Activated Skills Beta

Activated skills are finally here! Once an officer reaches level 2, they can begin to equip skill modules that enable them to do some pretty amazing things, like detecting monsters, dodging attacks, and automatically shooting while moving.

But these skill modules must be *found* first! You'll need to search shipwrecks, caves, star temples, and other loot-filled areas before you can start using them.

Skills are powered by a new item called cybernetic gel, which comes in 5 colors: blue, red, yellow, green, and purple. If you don't have the right kind of gel, your skills will take twice as long to recharge!






The colors of gel (and the skills themselves) correspond to a new characteristic of your officers called "division". There are 10 playable classes in Approaching Infinity, and each class belongs to 1 of 5 divisions: curiosity (blue), combat (red), systems (yellow), social (green), and environmental (purple).

For example, the engineering and navigation classes fall under the "systems" division. They use yellow gel and have the skills EMP, repair, teleport, and deploy cover.



At level 6 an officer can equip 2 skills simultaneously, but that's the maximum. So if you have both a diplomacy and operative specialist, both at level 6 or higher, you could equip all 4 green (social) skills simultaneously.


Skills are activated either by shortcut keys or by clicking them in the 8th info window.




I've tried to give as much information as possible right in the game, so hopefully you can figure a lot of these things out for yourself. Now it's time to give me some feedback: let me know how you like it, or what you can't figure out. Thanks in advance ;)



Tool tips have been added to the skills and classes on the new game screen, so you can make more informed choices from the beginning.





Make sure you're ready to leave a star temple before you get the artifact!

One good reason to explore the whole thing first is that force-field rooms on star temples are a great place to find the new skill modules. Another reason is because you'll have to find out for yourself...




You know those planets with messages carved into the terrain, like "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra" , "That's no moon it's a space station", and "Contact has been made"? Well, they're not just references. They're nostalgic emotional concepts that an alien race is somehow conjuring in the minds of your crew.

I've made some progress in their story, and you can start to find the deeper meaning in their strange universal language.

But a word of warning:

If you get to the end of their tale, and they ask you to do something, DON'T! because it's not written yet, ok?

But still, it's a story that's going to be told. Eventually.




I'd like to personally thank Klokinator, a member of the Approaching Infinity channel of the Roguelikes discord for all the advice on the skill remodel, and for putting forth ideas that eventually turned in to what you're seeing now.

Thanks Klok!