The 0.8.3 version has many new implementations and fixes. Here is a list with the work done for this update:
- A more stable enemy behavior.
- We implemented an ecosystem in which the enemies can travel towards different locations, being able to eat, for instance.
- The underground enemies have now a more logical response towards the player's actions.
- Accurately tuned collision detection, as well as general improvements through the enemy system.
- Many bug fixes.
These improvements create a more solid experience overall.
Now, for the following updates we expect to be working on these:
- More elements of suspense.
- Additional weapons and upgrades.
- 3rd Person mode.
We are happy with the outcome. However, we are aware of all the things that are yet to come. We appreciate your patience and support.
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Ariel v0.8.2 Update
Hola everyone,
Today we deliver the 0.8.2 version. Lots of work for this update. We list below the changes made for this build:
- Further optimization.
- Analog Zoom.
- Additional type of resource (Dirty Water).
- Further visual tweaks on Weather Events.
- A few mesh replacements.
- Additional implementations and bug fixes.
We are reaching a point where Ariel is starting to feel the way it is supposed to be. There's still plenty of work to do, and in our next updates, we plan to focus on the following:
- AI Behavior.
- Add more elements of suspense.
- A new level which helps the narrative.
- Additional weapons and upgrades.
These are just a preview of the features we will be working on as from today.
We have received good comments about the progression of the Early Access phase. We would like to thank you all for your feedback and interest in the project.
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Ariel v0.8.1 release - Optimized Build.
Hello everyone,
The 0.8.1 version is finally here! We are quite happy with the results, and hope you enjoy the game more than ever. With each update the game is improved to reach the expectations.
First, we will point out the work done for this version:
- Optimization: We took our time making sure the game runs much better than the previous version. In average, we gain 15 frames per second (*see below) We also resolved a known issue where the frames dropped every three or four seconds. The game runs now smoothly and is optimized.
- Item balancing: We finally took the opportunity to tweak further the items given in the world. It is now well proportioned according to the difficulty chosen by the player
- New weapon added: A second weapon is now available. We will eventually add at least 2 new weapons in future updates. For now, the Plasma Gun and the Electro-magnetic Pulse Rifle are available in game.
- Enemy behavior: The current creatures living in Ariel needed a better behavior.
- Extras: We added a few tweaks here and there. We also fixed a couple of bugs and improved some mechanics.
We feel that the version released today should have been the actual release on Early Access. At the same time, it was useful for us to get the game out a bit earlier in order to detect important areas to work on first.
Since we are a only two active developers, it has been a lot of work, but all worth it, since we believe that the project is finally reaching a satisfactory experience. It will be getting better and better, but we can certainly recommend this version to any player who might be intrigued by the project.
As usual, thank you for your support. Let us know if you have any comments. We hope you like this new update!
The Nuclear Fiction team.
*GTX 970
Core i5
16 GB Ram
Older version:
17-40 frames per second with frame drop.
Current Version:
35-50 frames per second, without any frame drop.
Ariel v0.8.1 development progress
Hola,
We wanted to update you on the progress towards the 0.8.1 version. We have already achieved some optimization level and there's still some way to go.
The main goal is to reach a better frame rate performance; we have encounter some difficulties in the progress, but we have managed to solved them.
This update is to let you know that it will still take a few weeks to release the 0.8.1 version. We really appreciate your patience, you should know that we are working hard everyday to make the game run smoother.
Thank you for your interest in Ariel, let us know if you have any questions. Stay tuned.
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Weekly update #6 (last before major update)
Hello everyone,
We have been fixing some last issues before diving into the frame rate optimization.
Current version - 0.8.0.9f
This update is the last one, unless something important is missing, before the 0.8.1 version, which will aim for a higher frame rate.
Some of this week's fixes were:
- Additional fixes on the weather event system
- Repairing a particular case in the ending of the game
- Important Gamepad fixes
- Some visual improvements
The 0.8.1 Version
We are hoping to release the 0.8.1 version in a few weeks, therefore, we might not update the project until that point. Aside from the optimization, we will add a couple of improvements on the enemy behavior, as well as some new features.
Stay tuned for the next update. We hope you have a great weekend.
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Weekly Update #5
Hello everybody,
In this update we worked on the Second Part of the Controller implementation.
Aside from this, there were bugs to fix, such as:
- Weather and Event Machines.
- Menus & UIs
- Central Antenna ladder interaction.
- Incoming calls rescheduling.
- Game ending bugs.
- General fixes.
The second part of the controller implementation brings the Inverted Y Axis feature, the disable gamepad option as well as many UI fixes.
We will be working now on three specific topics:
- Enemy behavior.
- Weapons and ammunition.
- Optimization.
Stay tuned. Let us know if you have any comments or questions.
See you in the next update!
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Weekly Update #4
Hola!
We had a week full of things to do. Here are the changes for Week 4:
- Field of view fully implemented.
- Depth of field added
- Fixes: Pressurizing while battery runs out of energy. Ending: incoming call while sleeping. Typos and general fixes. Key Item count and days survived texts are now displayed when dying, as well as in the end of the game.
Some of the upcoming changes are written below:
- Enemies: Overall behaviour of the enemies. HP tuning. More logical paths and spawn points. Velocity of bunker enemies and fixes.
- We will be adding a new weapon!
- Ammo - Reload clip, ammo packs for the new weapons.
- Flashlight tuning.
Our road to follow:
We'll keep fixing bugs and errors, as well as refining some mechanics.
We will soon add the second part of the controller implementation (We saw that most of the gamepad issues have been fixed with the first part of the implementation)
We will work towards the enemy overall behaviour.
In addition, we will implement a jetpack!
After balancing the resources according to the level of difficulty, we will board the optimization and loading times. Just as a reminder, the 0.8.1 version will be the one with the optimization process fully stablished.
We feel that we are advancing at a good pace. We will keep up working towards an optimized and stable version which will be ready, hopefully, in a couple of weeks.
As always, let us remind you how much we appreciate your feedback and enthusiasm towards the project. Have a great weekend!
/Nuclear Fiction Team
Weekly Update #3
Hola everyone,
Here are the changes for week 3:
- Field of View (FOV) implemented.
- First part of the controller stability improvement.
- Sun cycle (visual implementation).
- Slot delete option.
- Bug fixes: Weather & Event machines.
- Additional tweaks and fixes.
We wanted to share the changes for the upcoming weeks:
- Depth of Field.
- Enemies improvements and stability.
- Flashlight tuning
- Resources balancing according to the game difficulty.
- Additional perks and fixes.
Hopefully, we will reach by the end of next week our first milestone; after that, the optimization and loading times will be the last things for the 0.8.1.0 version release.
Unfortunately, the launch version had major bugs to fix. We’ve been working all this time towards a stable build and finally we feel that the 0.8.0.6 version is the one we should have released at first. If you were curious about the project, we can now recommend it, since we feel this as a strong version.
Again, thank you for your patience and interest in the project. The game is getting better all the time.
/The Nuclear Fiction Team
Weekly Update #2
Hello everyone,
During the second week we achieved important improvements to the general stability of the game. Though there are still many things to accomplish, we feel that the project is going through the right path. We wanted to share with you the changes made during this week, as well as the upcoming changes for week 3:
Ariel Verion 0.8.0.5
We eliminated various debug keys that needed to be removed.
We tweaked some values for the decreasing stats.
We finally set a stable version concerning the food processor, the batteries, the liquid processor and other panels, such as the repair panel.
Atmospherical conditions are now more coherent.
While reading documents, the main stats do not decrease.
Gustave Atkinson is now searchable.
The player now falls normally to the ground when dying.
Many bug fixes and general improvement.
For the upcoming week, we plan the following changes:
A more stable setup for gamepads: We are working towards a setup in which the software recognizes the input accordingly. Also, the default setup for Ariel will be the keyboard and mouse; We noticed that many people played with gamepad because it was set as the default input if the gamepad was plugged in.
Field Of View (FOV) slider will be available.
Depth Of Field (DOF) option will be available.
Asides from this, we wanted to let you know that Ariel is still in a very early phase of development. We are working towards a version that will fit better the overall ideas that we've been listening from you. Once we achieve this, probably in two weeks, we will dive fully into the optimization and loading times. We are aware of the typos that people have mentioned to us, and we will correct them in the following updates. We wanted to thank everyone who has been patient. We can assure you that we are working towards a more desired gameplay. We will deliver a better product with each passing week. Thank you again for your interest.
PS: We developed the whole project with a GTX970. We recently found this video and we wanted to share it with you since it runs pretty much the same as in our specs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oli2qg49_A4
Important Update!
Hi, everyone.
Today we accomplished a big fix. Over the weekend, we detected a few issues, as well as a major bug. We managed to reach a very stable version and we wanted to share this with you.
There was a debug key ("B") that automatically changed scenes. This was a terrible mistake that had to be corrected. In this version (0.8.0.3), this error no longer exists. Also, the gamepad input in the repair interface is fixed now.
Asides from that, we tuned the decrease rate of the main stats and improved a few other things. The flashlight is now more coherent, and some items are easier to see around. We also added the mouse wheel and the run key to the input display.
We'll keep working towards an even more stable version during the week. As usual, let us know if you have any comments or suggestions; your gameplay videos have been very useful to us, thanks!
