Hello!
So sorry this update comes so late and so randomly.
Wanted to cover one thing first which is that I owe everyone a big apology for the sudden lack of updates and radio silence.
TL;DR, after early access started I got my first job in games. It ended up being hard to balance the new job and this solo project so I sort of just fell off the wagon.
I do think I've found a good balance now and don't anticipate this being an issue going forward but wanted to apologize. Thank you all for your interest in the game, I am still very much committed to finishing it and will do my best to communicate in a prompt and straight-forward fashion going forward.
Now, on to the fun stuff!
What's in this update?
This update basically contains a solid chunk of iteration on what I'm starting to think of as a "remastered" version of the game and the base of what I'm planning to iterate on for the full release.
I don't think the new pass is in a totally "fun" state yet but I wanted to get it out in the open so I can start hammering on it with feedback from folks who are interested.
If you hate it, and would prefer to play the old version of the game, I've created a beta branch called archive and frozen the old version of the game there. If you want to play the old version, you can just switch over to that beta branch to play the old build while I polish up this new pass.
At a super duper high level, here is what's new:
Combat
* Your weapon cards are now something you actively draw into a hand and then play to equip weapons, invoke powers, modify your weapons, etc.
* You cycle through cards with the top buttons (Y and B on Oculus) and press trigger to play one.
* When you play a weapon card, it now actually changes the appearance of your hand cannon
* Weapons now have unique, animated models that set them apart (e.g. the rocket launcher looks different from the pistol)
* Tried to make weapons feel better to use (added haptics, bullet holes that get left behind, cleaner looking reticles, punchier particle effects, and unique animations).
* Added ammunition that gets used up (so you need to continue to play your cards to equip new weapons, reload, etc.)
* Added new Mod Cards that let you modify your weapon's effects, for example:
* Flaming Hot - make your weapon apply burn damage.
* Double Barrel - makes your weapon file another projectile each round.
* Ricochet - makes your rounds reflect off of walls once (stacks).
* And a lot, lot more stuff, I can't even remember lol.
Locomotion:
* Kept flying essentially the same but added new thruster models + particle effects that hopefully look cooler
* Expanded the "traditional" locomotion options to include crouching, sprinting, sliding (crouch when sprinting), and wall-running.
* Tried to make jumping and non-flying locomotion feel better in general.
Levels
* Started iterating on levels that look a little less low poly.
* Art is still like totally block out/placeholder, but I think it's a bit closer to the level of detail I'd like to hit for 1.0 than what was in there before.
* Also added new hazards like buzz saws, alarm systems, and more.
* Will continue to iterate on these.
...And lots lots more stuff I'm sure I'm forgetting.
While I'm excited about all of this progress, I think the current state of the new build is still pretty rough.
It is super prototype-y and missing tons of functionality I want to add in the next few updates.
That said, just wanted to get this out there to get back in the habit of regular updates and to keep you all in the loop.
If you'd like to discuss the changes, please consider joining the Discord or posting to the forums!
I'll be on there making time to discuss ideas, record bugs, feedback, etc.
Thank you all for your continued support, excited to be back in the swing of things.