Devlog #37 | A First Look At The Character Exoskeleton

Welcome Defenders

February has been a month of major refinements, fixes, and experimentation as we continue to evolve Hostile Mars. From pathfinding improvements and turret firepower to spawn system balancing and trap adjustments, we’ve been hard at work making the game feel even better. Let’s dive into what’s new!

Size Matters – Large Enemies & Movement Improvements

Bigger enemies bring bigger problems, and we’re working to make sure they navigate and behave properly in your mazes. Turns out, size definitely matters when it comes to AI movement!

Bottleneck Detection Fixes – The system that detects stuck bots wasn’t sensitive enough to larger enemies. Previously, it only triggered when 30+ bots were jammed in one spot—not very useful when a single Foreman takes up the space of several smaller bots. Now, it properly registers when big enemies are causing blockages. Improved Terrain Adaptation – Larger bots now better conform to uneven terrain and navigate ramps properly by dynamically adjusting their movement based on ground surface data. No more awkward floating or jittering! More to Come – This is still a work in progress, and we want large enemies to feel fully integrated with the game’s physics. Expect more refinements soon!

Pathfinding Challenges & Improvements

Normally, we avoid updating third-party packages unless absolutely necessary. Keeping up with API changes and unexpected bugs can be a nightmare. However, the pathfinding package we use has received several major improvements, including performance boosts and fixes for errors we've been encountering.

At first, updating seemed like a smooth process—until ramps suddenly started blocking navigation at random. This unexpected issue has been holding up progress, but we’re in direct contact with the package’s developer to get it resolved. One big benefit of updating is that we now have official support for these types of problems, so once this hurdle is cleared, we should see smoother, smarter pathfinding across the board.

Refining the Spawn System – Organic Growth & Factory Gameplay

We’ve been playtesting extensively to fine-tune how enemy spawn points work together—and the results have been incredibly promising.

🔹 Each spawn point now focuses on a single enemy type and increases its spawn rate over five waves. Once it reaches max spawn rate, a new spawn point opens up. 🔹 After 10 unbroken waves, players can upgrade a spawn point, increasing the enemy rank in exchange for higher resource yields—at the cost of stronger and faster bots. 🔹 The system never feels overwhelming since the focus is on dealing with the latest spawn point before worrying about how they integrate together.

This mechanic ties in perfectly with the factory vision of Hostile Mars. Think of each spawn point like a resource node—your job is to figure out the most effective way to destroy enemies, harvest resources, and optimize production. As complexity ramps up over time, logistics will become a key part of progression, ensuring players are constantly engaged but never overloaded.

Turrets: More Barrels, More Firepower

Who doesn’t love absurd amounts of firepower? We’ve been pushing turret systems to support massive amounts of barrels, and while it’s still a work in progress, here’s how it currently functions:

Each additional barrel speeds up the turret’s fire rate. For example, a turret with 1 barrel fires 1 shot per second, while 4 barrels fire 4 shots per second. At higher barrel counts (100+), firing one at a time becomes less interesting, so we’re experimenting with clustered shots, where multiple barrels fire together—think mega chain gun levels of destruction. We’re still refining how best to balance extreme turret builds, but one thing’s for sure: turrets are getting deadlier than ever.

Other Fixes & Additions

February has also been full of smaller but important improvements, including:

✅ The Magnet Trap is back in the build! Bots beware. ✅ Refined trap & turret stats – Adjusted cooldowns, activation times, trigger colliders, damage, fire rates, and status effects. ✅ FINALLY fixed the mouse sensitivity reset bug – Seriously, how did you all play with this issue for so long? Sorry about that! ✅ Bullet Wall Optimization – Now only fires if at least one shot will hit an enemy—no more wasted ammo.

Concept Art – Player & Exoskeleton Gear

This month, our concept art explorations have been all about designing the player and their exoskeleton gear. Since Hostile Mars is all about automation, combat, and survival, we want the player’s design to reflect their role as both a defender and a high-tech engineer. The following are very early concept sketches and explorations. WIP!

We’ve been experimenting with different armor styles, modular attachments, and utility-focused designs that allow for both heavy firepower and efficient resource management. The exoskeleton isn’t just for looks—it will play a key role in movement, upgrades, and overall survivability.

Check out some of the latest sketches and let us know what you think! 🚀🔧

Looking Ahead

As we continue refining gameplay, we’re getting closer and closer to a fully realized combat & automation experience. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping Hostile Mars, and we can’t wait to show you what’s next!

Let us know your thoughts in the Discord, and stay tuned for more updates.

🔗 Join the community: https://discord.gg/Xd88eF8Teg

See you on Mars, The Hostile Mars Team 🚀