Update notes for 29th November 2023

Hi everyone,

Liberation is not just a game that looks retro, I also want to provide an authentic retro gaming experience. There's a lot of interpretation in that goal. I'm not necessarily here to recreate old gaming mechanics exactly, rather I want to capture the *feel* of playing an early generation space sim. To me that means a sense of wonder, a sense of entertainment, a sense of freedom with not much hand-holding.

At launch, Liberation used a flight scheme similar to the original Elite from 1984. To fly you pitch up and down and rotate your ship. There is no turning (fancy name: yaw). I love that control scheme -- it feels so floaty to me, there is no up or down and space battles become these wonderful swooping and rolling affairs.

However, based on feedback I have decided to use a more modern flight scheme for Liberation. Here's why:

1. The old scheme does not suit gamepads and that is half of the players

2. Players today expect to be able to turn their ship (fair enough!)

3. I didn't implement the original scheme so perfect that it would kill me to change it

So this release is ALL ABOUT replacing and tightening up the flight controls (but a few bonus features slipped in too). The major changes are:

• New flight model adds turning/yaw

• New weapon system for improved auto tracking and accuracy

• Improved gamepad support (on-screen icons, more gamepad types supported)

• Incoming communications now pause the game

I can never promise new features or anything but my priorities in the near future are mouse support, mission balance updates, and some juicy quality of life improvements (eg highlight which jumpgate is best for the current mission).

Your support makes it happen!

Regards, Luke

Add

• AddedNew flight modelAdded yaw (turning) to ship control
• AddedNew flight modelNew float model (responsiveness generally up)
• AdjustedNew flight modelPrecision effect reworked

• New laser model: Single laser with two beams replaced with two lasers.

• New laser model: Laser gimbal is radial instead of pitch/yaw

• AdjustedNew laser modelLaser has improved collision with targets

• Add arrow icon on HUD to track target, keep on screen

• Rotate arrow icon to point at target

• Pause game when comms or other system tabs are open

• Make docking computer swivel player towards target even if docking denied. This opens up a new tactic during battle

• add remap support for more joystick buttons (test support with sidewinder precision 2)

• Show dpad icons on HUD next to system/weapon rows when gamepad detected

• Auto change the on screen button text if device changes

• Add icons for playstation controllers

• Add icons for xbox controllers

• Add gamepad icon to Target HUD

• Add gamepad icon for Launch in prologue

• Add gamepad icon on comms advance

• Add gamepad speed up and speed down icons to HUD

• Empty comms shows "no messages"

• List attached gamepads on remap screen

• Add support for Microsoft Sidewinder gamepads

• Add support for PS gamepads

• Add support for X360 gamepads

• Add tab key to cycle through Target HUD

Change

• Relax cargo rules on mining station mission

• Auto target only when target is in cross hairs

• Replace targeting gimbal with radial and made it larger

• Improve laser gimbal accuracy, especially on low performance machines

• Improve accuracy or enemy fighters

• Make weapon system buttons loop left on HUD

• Ignore function keys (eg volume) on title screen

• Update to Godot 4.2rc2

• Stop gamepads triggering boost and other systems when in prologue

• Make comms close button grab focus when comms empty

• Update keyboard manual entry to reflect new flight model

• Match gamepad and keyboard invert pitch

• Make limpet mines not do damage in story mode

• Stop embarking losing focus for gamepad on market

• Stop upgrade button losing focus for gamepad on market

Fix

• Fix to disembarking passengers and cargo when there are other passengers and cargo

• Fix to encrypted package mission is done in different order

• Stop laser SFX immediately when ship destroyed

• Stop bug where toggling scaling (in fullscreen?) causes resolution to go 2x2 pixels

• Stop toggling retro scaling causing crash on mac

• Fix R/RS gamepad not displaying on remapping screen