Frontiers Reach News

It's been a few weeks since the last update so this one is fairly substantial. I'm putting this one out before voice over recording starts back up again and the work to get the first campaign put into the game really begins. The past two to three weeks have been mostly small updates and touch ups while writing for side quests has also gone on. This announcement will be part recap and part new stuff.





Perhaps the biggest addition to the WARMAP is the nemesis system. This system has a chance to spawn a nemesis enemy squadron at almost any time during a WARMAP scenario. It is currently using some place holder audio but character dialogue for the nemesis squadron is in the queue for recording.

Your nemesis, Lancer Squadron.



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A new Third Person UI is now available and can be toggled on/off at will. This UI provides a minimal amount of information to the player but should be more than enough to help with fighting and flying in the third person perspective.




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Two new weapons have been added to the game that use a completely new type of guidance system. The new guidance system is a Semi-Active guidance system and requires to the player to keep their selected target within the radar fan (ring of dashes surrounding the reticle) in order guide the missile to the target.


Internal Weapon - Lazerov SAG-40 Morning Star

- The Lazerov SAG-40 Morning Star is a semi-active guided high power missile that is considered a main stay in most arsenals. While less of the missile is carried due to its increased size, it also packs a harder punch than standard guided missiles.\n This is a semi-active guidance weapon that will require the user to keep the target in the radar fan till the missile impacts.

Heavy Weapon - L&M Quantostorm S-AG Q-201

- The Lochland & Masters Quantostorm Semi-Active Guidance missile is an area denial weapon with a quantum cracking warhead that will toss around any enemy that it fails to destroy, and it destroys a lot. As it is a semi-active guided missile it requires the user to maintain the target within the radar fan.


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Countermeasures have been tweaked to be more responsive. Additionally the descriptions for countermeasures have been updated to better explain each one. It should be noted that the modules in the outfitting screen aren't necessarily better than each other and that price balancing still needs to be done. Each of them is designed to be different and not necessarily better.


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Additional tweaks to terrain optimization have been made across the board that should make planetary levels run faster. This also includes tweaks to how textures are rendered on the terrain by exerting better control over what details are visible based on distance from the camera.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


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The FullSim control scheme now includes keybindings for the camera. There is also now a keybinding setup for Vertical Trim control that is available for all control schemes.


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- The SA-50 Atlatl has had its cockpit camera position adjusted for better visibility of the radar instrument.

- The Armored Colum scenario has been fixed to keep the scenario from breaking at key points and to allow for better timing of enemy spawns.

- The Sol Confederacy Brigade Carrier has been touched up with some new artwork additions to the lower bay doors and interior. Additionally some parked vehicles have been added to both the upper and lower bay interiors.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


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If you've been following in the Discord then you might have heard that I've been working on physical box sets for Frontiers Reach. While I've managed to put together a few simple boxes for giving away I've also been working on something a bit more intricate for sale on the Frontiers Reach website. Below is a preview unboxing of what I am calling the "Black Box Set"

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


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That's all for this update, the next update for Phase 2 might be a while still yet. The audio director who is getting all the recording done is currently out on vacation but is expected back in the next week or two. Writing for side quests will continue along with further quality of life updates and additional content as those things are made ready for release.

Work has continued on Phase 2 of the WARMAP!

Most of this work right now involved getting voice actors recorded and trying to script all of the missions in to the game. However some additional tweaks, touch ups, and additions have gone in this week. Primary among them is the addition of 2 new guided weapons and a new guidance type for them. As well as a new user interface for the third person perspective.



This new TPP user interface is styled using all of the existing UI elements but is kept as minimal as possible. It provides just enough information to give you what you need to fly and fight in the third person camera.

With all of the writing and some things getting intense with my day job and real world events, I have not had the opportunity to work in the engine as much as I would have liked. That said, work on Frontiers Reach should pick back up in the next week or two. Phase 2 of the WARMAP updates is likely to be the longest and biggest leap forward for the game in some time. As such I would like to give you a preview of what is coming in the future.


- Chapter 2
Chapter 2 contains 15 missions that are played out on the WARMAP. These missions will consist of both story missions and the old "Distress Beacon" missions that are getting a rework in the following weeks.

- Side Quests.
There are 4 side quests currently being worked on that will be at least 3 missions long. Each side quest will end in a Black Site and reward the player with a new wingman to take on missions.

- New Weapons.
As of right now there are 2 new weapons with a new guidance type. This new guidance type will require the player to keep the target within the radar fan in order to track the munition to the target. If the target falls outside of that radar fan, guidance will be temporarily lost. Putting the target back inside of the radar fan will start tracking again. This should allow for some interesting play with the weapons. Additional weapons types are in concept.

- New Enemies.
While Phase 1 got the F-107 Broadbill heavy fighter and ZQ-53 Mizrak drone, Phase 2 will be introducing another new enemy. This new enemy will follow you throughout the WARMAP. Every mission you play in Chapter 2 will have a chance to initiate and encounter with the all the Lancer Squadron. A group of aces specifically tasked with hunting you down and blasting you out of the sky.




Last but not at least I have something I'd like to say with regards to real world events.

If you live in that region of planet Earth historically known as the Levant. Please be safe and strive to find accurate information.

This weekend there is no update. The reason for this is because Phase 2 of the WARMAP updates is about to start and I it will take some time get the first update put together for Phase 2. That aside this announcement is specifically for covering some of the work that was done this week, and that which is to come.




Chapter 2 of the story for Frontiers Reach is well underway. Voice over is currently wrapping up recording for the main story missions and the first side quest for chapter 2 is wrapping up writing. Chapter 2 is going to be a major step forward for the WARMAP. It will include story missions to play on the WARMAP as well as new missions that will have the player fighting to rescue vessels in distress. Each vessel you save is added to your fleet of ships and will progress the story.

I don't have anything to show off for chapter 2 yet, but most of the work right now is prep work before going into scripting the missions into the game. What I will say though, is that new characters will be met in this next chapter with the return of some older ones.




As I mentioned earlier, the first real side quest for Chapter 2 is wrapping up writing and about to go into voice over recording! With this side quests comes a new addition to the game.

Sol Confederacy Black Sites.

Black sites are secret installations run in remote locations throughout the frontier worlds. Each side quest will end with a black site. And each black site is its own level with a complex structure that will require the player to participate in a large battle to complete the side quest. The first side quest will have the player working with one of the new characters being added to the game.

The first of the black sites is featured in the video below.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]




Additional player feedback has been received as well as a continued effort to refine and improve the game. On the list of things to do right now there includes new weapons types, additional 3rd Person UI elements, and more controls for the fighter like trim controls.

Below is a short video of an explosive charge that has been made for one of the new weapon types.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

To help balance these weapon types out a bit more a new type of guidance system is planned called "Semi-active". Semi-active guidance munitions will require the pilot to keep their locked target within the radar fan indicators used by guided weapons. If the target falls outside of those indicators the munition will lose tracking until the target is put back into the radar fan.


That's all I have for this announcement. Till next time!

- Fixed another bug that could break landing sequences.

- Fixed a bug that could keep the player from landing at the end of some story missions after they crashed during mission.