Q&A with the developers #3: Endurance challenge

Wanderers!

Thank you for your engagement and the huge number of interesting questions; we’ve carefully reviewed them and are ready to share the development team’s responses.

In addition to clarifying our vision for the game, we wanted to share our ideas on how to develop and improve various existing systems, as well as on the possible introduction of new ones.

Below you’ll find answers to selected questions:

Question: When will rotating weapons finally be introduced to create a good combat system?

Answer: Our primary focus is to create a space combat model where ship control and maneuvering feel more akin to aerial combat from World War II era. This approach is a key part of the current combat system, so we do not plan to make any drastic changes to it in the near future.

That said, we understand players’ wish for more dynamic and decisive battles. We plan to address the issue of drawn-out duels through other means: by increasing ship maneuverability, expanding the range of modules and perks that affect mobility and combat pace, and introducing additional mechanics that improve the consistency of damage output.

Question: Hello. How would you desribe the “ideal battle as conceived by the developers” in the game: what should a player do, what decisions should they make, and what should they enjoy more, PvP battles and duels, PvE exploration, farming and questing, or the risk of losing the ship and resources? At the moment, it seems like the game is trying to be everything at once. This can (and right now does) dilute and ruin the experience.

Answer: That’s a very good, thoughtful question! We see a perfect battle as the triumph of player’s engineering skills over the dangers of space. The truth is, we want to make a game that excels in several areas at once, and that can be a risky goal. We believe that with the right approach, we’ll be able to provide players with a diverse gaming experience, whether through different maps, ship designs, modifiers, and so on.

Question: Don’t you think the mass physics is excessive? When the cargo hold is full, the speed drops by almost half. This is space, not a simulator of a tractor; it’s about time we distinguished between movement mechanics. Even on Earth, it’s important to simply apply the right momentum, but you don’t even have fuel tanks, or fuel itself, or a power unit???

Answer: Our goal is to diversify shipbuilding by tailoring different ships to different purposes. We will continue to adjust ship behavior in various situations, but we want to remind you that you can use the constructor to change a ship’s mass by using alternative blocks.

For example, players have a choice between a massive but sturdy ship or a fragile yet fast one.

Question: Hello. Could you tell us if there are plans to expand the combat system to include a wider variety of weapons, adding not only “fixed” cannons but also rotating turrets?

Answer: Yes, the combat system will undoubtedly evolve, and we will explore completely different types of weaponry. We have discussed the addition of rotating weapons, but we do not consider it a priority for the next six months. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor this issue and may revisit it later.

Question: Will it be possible to actually build a ship however you want, rather than being dictated by the choice of cabin? For example, I don’t need a missile block at all; I’d gladly trade it for an extra cargo hold, a maneuvering engine, a shield generator, etc.

Answer: At this point, we are confident that the existing system will allow us to effectively develop the concept of roles, where the cabin itself will determine the ship’s role. To increase variety, we will introduce new cabins, each of which will offer its own unique set of capabilities, whether in terms of parameters, slots, or structure.

Question: Why was only a PvE rating implemented? Wouldn’t it have been more logical to create either two separate ratings for PvE and PvP, or a single rating influenced by all player’s actions in both PvP and PvE?

Answer: The challenges were designed as a set of diverse activities where players could compete against each other in completing weekly objectives. There are 15 different activities in total, with 3 available each week. We are discussing ideas for PvP activities; however, with low player activity, this often leads to hunting, which we consider toxic behavior. Therefore, at this time, we plan to diversify PvP activities with less competitive methods. As the project’s player base grows, the list of activities will be expanded.

Question: Given that many forum and Discord users are complaining about a shortage of ammunition following the latest update, do you plan to revert the situation to how it was before the update and restore the original ammunition supply?

Answer: We want to encourage a more strategic approach to ammunition usage and planning actions within a single session. We also consider exploring the location, moving around, and setting micro-objectives essential elements of extraction gameplay. Therefore, a complete return to the original system is not planned. Nevertheless, we are monitoring the situation and will make changes as necessary and based on the statistics.

Question: Do you plan to work on significantly improving the system and revising your stance regarding the freedom and capabilities of the constructor (perhaps even bringing back the energy system) in the foreseeable future, or are you satisfied with its current state?

Answer: The ship constructor will undergo significant changes; new parts will be introduced, and its capabilities will be expanded. Undoubtedly, shipbuilding is a crucial part of the game. However, we firmly believe that the slot system better meets our objectives, and we currently want to develop the constructor in this direction, so we look forward to your offers!

Question: In update 0.3.0, rare block recipes can be obtained through challenges. Do you plan to add exclusive rewards that cannot be purchased with credits or gold in the store or workshop to challenges or other activities?

Answer: We currently have plans to overhaul the game economy as a whole, and as part of the new system, the rewards for challenges will also be revised. The introduction of exclusive rewards is currently under discussion.

Question: When will you synchronize the mouse sensitivity setting for the battle and for the constructor? Or at least make two separate settings since the sensitivity is crazy. My mouse at least can be adjusted manually, but even at the minimum it’s a problem???

Answer: Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We plan to include a fix in an upcoming update :)

Question: Hello, are there plans to set parameter limits for each cabin class, such as maximum speed and turning speed (roll, pitch, yaw)? In my opinion, this approach would help balance the cabins by class, giving medium and light cabins an advantage in terms of maneuverability, while heavy cabins would remain relevant due to their large number of slots.

Answer: Such limitations are planned to be indirect, based on restrictions regarding the types of modules that can be installed and the mass of the ships. We are still considering the approach you proposed for adjusting the maximum speeds of the cabins.

Question: The game as a whole and the latest update are lacking in descriptive text, like what an item is, how it works, and what its lore background is. This leads to the question: when will these texts and descriptions be added? On the one hand, they should be clear; on the other, they should be interesting. This applies to both gameplay and the game’s lore as a whole.

Answer: We plan to work on this very soon, and we are preparing a comprehensive expansion of the lore.

Question: Hello, I’d like to know if modules or blocks will be added to increase the ammunition capacity of weapons and rocket launchers. At least 15% for common modules and up to 35% for rare ones, since I feel the ammunition capacity of the cabins is insufficient. Best of luck to the devs :)

Answer: Thank you for your kind words! We will definitely explore options for implementing such modules/blocks.

Question: The progression for modules and blocks in the game is very strange; players receive new blocks as a reward for their PvE rating. Maybe it would be better to slow down the overly rapid player leveling and give a block or module blueprint for each level reached, rather than for the PvE rating?

Answer: The current player progression system is definitely not the final version, and we plan to change it. For example, we already have plans to rework how modules and blocks are obtained and unlocked. Rank rewards will also be changed, and the role of player level in overall progression is currently under discussion and will also be revised.

Question: Will the game feature PvE modes without other players?

Answer: We are not currently considering introducing such modes. We want to focus on the multiplayer experience and create locations with varying levels of risk, some encouraging competition and PvP interaction, and others motivating players to avoid combat with other players.

Question: We’ve grown tired of the current locations, when will new ones be added?

Answer: We plan to add a new map as early as the beginning of fall. However, the team’s main focus right now is updating existing locations: adapting them for new gameplay activities and refining key areas of interest in greater detail.

If you didn’t find the answer to your question in this issue of the Q&A, don’t worry: we may address it in future posts.

Thank you for helping us make the game better. We look forward to your new questions!