Automapping, starfields and more in Captain Forever Universe 15.2
Hi Pilots,
Captain Forever Universe update 15.2 is now live!
The first thing you'll notice is the new dust mote effect, which give you a sense of speed and motion as you jet about the universe. I've also added a dust filter option in the settings menu, which you can use to change the number of motes around you. The number of motes varies inversely with the filter voltage, ranging from 1 mote at 1,000V, to a ridiculous 10,000 motes if you turn the filter off entirely. It's fun to muck about with but I don't recommend playing it that way :)
The motes are fun, but the less obvious changes are also the most useful. The first is a new automapping feature. Now as you travel through unexplored areas of a sector they are revealed on your nav map, saving you the effort of remembering where you found unmapped stations or paths around asteroids.
The final feature for 15.2 is another new system setting: Branch Detach. By default this is enabled, allowing you to remove multiple modules from your ship with one gesture by dragging any piece with other modules attached to it. If, however, you're piloting or building a very large ship, accidentally dragging the wrong module can be catastrophic as it flings dozens of your modules into space, and can take minutes to repair. By setting Branch Detach to Disabled, only leaf module - ie parts with no child modules attached - can be removed, limiting how much you can change your ship with a single gesture and preventing this sort of mishap.
So... what should I add next? Got any ideas? Please let me (and other pilots) know by chatting with us in the Discord.
[hr][/hr]
[h3]Breathe[/h3]
Without oxygen, your pilot will die. Replenish oxygen by entering atmosphere zones surrounding stations. You will need to renew oxygen licenses at oxy stations to expand your reach. Most importantly, every time you leave atmosphere, make a plan for where your next breath will come from, and if your meter hits 50% before you find more air then TURN BACK!
[h3]Dock[/h3]
Docking with stations to access their services. To dock, just follow a station's red and green lane lights and nudge the docking module. Try this at the nav station near where you first spawn, to add data to your onboard map.
[h3]VMEDS[/h3]
VMEDS is your Virtual Multifunction Electronic Display System - it's your interface through to all the things your ship can do other than flying, shooting, and building. You'll see it when you first start the game, and can interact with it using number keys, function keys, or your mouse. I find the mouse pretty cumbersome though and strongly recommend using keys.
Open VMEDS with the TAB key during flight to access your onboard map, ship settings, help files, and to save and exit the game.
[h3]Cruise Control[/h3]
If you have distance to cover and no threats along the way, hit the Left Shift button to toggle cruise control. This allows you to travel without holding the forwards key, and also causes time to pass at double the usual rate. It's great for distance travel, but can go catastrophically wrong if you fly into danger, so take care!
[h3]Goal[/h3]
Your goal is to discover wormholes to other sectors, and defeat the Border Force patrols preventing travel between them. To do this you'll need to rescue blockaded stations and build up your ship. As you explore you'll find occasional Juliet level factories, which you can use to gain Kilo level modules and build an unstoppable dreadnaught.
[h3]Share[/h3]
Every player's world is generated from the same seed, so if you find something cool you should let other pilots know! You can find us in the Steam community pages and on the Discord.
See you out there!
Farbs
Captain Forever Universe update 15.2 is now live!
The first thing you'll notice is the new dust mote effect, which give you a sense of speed and motion as you jet about the universe. I've also added a dust filter option in the settings menu, which you can use to change the number of motes around you. The number of motes varies inversely with the filter voltage, ranging from 1 mote at 1,000V, to a ridiculous 10,000 motes if you turn the filter off entirely. It's fun to muck about with but I don't recommend playing it that way :)
The motes are fun, but the less obvious changes are also the most useful. The first is a new automapping feature. Now as you travel through unexplored areas of a sector they are revealed on your nav map, saving you the effort of remembering where you found unmapped stations or paths around asteroids.
The final feature for 15.2 is another new system setting: Branch Detach. By default this is enabled, allowing you to remove multiple modules from your ship with one gesture by dragging any piece with other modules attached to it. If, however, you're piloting or building a very large ship, accidentally dragging the wrong module can be catastrophic as it flings dozens of your modules into space, and can take minutes to repair. By setting Branch Detach to Disabled, only leaf module - ie parts with no child modules attached - can be removed, limiting how much you can change your ship with a single gesture and preventing this sort of mishap.
So... what should I add next? Got any ideas? Please let me (and other pilots) know by chatting with us in the Discord.
Getting Started
- Open Steam and click Library
- Right click on Captain Forever Trilogy and select Properties...
- Select BETAS
- Select captainforeveruniverse15 from the drop down list
- Close the properties window
- Captain Forever Trilogy will now update. This usually only takes a few seconds.
- From your Steam library, select Captain Forever Trilogy and click PLAY
- Select Play Captain Forever Universe Alpha 15
- Enjoy!
[hr][/hr]
Tips
[h3]Breathe[/h3]
Without oxygen, your pilot will die. Replenish oxygen by entering atmosphere zones surrounding stations. You will need to renew oxygen licenses at oxy stations to expand your reach. Most importantly, every time you leave atmosphere, make a plan for where your next breath will come from, and if your meter hits 50% before you find more air then TURN BACK!
[h3]Dock[/h3]
Docking with stations to access their services. To dock, just follow a station's red and green lane lights and nudge the docking module. Try this at the nav station near where you first spawn, to add data to your onboard map.
[h3]VMEDS[/h3]
VMEDS is your Virtual Multifunction Electronic Display System - it's your interface through to all the things your ship can do other than flying, shooting, and building. You'll see it when you first start the game, and can interact with it using number keys, function keys, or your mouse. I find the mouse pretty cumbersome though and strongly recommend using keys.
Open VMEDS with the TAB key during flight to access your onboard map, ship settings, help files, and to save and exit the game.
[h3]Cruise Control[/h3]
If you have distance to cover and no threats along the way, hit the Left Shift button to toggle cruise control. This allows you to travel without holding the forwards key, and also causes time to pass at double the usual rate. It's great for distance travel, but can go catastrophically wrong if you fly into danger, so take care!
[h3]Goal[/h3]
Your goal is to discover wormholes to other sectors, and defeat the Border Force patrols preventing travel between them. To do this you'll need to rescue blockaded stations and build up your ship. As you explore you'll find occasional Juliet level factories, which you can use to gain Kilo level modules and build an unstoppable dreadnaught.
[h3]Share[/h3]
Every player's world is generated from the same seed, so if you find something cool you should let other pilots know! You can find us in the Steam community pages and on the Discord.
Changes for Update 15.2
- Added automapping
- Added dust motes
- Added mote density settings
- Added branch detach prevention setting
See you out there!
Farbs