Approaching Infinity News

Let's start with the the part where I'm not asking for anything, I'm *giving* you something:


What?





If that's what you've been waiting for, now is the time.


Now let me ask something of all you space explorers out there:


[h3]Please nominate "Approaching Infinity" for the 2020 Steam "Labor of Love" award. [/h3]


As you may know, AI is an enormous project that could continue for years. The goal of EA is to get to version 2.0, and that will be an amazing transformation. In 3 months on Steam, we've already seen the addition of many game-changing new features: planet scanning, hailing alien ships, throwing grenades, burning forests, and a lot more.


Today someone on Discord said,

"dwarf fortress is a simulation of a fantasy world
my hope is that Approaching Infinity becomes a simulation of a sci-fi world
doesn't need to be as crazy and over the top as DF
just you know, pretty good with lots to do, lots of freedom"

I need your help to get there. The community has already been hugely supportive and it's really motivating to read what people write. Let's keep the momentum going!

You can nominate 1 game in each category, so I'm asking you to consider Approaching Infinity for the "Labor of Love" award.


Thank you!


Oh yeah, and a mid-week hot-fix:

• I fixed a fatal crash when the Sil demanded an artifact
  
• I fixed an error where nano-machines were being tool-tipped as gemstones.
  
• I removed some debug text that was being printed to the screen.
  
• I fixed an error where nano-swarms would arise out of toxic gas. This part is a bug. Things can still rise out of nano-swarms. They look like bugs. And they will kill you.
  
• I Fixed an error where historical relics were being accidentally spawned on barren planets.
  
• I fixed an errer where you could hail a ship for help in defeating... itself!
  
• Sonic and corrosive grenades now have an effect on walls, boulders, and rubble.
  
• I Added a readout in tool-tips about monsters' resistances and weaknesses to your equipped weapons.
  
• I took out, fixed, and put back in, a function designed to ensure quest items would be found.
  
• I addressed an input problem where some people where moving multiple times from a single key-press.
  
• I basically did a week's worth of work in 3 days, and made big progress on a secret new feature...

When version 1.5 was completed, I said the focus would shift to deeper interactions. This started with a huge upgrade to terrain: and not just the 300+ new planetary images:





but also a system of transformation for things like freezing, burning, digging, and exploding.





Then fire was introduced, as well as various kinds of gas and other nasty propagating effects.




Then we needed a way to deliver those special effects into the world, so away team weapons were overhauled with 22 different damage types, from physical effects like piercing and smashing, to the standard elements like incendiary and cryo, all the way up to repulso beams and nano-weapons.






The first true consumable was introduced: [h3]The Grenade[/h3] Throw them at hordes of enemies to do massive damage and deliver myriad status effects or even destroy terrain features. Just be aware that you can run out.





And with monsters now being able to resist some of these damage types, you need a way to carry two weapons at once, and switch between them:
[h3]The Swap Slot[/h3]





[h3]Equipment icons also got an upgrade:[/h3]





[h3]Helpful Hails:[/h3]
I've expanded the "hail" function to allow you to call for help!

If you're in combat, and you see an alien ship you have good relations with, you can hail them and ask for assistance. If they like you enough (or if they dislike your enemy), they will come to your aid. You can then either escape, or team up and destroy the offending ship.

Be careful though!

If you betray your allies (attack races you're friendly with), they may call on *their* allies against YOU. So don't betray your friends, OK?


[h3]Extra Mouse Buttons:[/h3]

If you have a "gaming mouse" (or any mouse with some extra buttons), you should try pressing them.

Clicking the middle mouse button will toggle tool-tips on or off. Another button is set up to hail (in space) or throw a grenade (on planets), and yet another is mapped to scan planets or swap away team weapons. TRY IT!



I've executed the greatest speed optimization in Approaching Infinity history. [h3]Lag no more![/h3]
https://youtu.be/jTa_xy0KRN4


Space has been updated too, with some beautiful new features:




All these additions are in public version 1.6c, right now. But wait, there's more!





Chances are, if you've reported an issue, I've fixed it. I think it would be much easier to talk about what I haven't fixed:

• I can't seem to do anything about the "disappearing mouse cursor" when you cycle mouse pointers.
  
• I haven't addressed the "text too small" issue for the captain's log when using custom 4K resolutions.
  

Otherwise, I think I've tackled just about everything. But if there's something still bugging you, let me know...


[h3]What's next?[/h3]


Hopefully, a mind-blowing surprise feature.


And then, for sure,


And I'm not talking about "+2 instead of +1"

I'm talking about skills like "Perform an emergency warp up to 7 tiles away", or "deploy an automated turret that shoots monsters for 10 turns", or "Detect the ion trails of every ship in the sector".


Those kinds of skills.


After that, you're going to be so god-like that monsters will need a serious upgrade of their own :D

But that'll come later.

For now, enjoy your new-found powers of exploding and burning and corroding.


[h3]A note about new weapons and crafting:[/h3]
Currently, you can *not* craft the new effects of weapons and grenades. You can make "normal" versions of weapons, and frag grenades.

The crafting system will need to be overhauled eventually too, and then you can decide on whatever you want to make. For now, you have to buy things, or find them.


[h3]Video Series[/h3]

You can see a lot of this stuff in action in my new video series, "Bob plays Approaching Infinity". I'm up to sector 17 now, having started from scratch. Doing these videos really helped me get a handle on some player issues, and I've fixed most (all?) of the issues that I've found.
https://youtu.be/LvVAgXHxhfA







Wait, did you say something about a "Xenocide" blaster?


Yes.


Short story: it's a combination herbicide and insecticide, so it's great for bug-infested jungles. And yes, the name is a Card reference.



[h3]And hey...[/h3]



If you haven't left a review yet,



I'd really appreciate it.



Event just a "thumbs up" and then name your one favorite thing...



It helps.

After the beta release, some *really* big issues were discovered:

• Fixed: some bullet images were terrain tiles (hills).
  
• Fixed: monsters wouldn't attack you!
  
• Fixed: sound settings weren't saved.
  

There are bound to be some small issues transitioning from the old away team weapons to the new. But they will be cleared up when you start a new game, or just buy a new gun!

The monsters issue was created by an "and" that should have been an "or", in the part of the AI section that now keeps you from accidentally melee attacking friendly creatures on away missions.

The sound thing has been haunting me for ages, and is *finally* fixed.


Transition to main branch is still planned for this weekend, so if you've got a problem, let me know NOW!

Most players haven't seen the beautiful terrain upgrades yet...





[h3]They haven't had the pleasure of throwing a grenade...[/h3]





[h3]They haven't held a corrosive cloud-gun or a terror beamer...[/h3]





[h3]They've never even been chased by an evolving nano-organism![/h3]




All this and more is coming to everyone, as soon as possible! I just want to make sure its as stable as it can be. If you're interested, you can opt in to the "betafromnowon" branch on Steam, test it and post feedback here on the steam boards (F3 from in-game should take you to the bug reports).

Here are the major changes since the last main-branch update:

• Over 300 new planetary terrain images have been added.
  
• Fire and gas can now propagate across the map.
  
• You can change the environment (blow up walls, burn down trees, etc.)
  
• Away team weapons have been remodeled to have over 20 modifications, like cryo, incendiary, and sonic.
  
• Monsters can now resist (or be weak to) these damage types.
  
• You can buy grenades and throw them at groups of monsters for fun and profit (and survival).
  
• You can now do alien quests much sooner.
  
• There are gas giants and enormous black holes.
  
• I fixed the slow-downs!

And to my existing beta testers, here's what I've done recently, according to your feedback.

• I fixed the Gruff Giant Squither quest, and the Tentaculon ion accumulator quest
  
• I increased the effectiveness of seismic grenades.
  
• I made more monsters available earlier (look out!)
  
• I fixed an endless loop when landing on planets in whitespace.
  
• I reduced the cost to re-stock the store.
  
• I gave each gun its own shot images, which can be affected by damage type.
  
• I fixed a bug where "game ending" victories were allowing some players to continue.
  
• I found and fixed a bug that would let the captain survive away missions when everyone else died.
  
• I discovered and fixed a bug where a former human colony would be replaced with a desert.
  
• I found and fixed a bug where using grenades on planets to destroy wreckage would leave an impassible terrain.
  
• You can install a trade beacon or warp point detector any time and get the full effect.
  
• I fixed the Pac-Man gas giants!
  

That's it. Whether or not you test the beta, all this should be coming to the main branch this weekend.



[h3]Developer Playthrough[/h3]
I started recording a game to test new features, but I loved it so much that I just kept going! I'm playing from the beginning, normal difficulty, perma death on, with no pay it forward. Here's part 10!

https://youtu.be/ZF701HxqkCw

[h3]The Past:[/h3]

Approaching Infinity: The Space Adventure Roguelike has a long and complex history. 7 years ago today it launched on Kickstarter. It didn't even have a save function back then! It was successful, and went on to be completed and released, in a box with a manual, by a war-game publisher. And it stayed exclusively with that company for years, not getting updates since 2015.

Then 3 months ago, after I regained control of the game, I brought it to Steam Early Access, where it's been well received and started growing at a furious pace! If you're asking "Why is a 7 year-old game in early access?", the answer is simple: I'm adding so much that it's basically going to be a whole new experience when I'm done!

But really, a rogue-like without consumables?! No potions, no scrolls? Nope. AI's design was always meant to be streamlined and uncomplicated: maximum effect for minimum player effort. And while that ethos is still a guiding principal, big changes are coming!

What's a "consumable"?
A powerful resource that you can use up. Healing potions, scrolls of identify, those are the basics. But how about a single-use emergency teleporter? Or a probe you launch from your ship that fully maps a planet, then crashes? Or something you throw at monsters to make them die: Grenades!

[h3]The present:[/h3]

(Please note that everything discussed here is in the Beta Branch "betafromnowon", which you are free to join or leave at any time.)

If you've been following the development here, you've heard about version 1.6, and what that means. The first part was a remodeling of terrain and adding over 300 new images. That was released into the beta branch 2 weeks ago. Burn down forests and explode walls and generally wreak havoc on the environment.

After that, the player needed a method for actually bringing those effects into the world, so away team weapons had to be remodeled. There are now 23 possible weapon modifications, many of which are capable of modifying the environment in some way. Also, planet monsters can be resistant to these damage types (or vulnerable!).

For example, robots are usually immune to poison and resistant to fire. But they also take *more* damage from corrosive and electrical attacks. Pretty soon, you'll need to carry around 2 or 3 weapons, just so you can handle all the different challenges you'll face... Luckily 2 "swap slots" are planned ;)


(Wait, carnivorous plants can't move!)

Some weapons also have knock-back now, which is really pretty exciting. Tired of getting swarmed by gnashers or rad-rats? The repulsor shotgun was made for you! The shotgun hits multiple targets and causes knockback on its own, but adding the "repulsor" effect amplifies both of these abilities.

But guns only cause these effects sometimes. I know you want more. So. Enter the grenade!

Space stations now sell grenades and the away team has a slot for them. The standard Frag grenade will hit a 3x3 area, damaging all monsters and possibly knocking down trees or cave walls. But there are lots of other types too. An incendiary grenade will always start fires, cryo will freeze lakes, and if you can find it in the later sectors, the Tac-Nuke grenade will incinerate everything in a blast zone so large you can't throw the grenade far enough to keep yourself out of harm's way. Buyer beware!



[h3]Speed Optimization[/h3]

Some players have mentioned that the game slows down sometimes, and I hear you! So I've spent a lot of time, thought, and coding on *fixing* that. Please try the beta, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how much I've been able to increase the speed.

[h3]Let's Play Series[/h3]
Before releasing the latest beta, I wanted to test it to see the balance of grenades, as far as how much damage they do, how much they cost, and how many you get before you run out. I learned a lot from this, and they were way too powerful to begin with. They might still be. You tell me.

But I also had a lot of fun. So much so in fact that I decided to turn it into a video series. I'm up to 4 installments now, in sector 7, with one artifact, an incendiary shotgun and an assortment of grenades. I hope to survive long enough to make a good run out of it. Here's the first video in the series:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]The Future[/h3]

1.6 isn't done yet, not by a long shot. After a week of having this in the beta, I intend to move it (with any fixes and re-balances that need to be done) into the main branch so that this version becomes the default experience.

Either adding more consumables or else a complete remodel of officer skills will be the next big project. We'll see what the coming week brings. But when I re-do skills, it's going to be a big deal. I'll introduce activated skills with cool-downs: things like jumps and double shots and defensive slides and who-knows-what. Maybe a tactical warp or emergency hull repairs. I'll kick out any skills that are boring and possibly even consider a new point-based stat-improvement system. It will be *way* more interesting.

But that's later.