Originally published at: Exoplanet
Hey folks! It is almost Christmas, and there’s no better time to take a breath after this tough and exhausting year. We were working hard to release our biggest update ever, and we’ve put a great deal of effort into delivering as much content as possible to please everyone who fancies trying a space cowboy outfit on this holiday. So yeah, it is another regular monthly update.
Let’s see what’s in the box!
GAMEPLAY
We have released the very first iteration of stealth last month, and now it is time to improve it. We started with NPCs’ AI.
First of all, there was an issue when NPCs do not notice Jack when he is in stealth mode, even if he’s right in front of them. But not anymore!
Second, NPCs now have an indicator. If Jack lurks or sneaks somewhere nearby an NPC, the NPC gets suspicious. Thus, if the question mark above an NPC becomes red, it is time to fight or skedaddle.
We have another surprise for those who like to play as a thief. Pickpocketing. Master this craft to steal random loot from NPCs or to plant anything into their pockets. It is also the very first iteration and is not much useful in quests yet but we are definitely going to expand it by developing a crime system.
Of course, you need a teacher to learn something like this. Look for an abori in the Scalphunters camp named Short Fused. There’s a chance he will agree to teach ‘stupid huma’ his craft. Watch your pockets, though.
Another thing to mention is upcoming gameplay changes. We do understand that gameplay-wise Exoplanet could use an upgrade, and it is our top priority for the beginning of the next year. Particularly, melee combat and gunplay.
And the very first gameplay change is a small tweak for Jack. When the guy is out of stamina, he staggers and slows down in order to catch his breath. Not much for a Christmas gift but it is a harsh world after all. Deal with it, Jacky.
NPCs received a better present—speech bubbles to share their piece of mind. These bubbles are usually a reaction to events around them, to Jack himself and his success and failures.
LEVEL DESIGN
We have completely reworked the very beginning of the game. Jack still wakes up in the desert but the desert has changed. We have also improved the tutorial, so there are gameplay changes as well. The idea behind this change is to improve user experience, to give the player a direction and to show some basic mechanics.
This is work in progress, so we really need your feedback. Any comments are welcome.
QUESTS
There are two more quests for Jack. The very first one, Survival for Dummies, is connected with the new beginning. The next one, Dust Devils, can be found while exploring the world, so make sure you won’t miss it.
VISUALS AND SOUND
We’ve made a great deal of visual and sound improvements for this update. They are mostly cosmetic but it is still worth mentioning. We’ve also fixed some animations and assets, and replaced some old sounds with the new ones.
FUTURE UPDATES
While we are releasing updates for The Edge, there is another work in progress. We have been developing the new big location with the town for quite some time now. We will share more information about it later, so it is better to join our Discord if you want to see more sneak peeks in the new year.
NEW WEBSITE AND FORUM
Last but definitely not the least.
We just launched the official Exoplanet website with a forum. They are available at exoplanetgame.com and forum.exoplanetgame.com.
So far, our website is mostly a landing page with some interesting stuff and a news feed but we are going to expand it a bit later, once we have all the planned mechanics in-game. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive important updates about the game, and sign-up to our forum to ask us anything or to share your gaming experience. Keep in mind, there’s a chance the mail will end up in spam folder, we are doing our best to fix it.
That’s all for now.
I believe we all deserve a break to spend some time with our folks. And we wish you the same thing. Enjoy your holidays, have a great time with your close ones and be happy.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Alersteam and personally from Jack Sharp.
