Greetings Pioneers!

The new icons to display interactive elements in the world have been getting implemented this week, these will assist players in determining the items can be picked up, the doors that can be opened and the buttons that can be pressed. The grenade and the spear have been making their way from the prototype stage to the new Weapon classes, these are set up in a more modular way will allow us to put together new weapons faster. Also this week, new spawners and animations for emerging enemies are being handed over to designers for placement in the world.

Here’s what we’ve been up to in more detail:

John – Lead Designer

This week I wanted to take the opportunity to address a few questions that have been raised in the forums, specifically surrounding when the next update will drop and if these updates are even real…

So! Firstly, I want to apologise for any confusion on this – to be clear – around 12 months ago we started collating feedback from the community and began a huge system overhaul in an attempt to nail down the actual story elements into the game world. The feedback on how we release this was to get it right prior to releasing, so we’re trying to do that. In doing this, we didn’t want to find ourselves needing to financially abandon the game at any point, because we believe in it and in you, the community that have supported it to date. But in order to fund Eden Star, Flix support development on a number of AAA titles (which is also an amazing way to collaborate with some incredible teams such as Sumo Digital). This means that we can implement YOUR ideas and feedback without pressure, like bringing back the different material types, adding more layers of build and crafting progression, adding context, story and reason to the world (which is a challenge in both single and multiplayer…), plus more content etc.

For anyone reading this now; Please only purchase the game if you believe that it’s the game that you want to buy at the time of purchase (see the blurb on the store page) – or wait until the next release is out! In the blogs we are clear that they are development updates for those who want to hear about the game and share this experience with us. They are not intended as bait-to-buy or anything else – doing so would only harm the team and the project and the community (whom we have a massive appreciation for!).

Please know that we are massively appreciative of your support. We are trying to make a game that you and we will be happy with which really does take time. Especially if you’re not always working on it full time.

Finally – we’re not currently working on Eden Star as our sole focus because we want to push the game with our vision before we ever consider taking it to a funding partner who will then potentially want to change the game to incorporate their ideas. The further along we are, the more of our (your) ideas get into the project.

Hope that helps understand it a little better 🙂

Thanks again for your support!

Matt – Art Director

Churning through the final stages of unwraps for the assets in the drop pod. Including the pioneer chambers and the airlock surround with its doors. Once these pieces are fully textured in all their glory it should help unify the interior.

Lee – Technical Director

Refinements to the AI have been the focus of this week along with fixing a couple of issues were having with the spawning of creatures. One of the problems we have is spawning creatures too early before the navmesh has been generated correctly

Tristan – Lead Developer

This week I have been looking at more melee tweaks and bug fixes to cater for other types of melee weapons in the world. I have also been helping out with some item interaction logic to make sure its efficient but still gives the player the level of interaction they would like.

Ricky – Senior Developer

Getting some of our weapons systems modular to more easily implement new weapon types and I’ve got good progress with the Grenades and Spear weapons which can both be thrown while still allowing the spear to be used for melee combat. This also has touched upon the new Fuel system in which any item or action can use a new more universal resource type, so I’ve been laying the groundwork for that as I go.

Joe – Lead Artist

Working with James and Will to get the new Wreckage set setup and ready for level designers to use. I also added some visuals in preparation for new HUD elements such as the “Hold to interact” version of the Interaction Markers and the new Status Update notifications.

Tom W – Environment Artist

Been a bit sick this week :(, but outside of that have made lots more progress with our beautiful environment and one of the camps near the initial drop-pod.

Volumetric lighting and fog have been turned up to eleven, which really help that sandy, deserty feeling that we’re going for, as well as the more murky indoor areas like the Dam.

OG Tom W – Designer

This week I have been Implementing more destructibles in the existing world bases so we can now mine pipes, insulation, wiring and railings in the bases. I have also been revisiting our item crates and making them a little more explodey so you can easily access the items once you’ve destroyed the crate. This is currently a WIP and we’re hoping to have different types of crates the will react if different ways.

Sam – Concept Artist

I’ve been doing more work towards each of the separate items found in the shelter interior. We now have designs for the defibrillator, rebreather and basic breakable crates. Alongside these “general use” crates, we will also be adding military and ammunition versions, both of which will also be breakable with items such as the axe or spear, yielding in-game collectibles.

Lauren – Lead Animator

I have been finishing up the new spawners, getting variation animations for different AI and fixing them up for multiplayer. The stalkers have been the main focus this week with creating jump-down animations and spline following states, I have also been making animations for variant Splintermite appearances.

Along with the spawners I have also been putting a revised design together for the reactions of AI based on different force thresholds.

Andy – Lead QA

This week Jamie and myself have been looking into issues with certain AI not taking damage in multiplayer. From there I have been investigating similar issues within single player.
I have also been following up with artists on their progress with the creation of new assets such as the final model for new AI and new buildable assets.

Tom H – Designer

This week I have been finishing up the terrain changes near the Transmitter and Silo entrances, making sure that the terrain is traversable and also navigatable for our AI, navmesh checks have been the priority this week for the terrain as well as some more changes to areas such as the main entrance to the Silo and the Transmitter itself.

As well as this I have been making some more changes to the main bridge to the Dam, as this serves one of the first encounters for new players we have to make sure it is interesting and balanced in gameplay. The great new changes to the AI spawners allow us to have much more diverse battles in key areas such as this.

See you in the fray!

-Team Flix