Hold on tight, Spacefarers!

The Combat Trailer for Jumplight Odyssey has been released, and it’s packed with the chaos and non-stop action of fending off the Zutopan raiding parties.

You may have caught our Combat Analysis Deep Dive Stream this morning, but if you didn't, don't worry -- we'll be uploading the VOD to Youtube very soon!

Don’t fear, though, this month’s Developer’s Log is going to explore the minutiae of the Trailer, and break down some of this anarchy with Dev insights. ~

The Hunt Begins

We’re immediately met by Admiral Voltan in his Bridge as he is preparing to launch an attack on the SDF Catalina. Admiral Voltan and his motives have not yet been explored… So far, we know that he is a warmongering leader and commander of the Zutopan forces chasing the SDF Catalina, but there may be some merit in wondering why…

Anyway, back to your regular broadcasting!

We have reiterated before the importance of the Captain’s decision-making, and there is no tougher decisions than those made when the Catalina is under attack… When the player sounds an Alert Level, crew will immediately respond with the corresponding protocol. These are colour-coded, with each Alert Level having its own purpose and intensity (we’ll explore the different Alert Levels later in the Dev Log). But for now, it is important to note that these ‘high’ Alert Levels; Red (Battle Stations) and Magenta (Intruder Alert) include the very important requirement that all Officers and the Captain immediately report to the Bridge.

Strategic Jumping is your ticket to reaching the Forever Star. While the Captain’s first instinct might be “let’s get the hell out of here!”, there are other important facets to keep in mind… You might not want to tank the hit to your Hope as a result of losing so many crew to abandoned Away Missions, or maybe you are desperate for the Resources that these Away Missions are bringing back to the Catalina. Perhaps you’re sick of running – for now – and want to face the threat head on. Or, worst of all, you’ve run out of time.

Regardless of your circumstances, the SDF Catalina does come well stocked with a defensive system.

“Princess, the Zutopans will be in our Systems any minute!”

You can always check where the Zutopan Forces are by heading to the Star Map.

“But they’re not here yet… Prepare Defences!”

Defensive techniques will vary between Captains, but ultimately will come down to the utilisation of the same resources. There are some incredibly useful pieces of tech to be implemented from our Build Mode, as you can see in this clip from the Combat Trailer:

Weapon Lockers: these contain laser pistols (specifically BZ-pattern laser pistols, nicknamed ‘Buzzers') which the Marines in your Combat Division can equip to fend off invaders. Euphora isn’t afraid to grab one if the need arises either.

Jumplight Memory Unit: this is an Engine Room upgrade that increasess the maximum Jumplight that your Jumplight Core can hold, allowing for even longer Jumps. Useful if you need to create some more breathing room between you and the Zutopan Fleet.

Blast Doors: sturdy doors that have more health than regular doors, which will slow down the Zutopans trying to break through them. Blast Doors have the added benefit that they will seal shut as a safety precaution if they lose power, whereas your regular doors will be forced upon by a power outage.

The Captain’s Tools: Alert Levels

Alert Levels are one of the main tools that the Captain can employ to encourage certain actions by the crew.

🟢 Green Alert - All Clear!: An Active Green Alert is the standard for a normal day with regular operations in effect. Half of the crew will be on duty and will abide by a rotating shift. The other half are free to tend to their Needs, whether that be by socializing (flirting, maybe? ) or showering, eating, etc.

🟡 Yellow Alert - All Hands to Your Stations!: When activated, Yellow Alerts will immediately place all crew On Duty. All operations are “normal”, but there are more hands ready to take on jobs. While Yellow Alert is active, no crew will partake in recreation or social activities (with a few exceptions – like our crew with the Chatterbox trait!), and they will not see to their Needs unless they are Critical.

🔴 Red Alert - Battlestations! This is not a Drill!: As shown in the Combat Trailer! Activating a Red Alert will immediately force all crewmembers On Shift. All hands are ready to take jobs.

Red Alerts also activates:

• Officers and Captain assemble in the Bridge
• Marines operate Turrets and don spacesuits/helmets (if able - they protect against attacks from Zutopans!)
• Crews Assemble to the assigned Fighter Craft
• Crew members become Stressed, their default movement is to run
• There is no recreation or social, and no crew see to Needs unless critical

⚫ Black Alert - Emergency Hold!: Typically used when supplies are getting low, Black Alert imposes heavy rationing on all supplies. Crew will only eat, drink, wash and heal if their Need is Critical. Additionally, only Half of the Crew are On Duty (the shift still rotates).

🟣 Magenta Alert - Intruder Alert!: For when you think there is something awry… Magenta Alert will call All Hands to Stand By, ready to receive jobs.

Magenta Alerts also activates:

• Officers and Captain assemble in the Bridge
• Marines arm themselves with weaponry and don spacesuits/helmets
• Marines' receive a new set of priorities. First, to engage invaders. If Invaders are not present, Marines will operate Turrets. If there are no operable Turrets, Marines patrol the decks instead
• Crew members become Stressed, their default movement is to run
• Non-Marines assemble at Assembly Points, designated by you (as the Captain) as “Safe Zones”

The Zutopans are Here!

Once the Zutopan Boarding Pods have been detected, Combat is initiated. The Turrets will clock the Boarding Pods and attempt to shoot them down before they can attach to the ship itself.

Turrets are used by characters to defend the ship. Your crew will handle the shooting part – you don’t need to worry about that as the Captain. The turrets are able to protect the ship so long as they’re approaching the correct side, and the turrets have sufficient Munitions supplied.

Red alert will see Marines prioritize arming the Turrets and readying themselves for incoming threats. Magenta, rather, is used for combat tasks (they may still arm Turrets if the threat is present).

“Scramble Fighters!”

As a protective measure, the Captain is able to Scramble Fighters. The Fighters are manned by assigned crew members and will launch from the Flight Deck like any Away Mission, leaving to engage the Zutopans off-screen. While engaged against Zutopans, the Fighters are consuming Munitions, and must return to the Hangar to restock when they run dry.

Combat Aboard the Catalina

If the Boarding Pods successfully latch onto the Catalina, the Zutopan forces are able to board. Immediately, depending on your alert, the Marines will engage in Combat to protect the rest of the Crew, who will flee to the Assembly Zones.

(It’s worth noting that you can pre-empt the combat and preserve your crew’s safety by initiating an Alert before the Zutopans actually reach the ship. If you can see the Pods approaching, it’s definitely a good time to go Red!)

The Marines will grab the nearest Pistol and suit up, if available.

The Marines are not well equipped to fend off a long-term Zutopan invasion. Preserving the Crew’s life, Morale and Hope (all of which are deeply linked) is a matter of evading the Zutopans as best as possible. With Blast Doors sealed, sometimes your best bet is to vent a room to vaccuum the majority of the Zutopan Forces out, even at the cost of some unlucky Crew.

Typically, Zutopan squards arrive in Boarding Parties which have a specific objective. It is primarily to find and destroy: whether that is the Captain (Princess Euphora) or the Jumplight Core in the Engine Room.

After breaching, the squad will move through the ship to reach their objective, blasting at any characters they encounter with pistols and destroying sealed doors that get in their way.

Your Marines will do their best – and will mobilize to equip themselves, then seek and engage the hostile Zutopans!

Non-Marines flee from enemies when they become aware of them.

“Not today, Voltan.”

Jumplight Odyssey is a story about survival above all else. The repercussions of engagement are severe – it causes Hope to dwindle, the Crew’s mood to drop and an impending resource drain. Combat feels more like being hit with a truck than something to willingly engage in – most moves on the SDF Catalina are made from a place of desperation to escape rather than combat dominance.

Once you Jump, you evade the clutches of the Zutopans and you live to fight another day. Anything you abandoned in the previous Star System remains lost as you move ever-onward, toward the Forever Star.

And that is a breakdown of our newest Combat Trailer, just in time for PC Gaming Show! We hope that you enjoy, and if you have any questions, feel free to let us know!

Until then!

Keeping your Hope Bars full,

<3 LoG

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