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Hey everyone, SALT_ here.

Ive got a fresh update on DROSS! This isnt an announcement for a new demo release, but a deep dive into what Ive been grinding away on to make the game better than ever.

Were not quite ready to drop the next update, but the demo is coming along quickly and smoothly. More enemies have been added, core systems are clicking better, and everythinglots of everythinghas been polished to a shine.

Im thrilled to share where things stand, whats new, and whats in the works.

Thanks for sticking around; I know its been a while. Your feedback and excitement for the next update have kept me pushing as hard as I can!

Whats Been Happening

Ive been deep in development on DROSS, focusing on getting the game back to a fully playable state with all the improvements weve discussed. The goal is to make the demo rock-solid before pushing toward the full game. Heres a rundown of the major areas Ive tackled:

Enemy AI and Behaviors: Bringing the Bugs back to Life

The alien bugs are the heart of DROSSs chaotic, intense vibe, and Ive poured time into their AI movement and behavior. Were talking big, slicing-claw bugs, swarms of small, biting creatures, and more, all with new behaviors that make them feel alive and reactive.

Bugs now circle aggressively just out of reach, retreat when approached, wait for the perfect moment, or lurk just out of sight.

They gather resources like minerals to upgrade their unit types, strengths, and nests. Swarm leaders direct their groups dynamically, setting up ambushes or stalking where they know you cant see them.

Bigger elites add variety to each encounter. Its all about creating a spectrum from tense stealth to high-action chaos, with 500800+ enemies running smoothly on screen.

Behaviors: Morale

Ive added a new global enemy morale system that shifts how bugs behave. High morale means more aggressive attacks; low morale makes them scatter and flee.

Player actions, like wiping out a nest or large groups, can tank their morale, while enemy pushes boost it back up. Visual cues, like panicked animations, sound effects, and behavior changes, are in development to make this feel more immersive. These make every fight feel reactive and unpredictable, forcing you to adapt as the Dross do.

New Level Layouts: Crafted Experiences and Variety

Ive added more floor plan layouts to the level designs.

New linear, classic dungeon exploration, and exploration-heavy floor plans are designed to keep each level fresh. Linear levels streamline fast-paced runs, dungeon layouts offer branching paths for exploration, and Key locked areas challenge you with clearance cards and locked routes. Its been tough ensuring these fit within level bounds, but they guide players naturally toward objectives like exits or supply/armory rooms. Important elements, like keys, ammo, infestations, or upgrades, are clearly marked on the minimap with updated art for smoother navigation.

Enemies now collect and use resources. Bugs mine materials for energy to strengthen their nests. Players can interrupt this for high-stakes fights. This ties into the new level design, making each floor feel like a living ecosystem that changes, expands, and grows, where every choice matters.

New & Improved Gameplay Systems: Smoother and Smarter

Movement and combat have been polished to hit that sweet spot between tense and frantic. Player movementspeed, strafing, stamina, and meleehas been refined for a smoother flow, especially in the big armor that feels heavy yet responsive, akin to Warhammers bulky aesthetic. I fixed issues with item pickups, so grabbing loot within a radius is seamless, prioritizing nearby items during interactions to avoid clunky mistakes, especially during frantic fights where inputs must work.

Weapons have received a lot of love. I reworked their visuals and animations, added more moving parts, and they now look much cooler. The upgrade system has expanded, with more weapons and upgrades you can discover.

More gun lockers, shops, and hidden items have been added within the levels, offering tools to tackle each scenario. I ensured ammo spawns favor weapons you carry, so youre less likely to run dry, alongside upgrades for better drop rates and quantities.

Performance and Optimization

Performance is critical with hundreds of enemies swarming the screen. New systems like CullingManager and EnemyProximityManager, a dedicated performance LOS controller, distance checks, quad-tree lookups, and time-slicing have boosted optimization by 100% and handle proximity checks efficiently, using area-based systems for minimal calculations.

New flocking behavior uses a smoother, more organic steering approach with staggered updates, keeping large swarms running smoothly. Physics-controlling scripts scale based on velocity and gravity, making environmental interactions like kicking, hitting, or throwing more impactful.

By leveraging Unity 6s new GPU features, LODs, occlusion, small-object culling, VFX rendering, and distance-based animation quality, theres been a major performance boost, especially for distant enemies. The animation culling system adjusts based on distance, ensuring no frame drops even during the most intense fights.

Story and Polish

The story is starting to take shape, with cutscenes between the player and Vanth adding narrative depth to the ORCUS facility. The tutorial is now more intuitive, with input detection (gamepad or keyboard) to guide new players. The Rest Area between levels has been refined, offering story beats, advanced tutorials, and a spot to save without losing progress. Small touches, like bug blood splattering floors or heads exploding, add an extra layer of polish to make fights visceral.

Whats Next

The next update (v0.8.2-ish) is focused on tying all these pieces together. I plan to reintroduce many bug variants like spore bugs , spitters, runners, to spice up combat and force strategic target prioritization. The weapon overhaul continues, with more unique upgrades and animations to make every shot feel powerful. Player upgrades are expanding to give that rogue-like depth, with a bigger pool of items to mix and match for wild builds.

The demo will remain limited to three levels, but I want it packed with contentso much that you cant see it all in one run. Balancing difficulty is crucial: I want it challenging but winnable, with stealth and combat options that reward smart play.

Thank You for the Support

DROSS is a tough grind, with me handling art, code, and everything else. Ive received a lot of help, support, and feedback, but Im still fixing plenty of my own mistakesold code and rookie errors.

But your feedback, playtests, and encouragement make it feel like a team effort. The game is shaping up to be something special: Space Hulks tension, Left 4 Deads swarm chaos, and deep replayability, all wrapped in a grim sci-fi package. Im not there yet, but every step forward feels huge.

If youre new, check out the demo on Steam soon, and maybe consider wishlisting DROSSit really boosts visibility.

Got any thoughts, feedback, comments, or criticism?

Drop them here or on the Steam discussion forums. Thanks for reading and supporting this journey. Im working hard on this, Ive gotten a lot done, and Ill have more to share soon.!

Cheers,

SALT_