Frontiers Reach News

This weeks update sees the implementation of Linux support! Yay! We have successfully tested the game on Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop Os. We've also added some new quality settings to the config menu and have continued the effort of laying the ground work for larger levels and custom missions.

- Linux support for Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop OS.

- Fixed a couple of graphics issues that were unique to Linux machines and that should also bring up quality on Windows machines.

- Added new Cloud Quality control slider to control the quality of cloud rendering. Lower is better.

- Added settings toggle for cloud shadows rendering to enable/disable cloud shadows.

- Added settings toggle for cloud volumetric shadows rendering to enable/disable cloud volumetric shadows.

- Added settings toggle for ground fog rendering to enable/disable ground fog rendering.

- A number of maps have been expanded in size in a much larger effort to prepare the game for moving to a more modular format.





This week we're also publishing our roadmap. I will include more details about it below the image. One thing I will ask is that every keep in mind that some of the roadmap features are things that are being built into the architecture of the game. This means that while the affects might not be immediately visible they will lend to a greater gameplay experience down the road.









One of the first tasks on the roadmap is the refactoring of the enemy AI. With this we're looking to smooth out the combat and make the combat less wonky. It is difficult to say how long this will take so I don't want to make promises we might not be able to keep in terms of timelines or to put too much stress on my team and risk burning them out.



Right now we have a structure that assigns one mission to one level. We're working on a much larger system that will allow for multiple missions to be assigned to one or more maps. This allows us to grow the game exponentially, use larger more heavily designed levels for those missions, and to create levels that can be revisited over and over and that will serve as common points of interest for players to visit and share stories in.



Once the AI refactoring is completed, we'll be doing a pass at the player mechanics to get them smoothed out and to bring them in line with the AI refactoring. This is like all of the high priority tasks is something I cannot put a concrete timeline to. However, refactoring will likely include some mechanical changes as we've got a few ideas for how expand the player experience in a few different ways. I'll go into more detail those when we get closer to them.



We want to add some truly robust story telling mechanics to the game but we don't want to get bogged down too much with relying on voice actors to be constantly present to get things done. As such we're exploring some interesting ways to get this done. Additionally we want to a means through which the player can interact with characters more directly with the ability for character interaction aboard the Heliosiren to drive gameplay.



Starfighter customization is an important feature but we've yet to really start on it. We want your starfighters to feel like the retro-futuristic space hotrod of your dreams. From tweaking performance parameters to change how a starfighter feels to swapping patterns and colors and even decals to change how your starfighter looks. If you're gonna be a space pirate, you need a custom hotrod starfighter to go with it.



One of the reasons the lead developer started this project was to enable the story telling potential of gamers by giving them the tools to tell their own stories in a science fiction universe they know and love. Unlike other intellectual properties and the creators behind them, we don't want to stand in the way of community creation and instead want to make an effort to support it. This feature is still a ways down the road though but rest assured it is a key feature that we absolutely want to implement.



One of the things we've tested behind closed doors and on limited streams is the ability to rapidly create story driven content. This is not something that we speculate we can do, this is something we are already doing. But before it is ready for prime time we've got a lot of refinement and feature expansion to get done. One thing I will say is that in order to make this system work we have to avoid some conventions that other game embrace. One of them being fully voiced dialogue. The moment we choose to include voice over other than our computer generated narrator our entire time table expands and this goal will become unachievable, so we will be sticking to text based dialogue for most cases.

We hope that this paints a good picture of the game moving forward and ask for your assistance in finding bugs and testing the games mechanics.

Till next time, fly safe!

This weeks update blog is small as I've had to spend some time on projects that are not this game. However, this update brings the first pass at an implementation of the user interface for 3rd person mode. And the release of a new starfighter. I also spent more time getting the team up to speed and managing team taskings.

Additionally, this past week saw more time and effort put towards laying the foundation for future updates and while that is reflected in this update, the core of that future expansion will not seen in this update. This period of refinement is pretty big shift in how the game is structured and it may take some time before it is ready for public release.
- Added new starfighter. The Lochland and Masters F-135 Solarhawk. The new starfighter is locked until you get to mission 11 as it is not fully integrated into every mission.
- Added new large environment to patrols for testing purposes. This environment is foundation that will be used to construct all future levels. It is quite large in comparison to the previous levels and sufficiently more diverse. There are also multiple set pieces which are still in the process of being cosntructed. While it is currently setup in the patrols section of the game, it will eventually play host to many missions and provide much greater replayability.
- Added new user interface for 3rd person perspective while on mission. This UI will likely see changes in the future.
- Fixed a bug that would cause enemy AI to get stuck searching for the player at the players last known position.

This weeks update sees some visual touch ups and additions. Chief among them is some new cloud artwork. Additional some experimental changes have been made to work out just how big we can make a level. We trying a small expansion for now but are looking at something much larger in scope.

-Tweaks to launch sequence to reduce instances of launching prematurely or launching into walls.

-New artwork for frontier settlements.

-Major optimizations for aim scope and radar rendering as well as for cockpit view.

-New clouds for all the levels that currently use clouds.

-New starfighter instrument artwork.

-Fix for an instance where lock on based munitions wouldn't actually lock on.

-You can now adjust the calibre of the cannons on your starfighter in exchange for more salvage. These new cannons options will affect the rate of fire and sound that is played when you fire your primary weapon.

-Rework of several textures in the game to add dirt and grime to make them feel less clean and new.

-Tutorial level is now larger as a result of experimenting with some methods to increase level size.

-Redesign of the Kruger Interstellar S-27 Wildboar.

-Heat management for guns is now implemented with it's own gauge in the cockpit.

-Caldero Patrol map added to the game to test out lighting and begin the process of building out the level.

-Added new Colonyship artwork to a number of levels.

This weeks update sees the another starfighter added and the begining of the balancing act that will become the starfighter and stats grids. These grids will be used to determine the roles and in some cases the aesthetics of each starfighter to be made from here on.

-Introduction of starfighter and stats grids into the games conceptual side. This is not something that will be seen in the game but is instead used on the developer side and in community polling to define roles for starfighters and to balance their parameters in the game. All starfighters have been balanced in accordance with this grid.

-Added new starfighter Oshiro Armaments Mark 11 Shuriken Ultra.

-Added new dynamic camera positioning system that detects the average amount of space that is available around a starfighter and adjusts the camera distance and height in realtime from the players starfighter as they move through the environment.

-Added turn speed boost when throttling down and turn speed debuff when at maximum throttle. Using your afterburner currently has no effect on turn speed as you have to be at full throttle to use it and get a debuff for doing so anyways.

-Added mouse pointer clamp to keep the mouse within a 250 pixel radius around the screen center to make mouse control much more manageable.

-Added new artwork for starfighter cannons.

-Adjusted collision damage when impacting enemy starfighters and terrain.

-Module data is now saved to a json file for easier management and the list of modules is updated based upon what is in the JSON file.

-Module cost is now calculated into the over all cost of your starfighter.

-Added a starship cost counter to the bridge menu of the Heliosiren that updates as you change components on your starfighters.

-Vast portions of story mission data such as audio files and objectives are now stored in JSON and the Resources folder and are loaded by the mission manager on an as needed basis. This is also the first step towards laying the ground work for a custom mission builder for future workshop integration.

-Optimizations of radar and aim scope rendering.

-New skybox images for some environments.

-GPU Instancing now running on terrain meshes and a number of other terrain optimizations and improvements.

-Rework of post effects.

-Addition of new post effects options in the config menu.

-Added Level of Detail culling to several models in the game to improve overall performance.

-GPU instancing has been expanded to a number of shaders to improve performance.

-Implemented new particle explosions across the entire game.

-Implemented new projectile graphics.

-Reworked damage states for player controlled starfighters.

-Began redesigning the first mission level as part of a greater movement towards overall better quality and diversity on maps for greater dev side reusability and extended playability.

Happy holidays to everyone out on the frontier!

This weeks update brings a mix of visual improvements, optimizations, and rework of how enemy AI starfighters behave in the heat of combat.

-Complete visual redesign of the Heliosiren menu interface with a different color scheme.
-Complete rework of the NPC starfighter behavior when dog fighting and winged, AI should feel more aggressive and evade when the player is behind it. Should also yield fewer instances of flying around each other.
-Added new bullet mesh for cannon projectiles and added particle effect trail with a new unique particle texture.
-Reworked the engine trails particle effects with a new unique texture.
-Major optimizations to terrain mesh and added sliders for terrain quality control to the config menu.
-Added new controls to the config menu for post effects controls.
-Added new crash sequence for when the player is shot down that works for both third person and cockpit view.
-Made adjustments to the in mission menu so that if the player hits the exit key/button it will apply the adjusted settings.
-Added new landing sequence for mission endings. Player's ship will now have control overriden upon entering the hangar.
-Added loading screens to the main menu when starting missions.
-Added a button to the config menu for changing pilot profiles.
-Adjusted lighting in the load and outfitting menu hangar space to make it easier to see the starfighters.
-Continued level design and development of key features for patrol missions. The Frontier's Reach patrol mission as a result has some new stuff to check out.
-fixed a small bug that would keep the reticle from changing colors at the appropriate times.