Since my last update Outer Space: War Gears has changed a lot while still retaining the core gameplay mechanics. Here is a non-exhaustive list of changes and improvements!
Better Graphics
I improved 3D models and materials and made the graphics look more colourful by combining toon shading and global illumination. Of course, the global illumination can be disabled to support lower-end GPUs. Global illumination, however, can make a difference.
UI and HUD
I also improved the UI and HUD style that now render at a resolution independent from the one of the game. So you can lower the game resolution without losing the legibility of the UI. This also applies to in-game markers.
More responsive ship
In Outer Space: War Gears, many mechanics and the ship control mechanism are based on a physics simulation. While this makes some things more complicated, it gives a sense of realism to the interactions between the various actors. Explosions and collisions look more natural. The drawback is that creating a responsive control for the player ship is harder. I am confident that I have reached a level of responsiveness that will satisfy most players while retaining the physics simulation of the ship.
Improved Enemy AI
Enemy AI is quite elaborate, and enemies react in plausible ways. For instance, they try to dodge gunfire by moving around, notify nearby enemies when they spot you and actively try to avoid mines. In addition, they can now navigate the entire map's 3D space.
Horde Mode
The game now features a Horde Mode where you will fight many different types of enemies. The horde mode is set in an ad-hoc map, separate from the campaign.
Gunship Racing
Some of the secondary missions available in the campaign are racing tracks you have to finish under a maximum set time.
Story Mode
The actual story mode is still very much under development. However, Some of the first missions are already partially developed. I plan to include a few of these missions in the Early Access.
And much more
I also put a lot of effort into optimizing the game, fixing bugs, improving tools and all those things that come with developing a game.
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