Inter-Solar 83 News

Greetings explorers!

Just a very small update to the alpha demo today replacing the joystick with a more intuitive model that better matches the tracked motion controller. It should be more clear that flight is operated by tilting the controller, rather than moving it around.

The thumb pad is now also represented on the top of the joystick to make that feature clearer.

I hope you enjoy the upgrade!

Greetings Explorers!

Today I'm pleased to announce that a major overhaul of the demo is now live! A lot of back end code has been rebuilt along with a revamp of the planet generation...including a new earth sized planet and brand new moon!

As if that wasn't enough, you now have an autopilot... and can move around your ship while it is moving!

Full change log:

3D

• Complete rebuild of solar system
  
• Added New Sun model
  
• Added new procedural Earth-sized planet
  
• New procedural moon
  
• New texturemaps for planet terrain
  
• New model for cockpit keypad
  
• Re-textured disk drive
  
• Re-textured window frame
  
• Added new interior objects to cockpit
  

Gameplay

• New autopilot system
  
• Added the ability to leave your seat while the ship is moving.
  

Tweaks

• Optimised graphics for performance
  
• Adjusted lighting
  
• 
  

Bugfixes

• Fixed bug where sun was visible through large planets
  
• Fixed scripting bug with throttle lever spring
  

I hope you enjoy the new features!

Greetings Explorers!

Another small patch for the demo today to address a few issues. Mainly to correct some control problems with the Valve Index.

Full list of changes....


Ship environment

• Joystick system completely overhealed and rebuilt. The virtual H.O.T.A.S style joystick should now function correctly on all systems, not just Oculus!
  
• Fixed engine audio bug.
  

Flight Model

• Adjusted directional thruster power to be less extreme, making landing easier.
  

Planetary engine

• Rock spawning temporarily disabled due to mystery bug causing rocks to roam the surface! On the list for the next patch.
  
• Adjusted planetary rotation speed for small moon.
  

Menus

• Updated menu text to replcet current alpha state and version.
  

If you have issues with this patch, or find the previous version worked better for you (Oculus players should use either version fine) then the previous version 1.01 can be found in the betas tab.

Greetings Explorers!

Many thanks for the great feedback and bug reports. Here are a few initial fixes to sort the most pressing items, especially the issue with the old landing gear not deploying correctly. I took the decision to simply replace the (frankly unreliable) push lever with a button, which is now positioned beneath the landing gear indicator lights (where it actually makes sense to have the control!). The old lever has gone... but I suspect it will return with a new function later as its a nice model!

Full list of changes....

Planetary engine

• Planetary rotation implemented - you can now enjoy watching a gas giant rise over the hills!
  

Player (planet surface)

• Player movement speed increased
  
• Adjusted jump power
  

Ship environment

• Landing gear lever replaced with button
  
• Landing gear locked warning lights and buzzer implemented
  

Menus

• Fixed fade to black on main menu
  
• Updated menu text to replcet current alpha state and version
  

Notes
I am aware of a bug with the joystick preventing correct use with the left hand and am looking into it further (as it makes no sense at all!) Currently only the right hand can twist the joystick for Yaw control.

This and other requests / bugs will form part of future patches.

Hugely pleased to say the first demo is out showcasing some of the early features of the game. We are at the start of a long development road so stay tuned as the demo, and eventually the full game evolve!