v0.3.0 weekly update - transportation, codex updates (Patreon)

Hello cadets!

We are making steady progress on the next update. To give you an idea of its scope, v0.2.5 had 18 tasks, v0.2.6 had 12 tasks. Thus far, v0.3.0 has a whopping 74 tasks!

As you know from previous updates, v0.3.0 will give you a lot more freedom as after orientation week the game switches to something more akin to an open world game. 

There is nothing worse than an open world where there is nothing to do. Therefore, to kickstart freeroam and ensure the world feels alive and exciting, we are adding at least 15 locations you can explore.

Adding this amount of content at once also means we need to be mindful of the potential for clutter and confusion. So how do we prevent this from turning into a disorganized mess?

Transportation

The first solution to keep things user friendly is through intuitive navigation. We want to make sure that the new locations and activities we introduce are easily found and enhance the overall gameplay experience rather than complexify it.

After some testing, we decided against using an overworld style 2D map, as it felt cluttered and was not ideal for mobile devices. Instead, we've opted for a more streamlined approach using traditional but intuitive button style navigation.

To keep things organized, we've created hub locations that provide access to specific districts. We plan to limit each district to a maximum of five options, which will be displayed as a top navigation bar, much like the current menu with the codex, inventory, and character status options.

The central hub location is the Transport Hub, which will allow you to travel between hubs such as the Academy and the City. This hub will also provide access to any future hubs we introduce.

Codex Updates

Another way we want to improve things is by making information easily available in the game. 

To do so, we're revamping the codex with tabs to add details about side characters, world lore, and gameplay mechanics.

In the above example, you can now find codex entries for the Alliance and the Caelorians under the Lore tab, which at first will provide you with basic information about these major factions, such as their history, beliefs, and goals. 

These entries can then be updated with new information you may come across in your playthrough.

Final word

As you can see there is a lot planned for this next version, but there is a lot more you haven't seen yet! Stay tuned :)

Have fun out there!