Hi guys, here's the latest news for Lunar Flights future updates!
- UPDATES
UPDATE #7 - Countermeasures - 7th May
It wouldn't be a fair fight if you couldn't defend yourself, Countermeasures have been added and are featured in this video.
Oculus Rift VR Update In other news I received my Oculus Rift devkit and after trying a Helicopter Demo with it I am really excited to get started on the integration following the mulitplayer release.
I plan to remodel the LM's cockpit to allow for a Virtual 3D cockpit to support the rift with all of the HUD and systems integrated into the model. This will make it possible to have support for Head Tracking with Track IR. The cockpit will be designed to suit the games needs rather than a strictly accurate model of the real LM's interior. It will be a centre aligned cockpit with a spherical canopy.
UPDATE #6 - Weapons Targeting System - 24th April
Here's a demo of the Weapons Targeting System implementation that was mentioned in the previous video.
UPDATE #5 - Latest Build Demo - 18th April
New video today! 13 minutes of footage of the latest multiplayer build and an explanation of how many of the new features work.
UPDATE #4 - Weapons Test Video - 12th April
A lot has been done and I'm getting closer to a release, my initial release date of February was terribly inaccurate as I underestimate the scope of work involved so I have just been focusing on getting it done when it's done however I am aiming for a release before the end of this month and I do feel that is achievable.
This new video is just a little teaser showing the missile pods launching, each missile fires individually and leaves it's pod bay. If you watch it on Youtube in HD 720p you can appreciate the details more.
The actual performance of the missiles velocity is some thing I need to experiment with yet as I don't want them to be too accurate such that if a target is moving perpendicular to you it should be able to out run it. I'm also thinking about being able to buy counter measures as action items. The plan for the targeting system is to first select a target using the navigation system which you can now use to select players. Then you need to be facing the target and be within range and hold for an acquiring time, maybe 3 seconds then you'll have a lock. The player being targeted will get a missile locking tone as well so they know someone is tracking them and to prepare to evade or drop countermeasures. Missiles will explode on proximity rather then direct hits as this will create varying amounts of damage so it will take a couple hits to take someone down. If you have some repair action items on board you can repair the damage.
UPDATE #3 - Weapons are coming as well!
These videos are a work in progress demonstration of the current progress made on the Multiplayer update.
UPDATE #2
UPDATE #1
Multiplayer (1.7)
I am currently working on version 1.7 which will be a significant update that will finally add Multiplayer. I have already made significant progress on it but still have some amount of work to go before it will be released, I am aiming for a late February release. Due to the fact that Lunar Flight was developed before adding Multiplayer some systems are having to be redesigned to support synchronization of their state between clients and the server.
I also want to look at adding some ‘Multiplayer’ specific game modes but have yet to decide what that will be. There will be a simple Free mode where multiple people can play in the same map and conduct missions independently. One mode I have been thinking about is a race to reach a set XP score within a certain amount of time, additional modes maybe added in future updates.
LAN and Online play will be supported, LAN mode will auto discover any servers on the local network. I am planning to have a Master Server listing to make it easier to find a server to play on. You can select which map to play on, add a password, add a region name, limit the number of players. The region name is an optional setting if you want to open your game to the public and improve the chances of getting people in your region to play. For example I would add ‘Australia’ and people browsing the server listing can see that my server is in Australia.
When you connect to a server you start off in a ‘Lobby’ view where you can see a list of available bases you can spawn at and chat with other players. (Voice chat is being considered also) If all 4 bases on a map are occupied, any other players waiting to spawn will have to wait until one is available. Like wise players wanting to land at an occupied base will have to land nearby and wait for the pad to be clear.
I will be contacting some people to offer the chance to test it for a closed Beta stage soon.
Difficulty Settings
I have been wanting to make the game more accessible and plan to introduce a set of Difficulty options. These settings will affect the rewards you receive when completing a Mission, having the Easy settings enabled will drastically reduce the mission rewards earned.
Unlimited Fuel
Indestructible
Auto Leveling
Accurate Landing
Miscellaneous Fixes and Polish
1.7 will also contain any bug fixes that have been reported and also a few little polish improvements.
Oculus Rift VR Support – April
I am a backer of the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality devkit and am expecting my devkit to arrive near the end of March. Unity is adding support for it and I intend to add a mode to support it. This mode will most likely limit the Camera to Full Scren HUD mode when turned on but I will have to wait to see and do some experimenting with it. I plan to take the Rift with me to PAX AU in July to demo it to the press which I hope will help Lunar Flights exposure by being one of the only Oculus products on display. The Oculus mode will be added in a future update after the 1.7 update, this will only really be useful to those who have a devkit, until Oculus release their consumer grade kit to market in 2014.
"It takes forever +/- 2 weeks for the A-10 to get anywhere significant..." Ice
"Ha! If it gets him on the deck its a start!" MigBuster
"What people like and what critics praise are rarely the same thing. 'Critic' is just another one of those unnecessary, overpaid, parasitic jobs that the human race has churned out so that clever slackers won't have to actually get a real job and possibly soil their hands." Sauron
"It takes forever +/- 2 weeks for the A-10 to get anywhere significant..." Ice
"Ha! If it gets him on the deck its a start!" MigBuster
"What people like and what critics praise are rarely the same thing. 'Critic' is just another one of those unnecessary, overpaid, parasitic jobs that the human race has churned out so that clever slackers won't have to actually get a real job and possibly soil their hands." Sauron
"It takes forever +/- 2 weeks for the A-10 to get anywhere significant..." Ice
"Ha! If it gets him on the deck its a start!" MigBuster
"What people like and what critics praise are rarely the same thing. 'Critic' is just another one of those unnecessary, overpaid, parasitic jobs that the human race has churned out so that clever slackers won't have to actually get a real job and possibly soil their hands." Sauron