Aaaand, it also increases the game's difficulty by a fair margin. Good luck.
I probably forgot to log a ton of things. Here's what I remembered to tell you about:
Additions
<*> Crew chat when you click on them
<*> Systems turn on/ off when you click on them
<*> Symbols and sounds when you can't turn systems on and off
<*> Reverse pings
<*> Tooltip for event type
<*> Symbol next to systems to show disabled/ enabled more clearly
<*> HUD warnings when you're at imminent risk
<*> Loneliness stress (constant stress over time, increases as crew die, and if a crewmember is left alone - mitigated by having other crew around)
<*> Added death by loneliness (and an achievement for it!)
<*> Hermit role: ignores loneliness
<*> Replaced Interpersonal skill with Command. Command (currently) increases time available in minigame and allows occasional ignoring of AI energy costs
<*> Added ~150 new crew speeches
<*> Reduced chance of repeating the same speech in short succession
Changes
<*> Now right click is used to toggle the controls bar, instead of left
<*> Current energy capacity is displayed in the resources HUD
<*> Total energy capacity is explained in the tooltip
<*> Revamped controls bar (both looks and functionality)
<*> Reduced in-scene overhead by converting character speeches to data files not bound to the scene
<*> Increased AI base energy burn rate
<*> Reduced movement slowdown near mines in the minigame
<*> Reduced starting time in minigame
<*> Adjusted crew speech to match in-world lingo. It's now barely on this side of understandable, as it should be <*> Increased rate of system breakdown
<*> Increased injector time per use
<*> Increased distance to Ares by a third
<*> Dead crew are now always beneath living crew
<*> Updated tutorial to match new controls. I will be overhauling the whole tutorial soon, however
Fixes
<*> Broken mouse controls in minigame
<*> Improved resolution of text in minigame
<*> Crew no longer freezes up when they can't get to a destination (psst don't forget doors)
<*> Crew no longer flicker between two different chat topics at once
<*> Events will no longer stack on each other instantly
<*> Systems are now hoverable instead of crew when over top
<*> Doors on the two default ships have been resaved in the correct stack order
June (+May) Update!!! v0.6.2
As I promised last month, I packed in all kinds of goodies this month. Version 0.6.2 is a huge Quality of Life update, and I think you'll love it.
I was sure to put some oft requested features in this build:
Highlighting resources on the HUD shows which systems consume or produce that resource. Great for learning what does what and how to get that random resource.
Controls for seeing underneath crew are available (hotkeys + HUD). You can toggle whether you want systems or crew on top, basically. Great for getting at that system under the corpses ;)
Game speed controls (pause/ play/ fastfoward) are now available on the HUD.
- - - -
Patch Notes
Additions
<*> Added strained animation when system is both strained and in overdrive
<*> Added added injection effect to system tooltips when relevant
<*> Added a Standard event: "Puketastic"
<*> Added successful events as a reduction on event kindness
<*> Added living crew as a reduction on event kindness
<*> Now recolors system borders when you highlight resources. This should make it faster and easier to see what systems are involved with what resources
<*> Added CRT effects to main menu and ship building
<*> Added short animation to end of minigame
<*> Added game speed controls to the HUD
<*> Added controls for flipping between Crew or Systems on top
One step closer to release.
Changes
<*> Increased animation speed for engines and waste cannons while the injector's effect is active
<*> Changed a bunch of events that required engines to also allow waste cannons
<*> Changed Gyms into [Passive] systems, seeing as there's no reason to turn them off (for all the cruel AIs out there: you can still use ignore alerts if you want your crew to neither use nor repair gyms)
<*> Changed Toilets into [Passive] systems, for the same reason as Gyms
<*> Increased effect of lost progress on event kindness
<*> Increased effect of broken systems on event kindness
<*> Changed Use alerts so they can turn on systems (fewer clicks ftw)
<*> Overdrive now automatically turns off when system turns off
<*> Rephrased a sentence in the Tutorial (This will probably be moot after I replace the tutorial)
<*> Changed menu button colors (because I felt like it)
<*> Reduced volume of Generator audio
<*> Flipped direction of time loss penalty animation in minigame
Fixes
<*> Fixed overdriven systems being enabled and repaired on load
<*> Fixed negative momentum ending the game
<*> Fixed minor typo in opening story
<*> Fixed a Story event that was mislabelled as "Unknown"
<*> Fixed event kindness so it increases as you have fewer resources compared to storage capacity
<*> Fixed VFX from upgrading to Unity 5.6.1p1
<*> Fixed Overdrive commands so they always turn on systems, if not already on
<*> Fixed mouse pings on main menu
<*> Fixed an outline-related crash
<*> Fixed a crash from invalid crew heal attempts (and a few other potential causes)
<*> Fixed bug that gave out free Fireball achievement on some failed runs (oops)
<*> Fixed bug that delayed some system audios
<*> Fixed rare bug that prevented the minigame from ending
- - - -
One step closer to release.
I never did finish those tools I was working on at the end of last month. Soooooon
I'm setting an ambitious schedule for myself (see the last announcement). Let me know what to prioritize on my list.
Up next:
I plan to improve the controls and revamp the tutorial. Then on to more content! (And, of course, lots of little polish here and there)
Enjoy
-Pat
The End is in Sight
Destination Ares has been in Early Access for 7 months, after an initial closed development period of 27 months. Today, I’m announcing that there’s a light at the end of that (long, arduous) tunnel.
Since we (yes, you and I, unknown reader) started this journey through Early Access, Destination Ares has changed dramatically. Let’s highlight some additions we've had since November '16:
The full soundtrack from R Kim Shultz (17 tracks!)
A revamped minigame
5 new ship systems
Steam Achievements
The Folivora alternate default ship
Half a dozen new events
And countless quality of life improvements, effects, sounds, particles, and upgrades
The game has come pretty far. And yet there is so much left to do! I believe the most important items will be coming together in the next couple of months.
I’ll be real with you, reader. Early Access hasn’t been everything I hoped. There are so many things it could have provided: community, feedback, a little extra cash flow, and visibility. It has been a great opportunity to bring players into the development process, and it has almost entirely missed the mark on all of this.
It’s probably my fault for working only full-time on it. I need another few hands, I think. At least somewhere to put all these hats.
Now, look here. I’m a stubborn bastard who puts too much emphasis on his word. This means I’m all the more determined to deliver this game, nearly three years after the project began, and despite the missteps in publicity and development.
So, I’ll put it out in the world: my goal is to reach full release in early Fall.
It’s ambitious, but, hey, I wouldn’t be doing a solo dev project if I weren’t an ambitious kind of guy. If I miss the Fall window, we’ll be stuck waiting until Spring! (that’d be awful)
To that end, I implore players of Destination Ares to help me sort what needs the most attention and what would be really awesome to have as we make our way to a version 1.0
A few specific items already on my priority hit list (and not yet in the next release):
Revamped tutorial
Improved controls
Metagame progression
Steam Cards
Ditching the useless “Interpersonal” skill for: “Command”
Of course more content is always on my list. More events, more chatter, more everything.
I’ve also got a HUGE wishlist from which I’ll be throwing as many things on as I can.
A few questions to help me sort my thoughts before release:
What stats and info do you want in the side bar when building ships? There’s a lot of simulation under the hood; what’s worth knowing about?
How can I better teach the minigame? Some players understand that the pips are how many mines are nearby, some never figure it out (yes, despite the explanation scrolling underneath)
What events are awesome and what events are awful? Before release, I’m sure to do a bunch of writing and that’s a great chance to do some tweaks
What still confuses you about the game? Is there anything so obscure as to be unreasonably difficult?
What bugs are still aggravating you to this day?
How’s the performance on your computer?
Am I the only person who thinks the difficulty is too easy and I should add a hard mode? (the answer to this one is yes; I’ve only seen one other person beat it legitimately, ever)
Any cool ideas for more achievements and/or in-game unlocks?
Thanks for everything; see you around, folks.
-Pat
(from my blog: blog.patrick-scott.com)
No May Update
A lot of back end tools work has been happening and changes to what you all get to experience has been pretty minor this month. So, I'm going to hold back this build and stuff more goodies in for the next one.
That said, there's plenty of cool stuff in the works, and I can't wait to show it off when it's ready.
-Pat
0.6.1 !!!
Hey all! This has been in the works for a few weeks. It was delayed a week due to an engine bug that has now been worked around. Progress continues!
Notably, this fixes that super annoying tone in the minigame. Sorry about that bug.
It also adds some cool new effects, reworks overdrive, and has a ton of other fixes and minor changes.
Notes:
0.6.0a
(I originally shadow-released this fix without notes)
Fixed the victory achievements so they don't trigger from the tutorial
0.6.1
Upgraded to Unity 5.6
Added a type header to the event pop up, in addition to the border coloring
Added an easier and faster build pipeline. It took a while to set up, but now updates will push out much more easily
Added crew portraits in ship building
Added menu selection responsiveness to crew portraits
Added system keyword: Hardened — +2 Durability when overdriven
Added system keyword: Performant — +2 Output when overdriven
Added a delay between songs, music should no longer be constant
Added wave effect when someone/ something takes damage. Its bigger for more significant things, like dying
Removed current and effective speed numbers when tooltips set to "Simple"
Reduced constant bleating of alarms. "Supposed to be annoying" got too annoying
Reduced the volume of Warning alarms
Increased UI SFX a bit
Changed alarm SFX to diegetic. This also happens to make them all quieter
Changed disabled buttons that say "Inert System" to say "Passive System", to match a terminology change last patch
Changed Food tooltip so it's more clear that a Kitchen is required for the crew to consume — not create — food
Changed how overdrive works: it stays on when the system takes damage and becomes Strained, and it can be turned on at Strained
Changed ship building so you can only add one keyword to a system. Note: old ship designs retain the second keyword (if you put one)... but you can no longer change it
Fixed crashes from not letting the Steam Manager boot up (shouldn't have affected players)
Fixed crew body parts overlapping inconsistently. Now when crew overlap, it's all or nothing
Fixed bug where audio wouldn't play occasionally
Fixed hydroponics system portrait: it has its outline!
Fixed the minigame clock beep being a constant tone (whoops!)
Fixed error in menu screen that prevented hungry and dead mouths from appearing
Fixed resource icons jumping about on creation
One final side note: I'm changing my numbering system to simple increments from now on. It means bugfix-only patches won't be as apparent. However, it's easier to manage and keep consistent (each build is either a minor or major increment!).
Enjoy or whatever
Cloud Saving and ACHIEVEMENTS!! (v0.6.0)
This has been a long time in the making. I'm proud to present version 0.6.0: "Achievements!"
This patch focuses on a bunch of Steam API integration. You'll now find gameplay stats and scores tracking on the Steam, saves being pushed to Steam's cloud and shared among the computers you use the same Steam account with, and, most importantly, 48gorgeous/awesome/wtf-is-that-poopachievements unlockable through Steam (in-game menu TBD).
This represents a significant milestone in DA's development, though there's undoubtedly a ways to go. As such, a longtime promise will also be coming down the pipeline:
The price of Destination Ares will go up soon.
Expect it to go up again, once more, before the full release.
It's time for the notes!
General
Added option to delete ship designs
Added Steam Cloud saving and syncing
Added some new stats
Added Steam Stats syncing
Fixed the secret Feast event so it actually feeds crew, rather than just healing them
Made a few minor code improvements
Added and Enabled the following Steam Achievements (current count: 48):
One final note: I wasn't able to test everything. If you encounter issues with certain achievements, or have weird crashes (you shouldn't, but I can't guarantee that on 32-bit), please let me know!
Testing Achievements
I've been working on making achievements and integrating them with Steam. Testing them requires publishing to Steam.
Once I've done some basic testing to check that the game handles them properly, I'll push a new build out to you all!
v0.5.8
I've been hard at work. I made tons of quality of life improvements in this update. More to come in the next!
I'm short on time today, so I present the notes in the order they were written:
Added reminder for players after "Turn off everything" in the overheating event
Changed [chance] to [random] for better clarity of meaning
Changed [Inert] to [Passive] for better clarity of meaning (... "Inert" isn't a big word...)
Added "[ spacebar ]" hint next to minigame pings. Note: right-click also still works
Secret event choices are now also tagged in-line
Flipped highlight and press colors for event choices
Fuel cells now start on. Simplified rules: all large and/ or powered systems start disabled. This also means Toilets, Gyms, and others will start on.
Reduced hitboxes so you can now slide between diagonal mines more reliably
Fixed crew rotation not saving
Fixed a cause of character freezes
Changed resource tooltips so they can pop up during events
Fixed door placement being blocked by previously-placed hull art
Added and changed the parts symbol to a wrench
Reduced minigame difficulty slightly: Easy has +5 seconds (to 50), Medium has +5 seconds (to 55) and -1 mine (to max 14), Hard has -2 mines (to max 18)
Re-enabled screen shake on mine hit
Fixed closing pause menu in minigame (now resumes properly)
Prevented a possible source of minigames not ending after 0 seconds left
Colored minigame time left by result potential
Stopped clues showing up in the walls (because of pings)
Changed wording on the failure result of the spy story event to "wind rushing out" from "wind rushing past it"
Added "Random Keyword" option to ship building. Allows toggling of automatic "Random (50%)" system bonuses
Fixed crew's death flavor being colored as survived when they died (only happens on success, and none of you have gotten that far, lbh)
Added Abandon Ship button to the game screen
Added option for simplified tooltips (reduces mechanical text). Should be default for new players
Added more colors to important sections of tooltips
Increased opacity of tooltip background
v0.5.7a (Bugfix)
Reduced crashes, cleaned up some other issues. Please let me know if you continue having issues. :heartlove:
Notes:
Fixed a crash from loading while stopped
Fixed refugee endings so they aren't overwritten by the tutorial
Temporarily turned off particles on the bottom controls, until Unity fixes the particle crashes (I'm hoping to redo the buttons soon, anyway)
Simplified space dust speed calculations (hopefully avoiding more such particle crashes)
Significantly reduced likelihood that crew dies from sleep deprivation
Added more crew death flavor texts
Major Bugfix in the Works
UPDATE
Looks like the biggest source of crashes is a bug with the current build of the game engine (Unity). I'm going to play with workarounds and I'll move to a different version as soon as it's practical. I'm also still working on other bugs and features.
Rest assured, the occasional crashes are as frustrating to me as they are to you. There is good news: Destination Ares has a pretty sweet built-from-scratch autosave feature that means you can jump right back into your run where you left off, losing at most a few seconds or an event choice.
~ ~ ~
Original
I'll be getting right to work on some of the new (big) bugs starting on Monday, after my exhibit at WGF is done. Hopefully I get through all the critical ones, and I'll push it out ASAP. Thanks for your patience, everyone!
