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Pre-Release Endless Ocean Luminous — Pre-release Discussion Thread (UPDATE: overview trailer, see threadmarks)

I was working when the Direct aired and I was watching it in the back, was utterly confused when I saw the diver and asked out loud to myself if this could be Endless Ocean, my colleague having no idea what the hell Endless Ocean is, ended up literally jumping for joy when the logo appeared on screen with the guy beside me being genuinely confused this got me hyped. The original two on the Wii were absolutely wonderful to play, even if a bit simple at times. The lost ruin exploration was, while slow, exhilarating and the simple puzzle solving was honestly a blast. Literally everyone I know in real life was utterly confused when I recommended the game and non picked it up, but bugger them, I'm here day one once again. I remember being absolutely pissed that the WiiU never got one and that Wii Fit U was the closest we'd ever get to a new one with the scuba mini game. Though really limited and it's controls being a crime against humanity at times if you just wanted to explore the small environment.

And just a general reminder, Hayley Westenra is an absolute goddess and should be treated in that way!

 
I was working when the Direct aired and I was watching it in the back, was utterly confused when I saw the diver and asked out loud to myself if this could be Endless Ocean, my colleague having no idea what the hell Endless Ocean is, ended up literally jumping for joy when the logo appeared on screen with the guy beside me being genuinely confused this got me hyped. The original two on the Wii were absolutely wonderful to play, even if a bit simple at times. The lost ruin exploration was, while slow, exhilarating and the simple puzzle solving was honestly a blast. Literally everyone I know in real life was utterly confused when I recommended the game and non picked it up, but bugger them, I'm here day one once again. I remember being absolutely pissed that the WiiU never got one and that Wii Fit U was the closest we'd ever get to a new one with the scuba mini game. Though really limited and it's controls being a crime against humanity at times if you just wanted to explore the small environment.

And just a general reminder, Hayley Westenra is an absolute goddess and should be treated in that way!



My sentiments exactly. Not gonna lie, I was a bit salty when Celtic Woman replaced Hayley in Blue World. Don't get me wrong, they're amazing, but Hayley's voice is absolutely magical for this kind of experience and I was really looking forward to her returning. I'm not sure who they got this time but I'm hoping against all odds that Hayley returns!
 
Honestly a little worried about the roguelike part, not really my cup of tea, I would have preferred a classic approach but understand that this way probably fit better with the online multiplayer.
 
Honestly a little worried about the roguelike part, not really my cup of tea, I would have preferred a classic approach but understand that this way probably fit better with the online multiplayer.
It's procedurally generated, not roguelike. You aren't dying to improve in EO:L
 
So I just joined this forum because of the announcement of this game, and I just wanted to say that EO1 and 2, especially 2, are two of the most especial games I've ever played in my entire life, alongside Chibi-Robo and Animal Crossing. I NEVER in a million years expected the series to be brought back. I had the slightest of hopes that maybe they would remaster the first two games at some point, but a brand new game with 500+ fish? Nah, I'm on cloud nine.

I'm really obsessed with this game and I just cannot wait for May 2nd. Cheers everyone!
 
So I just joined this forum because of the announcement of this game, and I just wanted to say that EO1 and 2, especially 2, are two of the most especial games I've ever played in my entire life, alongside Chibi-Robo and Animal Crossing. I NEVER in a million years expected the series to be brought back. I had the slightest of hopes that maybe they would remaster the first two games at some point, but a brand new game with 500+ fish? Nah, I'm on cloud nine.

I'm really obsessed with this game and I just cannot wait for May 2nd. Cheers everyone!
welcome to famiboards!
 
Never played an Endless Ocean game before, but I have to admit that this looks really interesting. Might be tempted to check it out! Just seems like a very zen game to zone out to.
 
Thanks everyone. Now that I'm finally here, I'm gonna take the opportunity to give some theories and updates.

So, a lot of people, including myself, have been concerned that the "changes with each dive" could mean a procedurally generate sea. But, recently I've been seeing a bunch of people saying that the environment always looked the same in all sequences and pictures, and that the eshop especific wording is "discoveries that change with each dive", which suggests something quite more exciting, which is the fauna and maybe some sunken wreckages changing.
I read someone mentioning that this could be like Pokémon where there could be rare especies with low spawn ratio, which could explain the "rare" tag on the spotted bigeye trevally shown in the trailer. Rare spawn ratios would also fit legendaries/mythologicals like a glove, and probably prehistoric creatures too, although I still hope there is a whole ancient sea dedicated to them.

If that is the case, and it's executed well, it would be much more exciting, interesting, and definitely fit the whole "Endless Ocean" title.

On another note, just in case you guys don't know, treasure scavenging has been confirmed to be back by the official ESRB page of the game, which explains that the alcohol rating is because we can find old wine crates and similar alcoholic items, among other things.
And speaking of treasure hunting, I've always been very curious about the small circle besided the minimap, and I've come to the conclussion that it could possibly be the treasure sonar, being promoted from tool to automatic hud.

And at last, I just want to make you excited about the possibility of getting a prehistoric dolphin partner, which could be the Ichthyosaurus!, which is described to be a dolphin-ish creature. I don't see Arika missing out on the opportunity of giving us a prehistoric friend lol.
 
Oh, they're finally starting the advertising hype cycle for this? Hell yeah. Hit me with some new sea turtles and some music, please. I gotta know if Hayley Westenra is back. The ruins are looking pretty cool too, so I assume if there's not as much of a story as 2 then we'll at least get a lot of lore.
 
Oh, they're finally starting the advertising hype cycle for this? Hell yeah. Hit me with some new sea turtles and some music, please. I gotta know if Hayley Westenra is back. The ruins are looking pretty cool too, so I assume if there's not as much of a story as 2 then we'll at least get a lot of lore.

I highly doubt it doesn't have a story. I mean, the first two games were called "Dive, discover, dream" and "Blue world/Adventures of the deep", which are pretty generic names and yet both have a well elaborated main story, so I highly doubt that they named this one "Luminous" for no reason. The main theory is that the story will probably revolve around some bioluminiscent legendary, hence the name.

Also, very beautiful new screenshots there. I really hope they don't spoil too much, because I believe there's a new prehistoric creature in the sunken palace one. I just want the confirmation that the game is as full and diverse in content as the second game and I'm set.
 
LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE SPOTTED, HELL YEAH

Now give us some more sea turtles that weren't in the first two. How have we avoided the pretty red loggerheads so long???

I highly doubt it doesn't have a story. I mean, the first two games were called "Dive, discover, dream" and "Blue world/Adventures of the deep", which are pretty generic names and yet both have a well elaborated main story, so I highly doubt that they named this one "Luminous" for no reason. The main theory is that the story will probably revolve around some bioluminiscent legendary, hence the name.

Also, very beautiful new screenshots there. I really hope they don't spoil too much, because I believe there's a new prehistoric creature in the sunken palace one. I just want the confirmation that the game is as full and diverse in content as the second game and I'm set.

Key words were "as much of a story as 2" which had a pretty long campaign. Something like 1's setup where the story stuff is a pretty minor part of the game, but it has a lot of ruins and lore to dig into is what I was getting at. Though, with how much we know so far, this could be the biggest one yet and they're just holding the deets back.
 
@T-Hell with the continued marketing around the world changing with each dive, are you still on team handcrafted world or have you switched to team procedurally generated? 🐳 I really liked your theories above as to how it might not be procedurally generated.
 
I was working when the Direct aired and I was watching it in the back, was utterly confused when I saw the diver and asked out loud to myself if this could be Endless Ocean, my colleague having no idea what the hell Endless Ocean is, ended up literally jumping for joy when the logo appeared on screen with the guy beside me being genuinely confused this got me hyped. The original two on the Wii were absolutely wonderful to play, even if a bit simple at times. The lost ruin exploration was, while slow, exhilarating and the simple puzzle solving was honestly a blast. Literally everyone I know in real life was utterly confused when I recommended the game and non picked it up, but bugger them, I'm here day one once again. I remember being absolutely pissed that the WiiU never got one and that Wii Fit U was the closest we'd ever get to a new one with the scuba mini game. Though really limited and it's controls being a crime against humanity at times if you just wanted to explore the small environment.

And just a general reminder, Hayley Westenra is an absolute goddess and should be treated in that way!


I love Hayley's rendition of the NZ national anthem. Sung it at an All Blacks game.
 
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new info New
New info from the official site:

General:
  • You have a Diver Rank which will increase as you survey creatures, salvage treasures and fulfil achievements.
    • Points accumulated can be spent on customisation options for your diver, the selection growing as you raise your rank. There are sets of colors; types of helmets, body suits, flippers, vests and tanks; and different gestures to purchase.
    • Creatures can swim alongside you, as many as a whole school of fish. As your Diver Rank increases the quantity and size of the creatures you can bring with you increases.
  • As explained during the reveal, the Veiled Sea changes topography each time you dive. Various types of locations and details that can appear are shown on the site: shallow waters, caves, coral reefs, sunken ships, hydrothermal vents, drifting ice on the surface, submarine volcanic activity, etc.
  • By closely observing creatures, information will be documented and sent to the research headquarters: ecological info (scientific name, description), how many of each you've observed, largest and smallest size you've observed, etc. You can view your encyclopedia anytime, but you can also view this information in real time while observing the creature.
    • They've said "Over 500" creatures since the reveal but based on the screenshot of the encyclopedia there are 578 total.
  • Salvaged treasures are found on the sea floor and come in various forms with different rarities.
  • You can take photos of creatures, as well as take selfies with them, which can be saved directly to Switch media album.
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Online:
  • You can dive alone, or dive together with other players. You can be joined with up to 10 random people, or invite up to 30 friends.
  • In multiplayer everyone starts from a different location, but your map is shared and details will be filled out as you explore together.
  • When you come in proximity with another player you'll be able to see their location on the map, share specific creature locations with them, and fast travel to them for the rest of the session.
  • You can tag creatures with emotes and mark treasure locations for other people to see.
  • Special research missions will be given while playing with others; you'll be tasked to find specific locations and observe the creatures found there.
  • Once you've uncovered 80% of a randomzied ocean you'll recieve the Ocean ID which will allow you to share the seed with others.
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Still feeling very uncertain about having story and other niceties from previous EO's, but this is definitely shaping up to be a lot of fun to explore. Also nice that there'll be randoms to swim with and stuff, and surely the higher levels of customization will feature some of the sillier stuff from EO2 like letting you turn all your diving gear into different fish, ninja outfits, shark bodysuits, all that fun stuff.
 
Online:
  • You can dive alone, or dive together with other players. You can be joined with up to 10 random people, or invite up to 30 friends.
  • In multiplayer everyone starts from a different location, but your map is shared and details will be filled out as you explore together.
  • When you come in proximity with another player you'll be able to see their location on the map, share specific creature locations with them, and fast travel to them for the rest of the session.
  • You can tag creatures with emotes and mark treasure locations for other people to see.
  • Special research missions will be given while playing with others; you'll be tasked to find specific locations and observe the creatures found there.
  • Once you've uncovered 80% of a randomzied ocean you'll recieve the Ocean ID which will allow you to share the seed with
Holy shit, this sounds so cool!! Definitely seems like it’ll be a super fun and chill time! Hopefully I’ll be able to convince some friends to actually buy the game and play it with me and my partner…

Still bummed that it’s online only, though… Wish they would have supported local wireless too, even if they’d have to cap it at 8 players max for local wireless.
 
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Holy shit, this sounds so cool!! Definitely seems like it’ll be a super fun and chill time! Hopefully I’ll be able to convince some friends to actually buy the game and play it with me and my partner…

Still bummed that it’s online only, though… Wish they would have supported local wireless too.
So wait, is the entire game online only or...?
 
@T-Hell with the continued marketing around the world changing with each dive, are you still on team handcrafted world or have you switched to team procedurally generated? 🐳 I really liked your theories above as to how it might not be procedurally generated.

Well, based on the recent information that just dropped, it seems we're getting different handcrafted worlds that randomly generate each time, or something like that.

Holy mackerels, 578 fish? My gosh that's waaay more than I expected. I'm loving the details so far, I just wish they didn't spoil so much of the prehistoric stuff.
Also, in that bit of info they didn't clarify about that new clip where it seems the player is using the pulsar or something?
No dolphing training or aquarium info yet has me worried though.
 
This has easily become the upcoming game I’m most excited about now (well, maybe after Shadow Generations, but that one’s still a ways off anyway). I’ve not played the other Endless Ocean games, so I’m not 100% sure what I’m getting into here, but from everything I’ve seen from the game so far it looks like it’ll be fantastic experience.

But, uh, just to keep my expectations in check…there’s not any, like, cruel or exploitative shit in the first two games that might return in this one, is there? ’Cause the above post mentions dolphin training and an aquarium, which, uh, has me concerned. So far what they’ve shown of the game seems to be strictly observing sea animals, no fishing or anything like that, and I really hope it stays that way because if not that’s gonna be an instant turnoff for me, especially with how realistically the game portrays things.
 
The hardest part about this will be convincing any of my friends to buy it for online co-op dives lol, but sounding like a lot of fun and I'm sure we can set up some Fami expeditions :)
 
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But, uh, just to keep my expectations in check…there’s not any, like, cruel or exploitative shit in the first two games that might return in this one, is there? ’Cause the above post mentions dolphin training and an aquarium, which, uh, has me concerned. So far what they’ve shown of the game seems to be strictly observing sea animals, no fishing or anything like that, and I really hope it stays that way because if not that’s gonna be an instant turnoff for me, especially with how realistically the game portrays things.

It's a very friendly game, no fishing or exploitation. The dolphin thing is just that you could befriend a dolphin of each species represented in the game, give it a name, dive in with it, and train it for funs and shows. No whip smacks or anything if the dolphin doesn't perform as you wish, just pampers and fish snacks.

The aquarium is just exactly that, an aquarium to exhibit the animals you've discovered that you can constantly customize (the fishes exhibited) and earn some money from the visits. There's no animation, or cutscene, or implication that you literally steal an animal from its habitat in order to put it into the aquarium, you just go to the aquarium, choose from the selection of animals you've already discovered, and it magically appears one especimen in there. You can swim along them in the big tank, and still feed and pamper them.

As a matter of fact, the second game had sidequests and dialogues regarding human abuse of marine life, where you had to rescue fish lost in environments where they don't belong (because of human activity), healing fish that were stressed or hurt (because of human activity), and mentions of trash in the sea and animals eating the trash and all of that.
 
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It's a very friendly game, no fishing or exploitation. The dolphin thing is just that you could befriend a dolphin of each species represented in the game, give it a name, dive in with it, and train it for funs and shows. No whip smacks or anything if the dolphin doesn't perform as you wish, just pampers and fish snacks.

The aquarium is just exactly that, an aquarium to exhibit the animals you've discovered that you can constantly customize (the fishes exhibited) and earn some money from the visits. There's no animation, or cutscene, or implication that you literally steal an animal from its habitat in order to put it into the aquarium, you just go to the aquarium, choose from the selection of animals you've already discovered, and it magically appears one especimen in there. You can swim along them in the big tank, and still feed and pamper them.

As a matter of fact, the second game had sidequests and dialogues regarding human abuse of marine life, where you had to rescue fish lost in environments where they don't belong (because of human activity), healing fish that were stressed or hurt (because of human activity), and mentions of trash in the sea and animals eating the trash and all of that.
Cool, good to know that the series appears to actually be fairly consistent in its messaging in that regard, because many games that present pro-environment or nonhuman animal themes will half-ass it and undermine those very themes they’re trying to convey by featuring contradictory shit positively in the same game. But if there’s no actual holding animals captive and instead just an abstract “aquarium” that functions as a way to see any animals you’ve already encountered before then that’s fine.
’Cause in real life zoos/aquariums are pretty much inherently exploitative unless they’re strictly a sanctuary for rescued animals (in which case they wouldn’t really be considered a zoo/aquarium anymore).
 
In theory couldn't you connect online with people in the same room and play that way? Sucks for those without online though. Definitely one of the things I am disliking about the future of gaming (not everyone has online)
 
Quoted by: Tye
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In theory couldn't you connect online with people in the same room and play that way? Sucks for those without online though. Definitely one of the things I am disliking about the future of gaming (not everyone has online)
Yes, but, personally, my desire for local wireless isn’t about not having access to online play now, but rather in the (hopefully relatively distant) future when the game’s online play is inevitably shut down. I just wish games would support local wireless as well so that the multiplayer experience can always live on, especially for niche games like this that are far from guaranteed to get a sequel eventually on newer systems.
 
Man, this game is really looking to be fun, fascinating and long, but I still hope there is interesting sidequests and storylines like the second game to do. In-game achievements again would also be amazing, and in general, enough things to incentivize making a second character (I had a blast in EO2 developing my male shark and my female godess).
 
WE GOTTA PLAN FAMI DIVE NIGHTS!!! 30 of us swimming around!!!
I’m kinda confused about how the online play works with friends. From the translation I read on the site, it seems to suggest that normally you play with up to 10 random players, but then you can invite up to 20 friends on top of that, for a total of 30 players altogether. If that’s correct and not a mistranslation or misinterpretation, then you can only actually invite 20 friends in a single session, and the other 10 players have to be random players. It also seems to imply that you can’t ever play with just friends, either? Again, that could be wrong, but that’s how I’m interpreting the translation of the details listed on the official website.
 
I’m kinda confused about how the online play works with friends. From the translation I read on the site, it seems to suggest that normally you play with up to 10 random players, but then you can invite up to 20 friends on top of that, for a total of 30 players altogether. If that’s correct and not a mistranslation or misinterpretation, then you can only actually invite 20 friends in a single session, and the other 10 players have to be random players. It also seems to imply that you can’t ever play with just friends, either? Again, that could be wrong, but that’s how I’m interpreting the translation of the details listed on the official website.
How I’d HOPE it would work is that it’s a simple lobby system: You can join a public, random lobby with 10 strangers (I guess 9 strangers, because I assume 10 includes you) OR you can join a private lobby where you can play with 30 (well, 29) friends. Ideally, the private lobby would offer up a lobby code that you could share online (such as on Famiboards) to increase the number of folks joining without having to add them all to your friend list.

This game is being developed by our friends at ARIKA, so I’d look at a game like Tetris 99 to get an idea of how they’re gonna manage it.
 
How I’d HOPE it would work is that it’s a simple lobby system: You can join a public, random lobby with 10 strangers (I guess 9 strangers, because I assume 10 includes you) OR you can join a private lobby where you can play with 30 (well, 29) friends. Ideally, the private lobby would offer up a lobby code that you could share online (such as on Famiboards) to increase the number of folks joining without having to add them all to your friend list.

This game is being developed by our friends at ARIKA, so I’d look at a game like Tetris 99 to get an idea of how they’re gonna manage it.
See, that’s what I’d assume at first too, but I’m not sure that’s the implication based on what I’ve read. It also seems rather odd that multiplayer with random players caps out at 10, while you can go up to 30 with friends, when playing with friends is obviously going to be less likely to reach those higher numbers in the first place. So I dunno, but hopefully we get more clarification on how the online play works soon. Nintendo of America still hasn’t acknowledged the game since the Direct…
 
I'm expecting them to drop their now classic overview trailer by the middle of the month or so.
 
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See, that’s what I’d assume at first too, but I’m not sure that’s the implication based on what I’ve read. It also seems rather odd that multiplayer with random players caps out at 10, while you can go up to 30 with friends, when playing with friends is obviously going to be less likely to reach those higher numbers in the first place. So I dunno, but hopefully we get more clarification on how the online play works soon. Nintendo of America still hasn’t acknowledged the game since the Direct…
Yeah, I’m hoping we get some clarification soon too.

I have a theory for why they chose 10 randos vs 30 friends, and it actually lends credence to my idea of private, coded lobbies. My theory is:

- they capped the number of randos at 10 because that lowers the number of chances that someone in the game ruins the fun (either by griefing, or harassing other players, or causing the game to lag by having poop internet) from 29 to 9.

- they have a 30 person cap for friends because of streamers. I think Arika knows that this game has the opportunity to strike a chord with the “cozy” game audience, both players and those who watch cozy game streams/content. If they have private coded lobbies, a Streamer could play with 29 of their chat members by sharing a room code on their stream. It seems to me like a perfect game for that kind of community interaction, and in that kind of situation, it’s much easier to cultivate a good, well-behaved group with solid connections.
 
more new info New
US site has some more new details even compared to the JP site from yesterday:
  • Shared Expeditions: Share your Session ID to invite friends on a group swim (up to 30 total). If the session has fewer than 30 people, you may also be joined by up to 10 random divers from around the world (no Session ID required). You may end up with a mix of both friends and strangers on your dive for a total of up to 30 players on the map as you explore and make discoveries together.
  • Research Expeditions: Help save the World Coral in this single-player story mode.
  • Mystery Board: Uncover buried treasures, strange creatures, and more.
Pics for the latter two:

Switch_EOL_PMP-Assets_SCRN_03
Switch_EOL_PMP-Assets_SCRN_04


Customisation seems more limited than I assumed from the JP screen though; seems like it's just changing out the colours rather than unique parts. Biggest bummer so far (we'll have to see how that story mode turns out, but at least there's one confirmed now).

https://assets.nintendo.com/video/u...videos/Section_4_PMP-Assets_Customization.mp4
 
A nice cozy trailer for a nice cozy game. man...the vibes that this game is giving off is just making me want to buy it more!!
 
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US site has some more new details even compared to the JP site from yesterday:
  • Shared Expeditions: Share your Session ID to invite friends on a group swim (up to 30 total). If the session has fewer than 30 people, you may also be joined by up to 10 random divers from around the world (no Session ID required). You may end up with a mix of both friends and strangers on your dive for a total of up to 30 players on the map as you explore and make discoveries together.
  • Research Expeditions: Help save the World Coral in this single-player story mode.
  • Mystery Board: Uncover buried treasures, strange creatures, and more.
Pics for the latter two:

Switch_EOL_PMP-Assets_SCRN_03
Switch_EOL_PMP-Assets_SCRN_04


Customisation seems more limited than I assumed from the JP screen though; seems like it's just changing out the colours rather than unique parts. Biggest bummer so far (we'll have to see how that story mode turns out, but at least there's one confirmed now).

https://assets.nintendo.com/video/u...videos/Section_4_PMP-Assets_Customization.mp4
Why do you think the customization is limited? Is it based on what the US site says?
 
Why do you think the customization is limited? Is it based on what the US site says?

The video linked shows some swapping between tabs, and there only seems to be colors rather than, say, different styles of gear. The scrollbar looks long though, so there's a thin hope that maybe styles change as you go down? But it could still easily be just, like, a LOT of different color combos.
 
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