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Barotrauma is a 2D multiplayer resource management game currently in development by Undertow Games and FakeFish. The game was released for free as a pre-alpha version on July 31st 2015, and has received regular updates since then. An Early Access commercial release was launched on June 5th 2019 on Steam. The game's source code can be found on GitHub.
Development
After the success of Joonas ("Regalis") Rikkonen's SCP - Containment Breach, he was encouraged to begin pursuing a career in game design and to start his own company, Undertow Games.[1] He would later begin working on an entirely new game which deviated greatly from his previous works. Barotrauma draws inspiration from several different sources. The resource management aspects of the game were inspired by Space Station 13, and may have intentionally given Regalis the idea to make the game two dimensional rather than 3D. The horror aspects and underwater setting of the game were inspired by Pressure. Pressure is a game concept that originated from 4chan's video game board /v/. The game woud've taken place in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean inside a research lab. The lab is then attacked by underwater sea creatures and it is then up to the player to try and escape the lab. Several developers have attempted to make an actual game based on the concept, but so far none of them have been completed. The idea of having lovecraftian monsters be the main threat in the game most likely also inspired the enemies in Barotrauma as well.[2] The game's art style is said to be inspired by Link-Dead, a 2D side-scrolling shooter which had also been in development for a while before being presumed dead.[3] The game's wiring mechanic was inspired by Minecraft's redstone mechanics and MechComp in Space Station 13.[2]
Plot
Barotrauma's time period takes place several hundred years in the future, during an era where humanity is technologically advanced enough to achieve manned interplanetary space travel.The setting of the game is on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, which has become colonized during the space age. Due to the surface of the planet being too irradiated for survival, colonies and outposts have been established under the layer of ice which covers the surface of the moon. Beneath the ice layer is a vast ocean used as a transport network between colonies and as a source for natural resources. The ocean also allowed for the creation of transportation shafts which interconnect the colonies throughout the moon. The ocean itself is inhabited by a number of aquatic creatures, as well as natural forming cave systems.
Controls
This is a list of the default controls. The keys can be customized in the options menu.
| Actions | Keys |
|---|---|
| Use | E |
| Movement | WASD |
| Sprint | L-SHIFT |
| Crouch | L-CONTROL |
| Select / Use Equipped Item | MOUSE1 (Left-Click) |
| Aim Equipped Item | MOUSE2 (Right-Click) |
| Creature Attack | R |
| Ragdoll Controlled Character | SPACE |
| Chat | T |
| Radio Chat | R |
| Push-to-Talk | V |
| Local Voice Chat | B |
| Grab | G |
| Health | H |
| AI Crew Orders | C |
| Command Interface | MOUSE3 (Middle-Click) |
| Next AI Character | Z |
| Previous AI Character | X |
| Info Tab | Tab |
| Toggle Inventory in Sub Editor | Q |
| Open the console | F3/Fn+F3 |
Objective
- See also: Maintenance
The primary goal in the Campaign of Barotrauma's game types, is to maintain and build a submarine. This is done by hiring and controlling all of the crew members individually. Each crew member can be given a specific job; the job chosen affects which skills the character excels at and performs badly in, although the actual percentage is randomized within a set range. In addition, Barotrauma also has what is arguably the antagonists of the game, aquatic-based creatures which are capable of damaging your submarine and killing your crew, both intentionally and by consequence of damaging the ship. The secondary objective can be considered defending the submarine from these creatures and repairing damage by them before your ship sinks. The game also features other game modes, with different goals or styles.
GUI
Inventory
The inventory consists of 16 slots (medic's uniforms have 3 extra slots). Six of those slots are for specific equipped gear, as indicated by the icons displayed on them; one slot each for an ID card, headset, headgear, innerwear, outerwear and toolbelt. The other ten slots house any unequipped items. Items can be equipped by double-clicking on them, clicking on the small bar above each item icon, or using the numbered hotkeys. The character can also carry items in their hands if they're not full of other equipment. Some items may not fit in the inventory slots due to their size; for example, storage containers can only be carried in hand, crates require both hands to carry and the diving suit cannot be carried, only worn in the suit slot.
Store
On campaign this allows the player to purchase items, ammunition, electrical components, new crew members and certain installations. The supplies are purchased using credits, which are a form of currency that is rewarded to the player after successfully completing a task in quest mode. In multiplayer mode however you cant purchase new crew members.
Wiring Interface
In order for any item in the submarine to work correctly, it needs to be wired. To enter the wiring system in game all you need its a screwdriver, and then press E in any item, there you will be able to modify the wiring (It can be disabled in server configurations or inside the sub editor). When you are inside the wiring system, you can remove wires by simply clicking and arresting it out of the plugin, but it wont remove the wire completely. To remove it completely you have to unplug it in both items and drag it to your inventory or outside of the wiring system UI. If you just remove one side of the wire, it will disable work as expected, but it will leave a wire bouncing which can create sparks that generate sound, it can be seen or heard by any player. To add a new wire to the plugins, you have to be holding any wire, it should appear automatically on the UI, then you just drag it to the plugin for both items. Add it in-game wont look fancy but a upcoming feature for that its coming in future updates. Wiring in the sub editor its similar to wiring in-game, although you have control of the shape of the wires.