Update 0.9.9.0 - Upgrade to UE4.27, new Beltor fighter, new asteroids, and more

This update brings ASTROKILL into the modern age with the latest UE4 version (upgraded 4 versions from 4.23 to 4.27). An upgrade to UE5 will happen in the next major update! In the meantime, this update leverages the latest atmospheric lighting features from UE4 to add planetary atmospheres and improved stellar (literally) effects. I've replaced all asteroids and fragments in the game with higher resolution geometry and textures suitable for 4k gaming rigs. There's also a new heavy fighter that's playable in the Snare level. This fighter comes equipped with 3 turrets of a new variety. It has more of a Star Wars-y visual style compared to the other fighters. More fighters and frigates matching this style are coming (unless it's not well received).

The next update will take full advantage of the Chaos physics system, Lumen, and Nanite in UE5. With Nanite, I'll be able to eliminate most LODs. And, with Chaos, dynamic destruction of asteroids and ships will finally be possible. That means you'll be able to turn ships into a hundred bits of hot metal or carve out holes in asteroids with continuous gunfire. Cool stuff. Anyways, happy Easter!

Environments

• Nearby stars are now rendered using Unreal's atmospheric lighting system

• Added planetary atmospheres to nearby planets and moons (realistic, dynamic atmospheric lighting not seen before in AK)

• Planets now have more spherical geometry (higher resolution)

• Performed a lighting pass on all levels resulting in a generally brighter environment more suitable for space

• Replaced all asteroids and fragments with higher resolution geometry and textures

• Color-balanced all skyboxes to achieve a more space-y look (blacks are black and whites are white)

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Gameplay

• Added a new Beltor fighter (called the Goliath) that comes equipped with 3 new turrets

• Created a new double-barreled, fighter-mounted turret (internally named the Weasel)

• Changed the playable fighter in the Snare level to the Goliath

• Adjusted the placement of static asteroids in all levels

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Graphics & UI

• Brightened and adjusted HUD-colors to appear more emissive

• Shading-quality can now be adjusted from the graphics-menu

• Added a thin circle to the center of the reticle to assist with aiming

• Prograde and retrograde reticles are now smaller and no longer look like targeting reticles

• Reticles and billboards will now blend additively when they overlap and no longer fade in/out

• Missile-reticles are now thinner and smaller

• Motion-blur is now auto-disabled when the in-game menu is shown (prevents menu from smearing)

Controls

• Created a special actor to visually preview and debug joystick-mappings - features a crosshair mapped to pitch/yaw (should be centered in the circle), a 'thrust' bar mapped to forward/backward movement, a 'strafe' bar mapped to left/right movement, a 'lift' bar mapped to up/down movement, and finally a 'roll' bar mapped to the roll-axis

• Reduced adjustable deadzone-range to an overly large deadzone

Core

• Upgraded the Unreal engine from 4.23 to 4.27 (4 versions!)

• Reduced size of Windows build from 2.6GB to 1.8GB (almost a gig smaller for both Windows and Linux builds)

• Global post-processing is now easier to adjust on a per-level basis

• Cockpits are now auto-spawned without needing to be manually placed

• Improved and expanded upon the random-number library

• Eliminated many unnecessary BP-interfaces