In this update, we will talk about various qualify of life things we have been working on.
Combat Feedback
One of the primary feedback we have on our combat system from new users has been that sometimes it feels like they aren't doing damage even when they land hits.
After investigating this issue and talking with players we concluded that the issue is one of combat feedback. Specifically, the armor mechanic can make it seem like your shots are just being nullified without any effect.
To mitigate this, we have made some improvements to our combat feedback.
First, we have improved the visibility of the armor bars as well as incorporating an animation and sound effect related to the armor bar.
Second, we have added icons to the scrolling combat text (SCT) to indicate what type of damage is being dealt. You can also consolidate the SCT to reduce clutter.
Third, we have also added a "flash" animation to the name plate that flashes the same color as the damage type being dealt.
Stealth Feedback
Another area we have worked on is Stealth and Fog.
We have improved the visual of the fog banks and added an "edge" that appears when you are inside of them so you know exactly where you can sail and still remain hidden.
Additionally, we have added a visual effect on your ship that indicates that you are "stealthed." This effect will be re-used in other instances when your ship becomes stealthed.
Lighting and Reflections
We have reworked lighting across all maps and ships, as well as added water reflections and other neat lighting effects.
Ships and objects will now cast shadows on the water as well!
Network Optimizations and Anti-Cheat
The last one can't be shown with screenshots, but we have also made great strides in network optimization.
All players should feel an increased responsiveness to the ships, but in particular higher latency players should benefit the most from these improvements. This doesn't mean lag is eliminated, of course, but it should be less of a factor in the way the game feels and plays.
Additionally, the changes also makes the game more secure against cheaters and hackers.