I don't know why I didn't just include normal difficulty options at launch! Those of you who have been playing the game since release (thank you!) may recall that I originally had a difficulty slider, allowing players to choose between 0% and 500% difficulty. I don't know what I was thinking. Those percentages mean nothing to someone who is trying to decide what difficulty to best play at.
With this update, I've finally implemented four levels of difficulty options to match a variety of playstyles and skill levels. Each difficulty level assigns a different speed to enemy space weapons and starts planet enemies off with more or less health. The difficulty options are:
Relaxed: Missiles fly slowly and ground enemies fold as easily as paper. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Standard: Focus, skill, and a strategic mindset will carry you through the day.
Elite: For veterans seeking a challenge. Missiles fly faster and ground enemies can take more damage.
Impossible: For the crazy. Enemy missiles reach you in the blink of an eye. Laser cannons are constantly tracking you. Ground enemies can tank multiple turret hits. You're going to need new strategies.
You can change the difficulty level without starting a new game, so feel free to adjust between levels as you learn what you prefer. My spouse is a Relaxed kind of player, while I, the developer of this game, love the challenge of Impossible. Struggling with a particular mission? Drop it down to Relaxed, breeze through, then increase difficulty again for the next mission. That's a perfectly valid strategy for having fun!
Other Updates
Included some gameplay tips that cycle through on the start screen.
Slightly decreased the sounds of missile launches and warp jumps so that they are not too loud if you are trying to listen to the game's music. A lot more people complimented the soundtrack than I expected, so thanks for that! If my day job and this game dev thing don’t work out, maybe I can make a living composing game soundtracks.
Want to Support Development Further?
If you've already bought the game and would like to support development even further, consider leaving a Steam review! Steam's algorithm boosts the visibility of games with ten reviews or more, which would allow Fortified Space to reach more players and gather more feedback during this Early Access phase.
Good hunting,
