📰 🪐 The Ahra Prime Times – Every Hand, Every Key | The Sixth Signal

[h2]🛠 Recent Changes in ☵ Hiraeth[/h2][p]It’s been two weeks of intense work since the last issue of Ahra Prime Times. The migration to the new engine version is now complete, allowing for a series of improvements: the inventory weight system has been refined, backpack dropping mechanics have been polished, and many other technical aspects have been addressed.[/p][p]With these foundations in place, Hiraeth is now ready to enter its next phase of development — from evolving the design of Nesoi, to expanding Ahra Prime with a brand-new, extensive location. Gameplay changes, difficulty levels, and other updates are also on the horizon, some of which you’ll read more about below.
[/p][h2]💬 Comments, Sales, and the Future of the Game[/h2][p]As many of you know, Hiraeth is a project created entirely by me — without any budget for production or marketing. For years, I’ve worked on it daily, often beyond my limits, which is reflected in the many updates released so far. I’ve managed to fix countless minor issues, as well as major ones related to game stability across different devices — made possible only now thanks to the new engine version.[/p][p]But this phase is coming to an end. Without even minimal sales, further development will become impossible or significantly delayed. Everything depends on you — the players.[/p][p]Initial sales, though modest, were enough to ensure safe and steady progress. Unfortunately, they dropped after a wave of negative reviews — many of which are now outdated and refer to issues that have long been resolved. From countless conversations, especially on Discord, I know that many of you play for hours and genuinely enjoy the game, yet haven’t left a review.

Even short reviews help — without them, the project remains invisible to new players, and its future grows uncertain. In a world ruled by algorithms, every honest opinion matters.
[/p][h2]📣 A Call to the Community[/h2][p]I encourage everyone to leave a sincere review on Steam — it’s the only path that truly supports Hiraeth’s development. If your review is based on issues that have already been fixed, please consider updating it.[/p][p]I know Hiraeth is a unique game — not for everyone. But I also know that many of you spend hours immersed in it and praise it in various places… just not on Steam. I understand the reluctance to post fake-positive comments — I don’t want those either. But the absence of reviews, even brief ones, puts the entire project in a very difficult position.[/p][p]Thank you in advance to everyone who chooses to support Hiraeth with even a single sentence. ːss2heartː[/p][h3]
Your words are like echoes among the forsaken colonies of Ahra Prime.

Let ☵ Hiraeth resound with your voice — for it is a voice that shapes the future![/h3][h2]
🌀 Echo Without Tremor: Head Bob and Full Body Awareness[/h2][p]For a long time, I’ve known that head bob is a concern for many of you — and I do intend to resolve it. But this isn’t a matter of simply refining code. It requires adding a new system alongside the current one, which many players appreciate.[/p][p]In Hiraeth’s chosen path of realistic Full Body Awareness (FBA), direct reduction or removal of head bob isn’t possible without breaking immersion. However, after studying other games — like ARMA 3 — I’ve found that with a thoughtful compromise, head bob can be eliminated by offering an optional FBA view with similar limitations:[/p]

• [p]The camera will no longer sit precisely within the character’s eyes, but will be shifted forward — as seen in ARMA 3.[/p]
• [p]Some visual shortcuts may appear — such as visible arms without a head, or missing gear elements like the Neck Guard. The head itself may be omitted.[/p]
• [p]These limitations, common in other titles, are acceptable and will be part of an optional setting — one that reduces head bob to nearly zero.[/p]

[h3]When?[/h3][p]Development of this additional system has already begun, progressing alongside other planned features. If the project remains sustainable, you can expect head bob improvements later this year. Additionally, a third-person view mode is also in development, which may offer a satisfying alternative for many of you.[/p][p][/p][h2]🎥 Third-Person View: A Shift in Perspective[/h2][p]As an echo of the work on head bob, I’ve begun early development of a third-person view system. While Hiraeth is designed as a first-person experience with Full Body Awareness, I understand that for many players, third-person view is more than a matter of comfort — it’s a way to reclaim clarity, control, and immersion.[/p][p]The initial implementation is promising. The camera already behaves correctly both outdoors and inside structures. What remains is refining its position, movement dynamics, and field of view (FOV). Weapon aiming will still rely on the FPS perspective, though changes are coming there too — I’m currently improving weapon handling, with plans for hip-fire and other enhancements.[/p][p]Third-person view may arrive soon as an optional mode — allowing exploration and movement in TPS, while precise actions like item selection and interaction remain in FPS. Full polish will take time, and other critical tasks are still ahead, but the foundation is already in motion.
[/p][h2]🎮 Gamepad: Opening Hiraeth to Every Grip[/h2][p]Gamepad support arrives not just for comfort or habit, but to open Hiraeth to hands that need it most.[/p][p]With upcoming updates, controller support will begin to roll out.[/p][p]I’m planning full integration — both in gameplay and UI. The system is already functional on my end, but I have limited experience with gamepad design, so the first versions may need refinement. Some features might be simplified at first, but I’m counting on your feedback to help shape them.[/p][h3]Initial goals:[/h3]

• [p]Full controller support across gameplay and interface[/p]
• [p]Default bindings and player-customizable controls, just like with keyboard and mouse[/p]
• [p]Glyph-based prompts (already available in many areas)[/p]
• [p]Currently working with Logitech F310 — behaves like an Xbox controller; other layouts will follow[/p]

[p][/p][h3]🧩 Related Input Work — Full Custom Keys Everywhere[/h3][p]Alongside gamepad integration, I’ve been refining the overall input system — especially within UI widgets. For example, actions like exiting menus, previously hardcoded to Esc, will now respond to your chosen key or gamepad button. The same applies to interaction prompts.[/p][p]Additionally, main buttons will now display hints showing which keys are assigned to each action. These hints are currently in a provisional form — smaller text beneath the button, as seen in the Breaching example.[/p][p][/p][h2]🌍 Other Updates from Hiraeth[/h2][p]A major phase of the project is now behind us — the labor-intensive engine migration has been completed successfully. I’ve also refined many essential systems related to item handling, weight checks, and smooth inventory transfers. Now begins a long-awaited chapter: expanding the world and deepening gameplay.[/p][p]To prepare for this, I’ve spoken with many of you — thank you for your time and insights. These conversations were incredibly helpful, offering new perspectives and reminding me of things I had overlooked while focused on the engine transition.[/p][p]Here are some of the key directions and upcoming changes:[/p]

• [p]Survival Survival on Nesoi is currently not much of a challenge — that’s about to change.[/p]
• [p]Food, water, and resources Right now, the supplies found in Nesoi’s containers are enough to last around 20 in-game days (not counting hunting or foraging). Soon, with the introduction of difficulty levels, these resources will be much scarcer in modes other than Wayfarer (easy). Upcoming quests will also accelerate the passage of time and resource consumption.[/p]
• [p]Movement Even for players seeking realism and challenge, movement currently feels off. The issue isn’t speed itself, but how it’s perceived. Nesoi is a desert-like environment with little terrain variation. The lack of visual landmarks makes distances feel shorter than they are. Solution: More POIs will be added — not necessarily fast travel points, but orientation markers worth investigating. New explorable locations will appear, often tied to gameplay. For example, the Athens station will soon be accessible. Adding foliage to barren areas will also make traversal more engaging. While even larger and more desolate regions are planned, they’ll arrive only once vehicles are introduced. Underwater terrain will also receive significant improvements.[/p]
• [p]Environmental hazards Currently, hazards are rare, easy to avoid, and deal little damage. That will change. More varied threats are coming — not just radiation. Medkits and armor upgrades (via crafting) will become essential. While I don’t plan for extreme temperatures on Nesoi, other regions will feature heat and cold management. Some areas on Nesoi may also require thermal regulation soon.[/p]
• [p]Other long-postponed changes[/p]
  • [p]Major improvements to roads — both in collision and visual design[/p]
  • [p]Expanded foliage (rocks and small vegetation)[/p]
  • [p]Underwater world population[/p]
  • [p]Final terrain polish[/p]
• [p]Demo changes Based on your feedback, the demo will be slightly limited. It will never extend beyond Nesoi or a similarly sized future location. Its purpose is to showcase core mechanics and performance on your device — something the current version already does more than well.[/p]
• [p]Gameplay and the world of Ahra Prime The ultimate goal is to introduce quests, gameplay systems, and expand the world beyond Nesoi. The points above outline the immediate directions for this next phase.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Thank you for your attention and for all the suggestions regarding the game. I invite you to the next edition of The Ahra Prime Times — and before that, to the upcoming update planned for the week ahead.[/h3][p][/p][p]Warm regards, The Author[/p][p]

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