Alien Grounds News

Hi everyone,

A lot of you asked for it - and you're right. Alien Grounds needs more meaning behind the chaos.

So here's the deal: I'm starting to build a story into the main game itself, not as a separate mode, but woven into the experience - one piece at a time, starting with Update #5.

Now, my Hollywood team went on strike when I couldn’t afford coffee, so I’ll be writing this myself. Expect short transmissions, map context, weird signals, and a hint that there’s more going on beneath the surface...

What’s the story?
Let’s just say it’s… waking up.

— emagnetic

Hey everyone,

Hard Mode is now live: switch to it from the Main Menu.

[h3]🎮 Difficulty Modes Overview[/h3]

🧊 Chill Mode (Proposed)
• Score Bonus: 0.1x
• Revive on defeat - score and wave position are kept
• Player Damage: 1.0x out, 0.1x in
• Default enemy count and wave size

⚙️ Core Mode (Default)
• Score Bonus: 1.0x
• Revive on defeat - score and wave position are kept
• Player Damage: 1.0x out, 1.0x in
• Default enemy count and wave size

💥 Hard Mode (New)
• Score Bonus: 1.5x
• Restart wave on defeat - wave score is lost
• Player Damage: 0.5x out, 1.5x in
• More active enemies; increased wave size

🚀 Elite Mode (Proposed)
• Score Bonus: 3.0x
• Restart game on defeat - total score and wave progress are lost
• Player Damage: 0.3x out, 2.0x in
• Much more active enemies; maximum wave size

[h3]💡 Mode Switching[/h3]
Switching between modes keeps your score and wave progress.
You can start in Core Mode and move to Hard Mode anytime via the Main Menu.

⚠️ Note: In the proposed Elite Mode, being defeated will reset everything - you'll return to Wave 1 with zero score.

[h3]📈 What’s Next?[/h3]
Once modes are finalized and balance is settled, the next step will be leaderboards.
Have experience with great (or terrible) leaderboard systems?
Let me know what you'd like to see!

— Emagnetic

Hey everyone,

A new Hard difficulty mode is in development and planned for the next update!

This mode will offer a tougher experience from Wave 1, not just a shortcut to Wave 50 like the current Mission path.

[h3]Here's what to expect:[/h3]

• More enemies per wave
  
• Tougher enemies that are harder to kill
  
• Deadlier attacks
• No Revive on death - you’ll restart from the beginning of the current wave

If you're looking for a real challenge, this mode is for you.
[hr][/hr]
In the meantime, here’s a quick clip of me playing Wave 50 with an Xbox controller - with Aim Assist ON, it feels way more manageable.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Thanks for all the support - more updates soon!

— Emagnetic

Hi everyone,

New update just dropped - driven by your feedback.

[h2]🎮 New: Aim Assist (Gamepad)[/h2]

• You can now toggle Aim Assist ON/OFF in Settings.
  
• It improves aiming feel during shooting, but does not auto-lock onto enemies.
  
• In testing, it helped boost accuracy - let me know how it works for you!
  

[h2]⚙️ Settings Menu Improvements[/h2]

• Fixed: Some Settings options were not accessible via gamepad. Thanks to kolacape for the helpful feedback!
• Improved layout for better clarity and navigation with gamepad.
  
• Quality options now show clearer guidance.
  
• Gamepad setting is now placed near the default focus button for quicker access.
  
• Changed Left Trigger aim from toggle to hold-to-aim (more standard).
  
• Updated default graphics settings for better performance out of the box.
  

[h2]🐞 Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed: Left-handed mouse settings incorrectly affecting gamepad aiming.
  

Thanks for helping shape the game —
Emagnetic

Hi everyone,

Thanks again to everyone who's been playing Alien Grounds and sharing feedback! This update brings a handful of improvements based directly on what you've reported — including weapon balance, performance fixes, and collision issues.

🛠 Suggested by AndersonSmith:

• 🔫 Handgun adjusted — now takes 3 bullets for a body kill (headshots still 1) to better balance it against the main weapons.
  
• 💡 Base map lighting optimized to reduce FPS drops in certain areas.
  
• 🏗 Collision fixed on the tower in Dust map.
  
• 🌳 Collision fixed on trees in Base map.
  

🎮 Suggested by †нэ$†øиэd$pîdэя:

• 🕹 Xbox controller sensitivity slider added to the Settings menu.
  

More updates are on the way — if you notice anything strange or have ideas for balance, performance, or features, please don’t hesitate to post in the community hub or drop a comment.

Thanks for helping shape the game —
Emagnetic