Posted February 11, 2024 by Untrustedlife
This update is all about enhancing ship gameplay/strategy and boosting performance.
Changes:
-Ive updated the itch/steam/gamejolt store page, with new information/a new screenshot so it reflects the game better.
-I've optimized getComponent checks in the unit logic. This means a smoother, faster game experience, especially when there's a lot of units on the screen and during AI turns.
-I added the ability to scuttle ships! Once you've explored a body of water, you can now scuttle your ships to conserve resources. But beware - it's a gamble! Scuttling involves rolling a d20. Roll a nat 1, and you might just attract an enemy sea monster. Roll over 10, and you'll create a new treasure for your units to grab. (AI can do it too!)
-Wind mechanics are now in play (I've been watching a lot of videos about Ultima!). But don't worry, my wind system is less frustrating and only really grants bonuses. The wind direction, which changes (or doesn't) randomly each turn, is tracked by the world and affects ship movement. For balance, I've reduced ship base movement points (MP) by 0.5. However, a favorable wind can give you a significant movement bonus. And don't worry about constantly checking the wind - the movement highlight on tiles takes wind conditions into account automatically. It adds an extra layer of strategy to ship navigation.
-Ships now can move through swamps unless the wind isn't in their favor. But if you've invested in certain techs and your ship has 2 or more MP, you'll navigate swamps as if they were "normal" tiles
-Wind conditions are mentioned in the world news and in the ship flag tooltip.
Rest assured, wind direction saves and loads correctly. For existing saves, the default wind direction is set to north.
These updates should make ship's more dynamic and strategic. Hopefully its fun :)