Hello Lords of Rigel,
We lost a few days this week to some unexpected server work for our development repository, but we’re still at work on the next hotfix! This next hotfix will be a major rework of the ground and orbital combat systems for optimizations, feature completeness, and balance.
In addition, we’re also working to address a major request users have had since the demo release: a reworked sensor and fuel indicator system. The revised display keeps the 3D spheres that are accurate to current fuel and sensor ranges, but uses the depth buffer for intersection instead of overlap. Also, map modes are toggle-able for easier access.
Based on user feedback, the tutorial now has “off-ramps” at different stages that allows players to leave the tutorial and begin a new game if they are confident in the mechanics they’ve learned.
And finally, the combat log we showed last week has been implemented, along with an auto-targeting system that toggles on and off. Auto targeting is on by default.
Game saves from prior to this update will no longer work!
Since there is a large number of changes to underlying data structures this upcoming update will break old save games.
What’s in the immediate future?
We'll be adjusting the menu UI to make reading planet and system names in the fleet combat, orbital combat, and ground combat menus more clear and easier. We'll also work on getting the AI to utilize the same revised ground combat and orbital bombardment code that the player users. Effects in orbital bombardment will also be revised to include unique bomb explosions for each bomb type. Ship Designer will also see a refactoring of its code, which should give us some more consistent calculations between various windows and some UI tweaks.
We’ll be focusing more on the AI over the coming weeks. As we mentioned last week, this update should help how the AI behaves, but we want to do additional adjustments to optimize turn times, AI behaviors, and to make sure it is behaving as intended. We want to improve this before expanding to add new features, such as the Elder Species.
Image 1- New Sensor Range Display
Image 2- New Fuel Range Display
Image 3- Autotargeting and combat log
Thank you, Lords of Rigel. As always, if you have any ideas for future devlogs, please fly into our Discord and share them with us.
