Hello Starchasers! Did you know I hate ISPs? I really really do. So much. You don’t even know. This devlog’s gonna be a kind of hectic, last-minute thing. Mostly because it is. We just finished a move to a new place which has taken up the past week or so with sheer idiocy in what’s happened. The good news is the cats appreciate the space. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/e24d422d1a9e6dc5598e9a4b19d1f45513622d74.jpg[/img] Still, I’ve got some good news: [url=https://pastaspace.itch.io/underspace/devlog/557205/underspace-demo-225-changelog]Demo 2.25 is now out![/url] This is mostly a smaller patch that fixes a few softlocks, black screens, control lockups, etc. But there’s some new features there too! Currently the PC version is available, with Mac and Linux versions to follow sometime today. Check it out! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/4c232766ea90ebfc6e407a6137f2a109f5ac9063.png[/img] Anyway, let’s get onto progress! As always, [url=https://pastaspace.itch.io/underspace/devlog/557205/underspace-demo-225-changelog]check out the latest demo[/url] and be sure to [url=https://discord.gg/34NbWxKkKh]join our Discord[/url] for more immediate updates! [h1]Quest Testing[/h1] I promised last month focused on content testing, namely quests. About half (30/60) of quests are now absolutely playable to completion. Sometimes this was a small fix, other times this took a LOT of work to get them functional. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/1375a01b58d3a082f070a12224c24412f991d80c.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/7620a528b6c9ce8ebba49405b484354c32bc2790.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/ff9ede1ff0781a715217bacd0b1471dc3b807e2c.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/83e2722d4c7451a8c51d4f36ef40767aa34e05cd.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/bc995d8efa3ecaa3f44bd199205ee3e79025a99c.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/f49beb465dff2eb1887fa9fa892132e433b2f4c6.png[/img] [previewyoutube=AcrbV_mmR44;full][/previewyoutube] There’s a few small improvements done to quests here and there, mostly to make them flow better or to fix some non-breaking graphical issues. [previewyoutube=sH9LmVBWvds;full][/previewyoutube] This isn’t the full pass on these quests, after all of them are confirmed playable, there will be a second draft for things like cutscenes, better bosses, etc. But this month will be focused on making the other half of them playable to completion. [h1]Raids and Dungeons[/h1] What kind of space RPG would we be without space dungeons? As they are often involved in quests, dungeons this month got all their enemies, loot, and quest elements added in. These can be simple stuff like beam attackers and having to blow up fans to pass through, to complicated background effects. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/08147a8b65a38a88f1e9ced7c751e7dc32cb0554.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/772136efa2744605983408d3087e7cac2bdb2238.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/0ed28e9febb5ced58d125e70a1c1f62a49e5093e.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/8436244a34e20712860cb456749038e14f270090.png[/img] [previewyoutube=uZU3BOSga2k;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=LhV4qkCtl5I;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=5WAHQGNpbRI;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=MHq1q_R9vZE;full][/previewyoutube] Raids also were added in. These are similar to dungeons but are more open areas. They still involve enemies, traps, as well as complicated background effects. [previewyoutube=beDMtlP0woI;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=iEW5eRgxAkk;full][/previewyoutube] For example, what if you destroy a huge battleship only to discover it was maintaining a massive illusion across an entire star system? I think some of you will understand what I’m talking about. [previewyoutube=rTQnolxmOrY;full][/previewyoutube] A few of these things need tweaking of damage values and similar, but for the most part they’re in and done. [h1]Feature Hookups and Fixes[/h1] As part of this month’s fixing pass, I went through a lot of things that weren’t working or half-implemented and made them fully implemented. For starters our in-game manual had a massive amount of improvements: There is full text and full video for every subject now. [previewyoutube=SADXE4KhBAA;full][/previewyoutube] The in-game resolution options, as well as options for different resolution modes, FXAA, and many other graphical options were re-enabled and fixed. Yay. [previewyoutube=bVo5OeGA4yw;full][/previewyoutube] Weapons platforms weren’t able to die and had some issues with their loadouts. No longer the case, so blast away at sentries with total impunity, if you please. [previewyoutube=-HTTTWmjzEg;full][/previewyoutube] Shadows now work! We’ve improved the draw distance on them, as well as several flickering issues. [previewyoutube=kNG05x_KyHM;full][/previewyoutube] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/e8cb561c1539706ea5289b56f2bb3083e2598b27.png[/img] Finally, remember Minimine? Probably not but pets are getting re-animated and re-added to the game. Some games have cats, dogs, maybe a cool bug as a pet. Here we’ve got sentient naval mines. Don’t worry, they can explode safely. Safely for them, that is. [previewyoutube=IbWyU8uM21M;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=FRTg_EFL-rc;full][/previewyoutube] [h1]Gameplay Improvements[/h1] Lots of little gameplay fixes and improvements this month! Starting off, distant objects in storms are now fully animated. This was always planned but have you ever rigged and animated tentacles? It’s kind of a pain in the ass. [previewyoutube=KNsdX06pLb8;full][/previewyoutube] I added loadout and AI randomization to every normal faction in the game. This means that NPCs have a bit more in what they can be carrying and their AI can be tweaked to better utilize that. Sometimes they'll have better shields (or worse shields), use missiles in situations where they wouldn't normally have them, maybe some extra laser guns, etc. This just covers the basic loadout randomization, I'll be getting to special cases (where NPCs can have additional loadouts and AI changes based on things like quests you've completed or whatever) later when I go back over quests for their next drafts. [previewyoutube=TQPrsQLWfck;full][/previewyoutube] Going closer to jumpholes causes your screen to distort, since being that close to a giant hole in reality probably isn’t healthy for you, or anyone really. [previewyoutube=JhKF7InP9ZM;full][/previewyoutube] Text in conversations can either be a scrambled mess of eldritch nonsense, or display in alien fonts. Both of these can be translated, if you have the right equipment or the right amount of time. Also ancient gates can have their text translated to give you hints about how to open them! [previewyoutube=Xvnri8onDlQ;full][/previewyoutube] [previewyoutube=l85alE7kw5I;full][/previewyoutube] A few requested features were put in, including lock times on laneline travel, and, if you kill an enemy, it will automatically target the next nearest one for you. [previewyoutube=M5SBM51DYLU;full][/previewyoutube] Headlights now illuminate a wider area around you. Physically accurate? Heck if I know but it’s much more useful now. [previewyoutube=BmyvMooF3M8;full][/previewyoutube] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/bc97ba058758c52d268d4cc7d80c727a8ba712d6.png[/img] I refactored door logic a bit. You can define additional things to open them, mostly in cases where there are space dungeons where there are other ships flying through these dungeons. It could also be used for some cool stuff like you having to physically bait some sort of organic bit towards a monster door to open it in a fleshy organic dungeon. [previewyoutube=F0QCqX5ejAw;full][/previewyoutube] Things other than ships can have levels now. Mostly bosses use this because I like to freak people out by showing them facing off against something that say it’s like, level 1500 or something. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/6e908cb84ce14fc2ee6dcce594ff590f0cc879ee.png[/img] Finally, stations are getting some lighting and texture presets tweaked, along with some new interior parts getting added in. With this latest demo, feel free to visit the Vauldric trading center. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/61d3ac5970a39c31feb4d2c1291ec3489ade3bf5.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/0afc206a2878a9d92ae7c3952c720f590746d2f7.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//35321791/d101b50640b2f92b1132b200b72133992277c26f.png[/img] And that’s all for this month. We’ll have more stuff next month. You know we do. We always do.