Hello! We are ready to introduce you another big and important update. After 0.8 was released, we thought to start to release updates more often, but when we started working on 0.81, turned out that several big improvements should be implemented in combination, so it took more time than usual. Despite the fact that the game in development more than 2 years, we made some mistakes in planning, as result, the game still lacks some basic and important features. So we are going to add some of them in this update.

Limited range of detection

One of the most significant changes, it is radars. From now, you can't see objects which are located outside of range of the radar (except big static asteroids and planets). But others ships, small asteroids and debris is not visible until you will close to them. Also, now all command modules have built-in radar which does not require energy and always provides some limited visibility.
This is very important feature which should be implemented long time ago. People often said about size of the world in Celestial Command, and always asked for interstellar travels in order to make the world bigger. But actually, interstellar travels is not necessary in order to make world bigger. Its small size it is just an illusion which caused by several factors: 1. You can see all the map at once. You can zoom-in to any point and observer any asteroids. This is fully remove an effect of "travel in unknown". 2. Your ship have unlimited maximum speed and range. This problem related to orbital mode and this is one of reasons why we decided to focus on the aerodynamic mode for now. In orbital mode, the ship have very low fuel consumption rate, as result you can fly anywhere in the star system and very fast, and since any point can be reachable without a problem, this is also makes the world "small". But now, in aerodynamic mode, in order to travel from one side of the system to another, you need significant amount if time and fuel. With combination of limited view range, this significantly changes how you feel size of the world.
Actually, size of the world is quite big. Imagine any open-world game where size of the map is approximately 12x12 kilometers. This is quite lot of space!
However, currently in the game not too much interesting things which you may found during traveling in space, but now it is possible to travel in space without knowledge of what waiting in front of your ship. This adds a lot of opportunity for adding new exploration content, and one we will add it, it will be more interesting to explore the space.
Another interesting moment, that it is actually a "radar". In many similar 2D space games, "limited view range" implemented using "maximum zoom-out range" so you just can't observe objects beyond side of the screen. We are not really like such approach, because we like a possibility of unlimited zoom-out and we don't want to remove it, so radar is much more suitable for this task. Plus it works on several ships at once and provides possibility for RTS elements. Basically it is similar to classic "Fog of War" from many RTS games.

Improved encounters with pirates

The second very important feature which should be implemented long time ago, it is a system which will spawn an NPC while you are moving through the world. This is a basic and crucial elements of many open world games. We made some mistakes with planning and this features was not implemented properly during long time, so now we are going to solve that.
Despite the fact that we added spawn of pirates some time age, they just spawned near your ship using a timer. This is defiantly not correct behavior and it is just boring. But now, you will encounter an enemies during your movement through the world. They will be spawned somewhere outside of range of your radar, but in relatively short distance, so you will be able to encounter them. If not, they will be removed after some time of inactivity for optimization purposes.
This is how NPC spawn implements in many other open world games, and now it properly implemented here! Besides that, in various places you be able to encounter various enemies. This is described below.

Locations

And another very important feature - locations. It is not just a feature, it is more like a concept. Locations it is a key element of any open world game. It is some specific area which have its particular properties and always located in the same place, so it can be defined, remembered and you should be able to return back to known location. This is also quite important for better "size of the world" which was described above.
Lack of "locations" was one of the biggest problem of orbital mode (locations is very complex in orbital mode, because it should be static, but in orbital mode everything is constant motion. Of course we can implement moving locations, like planets, but points in space, but it is very unusual concept and it could be very hard to understand, especially for new users), and this is another important reason why we decided to focus on aerodynamic mode for now. But later we will try to implement such concept for orbital mode.
So now, the world is divided by sectors and each of sectors may have its properties. So far there is not too much properties, and sectors exist only in big asteroids belt, however this systems allows to create more sectors anywhere on the map with its unique parameters. Currently, each sectors have its owner and complexity level, and one space station somewhere inside. This is will be described below.

Game goals

Also we started to work on some kind of game goals, which is also very important aspect of every game. So now, space stations in sectors can be captures. After that, sector became captureв and its space station can provide its services. Besides that, in far located sectors you will encounter more stronger enemies. System still quite raw, but now we have a platform which can be improved.
------------------------------------ As you can see, with addition of aerodynamic mode, the progress goings much faster Version 0.8 was one of the most important stage in the development, and version 0.81 it is basically improvements for version 0.8. Now we have a pretty good plan which will allows to achieve stable and addictive gameplay.
Also, many people are unhappy with the fact that we are added aerodynamic mode, because "we are turned into casual game and sacrificed a realism in order to achieve more sales" as many others developers often do (especially in modern AAA games). But we can assure you that it is not correct. We don't like a casual games, and our projects always will be deep, hardcore and realistic. Orbital mechanics it is just not the only thing which makes the game realistic and hardcore. There is also many other aspects in the game, which makes it hardcore even in aerodynamic mode, such as limited ammo, limited resources, big damage from collisions, importance of mass, moment of inertia, engines thrust, fuel etc. (those aspects usually simplified in similar others space games)
Also make note, that despite the fact that most changes related to aerodynamic mode, make note, that since both modes have single core, all core features and improvement of optimization automatically available in both modes (radar for example). Also we want to remind that you may discuss an update and communicate with us about everything in our Discord chat. link

CHANGE LOG

Improvements

• Added sectors with capturable stations inside and different complexity of pirates
• Added system which allows to capture enemy stations
• Added system for limited view range (inside radar range)
• Balance: Radar radius in aerodynamic mode is 10 times smaller than in orbital mode
• Improved algorithm of planets placement for aerodynamic mode, now gas giants can be found only outside of asteroid belt, gas giant have more and bigger moons and more variations of moons while other planets have smaller and less diverse moons.
• Added panels with additional information about game modes and multiplayer
• Now it is not necessary to dock with shipyard in order to buy, sell or repair a module, you just should be in range of shipyard (this allows to build a new docking port if your docking ports was lost and also provides more comfortable construction since you can move your docking port and no longer forced to be docked with station)
• Now engineering bay can construct modules everywhere inside its radius of influence (not only on docked ships) It makes construction process much easier and enjoyable. Especially if you want to build new ship. You can start it anywhere from any module (not only from docking port as before)
• Removed possibility to build new docking port next to existed docking ports (it is no longer necessary because of feature explained above, now you can build docking port everywhere in open space and dock to it after construction)
• Usability: Now camera view can be controlled during pause and now its movement speed completely independent from speed of time
• Usability: Now right after you spawned your first ship, camera will be set close to the ship by default (without smooth transition) It is looks more comfortable
• Added option to change collision damage or completely disable it (while it disabled, physics could be more interesting in some cases)
• GUI: Main menu a bit redesigned
• GUI: Improved GUI of "Create new world" window. Added fold button which hides advances settings. Changed start button and back button, added new check mark.
• Aerodynamic game mode set by default
• Added option for 100% black background
• 90% Black background color now is set by default and now it is a bit lighter
• AI: Now enemies will stop chase your ship if it is too far away
• Now all command modules have basic built-in radar which does not requires energy. Large command module have a bit more powerful radar.
• Visual effects: Laser impact effect now lit nearby objects and looks more correctly, especially when you mining dark side of asteroids
• Visual effects: Particles of laser impact effect and asteroid mining effect now simulated in world space instead of local space it means that particles will not follow origin of particle emitter, this makes particles looks much better, especially if laser ray moved from one point to another (works only in aerodynamic mode, impossible to implement in orbital mode)
• Visual effects: Docking lights now bigger and directed in opposite direction
• Balance: Shield regeneration rate reduced from 10 to 2 per second
• Optimization: Light indicator of docking ports fixed and optimized
• Optimization: Small optimization for GUI of selected and hovered objects

Fixes

• Stations no longer created inside an asteroid.
• Static asteroids no longer displayed with yellow dot on radar (only small asteroids)
• Attempt to change speed of time during pause now will properly disable a pause and hide its text label
• Animation of moving dots of resource connections now properly displayed during pause
• Fixed "NaN" value which appear in "total power flow" during pause
• Asteroids amount values now works in aerodynamic mode
• Stations no longer will follow a player sometimes (as enemy ships do)
• Moons no longer spawned inside its planet and each other
• Planets now have proper amount of moons
• Damaged modules now will be sold with proper (reduced) price
• Planets no longer spawned inside each other and now always spawned on some distance
• Fixed typo "Orbital mechaincs" --> "Orbital mechanics"
• Camera view no longer jumps away right after small lags (especially noticeable during spawn of the enemy ships, which cause 0.5-1 sec lag)
• Ship icons no longer have incorrect screen position during first frame right after activation
• Now when radar out of power, it will be disabled correctly
• Now radar will be correctly disabled when detached from the command module (but still connected to power storage)
• Now shield works correctly after game was loaded
• Multiplayer: Now "max thrust" parameter of engines is properly synced in multiplayer
• Multiplayer: Connected users now have correct positions of planets

Known issues

• Detailed info about saved file temporary disabled (it cause significant freeze when save load window is opened) however info can be visible on click, it is a temporary solution just in order to make save load functionality more accessible (it is more important than additional info about file)
• Characteristics of modules is very unbalanced and AI is not too smart. In most cases gameplay can be too easy
• Missions does not works in multiplayer
• Spawning of enemy ships may cause significant lags, especially for connected users
• Effects of engines and weapons visible even outside of range of radar, and also, objects can be selected by cursors even if not visible
• NPC Stations became invisible when only one on their modules going out or range of radar

[ 2017-08-04 00:01:01 CET ] [ Original post ]