Greeting! How is everyone doing!
Time flies when we aren't looking, and we have come a long way. With the upcoming Steam Next Fest, I wanted to catch up with everyone on the monthly log on the progress and state of the game.
Not only that, I've brought some major foundation updates to the game that I'd like to share!
So like start with this new "Foundation Update"
This update tweaks and overhauls various systems of the game, adding quality-of-life features and expanding upon the base, the foundation of the game. I wanted to refine and make sure the core of the game feels good to play and this update is a direct response to that.
Level Zone
Previously players would select levels by choosing different nodes on the main menu. This is still true, each level with have its own stage characteristic and enemy design.
But now there will also be different zones to choose from for each level. Consists of easy, medium, and hard. The player has to complete each zone to unlock the next accordingly. The stage count, enemy encounters, and reward will also change depending on the difficulty. Each zone will also have its own dedicated final boss.
Progressive Background
The stage background will progress along as the player completes each stage. This gives the same awe and accomplishment, as a reward for surviving this far, players will be able to see more beautiful spacescape!
Rework Enemy Encounter
The enemy encounter has been completely redesigned to make the combat phase more fun. Stage takes longer to clear, adding more enemies to fight, and trying to make each encounter unique with various enemy combinations. With more stages dedicated to introducing new enemy types. Speaking of which, let's talk about it.
New Enemy Roaster
I have redesigned the old enemy sprite and AI while adding 5 new enemy types to the game. I want each enemy type to be more unique with different attack patterns and movement behavior. Making it more fun to strategize and come up with a plan to fight against different encounters!
These are a sneak peek at some of the new enemy types.
https://x.com/BinaryStellar/status/1824784836604915849/video/1
https://x.com/BinaryStellar/status/1824785188951654873/video/1
Player Maneuver: Dash
Finally, the fan favorite feature of any game has arrived. Players can now quick-press the sprint button to dash!
Outpost QoL Improvement
The interface is the topic I've discussed many times and is undeniably the part that I've spent time working on the most. Each update tries to make it easy to use and more intuitive.
Stage Milestone
During the stage clear menu, there will be a milestone at the bottom. I added this here so players can anticipate when the stage will be coming next and have time to prepare.
Additionally, players can see the remaining stage right away in the outpost menu.
Simplify Text & Alternate Text
From now various texts will be simplified to only a few sentences. Players can expand the text by holding the alternate button to see detailed information. Hopefully, this can greatly reduce the clustered text and be a middle point for casual players who just want to play the game and the hardcore who want to min-max all numbers.
Formation Panel Improvement
Players can now zone in and out while editing their formation. The player can also toggle their inventory for a better look at their fleet. A little addon, the panel background is now transparent. You can now enjoy the view while customizing your team!
Artifact Extraction
Banner resprite, now your artifact extraction will look much cooler!
I've also add a quick view button at the bottom, Now players can look at their inventory before choosing an artifact.
And while there are still some small tweaks to point out. I think it is long enough, so let's finish off with the progress update.
State Update
The progress is going smoothly. I might have taken some detours here and there, plus with been busy the past month with some personal subjects. But now I should be able to give full attention to the game!
- The Fire theme level is in development and will be in the Steam next fest demo as promised.
- Full controller support is being worked on, note that the game right now can be played with a controller. But there are still some areas that aren't supported.
- New meta progression to unlock more ships, this also means there will be some new starships and artifacts to try out in the next fest demo!
- Besides those, there is still some game mechanics that I'd like to add but I can't promise too much right now.
Hope you have a great day and try out this foundation update. Be sure to look out for the Steam Next Fest Demo!
As always, feel free to follow the progress of the game through X (Twitter) and discord!