NovaQuest RPG
An epic sci-fi mobile RPG with real-time multiplayer combat and AI-driven storylines.
NovaQuest is a groundbreaking mobile RPG that combines real-time multiplayer combat with AI-generated storylines that adapt to player choices. Set in a vast sci-fi universe spanning over 200 procedurally generated star systems, players explore alien worlds, battle cosmic threats, and forge alliances with other players across the globe. The game features a deep progression system with over 50 character classes, each with unique ability trees and equipment loadouts. What truly sets NovaQuest apart is the AI narrative engine — every quest, every dialogue choice, and every world event is dynamically generated based on the collective actions of all players, creating an ever-evolving universe that never plays the same way twice. The game launched simultaneously on iOS and Android, with full cross-platform multiplayer support, ensuring that friends can play together regardless of their device. Montreal-based Stellar Games approached LIAWEB with an ambitious vision: create a mobile RPG that could compete with console-quality titles while running smoothly on devices as modest as the iPhone 11 or Samsung Galaxy A54.
The Challenge
The client wanted a mobile game that could rival console-quality RPGs while maintaining smooth performance on mid-range devices. They needed AI to generate dynamic story content that felt hand-crafted, not robotic or repetitive. The biggest technical hurdle was the real-time multiplayer system — supporting thousands of concurrent players in shared game worlds with sub-200ms latency on mobile networks. Additionally, the AI narrative engine needed to produce coherent, engaging quest lines that respected game lore and adapted to individual player decisions without contradicting the broader story arc. Performance was another critical factor: the game needed to run at a stable 60fps with complex 3D environments, particle effects, and multiple animated characters on screen simultaneously, all while keeping battery drain under control. The art pipeline also posed challenges — the client wanted a AAA visual quality but on a mobile game budget, which meant we needed to be extremely efficient with our shader code and asset optimization.
Our Solution
We built the game engine on Unity with custom shaders optimized for mobile GPUs, implementing Level of Detail (LOD) systems and texture streaming to maintain visual fidelity without overwhelming device memory. Our rendering pipeline uses a deferred lighting approach modified for mobile, allowing complex lighting scenarios with minimal draw calls. The AI narrative pipeline uses fine-tuned language models (based on GPT-4) with a custom constraint system that ensures generated content respects game lore, character relationships, and world state. We built a "narrative graph" that tracks story beats across all players, preventing contradictions while allowing genuine emergent storytelling. The multiplayer backend runs on a custom Node.js architecture with Redis pub/sub for real-time state synchronization, deployed on AWS with auto-scaling that handles anywhere from 100 to 15,000+ concurrent players. We implemented a predictive netcode system that compensates for mobile network latency, keeping gameplay smooth even on 4G connections. For the art pipeline, we developed a semi-procedural system where artists create base assets that are then varied through shader-based material variations, effectively multiplying our visual content by 5x without additional art production time. The entire development cycle from concept to App Store submission took 11 months with a peak team of 8 developers.
Results
Tech Stack
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