This week had a lot of errands to run, and a lot of fussing about with stuff that wasn't Exoloper related, but I still managed to get a chunk of cool stuff in.
It's super encouraging to see how quickly I can add new and interesting types of content to the game, from maps, to weapons to ai archetypes. All hallmarks of a set of core systems that empower this kind of work. One thing im kinda toying with in the back of my mind is streamlining all these processes further by adding better editor tools, but my biggest angst here is the potential bugs with those same tools. I'll think on it.
Kicked the week off by building out the pilot mesh. It's totally cosmetic, but the material will match that of the exo, so when you paint your exo, you paint your pilot.
Design wise I was looking for something a little more rugged than the Interloper Pilots. A uniform that looks as though it could survive some time on the surface, should their exo be destroyed. Are there parts that I wish I did differently? Sure. Am I pretty happy with it? hellyeah.
I think going for a cohesive and yet seperate look helps to sell the concept that this is all part of a broader universe.
Beyond the pilot I spent the majority of the week building out the combat assets for the forest campaign. All of this stuff is coming along much quicker than I expected it to, which is really nice.
Look closely here and you'll see commonwealth tanks firing at each other, thats a new unit type that'll enter in the
forest campaign that repairs nearby damaged units. Pretty common kind of game mechanic, but it adds a layer of
complexity.
The opening campaign will launch with the barrage missiles we've seen already, ones that fire up and over terrain. The forest campaign comes with direct fire swarm missiles. These streak erratically towards the currently locked target, shredding their armour. I've also generally upgraded the missile logic to better track targets. This means AI missiles now track you as well (for now, we'll see if that ends up in a lot of player deaths)
What action game is complete without the old reliable shotgun. In game they're called Flak Cannons, but you get the idea. These will come in three variants, light, automatic and heavy and do incredible damage to lightly armoured targets. Great for clearing out swarms of enemies, or clearing utilities away from tougher enemies.
An ultra rare energy weapon designed to control the battlefield by reducing cover and pushing enemies around. I've been enjoying thinking up these kinds of more esoteric weapons that don't necessarily just do more damage.
That's all the weapons for both the introductory Industrial Campaign and the first unlockable Campaign, next up is finishing the remaining new components for the forest campaign, and then actually building out the campaign map assets for the forest.
Then it's all bugfixin till launch day.