Latest version of Starlight Drifter is now available.

This version sees the Character Creator now completed. All images have been included in this latest edition, with easy/medium/hard basic information on the characters.



The name input screen is fully functional. And the appearance selection is also complete.



ChangeLog:

• Final Images added to Character Creator
  
• Final variables set for Character Creator Choices
  
• Gallery Page Names updated
  
• Gallery Thumbnails added for available images
  
• Gallery Placeholder images added as needed
  
• All Naming convention Crash Bugs resolved
  
• All reported crash bugs resolved
  
• Black Space Event menu selection error resolved
  
• Additional Gallery Pages added
  
• Small Edits to introduction dialogue
  
• More base sprites added to introduction for Asteroid sequence.
  
• Variety of minor reported bugs resolved

Next Update should be on Monday 18th, with all base sprites for the introduction completed.

New version uploaded and available on Steam, includes;

• Added more character creator artwork
  - The character creator is now 95% completed, it should be finished in next mondays update once we have the final art scene completed.
  
• Added more character base art to the games introduction
  - Base character artwork now goes up until the player travels to the asteroid field after Mineko joins the crew.
  
• Corrected a variety of spelling, grammar and bugs in the game.
  
• Altered several sections of writing in the introduction that didn't make sense with the ongoing storyline.
  
• Added two new game variables which influence game difficulty.
  
• Made the background creator clearer on some of the effects it has in the game.

N.b. as new variables were introduced this update, it is likely that save games created from before this point could well break and cause errors if used.

We therefore recommend deleting old save games and starting fresh.

A new update has been posted to steam today...

• Some minor adjustments to the character creator
  
• Basic character artwork added to the intro.
  - This will show character sprites from the start until the first decision point in the game. No character expression animations have been added yet.
  
• Additional Character Sprites added
  
• Holoprojection mini dialogue section added
  
• Holoprojection sprite set added
  
• Adjustments to artwork mapping for better sprite control
  
• A few dialogue adjustments, fixes and alterations to introduction

N.b. This update is mainly about fixing the character sprites in the introduction in a simple basic way. These corrections go up until the first decision in the introduction, shortly after arriving at Earth.

Future updates will add more expressions and stance changes for the characters in the game.

Version 0.35 is now available on Steam.

Before we mention the brief changes, we want to apologise for the lack of updates over the past couple of weeks, we have been working with the artist to get the character creator completed as a priority. Now it is almost complete we will be turning our attention back to the main gameplay.

We will also be doing weekly updates again, every Monday will see a new update to the game with the latest content changes and improvements... Now onto this update.

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Version 0.35

This update has the new character creator completed, we have added new outfits and added the images for several of the backgrounds. Gender and Background are now selected in the same screen.

In addition we have upgraded the gallery as well.

More updates will come next week as we start the process of building and re-writing and re-editing existing game content in a suitable format for release.

Our Beta 2 of the Character Creator is now live...



We are still using placeholder images for some of the sections, for example the background selector, where you choose male or female, still have blank images. And not all of the outfits have been implemented yet.

Our artist will begin working on these extra items as of tomorrow and should be gradually implemented throughout next week.

We are also able to state that we will be giving the protagonist a whole bunch of new outfits to wear during the day to day area of the game. Some of which may unlock secret easter eggs within the game.

More details are being discussed in a new topic on the community hub suggestions area. Visit now to suggest new outfits for the protagonist to have available...

Today we have posted an update that begins the process of re-introducing the full character creator back into the game.

This is the first beta and utilises a lot of placeholder art that will be replaced in future updates.

This update makes the following changes:

• Player now selects Gender and Background
  
• Player then inputs there name as before
  
• Player can then select different options for character appearance.

At present the character shown in the character creator, is the old art version, and will be updated soon. Our artist is completing work on other sections and will then begin the expansion of the character art for the appearance section of the game.

In addition new CG scenes to illustrate the different character types will be created, though they will use a standard base character design.

The character creator is not currently implemented in the rest of the game. And the script for the rest of the game is still being developed. But we hope to implement the new introduction by the time the Character Creator has been completed.

Changelog - 26/05/2016

N.b. Any saves made prior to this update will cause errors if used, please delete them if they remain in place and start over from the start to avoid inaccurate error reporting.

Changes Made:

• Added Koria Crew Member Chat Sequence 1 to v0.1.
  
• Added Koria Crew Member Chat Sequence 2 to v0.1.
  
• Added Koria Crew Member Chat Sequence 3 to v0.1.
  
• Added Koria Crew Member Chat Sequence 4 to v0.1.
  
• Added Koria Crew Member Chat Sequence 5 to v0.1.
  
• Added Distress Signal Event to version 0.1.
  
• Added Finale Missions.
  
• Updated Credits.
  
• Added Aurelia Campaign of three events to v0.1.
  
• Added Sumiko Campaign of four events to v0.1.
  
• Added Black Hole event to v0.1.
  
• Added Black Space campaign of four events to v0.1.
  
• Added additional points of interest to v0.1

Script length has now increased to: 120,000 words

We have not posted an update today as over the last couple of days we have been in talks with different people to increase the size of the team working on the game.

To that end we are brining on board a second coder, in the hope of speeding up development of artwork and character inclusions.

In addition to that more artists are now working on various artwork for inclusion in the game.

Finally a new background artist has been brought on board who will be redesigning all backgrounds within the game at some point in the next two months.

A main update will be released tomorrow evening, which will add more events and content with some basic art updates as well. More info on that will be posted tomorrow.

Changelog - 21/05/2016

N.b. Any saves made prior to this update will cause errors if used, please delete them if they remain in place and start over from the start to avoid inaccurate error reporting.

Changes Made:

• Grand Prix Championship event code complete to v0.1
  
• Dyson Sphere event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Eden event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Gas Giant event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Gas Giant Repeat visit event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Particle Fountain event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Trinary System event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Nebulae event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Nebulae Repeat visit event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Drifting Ship event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Wormhole event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Supernova event script coded into the game making it v0.1
  
• Galaxy Mission Descriptions have now been added to most events.
  
• Hullbreach1 ending added.
  
• Hullbreach2 ending added.
  
• Grand Prix Crash ending added.
  
• Grand Prix Retirement good alternate ending added.
  
• Extended Intro slightly to explain who Nomand was (previous cut from script).
  
• Fixed typos reported on discussion boards.
  
• Fixed bugged 'Pluto Station Flight Control' name.
  
• Corrected Anderson/Hamilton name references.
  
• Corrected reported mc - name errors.
  
• Resolved three reported crash reports
  
• Added 5 new game start variables that will cause crashes if old saves are used.

The games scripted length coded into the game is now roughly 60,000 words in total.

I am sorry to say, no update today, as I have been stuck in bed with a fever with only my laptop to hand. So I have stayed on top of general documentation and completed some long overdue updates to the DharkerStudio.com website, but the update to the game will have to wait until tomorrow.

Sorry for the delay, I am hopeful I will have shaken what ever is wrong enough by tomorrow so that I can put in a decent update for you all then.