First of all, I’m sorry that the update has taken longer than expected.
I’m a solo indie game developer working on Nightmariners, and I didn’t want this update to feel like just a few small additions. I want this to be an update that actually pushes the game forward and makes it feel better, smoother, and more impactful. To do that, there were a lot of things I had to learn, test, and properly rebuild. That’s why the process took longer than I expected.
My goal is to move Nightmariners away from its current simple state and turn it into a fuller, more atmospheric, and more playable experience.
What Has Been Done
I greatly improved the ship handling. Acceleration, deceleration, start-stop reactions, and turning now feel more natural.
I made the ship’s visual movement on waves more controlled. I also made major changes to the ship movement system so players can stand more stable while walking on the ship.
The ship’s physical movement and visual wave movement have been separated. This allows the ship to stay more stable physically while still looking more alive on the sea.
I worked on the sea system. I added a structure that can change the behavior of the sea depending on the atmosphere, such as calm sea, wavy sea, and cave area sea.
I made adjustments to night reflections, underwater visuals, fog, color transitions, and the overall sea atmosphere. The sea can now feel different depending on the state of the game.
I cleaned up the gate-based mission flow. When a mission is selected, the target island is prepared, the gate opens, and the markers guide players to the correct objectives more reliably.
I made the return process after collecting the Core Fragment easier to understand. It should now be clearer where the player needs to go, where the core should be placed, and how the mission is completed.
I improved the fog transition logic between the main island and the cave island. This helps the mission flow feel more controlled and atmospheric.
I added a cave island variant system. Different cave island prefabs can now be selected based on the seed.
I fixed cave seed synchronization. I made important changes so the host and client can see the same cave layout.
I connected cave objects such as torches, decorations, chests, lily pads, and mines to the seed system. This makes cave details more consistent and more varied.
I worked on a procedural island patch system. Island shapes can now change based on the seed, including peaks, side peaks, terraces, and different material variations.
I connected the shark’s spawn timing to the mission stage. Instead of appearing randomly during the first trip, it will now become a more logical threat after the core phase.
I made the spawn timings of the Nightmariners creatures adjustable before and after the core phase. The tension can now rise in a more controlled way as the mission progresses.
I worked on a large threat system that follows the player during the return journey. I built the foundation for fog, sound phases, silence moments, final attacks, and pushing the threat away with barrels.
I worked on raft movement, synchronization, and collision behavior. I added details like raft shaking and camera shake when hitting objects such as lily pads.
I checked and improved player detection on the raft so players can stand on it more reliably and run into fewer issues.
I added a ping system. Players can now place markers with Mouse3 that everyone can see.
I adjusted pings placed on the ship so they move together with the ship.
I improved the lantern behavior. Holding it, turning it on and off with left click, and throwing it with a long press should now work more smoothly.
I connected the ship carry slot, core slot, and mission objectives more properly to the mission flow.
I added a temporary 3D buy/sell system foundation for the market.
I added a distance-based chunk reveal system so surrounding pieces can become active as the ship gets closer.
I worked on several network issues, including prefab spawning, NetworkIdentity problems, and objects appearing at 0,0,0 on the client side.
I investigated small performance costs, unnecessary update checks, and some inventory/HUD scanning issues.
What’s Coming Next
The update is planned to arrive in a few weeks
I’m planning to properly polish the game and release this update within a few weeks. Instead of rushing out something unfinished, I want this update to feel meaningful and actually move the game forward.
Sound, music, and atmosphere will be improved
Right now, I’m working on the main menu music, sound effects, and extra visual effects. I want Nightmariners to feel stronger not only in gameplay, but also in atmosphere.
The ship and raft will feel better
I will continue improving the feeling of both the ship and the raft. Movement, collisions, shaking, and player stability on top of them will be polished further. I especially want traveling across the sea to feel more enjoyable.
The market and item variety will grow
I want to add more items, more eye patch types, and new gameplay options that can be bought from the market. My goal is for these items to offer more than just small bonuses and actually give players different ways to play.
Ship purchasing and progression will be added
Players will be able to buy smaller starter-level ships at first. Later, by earning money, they will be able to move on to better ships. As the ship improves, more of the game will open up.
Better ships will unlock harder missions
I want to connect mission variety to ship progression. As players buy better and higher-level ships, they will be able to travel to farther, harder, and more rewarding missions.
The game will become a fuller experience
I want Nightmariners to move away from being only a simple loop of taking a mission and coming back. I want it to become a game where players earn money, buy equipment, upgrade to better ships, prepare for harder missions, and slowly become stronger at sea.
My main goal is to make the game smoother and more atmospheric
I want Nightmariners to become clearer, fuller, darker, and more playable. That is the main purpose of this update.
Again, I’m sorry for the delay. I’m using this time to bring the game to a much better place. Thank you to everyone who is supporting the game, waiting for the update, and giving Nightmariners a chance.
After this update, I’m also planning to work on a new trailer.