Hello everyone,
Thank you to everyone who has been testing the v0.3 beta on the experimental branch; your feedback has been invaluable as I press forward with development.
This post is just to educate everyone on what's coming in v0.3.0-beta.9, which should be hitting the testing branch early later next week. I would also like to share specifics on what I've learned from your feedback, mainly from the feedback survey. (if you have not taken this survey, check it out below!)
https://forms.gle/UdK2QxrtkC2K7yXR9
What's coming in v0.3.0-beta.9
The next beta build is focused entirely on gameplay & progression. Here's what you can expect...
Completely refactored engineering UI, to make it a bit more clear how it works
New building XP system, designed to offer some shallow build identity
Huge changes to the current questlines, mainly pertaining to the quest objectives
New enemies & extended heat aggression for both ALTAR & Abyss regions
Some new things to find out in cyberspace as you explore
Building XP
All buildings in the game will be able to earn XP by completing certain actions. Some examples are...
+1xp for Turret's when they hit an enemy
+1xp for Collector's everytime they collect a resource
+1xp for Foundry's whenever they successfully craft a resuorce
+2xp for Turret's if they manage to destroy a unit
+1xp for Lab's each time they convert a resource to science
etc.
Levels panel, coming in v0.3.0-beta.9
At certain XP thresholds, buildings will unlock a level tier, which can contain anywhere from 1 to 5 possible upgrades to choose from. These can be swapped at anytime, but only 1 can be active.
The goal of this system is to not only provide some basic build identity, but also ensure that all buildings remain useful in later sections of the game that are significantly more difficult. It can also be used as a balancing tool to improve weaker buildings by offering more upgrades, though this is a last resort.
Refactored Engineering UI
The current UI for engineering was always meant to be placeholder; not only is not intuitive, it does not do the engineering system justice. In v0.3.0-beta.9, it will be getting a huge makeover.
WIP Engineering panel, coming in v0.3.0-beta.9
The goal is to provide a full overview of ALL the engineering mods in the game. This will act as a sort of "collection" screen, where you can track your progress and see what mods you still have yet to unlock. Hovering over locked mods will hint at where you can find them, or, if they're already unlocked provide a much more detailed explanation of what the mod does.
The top bar will act as your active mod set; remember that engineering mods are unique, so only one can be applied to a specific buildings at one time. Different buildings have varying engineering slots, so this is where the real meat of player-driven build expression will be.
You'll be able to easily track which mods are equipped to which buildings within the collection grid.
What have I learned from the first few days?
First off, thank you. The volume and quality of feedback has been incredibly helpful, and it’s already shaping where development goes next. Based on this initial data, here’s what stands out so far:
Average playtime is ~2 hours, right in line with expectations.
This lines up with a major drop-off in engagement shortly after entering the Abyss.
The main reason players have reported they stopped playing was due to progression issues or bugs, but I've also noticed a dropoff in engagement with the quests, suggesting that the quest objectives & progression of quests needs work.
Performance is strong: ~90% of players report good or great performance. Huge win here.
Chunk expansion and the research tree are landing well, but the engineering system is not, which is why immediate changes are coming in the next patch to improve this system.
A tutorial is badly needed and is a top priority moving forward.
Game balance is inconsistent, confirming it’ll need ongoing iteration.
The most requested features are Multiplayer and Mods; to me this means that the community really wants a way to share gameplay experiences together
Based on this data, my focus going forward is:
Smoothing progression and fixing blockers around the Abyss
Improving quest engagement past the early game
Reworking engineering to be more satisfying and intuitive
Adding a proper tutorial to onboard players effectively
Continuing balance passes while keeping performance strong
Being able to adjust priorities & iterate on certain gameplay systems would not be possible without all of you testing & sharing your thoughts, so thank you.
I know a LOT of you are happy with the improvements in v0.3, but I also know that what's currently in this beta is quite a shallow offering, especially on the gameplay side. That’s intentional for now. My focus is on making sure these new systems have a solid foundation before expanding on themthere’s a lot more coming once that base is locked in. Over the next updates, you can expect deeper progression & more interesting things to work towards as these systems mature.
I hope you’re all having a safe and happy holiday season. While my time will be a bit split with family over the next week or so, development won’t be stopping, and I’ll continue pushing things forward.
Cheers,
~ Ben