Hey rocketeers! Some more feedback has rolled in, and I noticed there were some improvements needed to accommodate inexperienced players better. With that in mind, I decided to pack this update with a couple of features dedicated to improving the player experience! I've added tutorial tips to 8 different levels. These will explain a range of things from steering and accelerating, to handling tanks. I plan to add more of these when finding a knowledge gap or when introducing new features.
Another big feature is the panning option in the pause menu. This option will provide the player with a way to explore levels without spending fuel. By pressing this option you will easily be able to pan the screen in the same way as the level editor does.
Furthermore it seemed not all players understand when the ship is invulnerable (after losing a life). To emphasize the invulnerable state, I've added a protection shield animation. Hopefully this will make it abundantly clear that the ship is safe while in this state.
Ship robustness has been increased a bit. Some find it hard to land the ship without losing a life, and others were frustrated losing a life on a small bump against a wall. While this is partly intended (Rocket Shipment is meant to be challenging), I don't want to induce rage quits in the first 3 levels already. I will keep focusing on finding more ways to further create an easier environment for new players just starting out. Currently I'm planning on adding a bunch of easier levels so the player can gain some feel and experience controlling the ship before trying more difficult levels. Finally, I've also done a graphical improvement for crates and flags. The crates and flags are now not only distinguishable by color, but also by shape. The center parts of the crates have been adjusted to contain different shapes, which are also used in their respective flags. This way I hope to make a first step towards making the game a bit more accessible to players that have trouble distinguishing the color marks.
That's it for now! Keep posted for future updates, and don't forget to share your creations! I always love to see new levels pop up in the Workshop! Have fun!