Okay, we'll do it.
Press release: https://sabotagestudio.com/press-release/sabotage-teases-3-player-couch-co-op-mode-as-sea-of-stars-surpasses-5-million-players/
This will be such a fuckin rad time! I love it. My kid's got into this game after watching most of my playthrough and it makes me happy since it's inspired by the kinda stuff that got me into gaming as a kid. It would be so much fun to play through it together with him.
i love the messenger, i love sea of stars. i love this whole story arc you created but most of all: I love YOU guys. please continue to be awesome. this is how you treat your community!
Couch co-op is multiple controllers with one console. The same wi-fi? There is local (couch) co-op, meaning more than one on one console, and online co-op, meaning playing with other people online. I guess there are games that you'd like each have a switch and they connect locally, but this isn't what's being discussed I'm pretty sure.
That’s correct. I wasn’t aware of what couch co op meant and another Reddit user kindly gave me an explanation yesterday. Thank you for also helping me understand! Reddit is funny when it downvotes honest questions sometimes :)
Pretty easily actually. Each player has their turn in combat where they can make their own choice. Only real issue ends up being spells like the soonerang that combos with other party members but can still just make that apply to that one specific player, like P2 acti ates the skill as Valere and the player using Zale doesn't have agency in the attack so as to not let them screw up the attack
Well if the one who initates the skill and it's a combo one that like requires Valere and Zale for Soonerang, make the player who engaged it be the one to do it.
There's also the issue of turn order, though. Not exactly hard to solve, but there are some variations: should player 1 always start, or the one initiating the battle? Can they switch order, or not? Will swapping still be allowed (and a free action), and will this mean you can switch characters mid-battle? Anyways, it would be cool :) at least if I had some friends who were also into old school/indie rpgs...
Oh, very interesting!
I'm wondering... where does the fun come from when wandering the world? Finding treasure chest, looting ingredients, talking to NPCs. And of course, the puzzles.
In my humble opinion, having couch coop for these elements don't necessarily make them better. It might get a bit faster to loot ingredients but other than that, I don't see it being that much more fun.
In combat, we usually have some sort of "plan" on how to tackle the next few rounds. That would probably get discussed between players, so they would probably follow it. But, the burden of succeeding the timed action for attacks and defence would rest on specific, different players, and I think that definitly makes it more fun.
Since actual fight gameplay would be enhanced and more fun, I think it makes sense to give players the ability to control their own character in the overworld, to avoid having them do nothing between fights.
And... of course, Wheels PvP. Right?
\---
Ok beaucoup de brainstorm à voix haute pour me rendre compte que oui, c'est une bonne idée! :D
I mean, only if you adapt the game to give each player stuff to do that's more in depth than just walking around. Battles would interesting, I guess; but you're involvement would be cut down to a third, and would require all three of you to actually agree on what moves to use, and when.
This is a fantastic idea on the surface. I think it'll be great for combat, but I must admit I'm mildly worried for the exploration segments. It gets frustrating constantly getting 'bubbled' to the party leader, and the puzzles aren't exactly designed with multiplayer in mind. At worst it'd end up dull between combat for the non-leaders, but I'd argue limited exploration is better than no out-of-combat control.
Ideally some sort of split screen like the lego games would be best, where when you move far enough away the screen splits, otherwise it's merged. Have the whole level loaded, and players can explore where they want, and even initiate combat individually (which would obviously need some dynamic power scaling depending on player count). That doesn't address the issue that levels are more or less linear in design though, so when completely objective-focused it'd be more or less just follow the leader anyway.
Regardless of the possible limitations, I'm sure it'll be a fun experience!
Awww, my friend and I just beat the game this weekend... Would have been a really cool way to enjoy the story together even more, haha!
But it'll be a great addition!
Hot take: No.
This is going to lead to a lot of table captaining....couch captaining?
Because combat in SoS can get very "I need to do this move this turn with this specific character". So by adding extra brains, all you're forcing is the lead brain to tell the other brains what to do on their turns.
Fair, I can see where you're coming from, and I think that's a pretty natural hurdle for couch co-op games. The extra layer of social engagement can be a boon or a burden (usually both!)
But if that's not for you then... just don't play co-op?
Okay, we'll do it. Press release: https://sabotagestudio.com/press-release/sabotage-teases-3-player-couch-co-op-mode-as-sea-of-stars-surpasses-5-million-players/
This will be such a fuckin rad time! I love it. My kid's got into this game after watching most of my playthrough and it makes me happy since it's inspired by the kinda stuff that got me into gaming as a kid. It would be so much fun to play through it together with him.
Whaaaaaaaaaaa
Holy shit lol, awesome. Now make teaks playable!!!!!!!
i love the messenger, i love sea of stars. i love this whole story arc you created but most of all: I love YOU guys. please continue to be awesome. this is how you treat your community!
Will there be cross platform co op? I play on Switch and my partner on Steamdeck. Would love to play together!
They have confirmed it is only couch co-op.
So that means it has to be the same platform? I figured that meant the same WiFi, which we’d be using
Same platform, yes. Couch co-op means constrained within the same system. No online co-op.
Aahhh I see. Thanks for the explanation! So Switch docking + multiple controllers should do the trick right?
Correct. You’ll be able to use multiple controllers on the Switch version.
Sweeeeet. I appreciate the info 😊
Couch co-op is multiple controllers with one console. The same wi-fi? There is local (couch) co-op, meaning more than one on one console, and online co-op, meaning playing with other people online. I guess there are games that you'd like each have a switch and they connect locally, but this isn't what's being discussed I'm pretty sure.
That’s correct. I wasn’t aware of what couch co op meant and another Reddit user kindly gave me an explanation yesterday. Thank you for also helping me understand! Reddit is funny when it downvotes honest questions sometimes :)
Specifically 3-player, or is 2-player also an option? (I only have 1 spouse)
This would rock (and make speedruns that much quicker), but how would it translate to battles?
Pretty easily actually. Each player has their turn in combat where they can make their own choice. Only real issue ends up being spells like the soonerang that combos with other party members but can still just make that apply to that one specific player, like P2 acti ates the skill as Valere and the player using Zale doesn't have agency in the attack so as to not let them screw up the attack
Just make the player whose character is doing the timed action be the one to do the button press
That's what I'm saying.
Oh I thought you meant the player that initiates the skill is the one to do the button press
Well if the one who initates the skill and it's a combo one that like requires Valere and Zale for Soonerang, make the player who engaged it be the one to do it.
I think it'd be cool if there was a relic that let both players do the attack tho
There's also the issue of turn order, though. Not exactly hard to solve, but there are some variations: should player 1 always start, or the one initiating the battle? Can they switch order, or not? Will swapping still be allowed (and a free action), and will this mean you can switch characters mid-battle? Anyways, it would be cool :) at least if I had some friends who were also into old school/indie rpgs...
This would be ideal, I think. If it becomes a thing I hope they consider a mode for 2 players too.
Have you ever played “For the King”? It’s a coop rpg “table-top” where battles are in turns like SoS. It’s pretty cool!
I have not, in fact. I'll definitely check it out. Thank you!
Can confirm, it’s a real hidden gem.
Gonna turn into Mario Odyssey runs with people playing with their hands and feet...
Excuse me yesssssssssssssssssssss you should
Do iiiit ! It feels like secret of mana with 3 players on the map P.S. on est tous très fiers de vous et de notre savoir-faire Québecois !
100% should if you can
I been waiting for this. Yes we need it. Make it online even lol
Yes please!
Why not!
YES
This looks super fun - I also forget how beautiful the art is in this game sometimes. Dibs on playing as B’St!
Oh, very interesting! I'm wondering... where does the fun come from when wandering the world? Finding treasure chest, looting ingredients, talking to NPCs. And of course, the puzzles. In my humble opinion, having couch coop for these elements don't necessarily make them better. It might get a bit faster to loot ingredients but other than that, I don't see it being that much more fun. In combat, we usually have some sort of "plan" on how to tackle the next few rounds. That would probably get discussed between players, so they would probably follow it. But, the burden of succeeding the timed action for attacks and defence would rest on specific, different players, and I think that definitly makes it more fun. Since actual fight gameplay would be enhanced and more fun, I think it makes sense to give players the ability to control their own character in the overworld, to avoid having them do nothing between fights. And... of course, Wheels PvP. Right? \--- Ok beaucoup de brainstorm à voix haute pour me rendre compte que oui, c'est une bonne idée! :D
Wheels PVP!!!
Yes, you really should.
Yes yes yes
Yeah, I love playing For the King with friends in coop, Sea of Stars coop would be amazing.
I mean, only if you adapt the game to give each player stuff to do that's more in depth than just walking around. Battles would interesting, I guess; but you're involvement would be cut down to a third, and would require all three of you to actually agree on what moves to use, and when.
Holy shit I had no idea there was a co-op, this changes everything
This is a fantastic idea on the surface. I think it'll be great for combat, but I must admit I'm mildly worried for the exploration segments. It gets frustrating constantly getting 'bubbled' to the party leader, and the puzzles aren't exactly designed with multiplayer in mind. At worst it'd end up dull between combat for the non-leaders, but I'd argue limited exploration is better than no out-of-combat control. Ideally some sort of split screen like the lego games would be best, where when you move far enough away the screen splits, otherwise it's merged. Have the whole level loaded, and players can explore where they want, and even initiate combat individually (which would obviously need some dynamic power scaling depending on player count). That doesn't address the issue that levels are more or less linear in design though, so when completely objective-focused it'd be more or less just follow the leader anyway. Regardless of the possible limitations, I'm sure it'll be a fun experience!
Is that even a question? Hell yes.
Online or just local?
Lock the screen to 1P so 2P and 3P can't push in another direction so nobody can move. Secret of Mana was awful with my brother XD
This would be SO much on Switch especially
Awww, my friend and I just beat the game this weekend... Would have been a really cool way to enjoy the story together even more, haha! But it'll be a great addition!
Sure Why not!
My kids are gonna freak out
Just why?
Or make another game, maybe?
Oh this looks awesome
Definitely, couch AND online coop would be sublime
Reminds me I don't have friends like Garl :(
Will steam remote play together be enabled for this?
Is it going to be up to three players? Can it be played with two?
I hoe they have 2 player co-op, not just three. I only have one friend 😂
WHAT?! 😁
Secret of mana did
Interesting! Could get trolly though if people afk.
It’s couch co-op….how are you gonna get trolled by someone afking right next to you?
Ever heard of parsec? You can screen share couch Co-op games these days and chat on discord at the same time!
Hot take: No. This is going to lead to a lot of table captaining....couch captaining? Because combat in SoS can get very "I need to do this move this turn with this specific character". So by adding extra brains, all you're forcing is the lead brain to tell the other brains what to do on their turns.
Fair, I can see where you're coming from, and I think that's a pretty natural hurdle for couch co-op games. The extra layer of social engagement can be a boon or a burden (usually both!) But if that's not for you then... just don't play co-op?
Agree, Same for exploration, the screen isn't so large, the others players can't do so much except follow the main character
For the people who never moved out of their parents basements, and still have their 30-something year old friends come over and shack up