Hello everyone!
In our last dev log, we briefly mentioned that the combat gameplay was undergoing a major overhaul. Since then, the dev team has been in full "lockdown mode," grinding away at the core combat system. Finally, the new combat framework is up and running, and we’re ready to show it off.
We’ve been monitoring community feedback closely, and the most common critiques boiled down to two points: First, the battlefield felt too small and lacked impact. Second, the tactical depth was shallow, often turning late-game battles into a simple "stat check" or numbers game. So, let’s dive into the latest in-game footage and talk about what has actually changed.
Let's start with the most immediate change: Battlefield Scale.
In early versions, we saw plenty of comments like "the battlefield is too small" or "it’s not chaotic enough."
To put it bluntly, you want a real interstellar war, not just a few ships politely shooting at each other in the center of the screen. To solve this, we performed a round of aggressive performance optimization from the bottom up.
While maintaining a stable frame rate, we’ve significantly increased the number of ships a single formation can hold. With more units on screen, denser projectile trails, and chain explosions, the visual intensity has skyrocketed. We had to make a lot of trade-offs here—balancing performance costs while trying to squeeze every drop out of rendering efficiency. Our goal is simple: from the first second you enter combat, we want you to feel like you are in a massive interstellar war.
Next up is something many of you have roasted us for: The "Weight" of the Warships.
Players pointed out that large ships turned too quickly, looking like plastic toys rather than possessing the sluggish, intimidating presence of a steel beast. We agreed, so we completely refactored the movement physics.
Now, the difference in inertia and turning speed between tonnage classes is stark. Large ships no longer drift effortlessly; they actually need time to "swing the bow around." Meanwhile, small ships remain agile, weaving through the battlefield at high speeds.
We also optimized the formation navigation algorithms. Fleet movement trajectories are now smoother, giving mass maneuvers a much more aesthetic and disciplined look.
Now for the core of this update, and the part we are most excited about: Ship Behavior Patterns.
In previous versions, ship AI was quite monotonous. Battles often devolved into "static shooting matches" (turret defense style)—whoever had higher stats won, leaving little room for strategy. In this version, we tore that system down and rebuilt it.
Now, every ship adopts a specific behavior mode, corresponding to different weapon types and combat ranges.
Brawlers: Some ships choose the most brutal approach, rushing directly into close range ("face-rushing") to deliver burst damage and tear open enemy lines.
Kiters: Others utilize mobility to circle the enemy, dealing damage while kiting to wear them down.
Artillery: And some will strictly maintain formation, firing broadside volleys to lay down a suppressing fire net, excelling in positional warfare.
The addition of these three behavior modes is a major turning point. Combat is no longer just a collision of stats; it now features genuine "roles" and "positioning." How you mix your formations—who tanks in the front, who kites on the flanks, and who provides consistent DPS—will directly dictate the flow of battle.
This new combat framework has just found its footing, but this is only the beginning. In upcoming logs, we will break down other parts of the combat system, such as changes to weapon systems and how they synergize with this new AI behavior.
We’d love to hear your honest thoughts: Does the combat look satisfying now? Is the pacing right? Is the AI doing anything weird?
Please sound off in the comments—every piece of feedback is crucial to us.
See you next time!