Hello everyone,
As Vanguard Galaxy releases in Early Access this Thursday, we wanted to give you an update on the plans for Vanguard Galaxy going forward. We're aiming for an Early Access period of 6 months to a year max. The period is split up into a few phases to bring some structure to the many ideas we have.
Phase one
Industrial Gameplay
More ways to salvage ships, think of salvaging the entire hull of a ship or the remains of space stations. Both will require a unique way to break them down in usable components which can then be used in crafting.
Asteroids can contain precious gems which will allow you to craft more powerful equipment.
Currently you can discover blueprints in the game for Standard, Enhanced and High Grade equipment, these can be used to craft better equipment in the Forge. We'll add ways to discover new blueprints that allow the crafting of exotic level equipment.
One of those is an endless portal mode for mining and salvage, where you'll have to maximize your industrial power to keep going and get more tasty loot.
Loot is great, but sometimes you want it to be a little better or different. For that purpose we'll add a system that will allow you to try to get better versions of equipment you found.
Mercenaries
As a first step towards allowing others to accompany you during your adventures, we'll add Mercenaries that can be hired to assist you in whatever job you need from them. Recruit them for your purpose in the bar and all they'll want is a little compensation.
Drones
The current implementation of drones is suitable for doing one specific thing, be it combat, mining or salvage. We will rework them to allow for more flexibility by picking a loadout you think is best for the job. And more refined control over the drones will be made possible.
Make the Universe feel alive
During your exploits in Canis Majoris you'll want to see the current inhabitants of this Galaxy busy with whatever it is they do. :) We'll add more NPCs doing their thing while you do yours.
More, More, More
More of everything basically. Like adding different weapon types, equipment bonuses and boosters to allow for more variety in the builds you can create.
Add to the variety of mission types currently available for each career.
More achievements for those that enjoy chasing them.
What comes after Phase one
The war heats up
As we go deeper into Canis Majoris there will be factions to support, battles to influence and wars to fight. The story will be expanded in the middle of all this chaos. And of course, in order to face these new threats, bigger ships are required. Ehm, Cruise into battle? :D
Or for those that love being the underdog, we'll add ways for smaller ships to stay relevant and create their own little niche. There's an infinite combat mode in the game currently, but somehow there will be a new variant that only allows a certain amount of mass to enter...
Crew Improvements
To expand on the Mercenaries of phase one, we'll add ways to use your own crew in a similar but more permanent manner. Crewmembers can go on a journey of their own to generate passive income for their boss (that's you). Or you can leave them in a space station where they'll utilize whatever skill they have to improve the crafting there.
Captain skills currently in the game will be improved to give more interesting choices.
There will also be new ways to upgrade your own skills. We're being vague on purpose here, no spoilers you know :)
Also, there's this thing called mastery in the game now, which improves your level for whichever career you're focusing on at the moment. These will become more relevant as you unlock milestones that grant you more specific bonuses.
The Galaxy Expands
As Canis Majoris gets revealed further, distances between places to travel to will increase. So there will be a way to travel faster between specific locations. But it will not be free.
Space stations will also become more interesting as their exterior will better reflect who they represent and what features they have. And the exterior will become more modular to allow for a bigger variety in space stations.
What comes after that which comes before
The plans for this phase are still being worked on. But a few certainties are a new area and expansion on the storyline. And more improvements for crewmembers and ways to put them to work for your benefit.
And we have a few dreams that feature refinery ships, capital ships and a need to build your own space stations, as we push deeper into Canis Majoris. And when you get there, you will want to stay there. :)
We hope you like our ideas for Vanguard Galaxy and are looking forward to input from the community. The closed beta already worked really well to help shape the game. Drop by our Discord and join the fun. Join the Vanguard Galaxy Discord
We are looking forward to the release and hope to see you there.
Cheers,
Bat Roost Games