Hello and welcome to another State of the Game!
This week I bring you version 0.3.14! This build includes a few minor updates to the weapons and AI.
Now, the AI will more appropriately build a M.A.V. suited to the class they are going to fulfill. Scouts will build for speed, defenders will build for health and firepower, ect. I also tweaked some of the formulas they use to select the parts they want, as well as made sure they are staying within their budget (no more cheating for the AI).
Speaking of budget, I did a small balance pass on the weapons, which focused on creating a more variety of weapon costs. Now, instead of all the weapons being fairly in the same price point, some are significantly more expensive. They basically break down into 3 ‘levels’ of cost and it will help with some of the less fun tactics that you saw the AI deploying in the last version.
I also increased the amount of splash damage explosive weapons do and countered this a bit with accuracy tweaks.
Also, in the garage, the sub Type menu is now working, so you can pick weapons (and anything else) based on sub-types, like sniper rifles, and it should help narrow everything down.
Now, I was also really busy working on things going forward.
This is the last release in the 0.3.X line, the next release will be 0.4.0, and with that there will be a significant change in the development focus.
The 0.3.X revision was focused on all the code systems needed to support the basic gameplay. I am now at the point that I feel that goal has been accomplished enough to move on to the next task, which is a very big one.
Parts, Gameplay, and Balance
With this next major revision I will be solely focused on making sure everything is balanced from a design stand point. To do that, I will have to have a representation of all the parts and part systems that will be in the final game. I still do not have an artist, so they will be parts modeled and animated by me (so not very pretty) but I need to have them represented in game and functional.
So what can you expect? A shear massive influx of available parts, each week. Not 1 or 2, but hundreds. You can also expect many tweaks and changes to the stats of the parts. Level design will be a large priority as well.
Now to give you a little taste of what is to come, here are the things I have finalized in the designs so far.
There will be 6 classes:
- Sniper
- Scout
- Destroyer
- Defender
- Engineer
- Assault
The six classes represent 6 very different play styles and they will have to work together, as each class has strengths and weaknesses against the other classes.
In regards to parts, I have currently planned the following:
- 7 Leg types
- 6 Cockpit types
- 5 Generator types
- and 20 weapon types
As I continue through the week, I will be discussing certain features on the message board, so be sure to drop in and join the talk!
[Reminder: M.A.V. is currently in Alpha funding for $10. If you want to participate in the Alpha program and get access to the weekly builds, you can sign up for an account Here, and upon logging in you will be presented the option to purchase an Alpha membership.]