River Rat'- goes from being a sheltered child of a widow, with a tinkerer's spirit and a generally negative view of the pirates in the Deepwater Guard faction, to joining up with a pirate captain named Sal in order to rescue the River Rat's mother after she is abducted by one pirate captain Ruger. These efforts culminate in a major emotional event which serves as the prime motivator for the River Rat's attempt to conquer the world during the Quest for Neter campaign.

As of 2022/06/13, the game also features a string of story missions for the *Steel Striders* faction, in which the player takes the role of a young lieutenant who's recently been promoted to captain of a small gunboat.

#### **Ashes of the Empire (AotE)**

In addition to Neter, the game contains the "Ashes of the Empire" game world, canonically set in a section of the larger Neter map, and a century prior to the appearence of the River Rat. The story here revolves around the fracturing of the Steel Empire into the Onyx Watch, Lightning Hoods, and Steel Striders factions. Somewhat forebodingly, the larger Neter map features a large crater located in the area where the events of the AotE campaign played out all those years ago.

## Key features

* Design vehicles however you want. The game currently has over 400 unique component blocks.
* Design your own weapons with fully customisable modular weapon systems. These include missiles/ torpedoes, advanced cannons, CRAM cannons, lasers, and particle accelerator cannons.
* Realistic physics - every block destroyed or added affects the vehicle's functionality, physics and control. Drag, inertia, buoyancy and sealed compartments are all updated based on the design of your vehicle and the damage sustained.
* Dynamic damage simulation including shell penetration and explosions.
* Industry leading detection mechanics (radar, sonar, IR, visual, retro-reflection, wireless signal detection)
* Build fortress bases, mine for resources and battle other factions in campaign mode where strength and diplomacy are the keys to victory.
* Battle against fleets of AI craft and build your own to meet the menace.
* In-game Steam workshop support to share your creations with the world.
* Be part of a fantastic community, with new releases made on average once a week. Community organised challenges and blueprint sharing make it an extremely friendly place to hang out!

## Customisable components

* Design custom missiles, bombs, depth charges and torpedoes by combining various warheads types, fuse types, IR seekers, laser beam riders, laser designators, thrusters, navigation algorithms, fuel pods, sonar seekers, buoyancy compartments and propellers, to deliver a truly bespoke weapon.
* Build custom cannons by combining four different barrel types and lengths with auto-loaders, warhead types, ammo boxes and auxiliary components to create everything from AA cannons to artillery.
* Devise custom AI by combining an AI mainframe with 'AI cards' slotted into motherboard blocks. Add radar detection, laser detection and tracking and local weapon controllers to give partial or full control to AI. Create anything from a fully AI controlled aircraft carrier to a battery powered drone.
* Construct custom engines using crank shafts, cylinders, carburetors, super chargers, exhausts and fuel injectors. Electric engines, generators and chargers are also available for backup power supplies and drones.
* Similar systems exist for the creation of anti-vehicle and anti-missile lasers, as well as drills that can cut even the largest of battleships in half.

## Campaign mode

* Embark on an engrossing single player campaign to defeat the eight faction houses of the planet.
* Capture and fortify resource rich territory to secure your faction's success.
* Create harvesting machines to gather resources and turn them into ammunition, fuel and spare parts.
* Build, maintain and command your fleets whilst planning your strategy on every level from the fuel efficiency of an engine to influencing multi-faction diplomatic relations with bribes and unprovoked attacks.
* Take on a range of specific story driven missions to win that unlock new and advanced components.
* Issue complex commands with a fully featured 3D waypoint system.
* Get a birds-eye-view of the battlefield with a detailed strategic overview.

## Create

* In From the Depths you can create almost anything you want! Enter Build Mode and spend resources to place different components from the build menu.
* In Build Mode the player avatar is left idle and the camera follows a Build Marker that can be easily maneuvered into position using either key or mouse led controls.
* Using Build Mode a player can build even the largest vehicles, structures and fortresses extremely quickly - placing blocks as fast as they can click, and using mirrors, flood fills and prefabricated item placement to speed things up.
* Use the Vehicle Designer to create with unlimited resources allowing you to create anything you like from a space zeppelin to an accurate reconstruction of the Bismarck. Your imagination is the only limit.

Upload and share your creations as blueprints on the Steam Workshop will full in-game workshop support

* Use designs you create or download from the workshop in the campaign and story game modes.

## Destroy

* The various vehicles, sky fortresses and structure mounted weapons can all be player controlled, controlled through fire control computers, or given to the command of a nearby Local Weapon Controller.
* Firing is as simple as looking towards your target and hitting fire. You can choose what weapons you want to fire by assigning them to weapon slots allowing for varied attacks.
* The heads up display will show you exactly how many weapons of each type "can fire", "can aim", "cannot aim", and are "are in a different control quadrant". You can easily flick between missiles, torpedoes, lasers, cannons, or any combination.
* Damage is totally localized and each block behaves differently - some are armored, some explode when destroyed. Losing a vital component of your vehicle can mean life or death so protecting your munitions supplies, engines and fuel tanks with armor is recommended.
* Blocks when destroyed turn into debris. If you knock out a crucial block, for example a block in a mast, then the disconnected blocks will all fall off. You can blow a vehicle in half!
* Battles will be fierce and unforgiving but there are many ways of repairing (or completely rebuilding) your constructs to their original state completely automatically, such as repair bots and repair tentacles (block based) and your character's repair arm utility.

## Multiplayer

* The AI fight mode was released in July '14 and allows players to face their AI controlled designs off against each other in staged battles.
* The co-op creative mode was first released in September '14 and allows players to use all of the utilities of the single player creative mode but with multiple players.
* Upcoming multiplayer Modes include: Death Match, Team Death Match, King of the Hill, co-op Monster Hunter, Assault/Defend Challenges and more!

## External links

* Official site
* From the Depths on Steam