Hello and welcome to Tannhauser's third devlog.
The last week has provided a big jump forward with the project. I'm now collaborating with kontinue for the game's soundtrack and it is a very promising start which does make want to integrate FMOD right now so I can get these songs in. Do check his bandcamp and soundcloud.
So, let us take a look at what's new in-game...
Hyperspace
In the last week I've added a proper effect for visualisation for the hyperspace effect, which makes entering and leaving a normal sector much more interesting. It is particularly pleasant to see the hyperspace gate open when the player's ship is being shot to pieces and desperately trying to fleet to safety.
As it had been talked about in a previous devlog, the player is not the only one that makes use of hyperspace. While contesting a sector the galaxy does not stop dead in its tracks, so all the fleets in the galaxy keep doing what they were doing: contesting a sector of their own, travelling... or perhaps they'll spot the player's battle and decide to join in. This is something that works both ways, with both enemies and allies considering if this is a battle they have a stake on. This does add an extra layer to the game, as the player does should consider if a region of space is too "hot" to attack, as the risk of being caught off-guard by mid-fight reinforcements is quite real. This risk can be reduced by having a bridge with hyperspace sensors, which will provide an early warning.
Further work
Additionally, most items are now in-game and can be found as loot from the enemy ships. As expected, the quality of the loot is proportional to the kind of enemies the player is facing. It is important to note that there are no artificial constraints (like levels) that prevent the player from entering certain areas, making it quite possible to attempt hit-and-run attacks on powerful enemy ships. Skill is definitely rewarded and since each module can be destroyed individually, landing a few well-placed shots on an enemy ship's reactor can be enough to see it dead in the water.
What's next?
The first thing on the list is to finish the itemisation, which should be done by the end of the week. A round of balancing will be required and that play-testing should reveal any major issues that might affect the game's stability or other bugs that need to be resolved before the Pre-Alpha.
Thanks for reading!
