In The Black News

Demo - In The Black – Minor Patch 1346

[p][/p][h2]Major Additions[/h2]

[p]Camera Zoom Overhaul[/p]
- [p]Rebuilt from the ground up for smoother, more realistic control.[/p]
- [p]Added Toggle Zoom and refined Auto-Zoom behavior (now only activates on initial target focus).[/p]
- [p]Implemented a true optical magnification model, improving precision and feel.[/p]
- [p]All zoom settings now live under a dedicated Zoom tab in the options menu.[/p]
[p][/p]
[p]Player Feedback Improvements[/p]
- [p]The post-submission “Thank You” screen now displays an Issue ID to help us trace reports faster.[/p]
[p]Visual Effects Upgrade[/p]
- [p]The Hyperion-class ship now features new, improved destruction effects.[/p]
  [p]Breakout[/p]
  [p]Explosion[/p]
  [p][/p]
  [p][/p]
  [p][/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Fixes & Optimizations[/h2]

[p]API Stability[/p]
- [p]Refactored the backend API and callback system to prevent several rare crash conditions and improve consistency across sessions.[/p]
[p]Camera[/p]
- [p]Fixed an issue where zoom states persisted incorrectly when switching between first-person and third-person free-look.[/p]
[p]UI[/p]
- [p]Fixed an issue with settings not applying correct values.[/p]
  - [p]This addresses user feedback regarding zoom settings not functioning properly.[/p]
- [p]Adjusted HUD line shader type for improved readability and contrast.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Technical & Backend Updates[/h2]

[p]UI Development Tools[/p]
- [p]Added a Rich Text Data Table with full Markdown support making it easier to author formatted content in the UI.[/p]
- [p]Started development on new UI widgets for news feeds, video and slide-based tutorials.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]As we are getting closer to pushing the Input Overhaul these quality of life changes and bug fixes take care of some issue's we've gotten your feedback on. Keep it coming and we'll be able to get those bugs out of the way.[/p][p]Stay tuned for the next release as we expand the tutorial content, improve ship feedback loops, and roll out additional cockpit polish.[/p][hr][/hr]

Demo - In The Black – Minor Patch 1343

[p]
Several bug fixes and Quality-of-Life updates, here are some of the most notable:[/p][h3]Gameplay & Tutorial Improvements[/h3]

[p]Weapons Tutorial Revamp: Players can now freely rotate their ship from the start of the tutorial, removing forced aim alignment. This prevents issues with ship drift during the railgun section and improves player agency.[/p]
[p]Basic Flight Training Enhancements:[/p]
- [p]Instruction text now animates to maintain player focus.[/p]
- [p]Visuals adjusted to improve readability; asteroids and background clutter reduced.[/p]
- [p]New logic zeroes player velocity when movement goals are achieved to reduce false detections.[/p]
- [p]Freelook sections now require players to look at designated targets to progress.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]UI & Targeting[/h3]

[p]New LineDraw Widget: A versatile, anti-aliased line-drawing system for HUD and tactical UIs supports dashed lines, directional highlights, and screen-edge guidance to better locate off-screen or targeted enemies.[/p]
[p]Zoom Settings Overhaul: Refactored settings menu to align with the new ATZ (Auto-Track Zoom) and manual zoom decoupling systems.[/p]
[p]Added finer control and granularity for targeting behavior and auto-settings.[/p]

[p][/p]

[p]UI Refinements:[/p]
- [p]New center-screen masking function ensures HUD elements don’t overlap critical displays.[/p]
  - [p]Velocity vector switches to alternative display mode when it would conflict with weapon aim-point.[/p]
- [p]Updated railgun crosshair for reduced clutter and improved recharge/reload feedback.[/p]
[p]Ship Editor Layout Updates - Began the process of improving usability and UI consistency for the Ship Editor.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Visuals & Post-Processing[/h3]

[p]Removed motion blur from spectator camera for improved clarity during post-death replays.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Input System Rework – Progress Update[/h3][p]We’re nearing completion on the full Input System overhaul, which includes major improvements to both the Settings Menu and the underlying input management framework.[/p][p] The current focus is on finalizing profile saving, loading, importing, and exporting, along with extensive frontend refinements for a smoother configuration experience.[/p][p][/p][p]
This update isn’t quite ready for release yet, but it’s close and it represents a significant upgrade in reliability, customization, and overall usability compared to the current system.[/p]

Early Access Trailer

[p]Hey there Mercs!

We've got a hot new trailer for you guys! Our Early Access trailer has hit the channel, come have a look!
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Lots of exciting additions are coming, and sooner than you think. If you'd like to know more about Early Access, then look no further than our Press Release Document. This document not only covers what we've learned from our time at Next Fest, but also our road-map for Early Access. However, if you’re looking for something more tangible, you may find a treat for the Halloween season inside. Something that will scare away the competition from some lucrative contracts. As always, stay close to our social media accounts for further updates. See you soon Mercs.[/p]

Demo - In The Black – Minor Patch 1334

[h3]Gameplay & Balance[/h3][p]Railgun Damage Adjustment[/p]

[p]Armor thickness across multiple ship classes has been rebalanced to slightly reduce the railgun’s one-shot potential.[/p]
[p]Adjustments affect the Hyperion, Pegasus, and Reus ship families.[/p]
[p]This is part of ongoing tuning to encourage more dynamic mid-range engagements.[/p]

[p]Tutorial Combat Improvements[/p]

[p]Fixed an issue in the Basic Combat Tutorial where simulated targets were overly durable.[/p]
- [p]Simulator Target ships can now be destroyed as intended.[/p]
[p]Target health and armor values have been lowered to allow quicker destruction and smoother progression.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Stability & Technical Fixes[/h3][p]Timer System Cleanup[/p]

[p]Fixed multiple cases across gameplay and UI systems where timers were being improperly cleared, leading to potential memory leaks or delayed callbacks.[/p]

[p]Widget & UI Cleanup[/p]

[p]Resolved edge cases in menu popups and fading widgets that could retain active timers after destruction.[/p]
[p]Improved world validity checks in destructors to prevent crashes during rapid level changes.[/p]

[p]Music Manager & Post-Match Logic[/p]

[p]Simplified Dynamic Music Manager lifecycle cleanup to prevent redundant timer invalidation.[/p]
[p]Fixed an edge case where post-match data sync would occasionally retry incorrectly when no scene reference was available.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Quality-of-Life Fixes[/h3]

[p]Added validation to ensure reactor modules, vehicle spawn logic, and docking systems no longer trigger callbacks after world unload.[/p]
[p]Reduced potential crash frequency when quitting during post-match or loading screens.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]What’s Next: Input System Overhaul[/h3][p]We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear regarding input reliability and device support.[/p][p] Our team is currently reworking major parts of the input and control mapping system, with improvements arriving in the next update.[/p][p]This overhaul will include:[/p]

[p]A redesigned input interface with clearer device and binding management[/p]
[p]Proper multi-device support (HOTAS, HOSAS, gamepad, keyboard, etc.)[/p]
[p]Fixes for bindings that occasionally reset or fail to save[/p]
[p]Expanded import/export options for control profiles[/p]

[p]Please note: as part of this rework, existing control bindings will be reset.[/p][p] You’ll need to rebind your controls after the future update, but this reset is necessary to ensure a cleaner, more reliable foundation going forward.[/p][hr][/hr]

Ambitious, ultra-realistic space combat sim In The Black finally has a playable demo, and I love how terrible I am at it

It's been eight years since In The Black secured Kickstarter funding, and ten since initial work on it first began. It was known as Starfighter Inc at the time, but since then developer Impeller Studios has given it a new name as it worked on crafting the most realistic interstellar combat sim possible. Star Citizen, No Man's Sky, and Elite Dangerous will want to fasten their seatbelts, because there's a new challenger to the best space games, and it's taking things very seriously. I've been test-flying its Steam Next fest demo, and I'm still terrible at it, but I'm already eager to master my craft.

Read the rest of the story...