Hey everyone, Nir here.
I’m running a little behind on this week's update, but it's for a good reason—I've been deep in the trenches getting Echoes of Steel polished up! To quote a classic: TOO SOON EXECUTUS!!! but, I am awake, fueled up, and working hard to bring you the full game by the end of July.
This week was all about massive improvements across the board. Here is a look at what got done:
💥 Tactical Depth: AoE and Ammo Systems
AoE is Locked: The Area of Effect system is fully set and ready to bring the heat to the battlefield.
Specialized Ammo: The new ammo system is almost fully connected! You'll soon be loading out with Standard, Incendiary (bring the burn!), and Armor Piercing (AP) rounds. I'm still on the fence about adding Explosive ammo to the mix—let me know if you think it's needed!
Consequences of Caliber: These ammo types aren't just for show. They bring new buffs, distinct status effects, and specific tactical costs to your weapon loadouts, adding a whole new layer of strategy.
✨ A Fresh Coat of Paint: UI & VFX
Sleeker UI: I'm officially ripping out the old "table-like" menus. Scrollbars are out! I'm replacing them with clean tooltips and clickable visual icons to make the interface much more appealing and intuitive to navigate.
Floating Combat Text: You will now see floating text for damage numbers and status effects popping up directly over the action, giving you instant, satisfying feedback on your tactical strikes! (sorry for the minigun effect, i might have went too far with it... hehehe).
Status VFX: You won't just see a status effect text popup, I've added actual visual effects for status conditions so you can see exactly what's happening on the field.
🎬 Accessibility & Quality of Life
Subtitles! In-game comms now feature fully functioning subtitles. I am still tinkering in the engine to get them working perfectly during the cinematics, but that fix is actively in the works.
Camera Controls: Added some much-needed UX fixes for turning the camera view, making battlefield navigation significantly smoother.
🐛 Bug Squashing
A massive shoutout to my amazing closed beta testers! You guys found some great bugs this week, and I've been actively squashing them. Your feedback has been invaluable in getting this ready for launch.
Thank you all so much for the ongoing support. If you like the direction the game is heading or have some suggestions, feel free to drop me an email.
AND DON'T FORGET TO WISHLIST! It really, really helps out a solo dev.
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Thanks, Nir