Hello everyone!
Today I would like to share with you a sneak peek of what we have been hard at work lately. Unfortunately, the update won't be ready in November, that is certain.
With that out of the way, let’s dig together into what we are doing!
Interfaces
When we started working on the new scenario, we quickly realized the limitations of the current UI and what features we would like to add. For example, bonuses that players unlock for overcoming a challenge or completing a task were hard to keep track of. Sometimes it's beneficial to read about the effects of bonuses that were already taken in the past to get a better understanding of what to take next.
With the new interface, the players can now easily access information with class and style! Furthermore, this template will serve as a backbone for other menus with upgrades.
The Laboratory
The laboratory UI is also getting a visual overhaul. Players will be able now to view already researched and yet to be discovered technologies. In addition, the laboratory can now operate without engineers, but it will be very ineffective in terms of the speed of the research.
New Scenarios Structure
We have come up with a new way to structure the game’s scenarios. They are no longer directly related to each other and take place at different times. The scenarios are divided according to the seasons of the year: summer, autumn, winter and spring. This brings us to the second scenario: Autumn.
Autumn Scenario
The scenario takes place at the Ploshchad Revolyutsii station, that produces food rations. Recently the station's residents have stopped sending supplies and stay silent. You are sent to find out the fate of the station and it inhabitants.
In this scenario players will also encounter a new type of foe: The fanatic.
For most of us, the arrival of the aliens was the end of the world, but for some it was a chance to begin anew, some even say that they have been waiting for it. These individuals gave their minds and humanity willingly to the invaders and became something in-between: a shell of a human with the malice of a mutant.
How is the team doing?
I have delegated some of my work on the game’s code to my teammate Allexeee. This allows me to take a step back and have more time to think about what we are doing, rather than how we are doing it. Worry not, I still program a lot, but it has more to do with system, experimentation and research than production.
Content-wise, it takes us, on average, one working week to draw a complex animated object. This includes planning, concepts, animation. Unlike in the case of game design, the time of content creation is fairly predictable and linear.
So what is the hold up?
The game save system is proving to be problematic to say the least. We need to be certain that the new update will not break anything.
Stay tuned for this update’s news and until then: stay safe, comrades.
