Approaching Infinity has always been a game where you play until you die and then start a new game. OK, that's fine. But what if it wasn't?

What happens when you unlock a new ship or character class and want to start with those? Either you abandon the current game, wait it out, or go for a quick win. All fine, but what if you didn't have to?




You can now run up to 9 individual games at once!

This does not mean you can have 9 copies of the same game saved in different slots... I'm not supporting that kind of behavior in a rogue-like at this time. (But I won't try to stop you from copying your saves in the local file system either...)

This is all happening in the Beta branch which anyone can join. Let me know if you have any problems.

I even designed the new system to incorporate your old save into the new format, so that you won't lose your current game. I really don't like breaking your saves :)

There are also some other little features and upgrades in this one, but I won't go into detail here.



Oh, yeah, that's still a thing... talking to alien ships is pretty important in a space game!



There haven't been any big problems with the hailing feature, and there's been a lot of positive feedback on it, so you can expect that to come to the main branch this Friday!

Communicating with aliens in Approaching Infinity has always been more of an abstracted thing than a direct conversation.

But that's about to change!




Last week I hinted about a new feature that could serve many purposes. Well, this is it!

Press [H] (re-bindable) when you are near an alien to get a message from that ship. There are lots of possible outcomes:

• They might just say hello, or hint at what they think of you.
  
• They could ignore you (especially if you're fighting them).
  
• They might offer to resupply you if you're running low.
  
• They can let you know about undiscovered planets in the area.
  
• They might say how they feel about other races in the sector.
  
• They can even offer to surrender, or allow you to surrender...

Many of these interactions will improve relations with that race. They can also provide important insights into the psychology of these aliens, as well as let you know who their friends and enemies are.

You might discover that the Space Pirates and the Gruff don't get along. (Or you might already know that, if you've seen their ships fighting). Then you might understand why, if you're friends with both races, your relations start to decline with both, until you pick a side.

I made this video last week, when the "Hailing" feature was just getting started, but I didn't announce it. The function has progressed a lot since then, but it might still be worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXjzEOCkqrc

If you haven't already, you can opt into (or out of) the beta branch at any time from within steam, under settings>betas. It's called "betafromnowon", and it won't break your saves.


If you need further incentive, check out this new type of sector that's available: every race you've met so far will have a space station present in the new "Diplomacy Sector":

I know some of you have already been following these new features with great anticipation, and so you've already read most of this, but I'm going to lay it all out here anyway.

Did you ever find a force-field you couldn't get through, or a Firax clue on an island with no way across? I'm sure you tried really hard to remember, but a few sectors later you can't ever remember what you forgot, much less where.

The Captain's Log is the solution!



Don't strain your brain, make a log entry! You can make hundreds of entries, and it's easy to sort, edit, and delete these notes, too. They're also conveniently displayed on the warp screen, where you might need them most.



And your entries display on the star map, so you can use tool tips to read them right as you move around the sector!


I know, this is a pretty standard rogue-like thing (and something that's been in video games for 40+ years), but Approaching Infinity finally has a high score list! It keeps track of your best scores, and can sort up to 25 of the most recent or highest scores, both in the "victories" and "deaths" categories.



It'll be great to see what kinds of scores emerge. I don't have a win score yet (those are fakes!), and my deaths haven't made it out of the 700's. Please note that it will only record your death if you're playing with perma-death turned on. It will record a win either way, so get out there are do some quests!


Wait, that sounds more like a bug, doesn't it? Well it's not. From now on, you can use your landing shuttle as tatical cover for your away team. Shoot from the ship!

However, there is a chance that if you're standing in your shuttle while that mercenary is shooting at you, or that hulking cyclops is swinging its fists, the shuttle could get damaged!



For now, damage to the shuttle just increases the cool-down time before you can launch again. In the future it might cost supplies, parts, money, or something else. Be thankful it's just a few extra turns while you repair it!





Ok, that doesn't really qualify as a big feature, but it's pretty darned convenient for mouse players. Click the middle mouse button to toggle tool-tips on and off. This works great in conjunction with the captain's log feature!

There has also been some adjustment to the input methods over the week, hopefully making them more efficient. There have also been some cool graphical updates you might notice ;)


Well, just this morning an idea congealed in my head that's going to fill in a lot of cracks. It will:

• Get the story out sooner
  
• Give the player hints and lore
  
• Create an entirely new kind of interaction
  
• Launch a new kind of quests (eventually)
  
• Help you make friends!

I'm really excited about this new feature, but I won't say more right now...

You go make some captain's log entries, I'm going to play some Borderlands 3!

First off, I made a video explaining a lot of this stuff while I play through it, in case that's how you like to get your information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lkqsiA9y4w
Also:

• You can learn something about The Engravers (or can you?)
  
• Hear me talk like a pirate (for good reason)
  
• I Lie about my accomplishments
  
• Listen to my loud keyboard
  
• See what all this "Captain's Log" fuss is about

All of this is taking place in the Beta Branch, called "betafromnowon", and that is open to everyone, just opt in, no password needed.

So, the Captain's Log feature is coming along nicely. It allows you to leave notes for your future self, so you can come back to finish something you weren't able to before, or possibly avoid re-visting a dangerous or otherwise undesirable place.


One recent feature is that the notes will now appear right on the warp screen, for whatever sector you're looking at. You can even enter new notes right on the warp screen! Easily remember where you want to go and why.




A completely new feature that comes with this beta (and should have been there all along) is the "Past Lives" section, or "Graveyard". Every time you die (in perma-death) or win (whether perma-death is on or off), the game will save the date, score, and method of your demise or success.




I have only legitimately won a few times, and none in the current version (what?!) . Hey, I'm the one who's making all these awesome new features here! You play it. You tell me what's good or wrong. Then I'll make it better, ok?

Anyway, speaking of new features... Has it ever occurred to you that when you land your shuttle on a planet, you should maybe be able to take shelter inside it? Well, now you can (sort of)... Standing on (in?) the shuttle during an away mission will now provide 75% cover against incoming damage! (The airlock on a shipwreck or station level gives 50%).



But wait, there's more! Sure, it's a good place to hide, but notice in the action log that the shuttle sometimes takes damage! What does that do?



Well, you have to spend time repairing it! In the future this might also cost you supplies, credits, or spare parts, but for now, it's only time...

Another new small but useful feature has been added for users who prefer mouse control: if you open menus with the hotbar buttons, pressing the same button again will close that menu. It sounds small, but it can really improve your efficiency!

As long as no major problems are found, all these changes should make their way to the main branch in a few days.

Enjoy!

I'm excited to announce a new feature that's being tested in Approaching Infinity:
The Captain's Log.

This is different from the place where messages come up, telling you what's happening. It's something you, the player are in total control of.



Did you find a planet with inaccessible areas and you can see the loot, just out of reach? Make a Log entry! Locate a really good price on trading commodities? Log entry! Find an officer you want to hire, or a good piece of gear you can't afford? Log entry!



You can view your entire log, up to 1000 entries, or you can sort by sector. The most recent entries are at the top. I'm also experimenting with getting that information on the warp screen, so you can make the most of it.



Another cool feature is that each log entry has an x/y location associated with it, and these show up on the space map. You can even tool-tip them!



This is not in the main branch; you have to opt in to the beta branch called "betafromnowon".
Library > Manage > Properties > Betas > betafromnowon
There is no password, everyone is invited :)
You can opt out at any time, and this will not mess up your saves, either opting in or out.

If you need an added incentive, well...

It's been an incredible month for me and my game, Approaching Infinity!

• I've quit my (admittedly crappy) job and become a full-time indie developer!
  
• I've squashed countless bugs reported by diligent Steam players.
  
• I've added many new features recommended by the community.
  
• I've written 11 Steam Guides.
  
• I've released over 15 updates large and small over that time!
  
• I've personally responded to almost every comment, suggestion, and cry for help.
  
• AND I'M JUST GETTING STARTED!

We're in the final stages of version 1.5, which is mainly about major bug-fixes, adding required features, making little adjustments and changes, and getting ready to move forward with larger issues. You can review the roadmap here.

• Added: You can re-bind gameplay keys (movement, targeting, opening menus, etc.), but keys within those menus will remain the same (station areas 1-8, buying/selling A-Z, etc.)
  
• Added: Alien space stations that won't let you dock might still offer to re-supply you if you're in trouble.
  
• Added: Fully exploring "Engraver" planets now does something, but it's not the whole story...
  
• Fixed: Scanner Range now properly increases in later sectors.
  
• Changed: "Damage Reduction" is now called "Environmental Resistance", which is what it is and always should have been called!
  
• Changed: Greatly Improved Tool-Tips (Try them out: press shift over a monster!)

As 1.6 gets closer, which will include larger changes, all future updates will be released into a beta branch for at least a few days before going out to all users. That means a few things:
1. If you want to help test the latest version, you'll need to opt in to the beta branch.
2. If there's some feature or issue you're dying to have addressed, let me know ASAP!

I've already added a few Q.o.L. features, like keybindings, those flashing warnings that keep you from running into the middle of a group of enemies, and tool-tips anytime by holding shift. But there's plenty of room for improving your experience, and I will continue to listen to what players want as far as interface upgrade. I know AI doesn't always work like other roguelikes (or games in general), and sometimes, that's by design and probably won't change, but other times, it could be as simple as letting me know about a great feature, and then suddenly it's incorporated.

Rebalancing is a much larger issue, and a huge undertaking. When I talk about "balance" here, I mean how enemies and equipment scale, what level of challenge you face, and how soon you encounter various elements.

A major concern is introducing the story elements earlier in the game. Some players didn't even realize there was a quest line to follow, let alone 12 individual alien stories to get involved with!



I want to be certain that players are encountering alien embassies earlier, learning that those aliens they see actual have personality and motivation. Give you more insight into each individual race. Make diplomacy more intricate. Things like this.


And a few players have been really pushing the envelope, flying out beyond sector 1000! One player in particular found that he could basically just steamroll over the enemies he encountered. I want to stop that. But it's a fine line between "deadly enemies" and "unfair deaths". In the future you can expect a feature called "Retribution Strikes", where if you kill ships of friendly races they will send a hunting party after you.


Thank you to all the great people who've tried the game, there have been so many great reviews and lots of useful feedback!

And if you're one of those people who are waiting to get the game, well, you can see what's in store! You can also see my personal track record as a developer and how far the game's come in just one month. Development continues!

Kyzrati, the developer of Cogmind has been streaming Approaching Infinity for the past few weeks, and I wanted to make sure he got the most recent version. I even named it in his honor...

Here's what's happened:

AI 1.5Kyz:

• Put in a check to keep new random spaceships from spawning right in front of you.
  
• Made sectors fill with ships faster, but still start mostly unpopulated, so you don't warp into disaster!
  
• Maxed the officers cut of your money at 30%
  
• Fixed a bug in crafting that produced things cheaper than they should have been.
  
• Added LOS check to deforestation damage
  
• Fixed right-click pathing bug that wouldn't path to occupied squares.
  
• Tried to "push back" monsters instead of despawning them when they're too close.
  
• (hopefully) fixed loading the wrong quest in sectors with 2 stations !
  
• (hopefully) can't accidentally fire on friendly targets in space
  
• addressed a bug that caused crashes beyond sector 2000.
  
• You can actually see the quest marker on planets now!
  
• Introduced AND TOOK OUT "Retribution Strikes": coordinated revenge attacks against you by a race that thought you were their friend

I DID THIS MANY THINGS:

• A bug that was causing an infinite monster attack loop!
  
• the installation of the "crafting lab" device.
  
• star temples don't give any XP until you find the artifact.
  
• a bug that was not showing some cargo between multiple pages.

• the game's ideal landing party size, which may affect difficulty (upwards).
  
• Shuttle ace reduces shuttle cooldown by 2
  
• Asteroid mining now always produces at least one thing.
  
• Short range ship weapons are now more damaging
  
• Sargasso sectors have less shipwrecks (still about 90) and a massive aggregate of black holes
  
• Limited the spawning of crafting-related items before crafting has been unlocked.
  
• Monster Threat is now measured as a decimal, 1.0 being approximately equal to you.
  
• Tried to make the planetary oxygen warning not happen too soon.
  
• Damage Reduction on space suits progression happens faster.
  
• You can now switch back out of the custom cursor
  
• I removed something that was limiting the level of items crafted.
  
• greatly increased melee weapon damage
  
• improved loot in star temple shield rooms
  
• shield power spikes less in sector 5+ (sorry!)
  
• reduced frawg damage.
  
• slightly sped up race relations.
  
• Reduced the threshold at which crew throws stuff into the reactor.

• Some skills with a second level that no longer had any effect.
  
• I took out equipment modifiers like "grade 3" and "Mark 7".
  
• something that was making monsters weaker before sector 20. this will change difficulty. Beware.
  
• Completely removed time-based XP gathering in all environments.
  
• The options button from the main menu!

• holding Shift key now gives selective tooltips !
  
• Officers on away teams now get XP for # of tiles revealed, as you go. Harsher environments give more XP.
  
• All officers gain XP while in space, by exploring the sector map.
  
• You now receive a message about bonus XP on a long away mission.
  
• Gave a log message about the pirate's "Profiteering Beam"
  
• Subspace wave sectors now only consume half supplies for engine and reactor (ride the waves!)
  
• some handling for people who can't see any text!
  
• a new "feature" that helps to stop your movement whenever a new enemy is sighted.
  
• a prototype "movement safety" function, where keyboard input is paused when a new threat is noticed.
  
• Included a popup at the beginning of the game for people who don't see the normal text.
  
• Whenever you encounter a terrain you can't walk on, a message is generated in the log about how to cross it.
  
• There's a 10% chance that the planet name file for a sector will be the first curated user-generated planet names!
  
• I added the Excavator device to clear rubble, which has never existed before!
  
• You will now get more personalized information when you visit alien embassies.
  
• I did the prep work to enable Steam Cloud saves. It is not active yet.
  
• Also gave a bonus crafting level for schematic pickups.
  
• crafting now uses left/right arrow keys to move between crafting menus
  
• crafting now uses up/down arrow keys to scroll pages within menus
  
• when you install the crafting lab for the first time, you get 10 of each crafting part. I'm a jerk for not giving you that sooner, sorry!
  
• a description to all commodities and tooltip info on them when in the commodities exchange.
  
• if you automatically recognize the power of an artifact, it becomes more powerful
  
• all devices now have their own icon!

Please note that this update does *not* contain the experimental feature "planet scanning". That will be properly implemented in the future.

• The inevitable hotfix :O
  
• Key Re-Binding
  
• Pathfinding Fix
  
• Auto-Explore de-insane-ization

Also newsworthy: I've written a new Steam Guide about the away team:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2207449869

New ones are still on the way about daily codes and the commodities exchange/being a trader.

Thanks, enjoy, and let me know how it goes!

and as of Friday, 08/28/2020, here's this:

The changelog of hotfix slowfix 1.5k+

• Divide By Zero error has been removed!
  
• Right click pathing has been corrected!
  
• Red alert is now saved with game (after you're hit in space, can't install for 3 turns)
  
• Shield recharge on game load exploit is corrected.
  
• cloaking device now actually uses supplies!
  
• negative cargo amounts have been corrected.
  
• buy 1/sell 10 has been corrected.

Other...

• The auto-explore might be slightly improved, but still not perfect...
  
• Added a built-in device to the Assault Scout ship.
  
• Bunnies no longer auto-stop your movement.
  
• going up and down cave levels automatically is no longer limited by oxygen when your helmets are open.
  
• officers in stations you can't hire now say "no room" next to their name
  
• deforestation kit / sonic chainsaw now has stackable levels of increasing power. cut down trees from a distance!
  
• and in a stroke of genius, deforestation power now HURTS CARNIVOROUS PLANTS!
  
• You can now give promotions on stations, and if the captain is on the away team, then also during away missions!
  
• made purple eggs targetable
  
• Landing on a "UHO" planet is now auto-handled (no need to touch sign!)
  
• Some things that would give nearly-unlimited XP have been reduced after the first 300 XP per level.
  
• damage done by status effects is now shown
  
• operatives now get bonus xp for every quest completed
  
• It is now harder to be friendly with everyone at the same time.

Solvency. Noun: the possession of assets in excess of liabilities; ability to pay one's debts.

OK, I can't pay off my house or my car, so I'm not technically "solvent", but I can support my immediate expenses for long enough to crunch through that Roadmap. And that "S" in solvency really hints at the infinity symbol (nice touch David!)

I started this process right after launch week. Approaching Infinity was doing really well, and I wanted to keep the momentum going. So I gave notice and now I'm free. I am dedicated to making this game everything it can be, and I have you to thank for that.

This is what my kids think my life is going to be like now: the whole family playing UNO FLIP together (while a giant crab watches?!), and me lounging on the couch eating pizza:





Possibly with the sun rising and setting in the background...

This has been the longest I've gone without releasing an update (a whole week!), so it's time. But this update still has an experimental feature in it, so I'm going to release it into a branch called "scanningexperiment" which anyone can join and requires no password. It won't break your saves, and is entirely optional.

It will provide you with a prototype of the new "planet scanning" features, which allows you to know broad details about what a planet has to offer *before* you go down. This is intended to help you bring the right equipment and find what you're looking for (and maybe skip the things that you're not interested in.)

Here's how scanning will eventually look:


Right now it's just a pop-up message with too many details. It will be "finessed" into something more vague and flavorful.



Here's a 23-minute video I did, testing out the new features:

I have taken a *lot* of feedback over the time on steam, and many changes, fixes, and additions have been based on that. Here is everything you'll find in v1.5Jx (The 'x' is for experimental)

• I removed something that was making monsters weaker before sector 20. this will change difficulty. Beware.
  
• I also changed the game's ideal landing party size, which may affect difficulty (upwards).
  
• Shuttle ace reduces shuttle cooldown by 2
  
• Completely removed time-based XP gathering in all environments.
  
• Officers on away teams now get XP for # of tiles revealed, as you go. Harsher environments give more XP.
  
• All officers gain xp while in space, by exploring the sector map.
  
• Asteroid mining now always produces at least one thing.
  
• You now receive a message about bonus XP on a long away mission.
  
• Short range ship weapons are much more damaging
  
• Gave a log message about the pirate's "Profiteering Beam"
  
• Subspace wave sectors now only consume half supplies for engine and reactor (ride the waves!)
  
• Sargasso sectors have less shipwrecks (still about 90) and a massive aggregate of black holes
  
• Added some handling for people who can't see any text!
  
• Added a new feature that stops your movement whenever a new enemy is sighted.
  
• Limited the spawning of crafting-related items before crafting has been unlocked.
  
• Added a prototype "movement safety" function, where keyboard input is paused when a new threat is noticed.
  
• Monster Threat is now measured as a decimal, 1.0 being approximately equal to you.
  
• Tried to make the planetary oxygen warning not happen too soon.
  
• Damage Reduction on space suits progression happens faster.
  
• Middle mouse button now also does scanning, in addition to [V] key.
  
• Most locations inside a sector are pre-generated with the sector.
  
• You will now see hints during this time.
  
• I took out equipment modifiers like "grade 3" and "Mark 7".
  
• Whenever you encounter a terrain you can't walk on, a message is generated in the log about how to cross it.
  
• There's a 10% chance that the planet name file for a sector will be the first curated user-generated planet names! (I Took out inappropriate ones.)
  
• You can now switch back out of the custom cursor.
  
• I added the Excavator device to clear rubble, which has never existed before!
  
• You will now get more personalized information when you visit alien embassies.
  
• I did the prep work to enable Steam Cloud saves. It is not active yet.
  
• I removed something that was limiting the level of items crafted.
  
• Also gave a bonus crafting level for schematic pickups.
  
• Fixed the installation of the "crafting lab" device.
  
• You can now hold [SHIFT] to selectively tooltip anything :D

I suppose on a list like this, I should really use the standard "Fixed / Changed / Added" thing...
Something that did not get fixed: When you install a new ship component, sometimes the icons get duplicated incorrectly. It just didn't make the time cut, it will be handled soon.

Here's something else that didn't make the cut, but definitely made the grade:

Individual device icons!

Remember, this is not in the main public branch. You have to actively switch over to the "craftingexperiment" branch from in your steam library:


This will not break your save, and saves shouldn't be broken coming back out of it. Just go play with it, and let me know how it's going, either in the Steam Discussions, or the Approaching Infinity channel in the Roguelikes Discord.

Activating Steam Cloud Saves, and then ... Re-Binding Keys!
I know you want it. I know you need it. I know you deserve it. So I guess I'll do it!
And meanwhile I'll watch how everyone does with v1.5Jx, make sure everything's working, and move it into the main branch.

Fixing the auto-explore and path-finding is also on the short-list.


Some people have been urging me to go this route for years, and I never have, but I think it's time. You have no obligation to join, and updates will still happen here, and I'll listen to Steam feedback.

But I think I can offer Patreon supporters more: a look behind the scenes, messages from aliens, a more detailed look at my plans, and opportunities to contribute special things within the game (like art, writing, pre-designing shipwrecks and planets, etc.)

And a little extra support every month, as well as engaging with the people giving that support, will be very motivating. But that's for the future, approximately October 2020. For now, I have plenty of work to do getting out of 1.5...

Have a good day!

There were 2 things that made me push this out today: Star Temple data deletion, and the tutorial/pay-it-forward bug. But there are some other things I've been working on that got thrown into the mix.

• You can now sell 10 items in the Commodities exchange by holding shift (same as buying)
  
• I continue to try to eliminate instant deaths / one hit kills.
  
• Greatly improved price change over time for commodities trading. (this was like 4 hours of work!)
  
• Fixed a bug where star temples deleted your data.
  
• Made oxygen warnings stop when you've opened your helmets.
  
• Changed some message log reporting regarding attacks.
  
• Further made the Limoquee less annoying. But defintely still annoying.
  
• "Renegade" enemies should no longer "come to help" (which wasn't helping!).
  
• Put a few more words on the victory screen. (Which I haven't seen any screenshots of yet!)
  
• Put a slight increase on levels of items sold in stations.
  
• Added "Level" to item descriptions (this may not be permanent)
  
• All officers gain XP when warping.
  
• I fixed a bug where the tutorial ignored your pay it forward withdrawal.

This morning I made a 20 minute video about how to be a trader. This aspect of the game is not required, but I think it's often overlooked and misunderstood, so this is how it's done. I never did encounter any shortages or surpluses in this run, which would have potentially made it much more lucrative.


With the rest of the day, I plan to create more Steam Guides. I know there are still some basics that aren't explained, and I will get to those. But what would you like to know about? Tell me below!