A: The physics engine, AI and GFX engine (nicknamed Engine*) are made entirely in-house by Bare Mettle; if you wish to know more check out the forums and their Kickstarter video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZchE30StQ

*Sometimes affectionately referred to as $#@%!

A: Unfortunately, no. Both Exanima and Sui Generis will be standalone and complete games.

A: The quickstart guide is located in-game under the Settings>Controls Tab, also here:

http://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=495406260

A: Under the settings menu there is an option for “Early Checkpoints”. This ensures that after reaching a new level your character and progress are saved. There is also an additional checkpoint on the first level which is activated after you pass a locked door near the beginning.

If early checkpoints are disabled there is only one checkpoint at the end of level three. Also, the game will auto-save your progress when you exit the game (so you can continue from where you left off) but death will be permanent if you have not passed a checkpoint.

A: Press the “K” key to bring up the skills window, then select a skill to train. All experience points gained will go towards learning this skill until the progress bar above it becomes full; once this happens the skill is fully trained and can be used. A flashing “+” icon in the lower right corner signifies that it’s time to train a new skill.

A: To attack you must be in combat mode (signified by a red cursor); press the “tab” key to toggle between combat and exploration modes. Holding down the left mouse button will perform the default right-to-left attack. Holding the “alt” key before attacking will allow you to thrust. Double clicking and holding the left mouse button will perform an overhead strike. Positioning the cursor to the left of your character before swinging will perform a left-to-right strike.

A: In the early part of the story mode you do not have the means to protect yourself. It is recommended to be cautious and avoid any conflicts initially; however, if someone attacks don’t be afraid to run like heck (hold shift to sprint). It is wise to search for a couple layers of armor and familiarize yourself with the controls/combat setup. Finding a decent weapon will increase your chances of success if you do choose to engage in combat (some weapons are much more effective than others!). Also note: most NPC’s you encounter when starting out are not immediately hostile unless provoked.

A: Your character automatically attempts to block if you are not attacking (holding down LMB); however, positioning is important. Turning your character to face the incoming attack increases your chances of successfully parrying.

Note: even if an attack strikes you while you're attempting to parry it will cause less damage than if you were performing an attack.

A: As it stands there are no difficulty settings, only the option to enable early checkpoints. See How do saves and checkpoints work?

A: Exanima relies on a free roaming cursor to control the character. Camera follow and target lock would interfere with accurate cursor movements, thus severely limiting how you could attack or move.

A: You can use keys and other items by double clicking on them and then clicking on a target object. If the item is usable you will notice the cursor change when you double click said item; i.e. double click on a key and then on a locked door to unlock it.

A: Character relative controls allow 360 degrees of movement as opposed to just eight that you get with screen relative controls. In Exanima an inch could be the difference between life and death so this level of precision is necessary for survival.

A: Steam controller support is planned.

A: Exanima uses motion synthesis; this means movements are created from simulated muscle contractions which take into account momentum, inertia and physics. Motion synthesis allows movements to be dynamic and free-flowing instead of being restricted by predetermined static animations. This means every time you fight someone it plays out in a completely different and unique way.

Due to the complexity of the system it may take a while to learn how to effectively control your character so the movements may appear a bit strange. However, once you get past the initial learning curve then your movements will become much more fluid and natural looking.

A: https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=601049548#950097