Into the SPACE GATE!
Greetings, Pilots!
We're back! In your face and on your feeds, and this time we're coming with a whole new level draft for you to chunk and plunk your
SHMUPPY minds at!
Along with a number of upgrades, patches and bug-fixes, this time we're stepping out of Act I and into--
Act II: Cracking the Heavens, Shaking the Stars
It's official! Not only are we continually upgrading our existing content and engine, we're beginning our monthly release of content new content!
One level draft a month, until we're done with them. Then, all 9 levels done, we revise revise revise, pump them with juice, and release a tight, tweaks, amazing game experience to you.
We're proud to give you an Early Access peek at--
ActII, Level 1 - "Reducto ad Absurdum"
The DSP MkI Pilots, having defeated the G'ell infected SARDO-099 Form Amorphous Defense Platform, are thrown through the Numspa Gate and into Weirdspace, an alien hyper-space dimension, where their piloting skills are put to the test against hundreds of dizzying G'ell Pattern Attack ships lead by the enigmatic alien fighter pilot Slake Shinegunner, who pilots the visciously effective G'ell Modified Forward Assault Special Frame, "Mad Harbinger."
On the other side of Weirdspace, the DSP MkI Pilots find themselves thrust into a UNFP warship graveyard. What was once the entire defensive force of the UNFP, including the "Agotos", an incomprehensibly sized capital ship, now a cracked and burning wreck.
The DSP MkI Pilots must dodge the debris of their fallen comrads and battle through a mass of G'ell fighters before facing off a second time with Slake Shinegunner, whose "Mad Harbinger" has been upgraded to a furious brink.
What's New?
You'll notice we changed this level's boss from
BNO-66866 and his wicked ship, "
Element Manifold." Don't you worry, he's not getting
cut - just
moved.
We thought that, since Act II's big bad boss is actually a collective of
FIVE BOSS SHIPS working in conjunction, known the the G'ell as
THE FIGURATE, we'd harass the player with one or more of each of them per level.
FIVE BOSS SHIPS?
Well, yeah! I mean, we can't end every act with a giant super-ship. That would get [strike]boring[/strike] repetitive.
THE FIGURATE is not only the main boss of Act II, it's also a set of enemy ships that harass the player throughout the three levels of Act II!
For Act II, Level 1 we went with--
Slake Shinegunner / Mad Harbinger
Slake Shinegunner is a humanoid alien from
Jerk Space, a geometrically unstable pocket of bent-lens beyond the
Helix Nebula.
Slakes ship,
Mad Harbinger, is a prototype Gell super-assault unit armed with the Gells most devastating attacks while still being well armored and fast enough to be competitive.

Slake will harass you in and out of
Weirdspace, as is his way.
Weirdspace?
Oh, that. Yeah. Things get weird once the
DSP MkI Pilots are flung through the
Numspa Gate. It used to be a stable artificial wormhole in there; a hyperspace corridor used to connect humanity with the greater galaxy.

The G'ell have destroyed the corridor and disrupted the hyperspace channel, creating
Weirdspace; an aberration of space-time that the entire
UNFP defense force was lost in once it was deployed through the
Numspa Gate to stop the G'ell Invasion Force.

At the other end of
Weirdspace the
DSP MkI Pilots smash into a wall of chaos; the remains of the entire
UNFP Defense Force, lead by the now broken and burning capital ship, "
Agatos."
What It's Got
- New Level Design
- New Enemies
- New Patterns
- New Gameplay Mechanics
What It's Not
Complete!
This level draft and has a few phases of polish to go through in which we'll be adding new assets and even more content such as:
- New Music
- New Sound Effects
- Voiced Character Intro for Slake
- More Cat Admiral!
- More Post-Weirdspace Action
- MORE CAT ADMIRAL!
New Music?
Why yes! Keep your eyes peeled for a music announcement next week that is going to blow your mind all the way up!
What's Next?
This sprint, we're focusing on finishing the main elements of Act II, Level 1 - like all of that wreckage and a bunch of juice, as well as starting a new level for you to enjoy:
Act II, Level 2 - "Black Without End"
Out of the wreckage of the blasted
UNFP Defense Force, the
DSP MkI Pilots find themselves in dogfight after raging dogfight with the full force of the G'ell armada in orbit around the G'ell Colony Invasion Mega-Ship, "
Atamastor," weathering a blistering attack coordinated by the alien assault fighter pilot
Boltrox Chennard in his G'ell Strike ship, "
Fleshrender."
Act II, Level 2 will launch to our
test group in August, with our mid-month update, and to the public shortly thereafter, once any major bugs are squished.
Test Group, You Say?
Why yes! I'm glad you noticed!
We have a test group that meets up on our
Discord Server and gets access to test builds as we go. It's a pretty fun gig if you have the time.
It gets boring being the only ones breaking our game. Come help!
Just pop on to our
Discord Server and let us know you want to be a tester. We'll hook you right up!
More to come!
Thanks for reading this update! And for playing our game!
We're continuing to work hard to make something awesome for you, because you're awesome!
YES, YOU! STILL!
Until next time,
GET BACK MEOWT THERE, PILOT!
- Don Thacker, Imagos Softworks[ 2019-08-02 15:32:17 CET ] [ Original post ]