Star Explorers News

With the Realms Deep event starting, I realized I should have the best and most stable version of the game up. With this realization, I have decided that the current testing branch is fundamentally done, and represents my best effort towards what was meant to be version 5.0.

So some time tomorrow I will be updating the main/default branch and announcing that Version 5.0 is ready.

I plan to be doing some last minute testing and updating graphics and such, so if you discover any game breaking bugs, please let me know.

I had to fix a couple things and I also added a few more small features.

[h3]Cave Temperatures Fixed[/h3]
These were not working as planned. If the planet temperature was between 200 and 400 Kelvin, the cave temperatures would not be calculated correctly, and would have been set to 0. Now cave temperatures should correspond correctly with surface temperatures.

[h3]High and Low Temperature Data[/h3]
Now your ship computer will display the low and high temperature for a planet. This will show both at the helm of your ship, as well as in the star chart.



[h3]Warning Message[/h3]
Now the ship computer should take a planet's high and low temperatures into account when issuing a warning about "surface hazards."

[h3]Realms Deep 2021[/h3]
Also, don't forget that Realms Deep is in less than four days! Watch the new Star Explorers trailer at it's world premiere this weekend. There are also supposed to be some other games being showcased too :)

Planet temperatures have received an overhaul, thanks to some great feedback from players.

I tried to make it a bit more logical, though it could hardly be considered scientifically accurate. Here's what has changed:

[h3]Night Time:[/h3]
At night planet temperatures will drop. How much will depend on what type of planet it is. If it is a planet with a "normal" atmosphere, then the temperature will cool down by about half. There are some other variables at play here, but that's the rough idea.

Planets with a vaporous atmosphere will only get a little cooler at night, most of the heat being retained in the dense moisture.

Planets with no atmosphere will get extremely cold at night, so be prepared to experience some interesting changes to gameplay.

[h3]Caves:[/h3]
Caves will also adjust the temperature. On cold planets (less than 200 Kelvin) the temperature will actually increase, thanks to the warmth of the planet's inner workings.

On other planets (above 200 Kelvin) the temperature will drop, but not by that much, keeping it at a minimum of 200.

[h3]Tutorial:[/h3]
I was also able to address some issues with the tutorial. You will no longer be able to exit the console before going into orbit around a planet, as this caused strange issues with the tutorial window.

Also, when landing on your very first planet, I have made sure to make it day-time, so new players are not left in the dark.

I was able to resolve the issue where the mining station would not appear on an Acknexium planet. So now mining stations seem to be fully operational!

Acknexium mining operations can only start after you have secured a sample from the planet in question. A team will be sent down to the surface, where they construct the station, and they will remain there to manage Acknexium extraction. The advanced mining techniques do not otherwise alter the planet in any way.

Here's me hanging out at a mining station with some of the guys...






I have also added a mining generator sound effect, to add some ambiance to this important part of the Star Explorers experience. But you will have to venture forth and find some Acknexium if you want to hear that.

I am once again honored to have been invited to showcase my games at Realms Deep. Star Explorers is approaching the official 5.0 release. I will be talking to the folks at Realms Deep about the development of this game, and what's planned going forward. Learn more about Realms Deep, and all the other amazing games they are showcasing here...


https://www.realmsdeep.game/