Demo Update 09/22/2025

This may be the largest demo update yet, so here goes.

Thruster control can now be bound to an axis. This was actually in the last update but missed the release notes. NOTE: Currently the axis works just like a button, the thrust is either on or off and the axis will NOT have fine control. This may change later but will require a rewrite of the thruster system. I wanted to at least get in for the players who have requested it.

Refactored the player bullet impact function when the projectile hits an enemy fighter specifically. The old system spawned the hit effect at the point of impact, but with the speed of combat the target had moved well clear of the impact zone which made the effect spawn far out behind it. The new system detects and relocates these hits to where they look more natural.

The key bind system now supports binding single modifier keys (shift, control, alt) independently or as a key combination.

The MP3 player is now available in the training range. It will ignore the “auto- start MP3 on mission load” option, but the pilot can choose to start the MP3 player manually once they formally enter the range.

The mission area for “Free Exchange” has had more world dressing around the space station.

I have made some graphical updates to the stations and world objects by adding a subtle metallic map to them. They only had albedo and normal textures before. This gives them a deeper color tone and a more appealing look without the normal shimmering edge effects like you get in most space games.

The enemy turret HUD overlays have new tech to determine if the turret is obscured. Turrets that are behind objects will be displayed as an icon with a line through it, showing that it is obscured from the direct sight of the player.

Reworked the in cockpit hit sound effects. They were a little flat before, but I feel these are better. I’m not 100% happy with them, but then again, sound is my Achilles heel.

A common ask among players is the addition of repair in the hanger bay. The main issue with this is that not all scenarios have a hangar bay. So, I’ve created a limited, one shot “nanite repair system” that the player can engage at any point in the mission after the first warning light is lit. It will take 15 seconds for the nanites to complete their limited repair, and the total repair percentage will be determined by the difficulty level set in the options menu. This system is meant to get you out of trouble, but it will not get you back to full HP. A new input bind for it has been added under the “MODES” section in the control’s menu.

The difficulty levels have been renamed to be easier to understand. It now uses the standard Hard, Normal, Medium and Easy nomenclatures. The description that shows at the bottom of the options page has also been updated to give the player a good indication of what changes in the game world as these levels change.

Cheers!