Space Wrangler
Future of Development 2018
Development with the game is moving forward with the next update expected to be ready by the end of summer, if not sooner. The recent few months have been spent partially waiting for an engine update and bringing on some new people to the team.
The recent price drop is an adjustment that better represents the current content of the game. However, no features have been cut from the game so you can expect the same game to be developed that you initially found interest in. Price adjustments aren't great but when they need to occur, you have to do them. Having the game at a higher price than what it is currently worth didn't set well with me. If this is something that doesn't set well with you, choosing to refund the game through steam is an option I won't blame you for taking.
The development details moving forward are unchanged from prior statements. Expect new planets, game-play, and more coming this year. Thanks to all of you supporting the game during it's early access period and to those who have not lost interest during our brief absence. The future is bright and we look forward to bringing you more of Space Wrangler.
Cheers!
Dev Blog | Test Branch Live
Upon entering this password, the "Test" branch will become unlocked and active and will update. Builds that are released on this branch are mostly complete but may still not feature some things that will make it into the build by the time it is finished.
Some time has passed since the last update as alot has been updated/added. The time between the last update and this next update shouldn't be considered normal. Upcoming updates will occur much more frequently and will feature new content not just improved/updated content.
The upcoming update will solidfy much of the games core development as well as the Earth level. Its release can be expected by the end of the month. After it is released, development will shift to bringing you the next planet in line to be explored by Wranglers. Venus.
Dev Blog 16/10/17
The update is pretty robust and focuses mainly on gameplay. More types of gameplay will be included along with a revamped system for how you engage in it. The stations around earth will each be host to different forms of gameplay. The stations now feature hangars that will serve as hubs for engaging with the various forms of gameplay. In so many words, you'll dock your ship, preview what you can do at that station then begin engaging with that activity/mission.
Stations also will now serve as spawning positions for the player when they enter the level. From the main menu planet select screen, you will be able to decide which station you want to start at. This makes getting to your choice of gameplay faster and still allows for actual travel between stations once you have spawned into the initially chosen station.
As for some news about something coming to the game shortly that won't be in the next update but most likely the one after it, Earth and its Moon will get a face lift (I think that phrase fits). Both bodies will no longer be flat spherical objects, rather they will have actual topography. The details aren't ready to be disclosed yet, but this will give way to something fun that I think players will enjoy.
Since, I'd rather not spoil everything ahead of time, we will leave it here for now. Overall you can look forward to the previously mentioned stuff a much more filled out game in many aspects. Improved controls, visuals, systems, and more. Stay tuned for the actual update notes which I will post when the update goes live. Cheers!
Pre-Update News #1
A new update for the game is coming down the pipe and will be released this coming week. The update includes some changes that address optimization and gameplay.
There were a few things I did that before this update that weren't necessarily the best practices when it comes to handling texture and model compression. Pretty much all of these things will be fixed with the update and better performance can be expected.
Gameplay is getting a revamp as far as how you engage with it. Prior to the update, stations involuntarily assigned asteroids to the player to retrieve. This specific aspect of gameplay will now be much more voluntary and selective. Additionally, much more gameplay specific information will be visible and available to the player to improve specifically retrieving asteroids, but also additional game modes that are coming.
Speaking of additional game modes. In the last update, I included the foundation for a new game mode in the form of very large stationary asteroids beside stations. Without revealing too much now, a new game mode will be introduce with this update that will focus around those. More info on that will come with the actual update announcement.
There is still a lot that I have planned to be brought into the game in the coming weeks, so you can expect much more content coming soon. More announcements like this will also be made more often to keep everyone up-to-date on development.
Cheers!
Update #1 - Fleshing Out Bones
More coming in a few days. Thanks for all the feedback and support so far on the game. Things will only get better.