A quick update for those who don't follow my discord or devstreams.
If the public alpha has taught me anything, Little Hellions needs online play. Like ~ good online play. From it's necessity during the height of the pandemic, to simply bringing players together, it couldn't be clearer.
But such a change is a massive undertaking, and why I have been noncommittal up until now. In order to make it happen, a complete overhaul of architecture will have to occur ~ and until recently that simply wasn't possible for a solo developer like myself. But possibilities are opening up. Currently, I'm exploring Platform Fighter Engine; a framework built for Game Maker, the engine Little Hellions already uses. PFE has built-in rollback netcode and a litany of quality of life features. It's a promising avenue since I wouldn't have to switch engines!
I am currently pursuing external funding in order to support this change, be it finding a publisher, applying for grants and so on. Normally devs don't share this sort of information, there's a lot of inside baseball to it, but I think transparency is important in this case as ~for the time being~ updates for the current version of Little Hellions will slow down as I pursue these avenues.
I apologize that Little Hellions continues to be a slow production, but I truly believe it in the best interest of the game in the long term. Couch multiplayer ~as much as I don't want it to be~ isn't really a thing anymore. Of course, all versions of the game going forward will still support it, but I want to make the game accessible to anyone who is willing to give a try, even if they don't have friends close by to play it with.
Nonetheless, thank you for supporting Little Hellions and drop a comment if you have any questions!
Replaced performance-heavy Wall-Running with New Free-Flow aerial attacks!
[/h3] Have a blast with streamlined combat by simply 1) jumping near an enemy to target them and 2) jumping again as long as the red target is in sight. Now Synthia and Prometheus do the rest as you execute chain after chain of one-hit kills, all while staying airborne!
New entry in 'Controls' Menu has also been added to explain more details.
New Upper Avium Open-World area in Free Mode, once player reaches LVL 11.
[/h3]
New Side Quest System for Upper Avium.
Reverted back to more streamlined Story Mode, based upon metrics and feedback.
[/h3]
Tutorial Level, background story, and Lower Avium are now optional again, playable from the Arcade Mode!
For Story Mode, player will start in Central Avium directly. After beating Haz-Mat, player is free to explore Central Avium or go directly to the next level.
Prometheus Vision no longer deals periodic damage to player! Use it freely.
[/h3]
Tripled the speed of Ultra Sprint!
[/h3] (Double tap run button)
Tectonic Slams/Ground Pounds deal damage to all bosses, to some more than others!
[/h3]
Central Avium Interiors now available on Free Mode Maps instead of Story Mode to allow for smoother story gameplay!
At this stage of Early Access, Avium has ventured beyond all previous testing phases. I need your feedback now more than ever to hone Avium into the best it can be. Please report any bugs or issues you find here: Bug Reporting
Something rustles in the bushes - Hello Expeditioners it’s time for another Dev Hunt.
In honor of fixing the freebooter matchmaking bug the devs want to hold another long awaited DEV HUNT where anyone who slays a dev gets 300k IN GAME GOLD rewards and a free Mercenary Edition key.
The Dev Hunt will be held on Saturday January 27th from 9pm-11pm EST - Be sure to hop on the North American servers at that time to take down Expedition Agartha’s lead Dev Carbonphry, and be forever known as a Dev Slayer. Bragging rights are encouraged. All participants will also be awarded 100k in game gold for their efforts!
If you aren’t already, feel free to join the Wandering Wizard Discord where Expedition Agartha Community members find games, leave feedback, and discuss strategy! https://discord.gg/HErAFeps
As always, stay safe expeditioners! - The Expedition Agartha Community Team
Greetings! I'm Ness, the Art Director here at Intercept Games - let's talk about KSP2's User Interface, the most meta of all game art disciplines!
UI must surface moment-to-moment information and actions to players in either text or clever visual shorthand. When making a simulation game like KSP, an even greater burden of information is placed on the UI, since we need to supply players with a mountain of information and choices without overwhelming either the player or their screen’s real estate. It’s a fascinating and sometimes frustrating balance to strike; and I am consistently impressed by our UI/UX team’s ability to analyze abstract, un-implemented features and translate them into visuals. Jordan and Colton from our UI/UX team at Intercept work tirelessly to make rocket science digestible and slick-looking!
Before we dive into future plans for KSP2’s UI, I’d like to first take a quick look at KSP1’s. Its UI went through several distinct stages over the course of KSP1’s history, the most radical changes happening early in development. One thing that I love about videogame UI is that on top of all the information it must convey, its visual styling can suggest subtle narrative and worldbuilding—something that KSP1 has absolutely utilized and that we will continue to evolve in KSP2.
Some very early unreleased examples of KSP1 0.2’s UI can be found on HarvesteR’s dev blog. We can see a mix of fonts, both handwritten and geometric sans serif, as well as a barebones parts catalogue. The mix of fonts here is the most interesting detail to me; the handwritten altitude and speed readouts suggests a theme of "DIY" that applied to both the Kerbals in the game and the developers making the game.
A later iteration of the UI around KSP1 0.3 introduces the familiar grey that stuck around for the rest of development, as well as a precariously-stacked flight heads up display. This cobbled-together “junkyard” readout was an evolution of the Kerbal narrative of a DIY space program using salvaged parts.
By the time KSP1 0.7.3’s public release rolled around, the staging stack had moved to the left side of the screen, we had a flight cluster, and Kerbal live-feed portraits all carefully spaced around the edges and wrapped in that grey pseudo-metal that we saw back in 0.3. Gone was the junkyard aesthetic, and the skeuomorphic gauges were carefully lined up.
Credit: Whirligig Girl
And finally, a shot of KSP1's UI as of 1.0.
We’re all familiar with the symbiotic effect that mods had on KSP1, and I believe that by keeping the UI simple and grey, it allowed modders with limited artistic ability to easily match the look of the canonical UI and maintain a level of visual consistency which ultimately cuts down on cognitive load and increases immersion. This is absolutely something we on the art team are aware of in KSP2, and when it comes time to roll out additional modding tools the UI team will also share our internal style guide for modders interested in mimicking KSP2’s UI.
Now onto what I think most of you all are here for; what’s in store for the future of KSP2’s UI now that For Science! is out the door? In the weeks since release, we’ve enjoyed following along as new and returning KSP2 players have checked out the missions, discovered points of interest, and put all of our flight systems through their paces. As thrilling and satisfying as it’s been to see all of the impressive feats you’ve achieved since the For Science! update, we’re also been watching and documenting your reactions to the user experience and the user interface in particular.
We’re excited to see that many elements of our UI have facilitated a smoother first-time user experience, but with your help we’ve also identified several areas of confusion that we are actively tracking. These areas include:
Fonts can be hard to read for a variety of reasons (size, scaling, color, contrast, etc.).
The maneuver gizmo can be difficult to interact with, and precision maneuvers are especially difficult.
Trajectory tag markers can be difficult to differentiate or identify.
Trajectory tag stems can get tangled with one another in ways that cause significant visual confusion.
SOI transit "bullseye" indicators are too bright, too big, and too prominent relative to other map elements (this is a personal bugbear of mine).
Rearranging the staging stack order when selecting the bottom-most stage is difficult.
The Part Manager presents several usability issues including but not limited to: observing many parts at once, using the Resource Manager as a separate app to specifically track fuel on a per-part basis feels awkward, associating a viewed part in the manager with the actual part on the ship.
We are not adequately communicating that "Revert to VAB" causes a loss of recent progress, and there are situations when reversion should not be accessible at all.
It is not obviously clear, especially to new players, when a vehicle is recoverable.
The audio-only countdown on launch presents both accessibility and legibility problems.
When in any time warp state other than 1x, the UI does not adequately communicate the state change. The tendency to interpret an under-warp failed control input as a bug has caught out quite a few members of our own team, and is likely responsible for quite a few bug reports.
Visual styling for some UI elements is not completely unified.
It would be very handy to be able to see mission requirements in the VAB while constructing a vehicle.
KSP2 in early access is delivering the kind of active feedback loop we were hoping to see, and we’ve now got a nice collection of feedback items to help guide our work priorities. We’re excited to continue improving on the UI. In the meantime, we’ve been working away on a few UI improvements of our own! In the upcoming v0.2.1.0 update you’ll not only see us begin to work through the 2024 bug list, but you’ll also see the following changes:
We’ve adjusted the iconography and visuals of intersect nodes to make them easier to interpret (and hopefully easier to learn). We’ve also adjusted the colors of the planned trajectory line to further differentiate from your current trajectory, and shifted the colors on intercept nodes to make it more clear what relation your craft has to celestial bodies.
Time and space are weird, but through these and future trajectory improvements we’re working on, we hope to make parsing orbital mechanics more approachable!
Aaaaaalso as a sneak peek for something that’s coming beyond the v0.2.1.0 update, Jordan has been diligently combing through and adjusting KSP2’s UI in a giant unification pass in order to align some of our disparate visuals. The shot below represents the first wave of style unification on the highest traffic areas of the game:
I'm looking forward to sharing more UI improvements with you all in the future!
[h5]Share Your Creations![/h5]
We've got an exciting announcement! We're working on a new video for KSP2 and we want YOU to share your favorite creations with us for inclusion in the video. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rocket, a plane, a rover, a boat, a giant mechanical turkey, or whatever your heart desires—if you love it and you’re proud of it we want to see it! If we end up using your submission, you’ll be credited and have eternal bragging rights.
If you’d like to submit, send an image of your creation along with a craft file (.json) to crafts@interceptgames.com. Please also include your preferred name so we can credit you (can be real name or username). A bit of fine print here: by submitting your creation, you’re agreeing to let us use the craft file in any and all future marketing materials. Thanks!
We’ll release more details as the project moves forward. We’re excited to take your vehicles out for a spin!
Community streamer Zizaran is back with another 10-day Class Gauntlet Event which starts on February 2nd PST. Racers will level characters and kill challenging bosses and to earn points and compete to find out how each of the classes fare against some of Path of Exile's most difficult encounters. The event will take place in a Hardcore Solo Self-Found Affliction Event League provided by us with a range of dynamic damage and life mods! The prize pool is funded by the community and Zizaran's event partners.
Information, Start Time and How to Join
The following mods active for the event apply to monsters: Area Level 1-67
Monsters take 30% less DamageMonsters have 30% Increased DamageMonsters have 30% Increased Attack, Cast and Movement SpeedMonsters fire 2 Additional ProjectilesMonsters have 20% Physical Damage as Extra Chaos DamageMonsters penetrate 15% of Elemental Resistances
Area Level 68-72 (White Maps)
Monsters take 30% less DamageMonsters have 30% Increased DamageMonsters fire 2 Additional Projectiles
Area Level 73-77 (Yellow Maps)
Monsters take 40% less DamageMonsters have 30% Increased DamageMonsters have 60% Increased Attack, Cast and Movement SpeedMonsters fire 2 Additional Projectiles
Area Level 78-84 (Red Maps)
Monsters take 50% less DamageMonsters have 40% Increased DamageMonsters have 20% Increased Attack, Cast and Movement SpeedMonsters fire 4 Additional ProjectilesMonsters have 30% Increased Area of EffectMonsters have 20% Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage
Area Level 85-100 (Uber Bosses)
Monsters take 40% Less DamageMonsters have 80% Increased DamageMonsters have 30% Increased Attack, Cast and Movement SpeedMonsters fire 2 Additional ProjectilesMonsters have 30% Increased Area of EffectPlayers are assaulted by Apparitions of Atziri, Queen of the VaalConsume an additional portal on Entry
The Gauntlet will be held as an Event League on PC that is available to all players during the event by clicking "Join" in the bottom right corner of the character select screen.
Players will receive points once per character based on their level, specific boss kills and select Maven's Invitations. Don't forget, to get boss kill points you must submit your kills in the Path of Exile Community Racing Discord which you can join by clicking here.
Start time: 1PM Friday February 2nd PST. The event will last for 10 days. A countdown is available {LINK REMOVED}here.
Banned Skills
Similar to the last Gauntlet, this Gauntlet event will have “Banned Skill Gems”. These skills include the use of Arc of Surging, Penance Brand of Dissipation or any Detonate Dead gem (Including Vaal and Transfigured versions) in any way. The use of any of these skills on any character will forfeit your right to claim any part of the prize pool including bounties, flash bounties and the main prize pool. Do not equip the skill gems!
Players that do not wish to compete for the prize pool can play any skill they want. You will still be eligible for raffles.
Portal Limitation Rule
In order to receive Boss Kill Points you must only USE THREE OR LESS PORTALS in order to receive them. Entering a fourth portal will make your submission null. Uber bosses have this tech by default, the rest will be manually done.
Transfigured Gem Rule
In order to receive Boss Kill Points you must use a Transfigured Gem as your primary damage source WHILE completing Boss Kill Point objectives. You may use a regular gem at any other point in time in the game if you so wish.
Prize Pool
The prize pool is crowdfunded by Zizaran's event partners and community streamers! In addition, streamers and their communities will be able to create a bounty with the money they fundraise for the event. Bounties are a custom prize that can be awarded to players for achieving a specified goal in the event. This Gauntlet will also have Flash bounties, which are bounties that will pop up in the Racing Discord during the event! Keep an eye out on their social media for announcements regarding when their fundraisers are taking place and what they will be!
Zizaran's event partners will match donations to the prize pool (up to $25,000).
The total prize pool minus bounties will be awarded as follows:
Rank 1 Overall: 12% BonusRank 2 Overall: 4% Bonus
Witches
Top Witch: 8%Second Witch: 4%Third Witch: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Shadows
Top Shadow: 8%Second Shadow: 4%Third Shadow: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Rangers
Top Ranger: 8%Second Ranger: 4%Third Ranger: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Duelists
Top Duelist: 8%Second Duelist: 4%Third Duelist: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Marauders
Top Marauder: 8%Second Marauder: 4%Third Marauder: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Templars
Top Templar: 8%Second Templar: 4%Third Templar: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect
Scions
Top Scion: 8%Second Scion: 4%Third Scion: Dreadspire Character Effect + Divine Stygian Portal Effect[/box][/box]
Random Draw
Leveling your characters to certain thresholds will also make you eligible for the randomly-drawn prizes made up of both merchandise and microtransactions provided by Zizaran's event partners and Grinding Gear Games! The general prizes listed below will be randomly drawn from all appropriately leveled characters except for the Level 90+ Armour Pack prizes, which will be drawn per class. You can gain more than 1 ticket per account for the microtransaction/physical prizes, however you cannot win more than one prize per category below:
Where to Watch
You can catch exciting moments from the event by checking out Zizaran’s Youtube Channel where Skryah and OMGitsJousis are teaming up to deliver some epic highlights!
There will also be live casting on Zizaran’s Twitch Channel. More info on who will be casting to come!
Click here to learn more about joining the event, the rules in place, the point system, prizes, or to contribute to the event.
UI Improvements: - Planets, moons and stations are clickable now! They can be selected just by left-clicking on them. The old way of selecting them by using , and [Y] is still available. Shooting is disabled when left-clicking on a planet, moon or station.
- A new cargo indicator was added to display the player ship's cargo volume. It is next to the crew indicator.
- The target info panel now shows the keyboard shortcuts for Land, Hail and Board depending on what type of target is selected.
Bug fixes: - Fixed a bug that prevented hailing a ship if a planet was selected before the ship.
Happy New Year Commanders! The resistance has come up with a fun little challenge for you to celebrate our most recent update! You can find more news about the update here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/2141520/announcements/detail/7103929496821299480?snr=2___ Show us a screenshot of our newly released Merc Hogshead on your Merc team! Post it in the Screenshots section of the Survivor Mercs Community Hub for a chance to win Survivor Mercs Keys for you and your friends!
4 Lucky winners will be selected - 3 Top Placements and one Community Voted Winner! In addition to submitting your own screenshot, be sure to give a thumbs up to your fellow Community Members submissions to vote for them!
Submission Rules:
Submit a screenshot of Hogshead on your Merc team to the Survivor Mercs Screenshot section of the Community Hub
Must include the following tag in submission to be considered #HogsHead
Once winners are announced they have 30 days to respond to the ww_cm account to receive their keys
Submission Details:
You can upload screenshots using the screenshot uploader tool. By default this button is bound to "F12", and can be edited within the Steam settings.
Open the Steam client and click on "View" and then "Screenshots" at the top to access the screenshot uploader.
Credit: Whirligig Girl
And finally, a shot of KSP1's UI as of 1.0.
