Fixed a bug where switching soldiers after throwing a grenade would make the soldier go back to the start of the throwing grenade animation.
Fixed a bug where personal shields wouldn't appear in the Gear list (even if they could be equipped using AutoEquip).
Fixed a bug where the Skill button could be pressed more than once when leveling up.
Now the game automatically selects the next soldier if your current one has run out of action points (moving or executing an action).
Fixed a minor bug where weapons list could still be open and showing weapons when switching from the Equipment tab to the Squad Selection Screen.
Fixed a bug where tooltip could get stuck after closing equipment tab during Squad Selection Screen.
Fixed a bug where pressing tab while soldier is shooting could allow changing target.
Fixed a bug where Blood Rage animation for Krell'Sha Raider would get postponed if soldier was in cover.
Now Star Map cursor will be hidden while enemy ships move.
Transparent textures for jungle trees will have less opacity so it's easier to see through them.
There's more fixes coming but also I'm working in new maps and content.
Regards, Jorge
New Krell'Sha Starting Ship
Hi
This patch is mostly fixes but I also wanted to add the first of at least two extra starting ships: the Krell'Sha Assault Craft.
New Ship:
This new ship is lighter but more nimble than the Prison Ship. Has extra movement, a light turret battery and Torpedo Launchers installed from Turn 1.
You get a smaller starting crew but also a Krell'Sha Raider (level 3) from the start.
Fixes:
- Fixed a bug where sometimes the player's turrets wouldn't shoot at CDF ships. - Fixed some Idle animations (in Squad Selection screen and Soldier screen) so they don't make the soldier's feet "slide" slightly. - Fixed a problem with the skeleton of the new Krell'Sha Raider that made its feet float a bit. - Modified Ship Upgrades screen so the Upgrades Slots are variable depending on the ship selected. - Added extra upgrade slots to Prison Ship. - Changed holographic ships in Main Menu. - Fixed a bug where uninstalling turrets from a ship wouldn't make them visible in the Inventory. - Fixed a bug where installing a shield wouldn't remove it from Inventory. - Fixed a bug where sometimes passive buffs from crew wouldn't apply during space combat. - Fixed a bug where using the "Melee Combo" action sometimes would trigger a slowdown of the game. - Fixed a bug where sometimes you wouldn't be able to assign crew to a specific system after the previous crew assigned died in combat.
-----------------------------------------------
That's it for now, there's a few known issues with camera, user interface and animations but I'll try to get them fixed soon now that I'll be pumping these patches more often. Of course, I'm also starting to work in new maps (not just new environments but also variants for the existing ones).
See you soon, Jorge
The Space Combat Patch!
Finally! after a long time the space combat system is ready to be tried by the players.
Let's see it (alongside other changes) in detail:
Space Combat System:
The space combat is sort of a mix between typical turn based combat and real-time with pause. Player and Enemy turns are simultaneous, basically you give orders and then see the results in real-time:
Your ship can be ordered to move in 3D space (that is not just to the sides but also up and down if you hold Shift). Despite the combat being turn-based, encounters are pretty short (and not really hard at the beginning of the campaign), just be careful, losing a space combat encounter is Game Over.
For now, the enemy flotillas you'll find are Scavengers and "C.D.F." (a new enemy faction I'm introducing to the game), these enemies move as visible patrols in the Star Map but you can also find them escorting cargo ships, in these cases you'll have to destroy the escort ships before being allowed to board the real prey.
Weapons and Crew:
The default ship starts with a heavy turret battery that can deal with low level enemies easily but later in the campaign you can buy and install (in space stations) more advanced weapons and modules:
- Torpedo Launchers: a more precise weapon than the turrets but it has a cooldown because it needs to be loaded before firing. - Point Defense Cannons (or PDCs): these turrets are used to intercept incoming enemy torpedoes. - Shield Projector: this component already existed in the game but it was only used for dialogue events, now it can be used during combat giving you 10 extra hitpoints (it can also be recharged if you have an Engines crewmate, more on that below). - Salvage Arm: this component is used after combat to gather some loot from the remains of destroyed ships.
The space combat system is centered around giving "Orders" to "Helm, Weapons and Engines" (Helm takes care of movement, Weapons of attacks and Engines of rerouting power as buffs and repairs). Some orders require a specific weapon installed but others require that you have the corresponding crewmate assigned. Crewmates are your soldiers but they have been assigned to a specific system in this panel:
Be wary that only soldiers with the right traits can be assigned to the ship's crew. The traits are called "Helm, Weapons and Engines Experience". Once these soldiers are assigned, some orders will unlock and the ship will receive some passive benefits depending of the level of the crewmate. Executing orders during space combat also gives regular experience points to the crew.
What's next for the Space Combat?
I think this new system has a lot of potential (and I hope you agree once you try it) so I would like to add more "escort encounters", that is having to destroy ships in order to reach a prey or a base and the ability of boarding ships that have been disabled during combat instead of destroyed.
I would also like to add new weapons and modules (for example: beam weapons to deal with harder enemies) and of course more enemy variety.
What else is in the patch?
The other star of this patch is the new class: Krell'Sha Raider.
These are savage aliens that use rifles and melee weapons like regular raiders but also have special actions like "Blood Rage" (lose 1 HP, gain 1 AP once during combat) and "Ritual Execution" (a melee attack that terrorizes every close enemy if it kills).
I also added these changes and fixes:
- NEW MUSIC! I changed most of the music tracks I've been using for combat, exploration and User Interface. I'm trying to change a bit the tone of the game (less grimdark, more metal) so please let me know how you feel about it. - New Scav enemy: Hacked Workdroid, this enemy is a simple droid with 1 armor and a melee attack. The idea was to give a melee enemy to the scavs which were too ranged focused in my opinion.
- Added speed controls during combat: you can now press Next Page or Prev Page to change the combat speed from 1x to 3x. - Modified desertic colony scenario to be less flat. - Added new props for colony type scenarios (rover, towers and walls). - Added new tutorial for the Space Combat. - Added space patrol behaviour in Star Map. - Added a list of names for new Krell'Sha Raider class. - Fixed a bug that allowed the player to quicksave in Ironman Mode. - Fixed a rare bug where soldier would stay in Idle position after throwing a grenade. - Fixed a rare bug that would freeze the game when an enemy patrol can't find a right place where to move.
Why this patch took so long?
Now about the elephant in the room, the major reasons for the delay were that I spent most of the time making a different idea for the space combat, basically at first I thought of a system where you would not move the ship but select orders and see dramatic camera angles showing the combat. Sadly when I got to make the first tests, I realized this system wasn't fun enough so I decided to scrap it and start over. After that I tried with this new idea for space combat which turned out to be good enough for what I wanted to do but of course I had to start from scratch.
Other reason why this took so long is that I invested a lot of time making new assets for urban scenarios but (as some players pointed out) they need more work before they can be used in the game because they don't look good enough yet.
I also had a bit of burnout because I had to scrap my first space combat system and that reduced my productivity for a while (but didn't stop me from working in the patch) but now I feel better and I'm ready to start pumping patches again (faster this time).
What now?
I still have a lot of promises in the oven like new mission types which still need some tweaks before I can release them. New traits, scenarios and enemies (for ground and space combat alike) should be done soon so replayability is increased and after that I'll start with the "Space Station Overhaul" which will bring lots of options for space stations.
A lesson that I can share is that I think it wasn't the best idea to take time to make a BIG patch, shorter but faster patches are better to keep the players confidence high so I think for a while I'll focus in making smaller patches so I can pump them faster.
Please let me know what you feel about the space combat and if you find any issues.
Regards, Jorge
Dev Diary #6: Working in New Mission Types and Scenarios
Hi
It's been a while since I posted a Dev Diary or uploaded a new patch so I wanted to share what I'm doing, what I'm planning and what's a bit delayed in case you want to know what's taking so long (Warning: Text Heavy Article).
New Urban Environments:
I've been hard at work making new modular assets for urban scenarios. This has consumed most of my current time because a good sci fi urban scenario has lots of stuff going on besides roads, sidewalks and buildings. I have a base ready but I still need to add props like holograms, more building types, more vehicles and even interior props for some buildings that you'll be able to enter during combat.
I wanted to add urban scenarios not just for extra variety but also to deal with new mission types like Raiding and Bounty Hunting that would work better in a place where there's a constant stream of enemy reinforcements so you can't stay to loot everything like current missions do.
New Class:
I mentioned that I wanted to make a "Krell'Sha Raider" class some time ago but I only had a basic model done at the time. Now the final model is ready, it has 3 heads and 3 texture sets for basic customization and I just need to configure special skills for it. I'm thinking this one should work as a regular raider but with some extra skills like: "Blood Rage" (lose 1 HP, gain 1 AP once during combat) and "Ritual Execution" (a melee attack that terrorizes every close enemy if it kills). I'm also thinking I could add class specific items, in this case a Krell'Sha Raider could equip bloody "trophies" gained during combat.
New Enemies:
A new type of enemies I want to add are "Pirate Hunters", currently I have a single unit ready but I would like to add at least 2 more and the idea is that these enemies are more oriented to counter your soldier's skills (example: some could equip shields to counter melee attacks and others could even have gear that intercepts rockets). There's lots of potential for these enemies but I'm still planning what to add.
Regarding existing enemy groups, I'm preparing some extra enemies for the Scavs and Security Forces. Basically I would like to add alien variants and extra droids for the Scavs and some Corporate Mercs and Armed Civilians or local militia for the Security Forces.
New Mission Types:
Two new mission types I'm preparing right now are "Raids/Heists" and "Bounty Hunting/Assassination".
Raids/Heists:
These missions present you with a map filled with loot boxes/chests that you need to manually grab with your soldiers and then take (as a backpack) back to an unloading zone while you deal with present enemies and incoming reinforcements. These missions will constantly generate reinforcements so how long you decide to stay to grab loot is up to you.
Bounty Hunting/Assassination:
In these missions you'll be tasked with eliminating one or more specific targets in a map and then retreat. These missions have a chance to have constant reinforcements and also a chance for the target(s) to try to escape or stay and fight (chances are random but are also affected by your progress in the campaign). I would also like to create similar missions to deal with deserters and traitors that you have tracked.
Both these mission types are a W.I.P. but should add a necessary layer of variety to the game once they are ready. To trigger some of these missions you'll have to get a contract/quest in a local space station but some could appear randomly too.
New "Tone" and Minor Changes:
This is something that I'm just pondering for now but I would like to change the current music for some industrial/rock/metal music I have, this would change a bit the "tone" of the game to make it a bit less dark but I think it would be worth the effort (hard to explain with just words, you'll have to hear it during the next patch and let me know what you think).
Other minor change would be to tweak lighting for the whole game, this would be a very subtle change but right now I have problems because some sections are too dark (with "crushed blacks" in some cases), which in turn forces me to use hard colors to compensate, which also in turn makes details like damage, stamped designs, etc. harder to see. If I tweak lighting to make things clearer then I can maybe make details on characters and environment clearer. I also think I could tweak the Fog of War so it's less black because right now it makes the crushed blacks issue worse.
Before I forget: a minor feature I have planned is to add "Time Control" during combat so you can speed up the enemy turns (or everything). This is something the game desperately needs.
What's giving me problems right now:
Right now, what's been challenging to me is to finish the Space Combat system, the High Ground mechanics and adding big enemies to the game.
The Space Combat has been pretty challenging because the combat system is an original idea so I had to start from scratch but the fact that's original also makes it a bit vague to implement. If that keeps giving me problems I might settle for a proven turn based system to get it done or just release the previous mentioned content and postpone the Space Combat for a future patch.
The High Ground works fine, the problem comes from animations, I'm trying to use animations of jumping down and vaulting when leaving a platform but while it works fine it looks too janky. The problem is that I use store animations (because I'm really mediocre at making my own) so these never fit 100% to my needs. Still, this is not as bad, I think I can fix the animations and make them less janky with enough time.
The Big Enemies is a new feature I experimented lately, basically I would like to add big robots, power suits, a Xenobeast Queen, etc. to add more flavor and danger to the game. The problem is these enemies use more than one cell so pathfinding is being a bit tricky right now.
This is it for now, I wanted to post this Dev Diary since the new patch is taking way longer than the others and people might get impatient. The point was to show there's good reason for the time it's taking, not only a lot of content is being made but I'm giving a general look at the game's tone, lighting and style and even experimenting with new features even if these can get challenging sometimes.
Thanks for reading and see you soon!
Jorge
Dev Diary #5: Working in New Features and Thinking of New Ideas
Hi
This diary is to talk about what I'm doing right now but also to present a couple of ideas for future development and to see players opinions about them (we are talking long term ideas of features that I could add once all Early Access content and promised features are already done).
Let's start with what is being done right now:
High Ground
Currently all combat scenarios work in only 2 dimensions, there's no high ground to take advantage so I wanted to change that. I'm adding new environment assets like Guard Towers with ladders that soldiers can climb and also modifying the terrain in planetary scenarios so it's not completely flat (I'm also revisiting the layout of some scenarios to make them more "practical-looking"but that's another topic). Of course, this is not just an animation and aesthetic change, having the high ground increases aim chance, critical chance and ranged defense (around 3% per "meter" of difference). I hope to add more skills (and maybe some traits) that take advantage of this new feature in the future.
Space Combat:
I'm currently working in a space combat system that will work a bit like this:
- Enemy Ship or Armed Cargo ship is encountered. - The player gives orders to the crew depending of their roles (for example: pilot can be ordered to close distance with the target or maybe retreat, weapons specialist can be ordered to open fire or target something specific, etc). - Both the player ship and the enemy ship execute their orders simultaneously while a cinematic camera follows the action. - If both ships are still standing after executing their orders, it goes back to the Orders phase.
Basically I wanted to keep a turn based system but I didn't want to just have a copy of the existing combat system with ships instead of soldiers, I wanted to try something new. I also wanted these encounters to be shorter so having a simultaneous turn system should help. This system also opens the way to give roles in the ship to soldiers, I'm thinking only soldiers with the right traits should be assigned to systems of the ship, give a bonus during space combat and maybe even get injured if their corresponding ship section is damaged.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- And now let's talk about ideas for the future:
Idea #1: Sandbox Campaign replaces Linear Campaign
This is something that has been mentioned by more than one player in the forum and to be honest at first I was avoiding it because it would be a LOT of work (seriously, it would the biggest change of all, bigger than all the features I've promised so far) but the more I think about it the more it makes sense and it could be the perfect finishing touch to add after I get all other features and content done. And in that spirit I decided to make a mockup of what an overworld/galactic map could look in the game:
This wouldn't change the way the game is played at star system or squad level but it would replace the linear campaign that the game has right now, making it more "open world" in a sense. The general idea would be to have a map like this one where you can pick which system you would like to visit, the colors would show if the system is owned by a faction and the map could have some minor changes with time and maybe some effect the player might have. Factions would be something new too in the sense that systems owned by them should be different, for example: an Hegemony system would be richer but also more protected than Independent systems, stations wouldn't let you access and probably hyper gates would be defended too. This could also make the game more "free", maybe instead of having a fixed path in capturing "The Omen" you could pick other path or keep playing in an Endless Mode (more on these ideas in a future dev diary).
As I said before, this idea is BIG so I would only start working seriously on it after I add way more features and content to the game.
Idea #2: Survival Features And/Or Mode
Right now the game has an Ironman Mode that does the minimum required which is to block saves but I was thinking I could add a Survival Mode instead where soldiers need to be fed with supplies (looted or bought), space for recruits is limited and things like negative traits (scars, diseases, trauma, etc) are not only added to the game but become more common in this mode (and of course, you only have autosaves). Now there's always the possibility of just adding these features (all or some of them) to the normal campaign instead of creating a special mode, I want to hear opinions about it.
This is just a sample of what I have planned for the game, there's still lots of secondary features, content and improvements that I want to add. The downside is that Early Access will certainly be longer than what I expected at the beginning but I think it will be worthy and I hope you agree once you see the new patches I'm preparing. Like last time, I only ask for patience, these new changes are harder to make than new items or weapons so that's why they take longer.
In the meantime, please share your opinion about these new ideas and features. Getting feedback is the main purpose of these dev diaries.
Regards, Jorge
Patch: A bit of Content and a bit of Improvements
Hi
I'm about to start working in another big patch that will take time so before that I wanted to release a few improvements and a bit of extra items. Also fixes, always fixes...
- Added new Idle Animations to Squad Selection Screen (and a bit of random animation speed) so it doesn't look like the soldiers move in synchrony:
- Added new Gear 'Targeting Module': increases aim and critical chances. - Added new 'Threat Detector Grenade': a reusable device that points where unrevealed enemies are in the map and also marks them. - Added new 'Plasma Grenade': similar to the Frag Grenade but stronger and more efective against armored enemies. - Added new item 'Armor Piercing Ammo': increases AP damage when shooting targets. Lasts for a single mission. - Added new item 'Incendiary Ammo': applies 'Burned' effect to targets that the soldier shoots (unless they are immune). Lasts for a single mission.
- Added new Ship Component 'Advanced Scanner': this component helps to avoid bad outcomes when dealing with containers and escape pod encounters. It also allows the player to scan for targets from orbit (it works like an unlimited Threat Detection Grenade with cooldown but only in planet-based scenarios).
- Added new Unit Information Panel that shows detailed stats, skills and equipment about any unit that you click during combat (to show it click the green button with the '?' symbol and then click the soldier or enemy that you want to check):
- Added text notifications in the Star Map to show when a soldier is injured or killed by a random event. - Now pressing F5 in the Star Map will quicksave the game. - Now pressing F2 in the Star Map will open/close a Console/Command Line (this is just something that I needed to help me test but I include it here in case you press it by mistake). - Added a button to see Skill Tree without need for Level Up. - Fixed a bug where pressing tab while aiming a grenade would keep the range bubble fixed in position. - Fixed a bug that made the 'Target Spotting' skill work only once per mission. - Fixed a minor bug where using 'FFP' would cancel cover animation. - Fixed a minor bug where Scav Encounter would show the incorrect spaceship during the boarding animation. - Increased size of font in Save/Load Panel. - Other minor changes.
That's it for now, unless there's a critical bug that needs immediate fixing I'll take my time for the next patch. I would like to make something big that expands the game, one candidate is the Space Combat system but there's other ideas for content and mechanics that I could also pursue.
Whatever I decide to do, I'll let you know in advance with a Dev Diary.
Regards, Jorge
Patch Release Notes: June 21
Hi
Got a few fixes and minor changes done during these last 3 days (thanks to a random surge in motivation and clarity) so here they are in detail:
Added a button to Pay Soldiers individually in the Soldier Panel.
Fixed a bug where soldiers that gained a level would need to heal the one hitpoint they gained.
Fixed a bug where cancelling the "Stomp" action would leave the camera stuck in third person.
Fixed a bug where the "Fire Sidearm" action sometimes wouldn't show up for Assassins.
Fixed a bug where autosave files where saved as "autosave.sav.sav" (be wary that you might see two autosave files in your list now, the one without extension is the latest one).
Fixed a bug where the disruption bubble effect wouldn't appear more than once.
Modified weapon descriptions in stores so they show what class can use them.
Fixed a bug where using double movement would trigger the end turn before the movement has ended.
Fixed a bug where sometimes missions don't end right away after killing the last enemy.
Fixed a bug where Friendly Fire Warning would trigger despite friendlies being just outside of the explosive range.
Improved the "Hearing Something..." warning so it actually triggers with the closest soldier and enemy and not just the first one in hearing range.
Fixed Skills and Traits lists so they have a scrollbar instead of overflowing the Soldier Panel when they are too many.
Fixed a bug where trying to assign new skills to a soldier during the Squad Selection would cause User Interface problems.
Fixed a bug where going to the Soldier List in a Station after visiting the Ship Upgrade Screen would cause minor User Interface problems.
Other minor fixes and changes.
Next patch should be mostly content because it seems there's no more critical bugs (fingers crossed) and what's left to fix is mostly polishing and Quality of Life improvement but of course, if you find anything weird or annoying please report it so I can add it to my to-do list.
Regards, Jorge
The Patrols/Assassin Patch
Hi
Finally the Patrols Feature and the new Assassin class are here! Let's see the changes in detail:
New Patrol Feature:
This new feature means that enemies that are not yet revealed will move around the map. Adding to that, explosions can alert close patrols and make them march to it. This patrol behaviour can be random or following some predefined waypoints and is applied to most enemies but some I made them stay in place (like enemies waiting inside a bridge).
This adds an element of luck to encounters because you could run into more than one patrol at the same time but it also makes the Overwatch more useful because now you can wait for enemies to get in range of an ambush. One point to consider is that the old "Alert/Surprised" mechanic when revealing an enemy has a new effect now. If a patrol founds you during the enemy turn, alerted enemies will be able to attack not only move to cover while surprised enemies will stay in place.
New Content:
- Added a new Human Assassin class. - Added new weapons for the Assassin: Sniper Rifle, Rail Gun and Plasma Lance.
- Added skills for the Assassin: Fire Sidearm, Target Spotting, Final Firing Position and Deadshot.
- Added new Ice Planet Scenario with Xenobeast enemies.
- Added 2 customizable accessories: a cape for the Assassin and a Pirate Hat for the Void Spawn.
- Added new props and cover to Ambrosia Cargo Ship scenario.
New Secondary Features:
- Added a Dismiss Soldier button in the Soldier Panel. Soldiers can be dismissed at any time but doing it outside a station can carry a loyalty penalty (50%-75% chance) since you are basically spacing a soldier (more so if the soldier is owed his salary).
- Some advanced skills like Deadshot and Swordmaster can refund 1 AP on kills. - Added the ability to customize accessories (right now there's only the two already mentioned but I plan to add multiple accessories to every class). - Added Friendly Fire Warning when using explosives. - Now you can customize the "Title" or nickname of the soldiers.
Fixes and Minor Changes:
- Now Assassins and Techno Sorcerers can be recruited in some stations, not just Void Spawn. - Fixed a bug where using the number keys for grenades and rockets could make it target the cell where the soldier is (or fire multiple times). - Added a possible fix for rare bug where soldiers get stuck in animation after moving. - Fixed a bug where some gun projectiles would stay in place if the target was already dead or there was a miss. - Added missing sounds to shiled impacts. - Fixed bug where grenade button is still active after using it. - Fixed bug where Soldier Link (upper left lines with the soldier names during combat) wouldn't update after using a grenade. - Fixed a bug where enemies revealed during their turn wouldn't move them (now they act if they are alert). - Fixed bug where enemy tries to throw a grenade and get stuck. - Other minor fixes.
This patch was a lot of work but I'm not yet done with everything I promised in the last dev diary, stuff like enemies calling for help, new more detailed descriptions for skills and weapons, and even some new items and ship components are still in development. I decided to upload the patch anyway because it was taking too long and because there were some bugs that I wanted to fix as soon as possible.
With that ready, now I'm planning to work in a smaller patch for the next time in case there's any bugs that I missed during my tests and to add some QoL requests that I've been receiving in the last days but after that I'll try to make another big patch. What will that patch have? I don't know yet, there's lots of ideas and promised content so the challenge is to decide what to tackle first but I'll let you know in advance when I have a decision.
In the meantime, please feel free to keep making request or sharing ideas, they're all welcome.
Regards, Jorge
Dev Diary #4: Patrols, Alarms and Sniper Rifles
Hi
I still have at least a week before I finish the patch with a new class and features so I decided to share a new Dev Diary to show what I'm making and what's ready.
Assassin Weapons and Skills:
The Human Assassin class is almost ready, the model is done and 3 different heads and skins are also included to have some basic customization. The Human Assassin (I specify Human because later I would like to add some alien or "synthetic" versions) can use Sniper Rifles (which are a new type of weapon) and equip sidearms as a secondary weapon in case you run out of ammo with your sniper rifle.
So far I've added 2 new weapons for the Assassin:
A conventional Sniper Rifle:
And a Railgun:
I still would like to add a Tier 3 weapon, most likely a Plasma Lance, during this week.
Regarding skills, the Human Assassin has Aimed Shot and Fire Sidearm added from Level 1 but in higher levels you can get:
- Headshot: a shot with increased critical chance and reduced aim chance (already in use by the Mercenary class). - Final Firing Position (FFP): makes the Assassin enters a stance that ignores range penalties to aim as long as you don't move (I'm still pondering if to give another benefits to this skill). - Target Spotting: reveals a small area of the Fog of War in order to discover enemies without alerting them (unless they are too close). - Deadshot: refunds one action point for every kill you make (this could lead to chain kills).
Patrol and Alarm Features:
What's taking more of my time right now is working in patrols, basically a few players mentioned they didn't like that the enemies just stayed in place in the map so I'm giving more priority to a Patrol mechanic that will make some groups of enemies move around the maps. To make it more varied, I have 3 behaviours for enemy groups: Stay in Place (which will be reserved for enemies hiding inside the bridge of a ship or other special rooms), Random Patrol (for enemies that are animalistic) and Waypoint Patrol (for normal enemies so they move in a more realistic patrol pattern). This new feature opens the way for players to ambush enemies with Overwatch, currently I'm fixing some bugs though because interrupting enemies in their patrol still causes some minor issues (like enemies standing in the same cell) but I'm positive I can make a fix during this week.
Note: patrols are only slow moving when they are visible, when enemies are hidden by the Fog of War they move super fast so don't worry about enemy turns being longer.
What I'm also starting to make is a new Alarm mechanic. That means that some patrols can be alerted of your presence and move towards you. I'm thinking stuff like explosions can attract close enemy patrols but also some enemies could radio for helpn and you have to kill them before the call is finished or have them closing in your position.
New Combat Scenarios:
Of course, I want to have at least one new combat scenario ready for the next patch, in the screenshot you can see a new type of environment that I'm preparing: an Ice Planet.
Adding to that I would like to do more in the future with the planets and enemies I already have so I'm currently gathering new ideas for combat encounters (for example: colonies attacked by aliens or hostile space stations and hypergates).
Other Minor Features and Content:
Making the Assassin inspired me to do a bit more with the existing classes, for example I'm adding a new skill to the Raider class that refunds AP when killing an enemy using melee (so you can make a chain kill or run to cover) and just like the Assassin has a cape that can be changed texture or disabled I'm also adding some accesories like hats and pauldrons to the other classes.
The new Patrol feature also inspired me to create new ways to locate enemies like a "Threat Detector" grenade... and since I'm adding a new grenade I rather use the momentum and make more grenades:
Regarding more items, some time ago I mentioned the idea of adding Ammo Items (Incendiary, Armor Piercing, etc). The models are done but I still need to code this new mechanic, hopefully I can get it done for the next patch too.
Fixes and QoL:
Of course not everything can be content, I'm working in improving the descriptions of equipment and skills and fixing some bugs (there's a bug where some rockets and grenades explode in your feet, I fixed that for the next patch but in the meantime just try to not press the number key twice to throw explosives because that's what's triggering the problem).
I also added a Friendly Fire Warning when targeting explosives to avoid annoying accidents.
-------------------------------------------
If you are still reading my dev diaries and patch notes I commend your patience and support, this patch has been pretty challenging because the Patrol mechanic added a lot of bugs and I'll need to test and debug a lot during this week but it is coming so please keep that patience and interest, the project will keep growing and most of your ideas will have a place in the finished product (even if some patches take way longer than others).
Regards, Jorge
Minor Bug Fixes: Movement and XP
Hi
While I'm working on a big patch some kinda urgent issues came up so I decided to rush this minor patch to address those problems:
- Fixed a rare bug where some soldiers could get stuck in animation after moving. - Fixed a bug where explosive deaths (rockets, grenades) wouldn't give experience points. - Fixed a bug where a mission wouldn't end right away after killing the last enemy with an explosive.
Only Fixes for this Patch?
Yes, this patch only has these fixes because I'm not done yet with the big changes I promised like the new Assassin class and others but I can assure you that progress continues (the female Assassin model and textures are ready and now I'm working in special skills and weapons for it).
I'm also working in a recent request: to make enemies patrol while they are not yet revealed. This is a big change that will require modifying how the AI works but it could have some cool sinergy with the new Assassin class because of new mechanics like Concealment, Ambushing Enemies and even enemies that can alert others and call for reinforcements.
I'm giving this new feature more priority because a growing number of players are asking for it.
Thanks for your support, many players have been very supportive when reporting bugs and I appreciate the patience and help.
