Approaching Infinity News

Approaching Infinity is getting its first update of 2022, here are the highlights:

• Individual sounds for melee weapons.
  
• Better prices for crafted items.
  
• The holiday quest is over.
  
• A fix for those starting-ship problems.
  
• Items should no longer spawn inside solid objects (but probably not all instances of this are fixed).
  
• The gravitational reflector is working again.
  
• Planet tool-tip will only reveal items that you've actually scanned.
  
• I fixed the function that forces the warp point to be accessible.
  
• Respeccing no longer increases your level!
  

The shipwreck overhaul is still underway, and the next phase will bring an entirely new type of loot to the game...

You're getting a lot this year!



The shipwreck overhaul has been in full swing for a few months now, and it's coming along nicely. And what better way to ease yourself into it than... scanning! Get an idea of what to expect *before* you send the captain over to that floating treasure-trove / death-trap!






This is a really huge announcement, and it's almost a year in the making.

It's been hard keeping this a secret:






There's no specific timeline to introduce them into the game, but wow am I excited.





With several new types of "conversations" planned, these images will play a prominent role in future inter-species relations.





There are even a few that I'm *not* showing here, because they make up an entirely new faction that you haven't met yet... But hey, since people keep asking, I'll let you know the artist's name... It's Kenny Dalman!
https://www.deviantart.com/kennydalman




If that wasn't enough to get excited about, then maybe this will grab you: Approaching Infinity has a holiday quest this year! (I asked our Discord group how they wanted their holiday gift, and the vote was overwhelmingly for a new quest.)

It was conceived as a literal "fever dream", because I wrote the outline for it while recovering from my covid booster. That was a 3-hour pounding headache followed by a day of fatigue, but it's worth it if it helps me keep existing (that's basically all I do, to paraphrase Fry).

Anyway, this is the first new multi-stage quest that's been added to the game in *years*, and if you can handle a little bit of silliness, it will pay off in the end with a one-of-a-kind item. This adventure will be around through January, and it will start automatically some time after sector 4...



Approaching Infinity's first DLC is scheduled for 2022, but it might not be what you think...

David Gervais, (my long-time collaborator, co-conspirator, and consummate(adj.) pixel-pusher) asked me if I could do a DLC of new user interface skins. I told him I had no idea, but I'd try.

It turns out I can, so next month I plan to roll out a DLC package containing David's creations:



Each set is a total interface remodel, re-making every menu in the game in a new theme. 100% of the income from this DLC will go to David, even though he said I should keep half.





I don't advertise this here much, but I've been a very good IBOL this year, so maybe some of you would like to do a gift exchange with me?

Patrons get exclusive updates every month, along with special codes and UI skins. Some folks get design documents, post-mortems, and even a look at my daily coding journal. It's a great platform for those who want to both give more and get more. And Patreon helped to fund those beautiful race pics ;)

-> Here's my Patreon page
There have been a few benefits that are pretty game-changing, and they've been Patreon exclusives. However, all Steam users will soon get to try out...


[h2]God Mode and Uncountable Infinities[/h2]


In February, I'll post a code that will allow you to turn on "God Mode". Not only will you become invincible, but holding the CTRL key will do all kinds of magical things: unlimited vision range, give you credits and data and crafting parts every second, erase your cooldowns, far too many things to list.

But these powers come with a price:

You can't turn them off (for that run), and they disable achievements. So this is not some super-powered rescue code. This is a game-changing decision that you can't take back. God mode evolved so that I could test things without worrying about mortality and limited information. Here's an explainer video:


https://youtu.be/OnY3H5Xi4wA


In March, I'll distribute a code so you can try "Uncountable Infinities" mode. This one comes with its own unique dangers, and if you're a serial completionist, I might have to recommend against it...


https://youtu.be/f-4Giw8ED4Y


Each code will work for that month, and then become inactive again. God-mode may be available for serious play-testers, and a version of uncountable infinities will permanently enter the game at some point in the future (but in a more manageable way).




2021 has been an Incredible year for AI, and there is still an almost unfathomable amount to come. If you're not familiar with it yet, take a look at the StarMap 1.7, which outlines the intentions for the current development super-cycle. Then take a moment to realize that we still have 1.8 , 1.9, and 2.0 until this thing is really done.

[h3]So.[/h3]
[h2]Much.[/h2]

Shipwrecks are getting more interesting every day, so it's the perfect time to introduce...



You've been able to scan planets for over a year now, and besides getting a thorough readout of their atmospheric conditions, you can also have information on monsters and loot. But shipwrecks have been a black box.

Until now.



In these examples, you're seeing *all* the information. That will not be the normal case. How much detail you get is tied to your "scanning" ability (derived from sensors, skills, and devices). A few details (like the number of decks) are freely given, but everything else, you have to work for. And I bet you notice something you don't get when scanning planets:

Deck mini-maps!

I think they're a fun way to monitor your progress. What do you think? This feature is definitely not "finished", so there's room for improvement. Either share your thoughts here on Steam, of join our Discord and let's talk!

• Origin: "Who built the ship?" One of the known alien races, or someone else?
  
• Type: "What is this ship's purpose?" And therefore, what might you find inside?
  
• Decks: "How many floors are there to explore?" This is freely known, since you could probably look out the window...
  
• Damage: "Why is it a 'wreck'?" External damage is usually related to attacks, but there are also many types of internal damage. This often relates to whether a ship will be pressurized.
  
• Systems: "What condition are the vital systems in?" Things like propulsion feed, reaction chamber, and captain's console are necessary for the ship to operate. Are they in good condition? (This relates to shipwreck salvage, which is a planned but unimplemented feature.) This information must be gained through exploration.
  
• Pressure: "Is there oxygen?" This is never scanned, but must be discovered. You can generally assume it to be "none".
  
• Explored: "How much have I seen?" This is an average of how much you've explored all available decks. In this example, 60+46+0 = 106 / 3 decks = 35%. You get specifics with the mini-maps.
  
• Cargo: "What is it carrying?" This shows what major commodities, if any, this ship might carry. It's not an exhaustive list, and ships will have more loot in rooms, lockers and other containers.
  
• Life signs: "Who or what is moving there?" You can detect up to 3 types of creatures, plus "human life signs", which is generally an officer you can hire or rescue. You can also kill them now, either accidentally or if you're a jerk.
  
• Mini-Maps: Right now, these will show walls, floors, and dangerous areas (short circuits, radiation), as much as you've explored.
  

Any shipwreck that was created *before* this update will show wrong information.
This feature doesn't (currently) look at what's actually there, only what's supposed to be there.





Shipwreck scanning isn't "done", this is just the Beta. So what ideas do you have, what would you add or change? Give it a try and let me know!





2021 is drawing to a close, and while this is not *all* I have planned for you, it's a start:

• December 11 : @!N3^f&Z
  
• December 12 : nZpfx3Ja
  
• December 13 : 7^%Zw3FK
  
• December 14 : b!239Psj
  
• December 15 : #!&iB#&R
  
• December 16 : H!73K35w
  
• December 17 : DmZfjPZH
  
• December 18 : UZwZA%oL
  
• December 19 : rmB3PpGz
  
• December 20 : R!6fzqwm
  
• December 21 : BZQfe%QG
  
• December 22 : @oSiq%m3
  

(Use these to restore your hull and shields (in space) or HP and Oxygen (on away missions), once per day.)







Have you noticed the golden-suited astronaut in the recent update artwork? Curious? Maybe you should start reading my weekly Reddit posts ;)

There was a bug, a rare catastrophic code failure...



There was a disease symptom that was supposed to make status effects last longer... Instead, it gave you every status effect at once, and they increased in severity every turn!


This version fixes that.

It also increases the selling prices of items you craft... a little bit, and fixes a minor annoyance where irradiated areas on shipwrecks were not properly pressurized.

It does NOT have shipwreck scanning yet:



This is about 3/4 through the first draft, not even ready for beta yet. But it *works*. The stuff in the scan is found on the ship, and that's very satisfying.


See you space cowboys!

Greetings space captains!

Part 1 of the shipwreck overhaul is here for everyone.

• Each shipwreck is now based on an 'archetype', like gunship, survey vessel, pleasure cruiser, etc.
  
• Ships are filled with rooms and 'furniture' that relate to their purpose.
  
• These 'furniture' items can be used as cover, get damaged or destroyed, and some can even be repaired.
  
• Ships with no holes in the outer walls now have
• air pressure*.
  

When exploring shipwrecks with air pressure, your suit oxygen will not decrease, freeing you from a significant early-game concern. Air pressure is measured on a per-tile basis, and walls and closed doors (and your holo-barrier!) will stop the airflow. That means you can depressurize some areas of a ship but leave enclosed rooms intact.


So what happens if you accidentally put a hole in a pressurized ship?








All the air in the ship will scream towards the hole, pulling loot, furniture, and monsters along with it! And you, too. This is one of those rare "real time" effects, so you really have to focus and fight against the wind. And thanks to a discussion on our Discord, you can even get hurt by stuff that blows into you ;)

• Fully repairing shipwrecks for sale or personal use.
  
• Spawning more appropriate monsters.
  
• Telling the stories of what happened to these ships.
  
• An achievement for blowing monsters into space.
  
• Scanning shipwrecks (just like you can scan planets).
  
• The introduction of "Gadgets", for repairing vital ship systems.
  
• Seeing the inside of YOUR SHIP, walking around it, and decorating it how you like!
  
• So. Much. More...
  

Racial shipwrecks do not spawn correctly... This will be hot-fixed soon.



Next week I plan to work on scanning shipwrecks. Before you dock, you'll be able to see things like:

• What kind of ship is it?
  
• How many decks does it have?
  
• What kind of life forms are there?
  
• Is the outer hull intact?
  
• What kind of cargo is it carrying?
  

What other information would you like to see?