Dev Blog #009 February 14, 2023

Hey all, here are more updates on recent progress. I've also been talking with publishers so I will have more info on that as soon as I know more myself.

Character Backstories

Currently characters can have an avatar, title, profile frame and profile banner but I wanted to expand this with the intention of a possible full character customiser in the future ( well into the future ). Now when creating a character you can now give them a backstory, this changes their starting ship and gives bonus skill points that fit their role.

I'm hoping to expand this further, I will post more as I develop it further.

Achievements & Medals

Achievements have been renamed to Medals and new achievements have been added.
Previously achievements you unlock on Steam, GameCenter etc were linked to your character but this didn't seem to fit right so I have moved achievements to be based on your account. You can now unlock achievements with any character.

Medals are per character, they unlock rewards and titles that can only be used on that character. They will also show on your profile in game so you can show off.

Cosmetics

I've made more updates to the character cosmetics, with new banners and profile frames available. These can be unlocked a few different ways, such as being granted along with medals.
This adds even more personalisation to your profile, your public page will now show your avatar, frame, banner and title along with your medals and stats.

Ship cosmetics are still being updated, I've got support for customising your ships skin, adding decals, changing your engine effect and selecting completely new warp effects to annouce your arrival on the battlefield.

NPC Chatter

I've added a new system for npc chat, this allows npcs to send messages while in space. For example AQSEC might announce that they are engaging pirates or they are requesting reinforcements. Pirates might send demands to miners before attacking, or they might call for a retreat. This adds a lot of context to what is happening and makes the game areas feel more alive.

AI-Links

Your personal AI is your guide through the game, but rather than just being a voice that pops up every now and then it is something you can upgrade and configure. It has several slots for upgrades that can provide a boost to all your ships, these boosts are linked to you and you will not lose them if your ship is destroyed.

Although the game already has a skill tree that feels more permanent and long term whereas the AI-Links can be swapped out so you can quickly adjust your stats depending on what you are currently doing.

Two Factor Authentication

You can now add an authentication device to your accounts for more security. This is optional but it's worth doing as it adds another layer of security to your account.

Progress

As always I am working closer to getting something playable but there is always something I want to improve or change, so I'm trying to refrain from adding any more features or changing anything else too much. That way I can work on polishing up things and fixing bugs ready for a playtest.

Thanks all, I hope you are enjoying the dev blog!