For a thorough look at everything that has been added to the game please refer to the past updates in conjunction with the trailer above and the patch notes below. This was a MASSIVE update to the game. Perhaps the single largest update to FR ever.
Below is a list of bug fixes, tweaks, and other additions not listed in the prior updates.
- Conversation box in the CIC will now flash the blue button to indicate that a new conversation is ready to progress. - The WARMAP now has a news ticker and text box that will tell you what your next objective for Chapter 2 is. - Cutscene cinematics will now play at key points in your journey, there are currently only 2 with plans to add more. - Post mission scoring has been update to include a host of new enemies. - New holotable maps for both previously added and new levels. - Reworked AI for better difficulty scaling across the entire campaign. - Added voice over for Lancer Squadron and made tweaks to when they will join a WARMAP fight. - Added weapon slot names to the HANGAR menu. - Modified rendering visibility for numerous UI elements to include the waypoint indicator. - Adjusted tunnel runs on the Frontiers Reach and Bodenga maps to reduce difficulty. - Changed how the Helm menu displays locations. It will now only show a location if you have a mission there. - Reworked vessel rescue missions. - Tweaked the Shuriken Ultra player fighter to better affect it's performance during gameplay. - Wingman artwork has been update with additional wingmen being added. These new wingmen will be award when you've completed a side quest chain without breaking it. - Tweaked capital ship voices to reduce volume and repetitiveness. - Numerous tweaks to artwork to affect better performance across all levels. - New weather VFX have been to added both the Poseidon's Throne and Astraeus Slumber maps. - Added 4 new side quests chains for a total of 14 additional side quests that can be obtained through conversations in the GALLEY. -
Phase Two - Landing Gear Deployed.
Voice over recording for Chapter 2 is complete!
All of the missions are scripted into the game.
The next 1 to 2 weeks will be spent bug testing the game and getting media ready for release alongside the update. A new trailer is coming alongside cleaning up and updating the store page. A LOT of work went into this update from myself, the voice director, and all the voice actors who contribute to the project as well as some new voices not previously heard in the game.
One of the biggest additions to chapter 2 is the side quests. If you're not careful you could miss them, so make sure you visit the GALLEY throughout the story in chapter 2. These new side quests play out over a series of missions and are played on both familiar and unfamiliar areas of the game. Some of them are playable on locations that only host that side quest so be sure to take in the sights while you're there.
I can't really show off much in this update since doing so would spoil all the story missions I worked on. From this moment forward it's all testing and bug fixing. I appreciate the patience everyone has exercised while I got this together. This is hands down the biggest update to FR in it's entire life cycle.
One thing I can mention though is that everyone should see a significant uptick to performance in the update. I've tweaked as much as I can on the graphics without degrading the visual quality and there has been a noticeable increase in performance on my own machine so far.
See you in the sky soon pilots!
Phase Two - Entering Approach Vector
The next big leap for Frontiers Reach is about to land in the next two weeks. All of the main story voice over is done and ready to go into the game. Scripting out the missions has begun and is coming along nicely. Additionally the systems needed to finally tie in the WARMAP to chapter 2 are complete and the fleet status screen will be making a comeback.
Chapter 2 Status
Fleet Status
The primary idea behind the fleet status is to keep informed of how your effort to build the expeditionary fleet is going. When you answer a distress beacon on a space mission this screen will be updated with the type of vessel you rescued and how that affects your fleet readiness status. While there isn't really a way to lose the larger sort of over arching game that the WARMAP presents the building of your fleet will play a vital role in how you end the game.
WARMAP Tweaks
Some additional bugs have been fixed on the WARMAP as well as tweaks to the experience of the WARMAP.
Weather Effects
Lightning bolts and sound effects have been added to the Poseidon's Throne map in preparation of some additional scenarios to be played on that location.
Cockpit Artwork
More of the early game fighter cockpits have been updated for better visual presentation with tweaks to the hull meshes for each of them.
The Future of the Frontiers Reach Series
When I started working on Frontiers Reach I had a bigger project in the back of my head. One that would require more work and an expanded scope of features to realize. As the end of Frontiers Reach draws near I will begin to slowly transition into working on the next title in the series.
So what is Mercenaries of Frontiers Reach?
Back in 2015 I started working on Frontiers Reach as an intellectual property. That work looked very different from what we see in FR today. The goal was also quite different. In fact, at that time it wasn't even a flight game. And Mercenaries of Frontiers Reach aims to take a step in direction.
My intention for MoFR is to have a 3 player PvE game where you can fly and fight in the skies of alien worlds. From low orbit after you launch from the carrier Fortunes Favor all the way down to the surface of a planet. While the play areas will still be constrained I've already done some experimental work where these contained areas are as large 80x80 kilometers squared. Resulting in a total horizontal play space of about 6400 kilometers. And that's ignoring the additional 80 kilometers of vertical play space to get up to space and back down to a planet. And this will include a mostly seamless transition from space to planet and back again.
Once your in a planets atmosphere you will have the option to fly around and contact control towers to get missions while in flight, or to land at an airfield and get out of the cockpit to talk to locals, get into gun fights with enemies, or explore deep caverns in the surface of nearly each planet that I have planned.
And when it comes to enemies, you won't be fighting the Sol Confederacy anymore. Gone are the days of organized government in the year 2278. In MoFR the frontier worlds are ruled by numerous factions all reaching for power of their own kind. But in the midst of this power vacuum a new enemy does indeed rise.
The Vir. Pronounced Veer
The Veer are a species of humanoid biomechanical aliens that have existed on the galactic stage for thousands of years. So old is their empire that they have numerous mausoleums. Graveyards the size of moons where in they bury their emperors along with their cadre; that they may rise again in times of great need. If you've been paying attention to the lore and getting to know the characters of FR, then you already know of one of these mausoleums.
When the Vir come on to the scene it will be up to you to unite those factions you can to bring as much of the human race to stand against the alien onslaught.
But that is another story for another time. For now, I must return to wrapping up Frontiers Reach.
Phase Two Continued
Last week no update or blog was posted. Part of this is because a lot of work was done/going on and so I opted not to post one. That said, this weekend I have things to talk about.
Chapter 2 Status
Voice Over
All of the voice over for the main story missions in Chapter 2 is done recording. It is even cut up and I will begin working on scripting the missions into the game. My hope is that I can get this done in the next 2 weeks and have it fully deployed and in your hands ready to play.
Progression
The mechanics that will dictate how you progress through the main story are now working as expected. With this comes a couple of key new elements to the WARMAP.
The first of these comes in the form of a WARMAP news ticker which will cycle through updates to the WARMAP in a text form letting you know who has won what battles.
Additionally, there is not an objective ticker. This will let you know what your objective is in the grand scheme of things. As you can see in the image above the system requires you to win 2 battles to progress to the next mission.
In this new mission setup, you are required to engage with the WARMAP in some capacity in order to progress the main story. Some of these story missions will be "Distress Beacon" missions where you will rescue vessels in distress to add to your fleet. There are 7 instances of the missions scattered throughout Chapter 2 and you will want to be careful which distress beacons you answer the call for as there are 3 types of missions and each type will reward a different vessel of size and power.
Side Quests
For Chapter 2 there are going to be 4 side quests. Writing is done. All that is left is to get the voice over recorded and missions scripted. These side quests are completely optional but will unlock new experiences and wingmen for you to obtain if you accept them.
Artwork
Among some of the last pieces of artwork to be added/modified in Frontiers Reach is the cockpits. Below is a short series of videos highlighting some of the work that was done to this end in the past 2 weeks.
Artfix #1
- Fix to Brigade Carrier cables.
Phase Two - Update One
It's been a few weeks since the last update so this one is fairly substantial. I'm putting this one out before voice over recording starts back up again and the work to get the first campaign put into the game really begins. The past two to three weeks have been mostly small updates and touch ups while writing for side quests has also gone on. This announcement will be part recap and part new stuff.
The Nemesis System
Perhaps the biggest addition to the WARMAP is the nemesis system. This system has a chance to spawn a nemesis enemy squadron at almost any time during a WARMAP scenario. It is currently using some place holder audio but character dialogue for the nemesis squadron is in the queue for recording.
Your nemesis, Lancer Squadron.
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Third Person UI
A new Third Person UI is now available and can be toggled on/off at will. This UI provides a minimal amount of information to the player but should be more than enough to help with fighting and flying in the third person perspective.
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New Weapons
Two new weapons have been added to the game that use a completely new type of guidance system. The new guidance system is a Semi-Active guidance system and requires to the player to keep their selected target within the radar fan (ring of dashes surrounding the reticle) in order guide the missile to the target.
Internal Weapon - Lazerov SAG-40 Morning Star
- The Lazerov SAG-40 Morning Star is a semi-active guided high power missile that is considered a main stay in most arsenals. While less of the missile is carried due to its increased size, it also packs a harder punch than standard guided missiles.\n This is a semi-active guidance weapon that will require the user to keep the target in the radar fan till the missile impacts.
Heavy Weapon - L&M Quantostorm S-AG Q-201
- The Lochland & Masters Quantostorm Semi-Active Guidance missile is an area denial weapon with a quantum cracking warhead that will toss around any enemy that it fails to destroy, and it destroys a lot. As it is a semi-active guided missile it requires the user to maintain the target within the radar fan.
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Tweaks to Countermeasures
Countermeasures have been tweaked to be more responsive. Additionally the descriptions for countermeasures have been updated to better explain each one. It should be noted that the modules in the outfitting screen aren't necessarily better than each other and that price balancing still needs to be done. Each of them is designed to be different and not necessarily better.
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Terrain Shading & Optimization
Additional tweaks to terrain optimization have been made across the board that should make planetary levels run faster. This also includes tweaks to how textures are rendered on the terrain by exerting better control over what details are visible based on distance from the camera.
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Controls Updates
The FullSim control scheme now includes keybindings for the camera. There is also now a keybinding setup for Vertical Trim control that is available for all control schemes.
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General Fixes and tweaks
- The SA-50 Atlatl has had its cockpit camera position adjusted for better visibility of the radar instrument.
- The Armored Colum scenario has been fixed to keep the scenario from breaking at key points and to allow for better timing of enemy spawns.
- The Sol Confederacy Brigade Carrier has been touched up with some new artwork additions to the lower bay doors and interior. Additionally some parked vehicles have been added to both the upper and lower bay interiors.
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Physical Box Sets
If you've been following in the Discord then you might have heard that I've been working on physical box sets for Frontiers Reach. While I've managed to put together a few simple boxes for giving away I've also been working on something a bit more intricate for sale on the Frontiers Reach website. Below is a preview unboxing of what I am calling the "Black Box Set"
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That's all for this update, the next update for Phase 2 might be a while still yet. The audio director who is getting all the recording done is currently out on vacation but is expected back in the next week or two. Writing for side quests will continue along with further quality of life updates and additional content as those things are made ready for release.
Frontiers Reach - Phase Two Continued
Work has continued on Phase 2 of the WARMAP!
Most of this work right now involved getting voice actors recorded and trying to script all of the missions in to the game. However some additional tweaks, touch ups, and additions have gone in this week. Primary among them is the addition of 2 new guided weapons and a new guidance type for them. As well as a new user interface for the third person perspective.
This new TPP user interface is styled using all of the existing UI elements but is kept as minimal as possible. It provides just enough information to give you what you need to fly and fight in the third person camera.
With all of the writing and some things getting intense with my day job and real world events, I have not had the opportunity to work in the engine as much as I would have liked. That said, work on Frontiers Reach should pick back up in the next week or two. Phase 2 of the WARMAP updates is likely to be the longest and biggest leap forward for the game in some time. As such I would like to give you a preview of what is coming in the future.
- Chapter 2 Chapter 2 contains 15 missions that are played out on the WARMAP. These missions will consist of both story missions and the old "Distress Beacon" missions that are getting a rework in the following weeks.
- Side Quests. There are 4 side quests currently being worked on that will be at least 3 missions long. Each side quest will end in a Black Site and reward the player with a new wingman to take on missions.
- New Weapons. As of right now there are 2 new weapons with a new guidance type. This new guidance type will require the player to keep the target within the radar fan in order to track the munition to the target. If the target falls outside of that radar fan, guidance will be temporarily lost. Putting the target back inside of the radar fan will start tracking again. This should allow for some interesting play with the weapons. Additional weapons types are in concept.
- New Enemies. While Phase 1 got the F-107 Broadbill heavy fighter and ZQ-53 Mizrak drone, Phase 2 will be introducing another new enemy. This new enemy will follow you throughout the WARMAP. Every mission you play in Chapter 2 will have a chance to initiate and encounter with the all the Lancer Squadron. A group of aces specifically tasked with hunting you down and blasting you out of the sky.
Last but not at least I have something I'd like to say with regards to real world events.
If you live in that region of planet Earth historically known as the Levant. Please be safe and strive to find accurate information.
Frontiers Reach - Now Entering Phase 2
This weekend there is no update. The reason for this is because Phase 2 of the WARMAP updates is about to start and I it will take some time get the first update put together for Phase 2. That aside this announcement is specifically for covering some of the work that was done this week, and that which is to come.
Frontiers Reach - Chapter 2
Chapter 2 of the story for Frontiers Reach is well underway. Voice over is currently wrapping up recording for the main story missions and the first side quest for chapter 2 is wrapping up writing. Chapter 2 is going to be a major step forward for the WARMAP. It will include story missions to play on the WARMAP as well as new missions that will have the player fighting to rescue vessels in distress. Each vessel you save is added to your fleet of ships and will progress the story.
I don't have anything to show off for chapter 2 yet, but most of the work right now is prep work before going into scripting the missions into the game. What I will say though, is that new characters will be met in this next chapter with the return of some older ones.
Sides Quests on the Frontier
As I mentioned earlier, the first real side quest for Chapter 2 is wrapping up writing and about to go into voice over recording! With this side quests comes a new addition to the game.
Sol Confederacy Black Sites.
Black sites are secret installations run in remote locations throughout the frontier worlds. Each side quest will end with a black site. And each black site is its own level with a complex structure that will require the player to participate in a large battle to complete the side quest. The first side quest will have the player working with one of the new characters being added to the game.
The first of the black sites is featured in the video below.
The Weeks Progress
Additional player feedback has been received as well as a continued effort to refine and improve the game. On the list of things to do right now there includes new weapons types, additional 3rd Person UI elements, and more controls for the fighter like trim controls.
Below is a short video of an explosive charge that has been made for one of the new weapon types.
To help balance these weapon types out a bit more a new type of guidance system is planned called "Semi-active". Semi-active guidance munitions will require the pilot to keep their locked target within the radar fan indicators used by guided weapons. If the target falls outside of those indicators the munition will lose tracking until the target is put back into the radar fan.
That's all I have for this announcement. Till next time!
Hotfix #2 for Version 1.1.0
- Fixed another bug that could break landing sequences.
Hotfix #1 for version 1.1.0
- Fixed a bug that could keep the player from landing at the end of some story missions after they crashed during mission.
