Posted July 01, 2020
high rated
Woohoo, 100 builds and counting!
So before I cover the good stuff, I continued my quest to improve ship AI flight and pathfinding at high speeds. I made a number of tweaks and adjustments to the ships code and things are shaping up.
I also added persisting crates, which now will remain in a sector even if you leave. This will NOT effect mission crates, as their persistence is handled differently.
I have also revamped the small buttons that live next to the module HUD. they are no longer attached to the side, and can now be revealed by moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen. This will trigger them to slide up, showing a number of new buttons that allow access to the main 6 panels. I will continue to play with this, and possibly allow you to setup the quickbar with the buttons you want to have shown.
A few more campaign map tweaks, and a few texture revamps for a number of the rock props.
Now for the good stuff, a new exploration mechanic called Wormholes. Here is the in game document that will explain everything that needs explained. I hope you guys enjoy it :)
Wormhole Introduction
Wormholes are a rare anomaly in the Astrox Universe. They are natural warp gates to unseen sectors not shown on the map until explored. Wormholes use natural cosmic energy to warp a ship from one end of the wormhole to the other. The energy involved can take time to store up in the wormhole. When the wormhole is used, energy is used as well. This can cause the wormhole to become unstable and eventually collapse it entirely.
It is currently unknown what causes wormholes to generate, but we do know it has something to do with concentrated energy. Wormholes have a small gravitational pull, and often collect trash and debris from the sector. In some cases, the items can be extremely valuable.
Wormholes can be some of the most dangerous places in the universe. Hostile environments and extremely low security can prove deadly for even the most seasoned pilots. Aside from the natural dangers, raiders like to remain hidden and thus use wormholes as a place to hide their criminal activities. Bliss production often takes place in these wormholes, and the raiders will defend their operations to the death.
Finding a Wormhole
Finding wormholes can be tricky, since they do not spawn very often. When they do, it is hard to know where they are. You cannot see them very well with the naked eye, but using some specialized equipment will help you locate their position. The Active Scanner will report if a Sector has Wormhole energy nearby. This report will also provide the signal strength and allow you to calculate the relative distance from your ship. Using this method will allow you to hone in on the signal, and eventually reveal the wormhole once you get within 500 meters.
The Wormhole Lifespan
The lifespan of a wormhole can vary, and it is not known what causes the wormholes to collect and store energy, but this energy is what transport the ship from one end to the other. With every use of the wormhole, it will degrade. Once the energy of the wormhole has been depleted, it will collapse, and you will not be able to use the wormhole until it recharges. It is not currently known what causes the wormholes to recharge naturally.
The other side
The sector area that a wormhole will transport you to will remain accessible even if the wormhole itself has collapsed. Warp drive systems are still a viable way to travel to a wormhole sector, but they can be a nightmare if you find yourself without enough fuel to get back. This may require that you harvest a star for fuel, so it is highly recommended that you always carry a harvesting beam with you when warp driving to a wormhole. The wormhole sectors usually have more jumps available at the exit gate, than the wormhole entrance.
Stabilizing the Wormhole
There are two different ways that you can keep a wormhole open and usable. The first way is to construct an energy generator near the wormhole gate. This will provide a source of energy to the wormhole and will constantly recharge the energy it uses to warp your ship. This will keep the wormhole open, however the number of consecutive uses is still limited. You will need to wait for the wormhole to recharge.
The second way to stabilize a wormhole is to construct a warpgate on top of it. Once a warpgate harness has been assembled around an entrance or exit, with a Energy Generator in range, the wormhole will transform into a warpgate, and no longer require an energy recharge for usage. If the warpgate is destroyed, the wormhole will collapse and the gate will no longer exist.
Wormhole Goodies
Some wormholes have a stronger gravitational pull than others. These tend to collect crates from nearby battles and these crates can often contain valuable items. The crates will be scattered amongst the other garbage collected by the wormhole, so it may take some looking to find them. Unlike normal crates, wormhole crates begin deteriorating even before they are unsealed for the first time. It is speculated that the warp process causes enough damage to break the seal in transit, as crates are not designed for traveling at worm speeds. Collect the crates before they expire, and their items are lost forever.
Wormholes and Raiders
It is not uncommon for Raiders to use the wormhole sectors as safe havens for their criminal activities. In many cases, the Raiders will set traps for unsuspecting wormhole explorers looking for easy profits from the mineral rich asteroids. These raider groups will hide cloaked in the asteroid fields and wait until you are mining before ambushing their unsuspecting victims. Always be prepared for combat when exploring wormholes, or you may find yourself caught off guard.
On rare occasions, Raiders will establish a hideout or headquarters inside a wormhole sector. If this is the case, you will know right away how dangerous the sector is. Raiders will be swarming around a centralized structure that usually houses the manufacturing of illegal Bliss. They will fight to the death to defend their operations, so tread lightly in these wormhole sectors.
Wormhole Paradise
Although very rare, wormhole sectors can be quite pleasant from time to time. Moderate environments, resource rich, and not a single Raider in sight. These wormhole sectors make for great mining operations, or even a full scale base with dozens of structures.
BUILD 0.0100
- Fixed market bug with price flux and market multi sell panel.
- Fixed bad ship filenames from modded games causing error on shipyard panel.
- Fixed a couple ship description spelling errors.
- Fixed autopilot slow down issue thanx to Amphos.
- Fixed MPS readout to match actual speed with new AUTOPILOT speed changes.
- Fixed billboard station background textures in all station interiors.
- Fixed ship color bug when saving in tactical.
- Fixed BACK bug in merc tutorial at end of lesson.
- Adjusted autopilot speed thrust base levels for engines.
- Adjusted autopilot AI for better afterburner pathfinding.
- Adjusted sandbox skill distribution no longer locked to sector level.
- Adjusted sandbox skill generation to prevent missing skills.
- Adjusted text size on the death panel descriptions.
- Adjusted campaign map 58 (Lins).
- Adjusted campaign map 59 (Coralor).
- Adjusted campaign map 62 (Jelumus).
- Adjusted campaign map 63 (Numbu).
- Adjusted campaign map 11 (Chamo).
- Adjusted a few ship stats on various ships.
- Adjusted nearby structures to agro when adjacent structure is attacked.
- Adjusted raider structures to prevent docking.
- Adjusted a number of prop textures and lighting.
- Added dynamic wormholes map generation.
- Added wormhole generation to the event generator.
- Added 2 wormhole events to the background events file.
- Added WORLD_OPTIONS_wormhole_chance to player_options.txt
- Added wormhole jump counter to othe target hud UI.
- Added wormhole collapse when jump energy is depleated.
- Added wormhole energy collection and recharge over time.
- Added persistent crate data for sector maps.
- Added wormhole mode for (loot hunt).
- Added wormhole mode for (raider ambush).
- Added wormhole mode for (oasis).
- Added wormhole mode for (hideout).
- Added Active scanner now detects wormholes with distance report.
- Added Active scanner fucntion to reveal wormholes when less than 500 meters.
- Added a number of UI sound effects to buttons and mouse overs.
- Added new slide-in quick bar panel below modules when mouse is over ship modules.
- Added main panel buttons to slide-in quick bar.
- Added new wormhole tutorial to starting stations.
- Added new wormhole document for pilots journal when tutorial complete.
- Tweaked 4 little things.
So before I cover the good stuff, I continued my quest to improve ship AI flight and pathfinding at high speeds. I made a number of tweaks and adjustments to the ships code and things are shaping up.
I also added persisting crates, which now will remain in a sector even if you leave. This will NOT effect mission crates, as their persistence is handled differently.
I have also revamped the small buttons that live next to the module HUD. they are no longer attached to the side, and can now be revealed by moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen. This will trigger them to slide up, showing a number of new buttons that allow access to the main 6 panels. I will continue to play with this, and possibly allow you to setup the quickbar with the buttons you want to have shown.
A few more campaign map tweaks, and a few texture revamps for a number of the rock props.
Now for the good stuff, a new exploration mechanic called Wormholes. Here is the in game document that will explain everything that needs explained. I hope you guys enjoy it :)
Wormhole Introduction
Wormholes are a rare anomaly in the Astrox Universe. They are natural warp gates to unseen sectors not shown on the map until explored. Wormholes use natural cosmic energy to warp a ship from one end of the wormhole to the other. The energy involved can take time to store up in the wormhole. When the wormhole is used, energy is used as well. This can cause the wormhole to become unstable and eventually collapse it entirely.
It is currently unknown what causes wormholes to generate, but we do know it has something to do with concentrated energy. Wormholes have a small gravitational pull, and often collect trash and debris from the sector. In some cases, the items can be extremely valuable.
Wormholes can be some of the most dangerous places in the universe. Hostile environments and extremely low security can prove deadly for even the most seasoned pilots. Aside from the natural dangers, raiders like to remain hidden and thus use wormholes as a place to hide their criminal activities. Bliss production often takes place in these wormholes, and the raiders will defend their operations to the death.
Finding a Wormhole
Finding wormholes can be tricky, since they do not spawn very often. When they do, it is hard to know where they are. You cannot see them very well with the naked eye, but using some specialized equipment will help you locate their position. The Active Scanner will report if a Sector has Wormhole energy nearby. This report will also provide the signal strength and allow you to calculate the relative distance from your ship. Using this method will allow you to hone in on the signal, and eventually reveal the wormhole once you get within 500 meters.
The Wormhole Lifespan
The lifespan of a wormhole can vary, and it is not known what causes the wormholes to collect and store energy, but this energy is what transport the ship from one end to the other. With every use of the wormhole, it will degrade. Once the energy of the wormhole has been depleted, it will collapse, and you will not be able to use the wormhole until it recharges. It is not currently known what causes the wormholes to recharge naturally.
The other side
The sector area that a wormhole will transport you to will remain accessible even if the wormhole itself has collapsed. Warp drive systems are still a viable way to travel to a wormhole sector, but they can be a nightmare if you find yourself without enough fuel to get back. This may require that you harvest a star for fuel, so it is highly recommended that you always carry a harvesting beam with you when warp driving to a wormhole. The wormhole sectors usually have more jumps available at the exit gate, than the wormhole entrance.
Stabilizing the Wormhole
There are two different ways that you can keep a wormhole open and usable. The first way is to construct an energy generator near the wormhole gate. This will provide a source of energy to the wormhole and will constantly recharge the energy it uses to warp your ship. This will keep the wormhole open, however the number of consecutive uses is still limited. You will need to wait for the wormhole to recharge.
The second way to stabilize a wormhole is to construct a warpgate on top of it. Once a warpgate harness has been assembled around an entrance or exit, with a Energy Generator in range, the wormhole will transform into a warpgate, and no longer require an energy recharge for usage. If the warpgate is destroyed, the wormhole will collapse and the gate will no longer exist.
Wormhole Goodies
Some wormholes have a stronger gravitational pull than others. These tend to collect crates from nearby battles and these crates can often contain valuable items. The crates will be scattered amongst the other garbage collected by the wormhole, so it may take some looking to find them. Unlike normal crates, wormhole crates begin deteriorating even before they are unsealed for the first time. It is speculated that the warp process causes enough damage to break the seal in transit, as crates are not designed for traveling at worm speeds. Collect the crates before they expire, and their items are lost forever.
Wormholes and Raiders
It is not uncommon for Raiders to use the wormhole sectors as safe havens for their criminal activities. In many cases, the Raiders will set traps for unsuspecting wormhole explorers looking for easy profits from the mineral rich asteroids. These raider groups will hide cloaked in the asteroid fields and wait until you are mining before ambushing their unsuspecting victims. Always be prepared for combat when exploring wormholes, or you may find yourself caught off guard.
On rare occasions, Raiders will establish a hideout or headquarters inside a wormhole sector. If this is the case, you will know right away how dangerous the sector is. Raiders will be swarming around a centralized structure that usually houses the manufacturing of illegal Bliss. They will fight to the death to defend their operations, so tread lightly in these wormhole sectors.
Wormhole Paradise
Although very rare, wormhole sectors can be quite pleasant from time to time. Moderate environments, resource rich, and not a single Raider in sight. These wormhole sectors make for great mining operations, or even a full scale base with dozens of structures.
BUILD 0.0100
- Fixed market bug with price flux and market multi sell panel.
- Fixed bad ship filenames from modded games causing error on shipyard panel.
- Fixed a couple ship description spelling errors.
- Fixed autopilot slow down issue thanx to Amphos.
- Fixed MPS readout to match actual speed with new AUTOPILOT speed changes.
- Fixed billboard station background textures in all station interiors.
- Fixed ship color bug when saving in tactical.
- Fixed BACK bug in merc tutorial at end of lesson.
- Adjusted autopilot speed thrust base levels for engines.
- Adjusted autopilot AI for better afterburner pathfinding.
- Adjusted sandbox skill distribution no longer locked to sector level.
- Adjusted sandbox skill generation to prevent missing skills.
- Adjusted text size on the death panel descriptions.
- Adjusted campaign map 58 (Lins).
- Adjusted campaign map 59 (Coralor).
- Adjusted campaign map 62 (Jelumus).
- Adjusted campaign map 63 (Numbu).
- Adjusted campaign map 11 (Chamo).
- Adjusted a few ship stats on various ships.
- Adjusted nearby structures to agro when adjacent structure is attacked.
- Adjusted raider structures to prevent docking.
- Adjusted a number of prop textures and lighting.
- Added dynamic wormholes map generation.
- Added wormhole generation to the event generator.
- Added 2 wormhole events to the background events file.
- Added WORLD_OPTIONS_wormhole_chance to player_options.txt
- Added wormhole jump counter to othe target hud UI.
- Added wormhole collapse when jump energy is depleated.
- Added wormhole energy collection and recharge over time.
- Added persistent crate data for sector maps.
- Added wormhole mode for (loot hunt).
- Added wormhole mode for (raider ambush).
- Added wormhole mode for (oasis).
- Added wormhole mode for (hideout).
- Added Active scanner now detects wormholes with distance report.
- Added Active scanner fucntion to reveal wormholes when less than 500 meters.
- Added a number of UI sound effects to buttons and mouse overs.
- Added new slide-in quick bar panel below modules when mouse is over ship modules.
- Added main panel buttons to slide-in quick bar.
- Added new wormhole tutorial to starting stations.
- Added new wormhole document for pilots journal when tutorial complete.
- Tweaked 4 little things.
