August development highlights
Date
August 25, 2015
Views
158 Views
Reading Time
3 Mins Read
With having to split time between programming the game, creating the art assets and trying to get the game out there while juggling a family and a full time job, time is a rare commodity these days! To try and make more progress in the actual game, I’m starting a monthly column of development highlights, showcasing the new stuff that is making its way into the game. Requisition system Until now, the player was always given three gunships to assist him, which was extremely useful in the beginning of the game as it provided a way to even the odds against hostile fleets. However, as a game progressed, the allied ships would become less as less useful as the player began tackling harder factions, the little gunships finding themselves turned into space dust without really contributing anything to the battle. The new requisition system targets this issue. As the player is part of a greater Empire, he can now request that the Imperial Headquarters provides additional ships to his fleet. This bringing a kind of currency to the game, Requisition Units, which can be earned both by conquering sectors and by keeping them under Imperial control. No longer constrained to gunships, the player can now bring Imperial battlecruisers and battleships to his fleet. Missile interceptors In Tannhauser there are several kinds of weapons but of all of them, missiles in their many variants can be some of the most difficult to counter. Particularly as the size of ships grows larger and armour gets heavier, dodging out of the way of torpedoes becomes as difficult as negotiating the Greek bailout. To assist a Captain who finds himself on the wrong side of missile barrages, the new missile interceptor module has been added, which will attempt to shoot down nearby missiles as long as there is enough…
Gameplay video and hyperspace
Date
October 2, 2014
Views
153 Views
Reading Time
2 Mins Read
Hello and welcome to HEXTERMINATE’s third devlog. The last week has provided a big jump forward with the project. I’m now collaborating with kontinue for the game’s soundtrack and it is a very promising start which does make want to integrate FMOD right now so I can get these songs in. Do check his bandcamp and soundcloud. So, let us take a look at what’s new in-game… Hyperspace In the last week I’ve added a proper effect for visualisation for the hyperspace effect, which makes entering and leaving a normal sector much more interesting. It is particularly pleasant to see the hyperspace gate open when the player’s ship is being shot to pieces and desperately trying to fleet to safety. As it had been talked about in a previous devlog, the player is not the only one that makes use of hyperspace. While contesting a sector the galaxy does not stop dead in its tracks, so all the fleets in the galaxy keep doing what they were doing: contesting a sector of their own, travelling… or perhaps they’ll spot the player’s battle and decide to join in. This is something that works both ways, with both enemies and allies considering if this is a battle they have a stake on. This does add an extra layer to the game, as the player does should consider if a region of space is too “hot” to attack, as the risk of being caught off-guard by mid-fight reinforcements is quite real. This risk can be reduced by having a bridge with hyperspace sensors, which will provide an early warning. Further work Additionally, most items are now in-game and can be found as loot from the enemy ships. As expected, the quality of the loot is proportional to the kind of enemies the player is facing. It is…
Flagships and hardcore mode
Date
September 22, 2014
Views
155 Views
Reading Time
2 Mins Read
Hello and welcome to HEXTERMINATE’s second devlog. To start with, a quick update about the state of play: the game is coming together very well, with the save games now working and a considerable amount of modules now in-game. Having a blast playing it at the moment, now that there is a real progression in how powerful the player’s ship is and in retaking the galaxy. Today I’ll be taking a look at two important features, Flagships and the alternative Hardcore mode. Flagships Although the player will find himself knee-deep in hostiles, each faction that roams the galaxy has a fleet that contains a Flagship. Flagships are considerably more powerful than the regular ships of that faction, game changers that represent that faction’s technological pinnacle. Additionally, these ships have bridges with specialised equipment which increase the performance of their faction’s fleet, so taking these command and control ships out is extremely important. The player goes unprepared to a fight with the Marauder flagship. This does mean that need to be approached carefully and with a finger ready to hit the “Enter hyperspace” but the rewards are well worth it. Flagships drop high-end modules, with the flagships of the more advanced factions dropping the most advanced modules in the game, making them the perfect targets if you want to get those shiny Artefact / Legendary weapons… Hardcore mode Usually the destruction of the player ship is small setback – the player is respawned at his home sector’s shipyard. In hardcore mode, however, it is a different matter. Playing in hardcore mode provides a real challenge, where the ship’s destruction is final. The influx of adrenaline is that much greater, seeing that last engine explode, the hyperdrive charging and praying that it will get to those 100% and jump out before the…
A first look at HEXTERMINATE
Date
September 16, 2014
Views
143 Views
Reading Time
3 Mins Read
What is HEXTERMINATE? HEXTERMINATE is a top-down space shooter where the player creates and customises his own ship as he undergoes a quest of bringing back the Empire from the brink of destruction. Customisation plays an enormous part in how the player tackles this challenge and a live, breathing galaxy keeps changing even as the player is engaged in combat. This single-player game is currently under development for Windows and approaching the first Pre-Alpha. It also allows for players to mod the game to a certain degree by modifying XML files. Facing the Marauders. Customising ships The great strength of HEXTERMINATE’s customisation system is that it allows all kinds of ships to be created from various kinds of hexagonal modules. Armour, weapons, engines, etc, everything can be combined to allow the player to create the type of ship he wants. From fast, long range gunships to behemoths bristling with weapons, you can assemble them in any way you see fit – just keep in mind that modules can be individually destroyed, so a ship can be left stranded by having its engines or reactors blown up. Ships can be modified at an allied shipyard – usually an Imperial shipyard or one you have claimed from another faction, after destroying all hostile ships in that sector. Enemy shipyards, however, can be fairly well protected, making attacking such a sector a risky proposition. In this screenshot you can see an Imperial shipyard, guarded by two additional weapon platforms. An allied shipyard where the player can customise his ship. This one is guarded by two small defence platforms – they’ll be helpful if the shipyard is attacked but don’t count on them holding it on their own. Once the ship is docked, modules can be dragged and dropped from the player’s inventory. As…
