Whats next?

[Stellar Tactics]

NO ETA ON ANY OF THESE

[UPDATED 6/19/23]

I'll be focusing on these systems as I move to finalize the required features for Alpha.

Grouping these together so everyone knows what I'm working on. Some of these will be released before chapter 3:

• Chapter 3 - Includes "Azimuth" that can be used in space combat, expanded faction warfare system and FTL map events.
  
• Crew mission system. Send inactive crew members on missions for EXP, skill gain and rewards. These missions let you develop hired crew members that are otherwise falling behind your main crew.
  
• Stat allocation on crew members in ship station slots will affect space skills like PILOTING, WEAPONRY, ELECTRONICS and TARGETING.
  
• Devices for your ship that can apply various effects to enemy ships. These will be be augmented by the ELECTRONICS station "security" bonuses and "security" perks. Note that NPC's will also have access to these devices so, you may find your shields powered down, your ship engines malfunctioning, turrets brought offline and the inability to warp away from combat. NOTE: Only one device can be equipped at any one time in the HARDWARE MOUNT POINT of your ship. You will be able to swap devices in real time (or when paused) on cooldown.
  
• Patrolling enemies

Beyond that:

• A few additional devices that can be used in combat.
  
• Sneaking and trap system (This will come with story content)
  
• Quick itemization tuning pass

These items are done for now.

• Advanced game settings panel that will allow you to customize your sandbox experience.
  
• Changes to the mining system that will add additional detailed resource information and a more intricate mining experience.
  
• Pooled experience. Pooled experience will even out general experience gain between dedicated ground crew members so they level at an equivalent pace. General experience will be rewarded at the end of each combat session and the pooled total experience will be divided between each crew member regardless of KO. Skill gain will remain as it is now. I'll add a option to game settings that will allow you to use the original EXP system which requires additional micro-management.
  
• Experience gain when completing missions, incursions and exploration locations.
  
• Experience gain from space combat for crew members in ship station slots from space combat.
  
• Chapter 2 of the main story
  
• The introduction of "Azimuth" through the Chapter 2 content
  
• Updates to mission types including mining missions, capture and board missions, and a basic expansion of the existing mission system.
  
• Patrolling NPC's
  
• Changes to character creation that include allowing players to select a career path that sets your initial ship type.
  
• Ship class bonuses that provide bonuses to mining/trade, exploration, smuggling and combat.
  
• Chapter one of the main story
  
• 17 new enemy types for ruins and caves
  
• The Coven which includes the addition of Psionics to the game as part of Chapter 1
  
• New mission set for the Aznari. These locations can be discovered on various planets/systems in the universe.
  
• Ability to assign perks from the crew manager
  
• Special weapon attacks
  
• Overall tightening up of combat pace
  
• Repair system for both space and ground. The space repair system will allow you to assign crew members to ship repairs. You will of course still be able to pay for repairs on stations. This includes the re-implementation of ship equipment, and ground-based weapon and armor wear.
  
• Perks for crafting, repair and salvaging. Perks rewarded at earlier levels and more often.
  
• The boarding system - disable ships, board them, capture them and sell them.
  
• Addition of weapons for pugilism - specifically gloves that take mods and a few adjustments to damage
  
• Right click targeting menu for body target selection including a display for status effects and resists. The resist display will key off of your "perception" skill.
  
• Introduction of the Kchor and Fabricant mutations to the universe
  
• Implement new animations
  
• Crafting
  
• Smuggling
  
• Space trading - will be adding a few additional features for sorting
  
• Ground mining drone system
  
• Quick ground and space combat tuning pass
  
• Faction Agents will buy scan data
  
• Cargo transfer on stations
  
• Perks to level 100 - (combat, space, first aid, hacking)
  
• Add and remove mods from your equipment at any time.
  
• Open universe, FTL, tons of new content (in the upcoming patch)
  
• Assigned to animator - A second pass at a number of the combat animations that are long overdue. DONE: Need to be implemented in the game. Will come sometime in the near future
  
• Assigned to animator - Addition of a couple of new combat animations (specifically for pike/spear animations and special attacks) DONE: Need to be implemented in the game. Will come sometime in the near future
  
• Crew management system - the ability to add and dismiss crew members and perform other tasks. The current system is very basic and I had always planned to expand on it. Before opening the FTL gates, this needs to be improved on and refined.
  
• Food and drink - Currently team members auto-regenerate after combat. That will change when the food system goes in. I may tie this into the difficulty system or even make it an option that you can turn on or off. I realize some people do not like that level of micro-management. NOTE: Moving this out to Alpha - this sub-system really isn't required to get everyone out into the universe. Not gone, just being moved to a later stage of development.
  
• Adjustments to combat awareness in space - Gutter icons, directional indicators and video tutorials for space navigation and combat. NOTE: I'm taking a pass on gutter icons for now. Put them in the game and did a few tests, but they clutter up the screen too much. I'm may look into this again during Alpha or Beta.
  
• A radar-based mapping system for ground exploration.
  
• Revision of the current combat blocking system to provide better visibility and balance enemies vs player characters when moving in combat.
  
• A few new features for ground combat - Attacks of opportunity and defensive posture. I'll look at guard during alpha - need to move forward with work to open FTL gates.
  
• AI adjustments and fixes to enemy AI in combat

[Cablenexus]

Originally posted by The Epitaph:

Hey, I'm one of those silent fans who tries the game every now and then, giddy with anticipation for when it will release feature complete. However, here's a bit of feedback from myself.

I'd really appreciate it, if you could add a DLC on the lines of what "Thea: The Awakening" did. Meaning, some sort of "coffee" DLC or something you could buy repeatedly. See, now adays I tend to buy my games on GoG. But I do buy here from time to time aswell. This with the occasional dota-chest and tradeing usually makes it so, that I have excess steam-wallet-funds which I usually blow on more pointless dota-chests.
But if there would be a way to blow that otherwise useless steam-wallet-mulla on this game, I'd happily do that. I'd imagine I wouldn't be the only one, seeing the succes of it at Thea.

Anyhow, keep doing what you do. Can't wait to buy the game on GoG when it's finished. As I'm sure there's going to be a GoG-release of this masterpiece.

Good idea, I bought the coffee DLC for Kash (The Thea developer) a few times.
You know, you give coffee and they code and I can play ;-) I will contribute (If able) for this game as well. Much respect for smaller devs and companies that work for passion instead of cashgrab and this is one of the few I look at.

[[CoFR]Ottis Spunkmeyer]

Originally posted by Stellar Tactics:

Thank you Ghost of Machine - Sentinel Worlds and Starflight are certainly games I had in mind when I started Stellar Tactics. Sentinel Worlds was amazing at the time. I can still remember the music ;)

Well, that alone has me sold :)

[Order / BigBoxEnthusiast]

Originally posted by Stellar Tactics:

You are welcome UK_John - patches will likely slow down after this coming week as I focus on new content.

"new content" !!!! =D I would also highly advise a GOG release as soon as it's viable. Many consumers "only" use GOG, which could only benefit this title and development process.

[UK_John]

Originally posted by Stellar Tactics:

You are welcome UK_John - patches will likely slow down after this coming week as I focus on new content.

Take your time Don. We all know some updates are bound to take longer than others!

[Marco [LBTF]]

Hi, I didn'nt know where I could post it, I think it can be a good place...
I am very interested in this game but I would like to know what do you want to add finally? Will you implement a modding support (like steam workshop)? Multiplayer or cooperation support? ;)

[Stellar Tactics]

Hi Marco [LBTF] - Mod support will be limited to creating story missions. I'll provide an editor for that after the game is released. The editor will allow players to populate the universe with all kinds of story/mission content, though they will need to use existing content in the game - enemy types etc.

Multiplayer - Not ready to announce anything on that now ;)

You can see the road map here with the proposed features for each stage of development.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/465490/discussions/0/350532795334521117/

[Marco [LBTF]]

Thanks very much for your fast reply =) I didn't undestand the meaning of roadmap
That's nice, I thought it would be a possibility to mod the universe like adding aliens, factions, game mechanics...
I'm going to look carefully your other thread ;)

[BuffHamster]

Stellar !!, Good to see that you are still working on this, ... I tend to wander into other games from time to time, ... revisit older games like Anno 1701 and Anno 1404 (Dawn of Discovery in USA), ... Empire building, Survival-Crafting, Role Playing, they're all good, ... I think it's a touch of ADHD, yeah?

I suspect that the Space Combat and Galaxy Map are going to be BIG Feature addtions, hence all the time needed to get the mechanics working right, ... take your time and don't get pressured, it will be ready when it's ready, ...

ooo! shiney! [ Buff wanders off, ... ]

[76561198275966933]

i would ask if you are thinking about a better zoom in for a more immersive movement and combat. Thank you and go on.... this game will be among the bests! :)

[Bazza>XI<]

I have one question, which is, as much as i adore the missions, will we have to mine for months to afford a new ship, or are the guns and other hard point items for the ship around the same amount as the FTL drive?
Cos i do like to waste money on nades as its sooo much fun blowing up my melee member.

As ever, keep up the AMAZING work you are doing, and Merry Christmas...

[Stellar Tactics]

Thanks Bazza - things are fairly well balanced now. You can take incursion missions and earn really good money. Besides that you can mine for ore and do well too. So, two paths - take incursion missions and mining. Once you upgrade your ship from the starter ship, you can carry a lot more ore and the runs become very profitable.

Of course, for incursion missions, you are going to need to learn how to fight enemy ships. There is a learning curve, but if you follow a short check list, you should do really well with your starter ship which starts out with some nice equipment for space combat.

You will need to buy a mining laser to mine, however, they are not that expensive.

The patch also allows you to jettison cargo so you can focus with your small ship on the higher quality ore ;)

[Bazza>XI<]

Thats cool, thanks for the fast reply as usual :P
you are the best Dev out there.

[<3 UwU <3]

why cheat engine doesnt work ? ;(

[Stellar Tactics]

The game is not finished and every time I patch the game, the indexes to code offsets are modified and encrypted.

I'm not affiliated with cheat engine and they have not licensed the rights to modify the games code, saves or any other data. Cheat engine will break this game every time ;)

[SpockEndil]

I get the sense that this game is a labor of love for you, but I hope you make $millions on it anyway.