Posted June 28, 2024 by Ryu1284
It’s once again been around a month since my last devlog and so here I am with the next one. Which is 0.33.0 in this case.
As I mentioned before the main aim for this update was to create the final link between the three different game modes of the campaign map, space battles and ground battles. While you could already trigger and fight space battles on the campaign map the same could not be said for ground battles which were only available from the custom battles screen accessed on the main menu. With this update however this is no longer the case and ground battles just like those set in space can now be triggered on the campaign map and either fought manually or left to the auto resolve system.
In keeping with the work done with regards to ground battles the ground maps have seen some visual improvements in the form of new map props. Specifically 2 trees, 1 bush and 1 rock have been added which I’ve spread throughout the existing ground battle maps. In a future update I’ll hopefully expand the number of these available as well as make some with more unique colours. This is a sci-fi game after all and having some trees or bushes with blue or purple leaves should help to make you feel as though you are indeed on another world.
In addition to the above this update also contains some improvements to ground units themselves such as the fact that the reinforcement animation used to call said units into the battle now uses a real transport unit instead of a fake one. As a result it is now also possible to destroy the transport before it has finished deploying the unit, thereby preventing the unit from ever being deployed onto the battle map. Furthermore ground units now also have a set power level allowing for auto resolving battles on the campaign map, while squad based ground units have had their images updated on the campaign map to reflect the actual unit they are instead of them all just using the same generic one.
Lastly this update also includes the usual slew of miscellaneous bug fixes, the highlights of which include. A fix to the save system not including information on the new squad based units, a fix to the camera controller colliding with planets on the campaign map as well as continuing to follow fleets or armies even after they had become hidden. Additionally there is also a selection of fixes with regards to the battle map AI only attempting to capture a single building, only giving a single move order to squad based units for the entire duration of the fight and the recruitment pool being limited to just squad based units despite other options being available.
As always I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted implemented in time for this update and so for 0.34.0 I already have a selection of additions and changes in mind. To start off with now that the core functionality for ground battles is mostly complete it’s time I think to expand the roster of available units a bit. As such for 0.34.0 each faction will get at least 2 new units, one new squad based one aimed at dealing with vehicle based units and one unique one which plays to the strength of the faction it belongs to. In the same way that the shield booster and laser focusing ships do in space battles for both the Astel and the Kessoni.
In addition to new units I’ll also be adding at least two new buildings to ground battle maps in the form of a mine you can capture to increase your income, like you currently can in space battles. While the other will be a defence point which can also currently be found in space battles and just like in space battles once captured it will allow you to build one from a selection of subsystems to help aid you in defending the area around it.
The last area of focus for ground battles with regards to the 0.34.0 update will be the battle map AI. The plan for now is to update the AI so it’s at least comparable to the AI used in space battles, meaning it will gain the ability to move units around the map to search for the enemy planetary outpost. As well as the ability to find and capture the above buildings to both increase its income and boost its defence. Along with the knowledge of when its own planetary outpost is being attacked and by extension when it should call units back to help defend it.
Finally, in addition to the above updates which mainly focus on the ground battles, 0.34.0 will also include some work with regards to space battles. To be more specific I want to see if I can’t go about improving some of the visual effects such as when a unit or building shield is destroyed, the look of the laser beam ammo type and maybe seeing if I can make use of some fog effects to have the battle map look a little more cinematic. Depending on time constraints I’d also like to try and make some improvements to how squad based units move as in their current implementation it’s relatively easy for units to become separated while moving, something I hope I’ll be able to rectify in the 0.34.0 update.
Something of a wrapping up update this time and one which in a way I’d been working towards since the start of the year, so it feels nice to finally have it completed. It also means that while I still think I’m a long way off version 1.0 I’d say that something like 85% of what I consider the core features that I wanted to have implemented before the release of version 1.0 have now been added. With that in mind I’m keeping my fingers crossed that before this year is out Stellar Odyssey: Galaxy at War will be in a state where I’m both happy to start advertising it more directly and to start more seriously thinking about what the 1.0 version looks like.
For such things to happen though there are a myriad of items that still need to be completed, tweaked and changed. So with that said I’ll end this devlog here and get to work on the next update, that being 0.34.0 which much like this update should serve to further round out and complete already implemented features when it hopefully releases in around a month's time.
As always if you have any questions or queries then don’t hesitate to ask and similarly if you have any feedback for existing systems. Or indeed if you have any ideas, features or changes you would like to see implemented then also don’t hesitate to let me know.
As with all of my updates a full list of the changes made can be found in game, with the changes and additions pertaining to this update listed below: