Post-Next Fest Version: Future Improvements and Optimization Direction

We are the development team behind Nova Era: Atom.

Thank you all so much for participating in the Nova Era Atom Steam Next Fest demo, and for providing us with an incredible amount of feedback and warm wishes. We have compiled the most frequently discussed and highly anticipated topics from the current version to share our upcoming development roadmap with you.

1. Light Cruiser Controls

The ships available in the current demo are all Light Cruisers. We will be iterating and polishing Light Cruiser controls at a much deeper level, with the goal of delivering a top-tier ship handling and shooting experience.

In the next version, we plan to equip Light Cruisers with a much smoother handling experience, offering faster responsiveness for basic maneuverability like acceleration and turn-aiming. At the same time, we will be unlocking the Y-axis (which was locked in the current demo) to offer players a more dimensionally rich, 3D space. We will also improve the visual representation of ship maneuverability during high-speed movement, as well as hit feedback for weapons and skills.

The following areas will also be improved:

• Chassis Redesign Based on Class Roles: Ship chassis will be redesigned around their specific class identities to better fit their skill sets and basic handling feel. (e.g., Assault-class chassis will feel heavier and sturdier, with slower turning and acceleration compared to Recon ships, but players can compensate for this lower mobility by equipping other component advantages).

• AddedKey Rebinding for Major FunctionsNew keymapping support will be added, making it easier for players to customize their controls.

• Ship & Camera Zoom Functionality: Players will be able to adjust the distance between the ship and the camera using the mouse scroll wheel, providing optimal visibility and catering to different visual preferences.

• FOV Adjustments During Displacements: We are tuning the Field of View (FOV) behavior during ship displacements to deliver a stronger, optimal sense of speed.

• Enhanced Visuals for Skills: We will improve the animations and special effects for the "Blink" and "Barrel Roll" skills.

1. UI Iteration

In the next version, we will iterate on various UI elements of the main interface based on the core systems of the current build. Our priority is to maximize practicality while consistently deepening sci-fi immersion.

Optimization will focus on the following features:

• Skill Bar & Status Bar Integration: In the next version, we will merge the current skill bar and status bar. This allows players to track their ship’s shields, armor (HP), energy, and skill cooldowns at a single glance.

• Crosshair & Basic Attack HUD Merge: The basic attack status indicator will be integrated directly into the aiming crosshair, allowing players to intuitively monitor weapon overheating and cooldown cycles.

• Tactical Minimap Visual Overhaul: The tactical minimap in the bottom right corner will receive a functional and visual upgrade. This will allow players to clearly identify their surroundings and analyze the current environment via scanning mechanics.

1. Energy-Based Ships

In the next build, we will introduce a brand-new attack class. While the ships in the current version primarily deal kinetic damage using projectiles and missiles, the next version will debut Energy-Damage Ships. The attacks and utility skills of this ship class will revolve around energy amplification.

Please Note: The optimizations and improvements mentioned above will not be deployed as a patch immediately following this Next Fest. Instead, we will release an overhauled version featuring these improvements in the near future.

Once again, thank you to every player for your feedback and support during this Next Fest. Your input is an invaluable treasure to us, and we are carefully organizing and analyzing every single piece of feedback. We will do our absolute best to ensure the aforementioned improvements are fully realized in the next playtest version.

We will continue to sync our development progress with you via our official website and community channels. Stay tuned!