FAQ Aquanox

General Questions that we wanted to answer ahead of the release of Aquanox on October 16, 2020.

Is ship customization purely aesthetic, or does it have an impact on gameplay?
Each part of the ship influences its overall stats.  A ship that isn't very powerful can be transformed into a nearly unstoppable war machine with the help of certain upgrades.

Will the player only encounter enemies or will they encounter non-hostile units as well?
You can occasionally encounter neutral and friendly NPCs as well. 

Is Deep Descent a sequel or a prequel to AquaNox 1 and 2, and how does it fit into Aqua’s timeline?
Aquanox Deep Descent is more of a reimagination of the original series. However, it is also set in a period that predates even the Archimedean Dynasty.

Are there any plans for additional content, game modes, or customization options available to the player after the release?
For now, we prefer to focus on delivering the best game possible until October 16. After the release, we will be listening to the community and proceed accordingly. 

Will there be an Insane / Extra Hard difficulty setting on release?
The game will launch with three different difficulty settings: Easy, Normal and Hard. 

Will Deep Descent be more on the hardcore simulation side of things (damage, visibility, water pressure etc.), or is emphasis being put on arcade-style gameplay?
The game will feature an arcade style of gameplay with focus on action and exploration, however we also worked very hard to get the underwater experience to feel just right. The gameplay is paced slower but that not any less exciting. 

How ‘open’ is the world of Aqua in Deep Descent?
Aquanox Deep Descent is a story driven game, so the experience is quite linear. At the same time, the game encourages the player to explore, salvage and gather materials needed for crafting ammo and upgrading their ship. 

Will there be turrets that can be customized and controlled by the player?
Some ships can be equipped with different kinds of turrets. They are automated weapons but need some time to cool off. It’s up to the player to decide when it’s the best time to activate them. 

Will the game world feature a central hub, where players can receive missions, walk around, and interact with the world, or will it be a menu-based experience?
There won’t be a central hub. Things like customizing ships or accepting the missions can be done on docking stations, which are presented as a menu-based experience. 

How much variety can be expected for ships and weapons?
Initially, we wanted to have a bigger variety of ships and weapons but, after receiving feedback from the community, we focused on a smaller selection with more significant options.

Is the player able to repair their damaged vessel?
Each ship has shields and hull points. The shields regenerates over time or by using a shield repair kit. The hull can be repaired with a hull repair kit. There is a limit on both kits, so the player needs to plan accordingly and might even have to momentarily retreat from a fight to craft additional units. 

When can we expect the physical copies for backers of the Kickstarter campaign to arrive?
It mostly depends on your delivery service. At the moment, we expect some slight delays caused by expanded border controls due to Covid-19 measures. 

Would it be possible to adapt some of the existing media from Aquanox to wallpapers?
Yes, absolutely! If the community wants it we'll do it.

Will there be achievements?
There are forty different achievements to unlock throughout the game.

How was the community feedback implemented? Is there an example of this?
The changes based on the community feedback range from small details to big changes like redesigning the UI and Upgrades system. We also mentioned an example for feedback-related changes in the question about weapon and ship variety.

Will there be ultrawide support or a FoV slider?
Sadly, there will be no FoV Slider or ultrawide support. However, we do support 4K screen resolution!

What platforms will it be available on?
Steam, GOG.com and Epic Games Store.

What is the final release date?
October 16th, 2020.

What requirements does the game have?
Minimum:
3.3 GHz or higher: AMD A8-6600K or Intel Core i7-950 or newer, 8 GB, Direct3D 11, Shader Model 5.1 capable video card (GeForce GTX 560 2GB RAM or Radeon HD 7870 4GB RAM), 30 GB HDD

Recommended:
AMD/INTEL 3.5 GHz (AMD Ryzen 5 1500x or Intel Core i5-6600K or newer), 8 GB, AMD/NVIDIA with at least 8 GB VRAM (Radeon RX 580 8GB or Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB), 30 GB HDD

Will the game have joystick and throttle support?
No, it can only be played on mouse and keyboard or a gamepad. 

Will the game have VR support?
No, there is no VR support.

Will the game be available for Linux systems?
At this moment, no.

Will Aquanox have dedicated servers? How is the multiplayer structured?
PvP is a separate mode. You can access it from the main menu, host or join the existing game. It does not utilize dedicated servers. You can create a co-op session by starting the campaign and enable online mode in the pause menu, which will make your session available for the other players to join. If you want to join a co-op session, you do this in the Main Game Menu.

Will there be modding tools for the game at some point in the future?
At the moment, there are no plans for modding tools. However, this does not mean that we definitely won’t add them in the future.