Sector Unknown News

Some updates that just went live (thank you again to the Prologue community):

• Character creation: attributes can now be both increased and decreased
  
• Character creation: skills can now be both increased and decreased
  
• Character creation: skills can be incremented by 5 with shift-click
  
• Character creation: skills tooltip informs players that most skill checks are 5 or more
  
• Character creation: changing personality resets character
  
• Datapads now sort by order of time they were found (only for newly acquired datapads, ones found before this update will not do so)
  
• Toggled off narcotics withdrawals for now
  
• Toggled off Hush injectors in containers for now (these remove withdrawals)
  
• Corrected narcotics bonuses from perks and origins
  
• Added a Return To Game button the small menu
  
• Added player -> vendor, storage, stockpile labels to windows so players can identify which side is their inventory
  
• Added Science Points box in clearer spot on Research screen
  
• Research boxes now show a clear Researched icon when researched
  
• Mines no longer show as crate icons on overhead map
  
• Added locked icon for any planetary defense upgrade not available
  
• Completely changed tooltip system for combat stats, it now shows exact numbers and how they contribute to each stat (may require more tweaking)
  
• Added space bar click to advance conversations
  
• Fixed bug where one could move their player outside the grid infinitely if their Action Points were down to 1.
  
• Fixed bug where equipped weapon could be broken down for material while never actually breaking down the weapon
  
• Moved a crate away from the prison transport door terminal, was looting through the wall
  
• Fixed bug where removing Cheetah from party before entering the pirate base would have her reappear in the pirate base on the side of Dav
  
• Added an information icon next to name to let people know name can be edited
  
• Perks that increase health increase health when selected
  
• Fixed a bug where crafted weapons were being named No Name
  
• Nerfed stun beam by one turn and increased the cooldown timer to 5
  
• Eliminated ability to open inventory during combat until I can figure out AP issue (this is due to shared inventory screen amongst different player owned characters.
  
• Fixed bug with NanoSurge and Roll The Dice using swapped images
  
• Fixed dialogue grammatical and spelling errors
  
• Fixed bug with Scrapyard Sal taking 5000 credits instead of 3000
  
• Fixed bug with faulty tooltip on Deconstruct image
  
• Last Stand tooltip fixed
  
• Staunch Surge critical penalty removed
  
• Bulwark Bond set to 14% evasion instead, and health increased
  
• Fixed a bug with Titan Challenger, not previously working
  
• Stand Fast tooltip corrected
  
• Lowered Rapid Dominance perk requirement to 30 initiative
  
• Scaling Aggression now works properly
  
• Fixed Weapons Master perk (though really low due to derived from base melee / ranged damage - may need to change)
  
• Fixed Blade Master perk (though really low due to derived from base melee / ranged damage - may need to change)
  
• Fixed Rapid Dominance perk (though really low due to derived from base melee / ranged damage - may need to change)
  
• Shift-click for increasing/decreasing weapons skill by 5 as well
  
• Fixed Glancing Shield (and changed name to Close Call)
  
• Fixed bug where out of range and stunned already texts overlap
  
• Fixed NanoSurge blank image on combat actions bar
  

More to come!

Thanks for everyone's support with the Prologue!



Some updates that just went live:

• Made an important change to travel - now travel on the map is instant, without moving across the grid
  
• Companions stepping on mines only incapacitates them - they now revivew again with 10 health
  
• Fixed a critical bug with scene states on Maku not being saved before entering the pirate base (the recruitment of Cleveland, for example)
  
• Tutorials now work out of a queue so that one doesn't accidentally turn off the previous one when triggering
  
• Replaced the door terminals in the Abandoned Mining Facility with ones that highlight better
  
• Fixed bug on Prison Transport where door terminals would not highlight
  
• Fixed bug with AutoSave trigger in pirate base.
  
• Fixed bug with computer not advancing Skull Duggery quest.
  
• Computer solution not accessible in pirate base if Fang already dead.
  
• Put camera movement as a separate tutorial
  
• Fixed bug where player could wander beyond bounds of missionary ship
  
• Fixed bug where you could recruit TB-227 after already recruiting him
  
• Corpses that have been looted do not highlight anymore
  
• Objects no longer highlight when map window open
  
• Make Yourself at Home mission, now clicking terminals advances mission
  
• Fixed tutorial message for resources
  
• Refactored the starting origins/convictions a bit based on suggestions
  
• Shipjacker and Forger now use proper bonuses
  
• Revolutionary, perk point clarified in tooltip to be +1 perk point per new level
  
• Fixed rollover bug showing incorrect Action Point increment per speed point
  
• Added in tooltip the Action Point increments per speed level (3,5,7,9,10)
  
• Fixed a bug with Rational or Methodical traits showing only 9 instead of 10 skill points per level
  
• Fixed a bug where loading into an auto-save trigger would trigger the auto-save again
  
• Fixed a bug where loading an auto-save outside the pirate entrance would restrict movement
  
• Fixed several dialogue bugs
  
• Fixed bug with Pirate computer where someone could get locked in dialogue without finance skill
  
• Fixed bug with Skulk in hallway activating combat before dialogue trigger (he was set on aggro mode)
  
• Fixed bug in Maku salvage site with infinite XP from door dialoge skill checks
  
• Mining exterior, fixed obstacle to now prevent player from breaking free of designated area
  
• Crafting and planet upgrades now use resources from storage containers first, then inventory
  
• Significantly shortened the pause for gathering resource nodes and unlocking containers
  
• Player and companions properly stop moving when looting or gathering (a bug sometime prevented them from stopping)
  
• Fixed bug with Skulks still in base despite Custy promising he cleaned it of all hostile entities
  
• Beds in base now highlight with alt key
  
• Fixed bug where Custy still had old dialogue after recruiting
  

More to come!

First day of the Prologue went fantastic.

Thanks for everyone's support!



Some updates that I pushed up today:

• Added the ability to rest and heal your health in the beds inside your barracks (beside the command center) - just click to rest and it will heal both you and any companion in your party.
  
• Added a stockpile container where you can now add any junk weapons you don't want to keep or breakdown for materials - these weapons in turn will contribute toward your war score. You can now see your war score for contributed weapons at the War Score terminal.
  
• Unlocking a crate no longer requires a second click to open the crate.
  
• Fixed a bug with overwriting auto saves.
  
• Larceny too low messages shows name of character in party with highest larceny skill.
  
• Added a few more auto-save spots on the map.
  
• Few small dialogue fixes.
  

More to come!

Well, this month absolutely flew by and it's almost time for the Prologue launch on Monday, May 26th.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2890980/Sector_Unknown__Prologue/

The Prologue includes both the prison transport intro and the starter planet of Maku, right up until you discover your first ship and prepare to explore the stars. So it’s just a matter of personal preference which one you choose to download and play.

I’ve been hard at work polishing and refining the final elements. The videos by Splattercat, Slandered Gamer, God Game Fluent, LMG, PlayWithRay, Nookrium, Wee Hours Games, and others have been incredibly helpful. I’ve spotted a number of small issues thanks to those playthroughs and have managed to fix those. I’ve also made several UI improvements based on your feedback and also what I observed in those videos.

That said, I really look forward to hearing all of your feedback! It's been a three year grind, and it feels exciting to be sharing a part of the game with the world finally.

Thanks again!

Hey all,

After finishing my sixth full playthrough of the game over the past month—with only a handful of bugs each time—I’m feeling really confident about where things are at.

With that in mind, the game's launch is currently targeted for mid-July. I’m still watching what else might be releasing around that time, so I’ll have more specific details on the exact date soon.

The demo will be releasing later this month.

Early Access is still the plan, but I don’t expect the game to remain there for more than 4–6 months before the full release. Since I haven't posted since February, I wanted to share a quick update on the current state of the game and what’s planned for the Early Access period.



[h2]Current Game State[/h2]

As I mentioned, I’ve done several full playthroughs at this point, and the number of bugs has gone down each time. On my last run, there were only a couple of very minor issues—a single combat lockup and some logic I had to fix on a couple side quests—but otherwise everything played smoothly.

With two months to go before full launch, I’d estimate the game is about 97% complete. All quests are written, coded, and tested—including the main storyline. Major story choices are fully implemented, and the planets are populated and working as intended.

That said, there are a few areas I’d love to improve with community feedback during Early Access:

• Combat – Combat is in good shape, but I’ll admit it’s never been my strongest area. Even in my past strategy games like Age of Gladiators and Raiders! Forsaken Earth, as someone coming from a writing background, it was always the management and storytelling aspects that grabbed me more. That said, Sector Unknown features a solid system with unique weapon-based abilities, special named weapons with their own effects, elemental damage, combat skill progression, and a deep perks system. I think it can get even better with input from players, and I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
  
  
• Itemization – Due to budget constraints, the game currently doesn’t include individual armour or clothing sets. Yet. That will be coming post-launch. Right now, characters wear gear based on the environment they are in: space suits on hazardous planets like Maku and Helfyr, cold weather gear on Eremtera, and more relaxed Star Frontier outfits on planets like Nabi and Sjo. I actually like the environmental requirement as it adds a grounded sci-fi feel, but I do plan to expand the clothing and armour options down the line, including gear that works across multiple environments. Just had to prioritize based on resources.
  
  
• Space Combat – There are a number of scripted space events that can lead to combat, and those have been a lot of fun to play through. That said, I think there’s still room to improve. I’d like to add more piloting skills and abilities that can be used during space battles to give it an extra layer of depth. I’m not sure yet if those additions will make it in before launch—it depends on how much I can get done in the next month and a half. I also need to finally crawl out of my development cave and spend some time promoting the game. So we’ll see if those features come in before or after release. Either way, I’m excited to get feedback from players—I know there are some smart minds out there who can help make this even better.
  
  
• Localization – At the moment, the game is only available in English. The amount of dialogue is massive, probably the equivalent of five or six full novels—so localization would be a significant expense. It’s a bit of a catch-22: launching in multiple languages would definitely help the game perform better, but I just don’t have the budget for it right now. I’m also hesitant to rely on AI for localization, since I want to make sure the writing is done justice. We’ll see how the game performs at launch, and if things go well, I plan to start rolling out proper localizations after that.
  

So with that being said, here's my project road map after Early Access Launch:



[h2]Early Access Roadmap[/h2]

• Bug Fixes – As stable as the game feels right now, my experience tells me that players have an uncanny ability to break things in ways I never anticipated. I expect the first 30–60 days post-launch will be focused on responding to bugs and addressing them carefully, without introducing new issues.
  Timeline: Days 1–60
  
  
• Armor & Clothing Sets – Assuming some revenue starts coming in from Steam, I’ll begin expanding the available armor and clothing sets around the 30-day mark. This work can run alongside bug fixing and feedback updates. My goal is to add at least 10–15 new sets to give players more visual variety.
  Timeline: Starts Day 30, runs concurrently with the above
  
  
• Localization - Same as with the armour sets, I will need revenue first before I can start localizing the game. The languages I would like to incrementally aim for are: German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, and Spanish. I still have to determine the exact order, but I think the above is close.
  Timeline: Starts Day 30, runs concurrently with the above
  
  
• Combat Optimization – As mentioned above, once the major bugs are addressed, my next priority will be gathering player feedback and making targeted improvements to the combat systems, both ground and space. I don’t anticipate any major overhauls; the core mechanics are solid. This phase will mostly involve balance tweaks and additional features based on community input.
  Timeline: Days 60–120

There are also a few smaller improvements not listed above such as enhancing the lava system on Helfyr and adding more idle animations for NPCs—but the major points above should give you a solid idea of what I’m aiming to tackle during Early Access.

Thanks again for your continued interest and support. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated as things progress!