In Ensign-1 you play the role of a space fighter pilot returning from a deep space colonization mission. On arrival back to our own solar system, you find Earth has been colonized by a hostile alien force. It's now up to you, with the help of your mothership, the Ensign-1, to take it back Ensign-1 allows allows for complete freedom in approaching objectives. You can fight from the safety of your spacecraft, or land and exit to explore space stations and carriers on foot. You can commandeer any spacecraft in the game, no matter how big or how small. Defend an asteroid base, or take the fight to the enemy with a huge mothership, friends manning turrets, it's your choice. The game also features a multiplayer mode where players can explore a randomly generated galaxy, either fighting co-operatively to clean out enemy fighters, or battling each other for supremacy. SPECIAL NOTE: 2 Free keys to anyone that agrees to make a youtube video of the game!
In this our 2nd weekly update, I show off our new ship explosions as well as a brand spankin' new cockpit which you'll all love, because I'll make you.
Posted by onionman on Jun 18th, 2012
Explosions
Bonjour tout le monde,
So this week there's not a whole lot for me to report as I've been spending the entire time figuring out how to make the explosions look better. I couldn't ask our 1 core artist Rustybolts to make debris of every ship in the game, so I set about figuring out how to programmatically break ships up into pieces. Anyway, I finally got it to work by casting invisible planes through a model and breaking up the faces based on which side they fell on.
Here, watch this video and let me know what you think!
In addition to arguable looking a mite better, this should also slow down your computer a lot less. So say good by to those framerate crawls each time you shoot down an enemy!
New Cockpit
Ah right, so if you watched that video you might notice we've got a new cockpit in game as well! Aurel_Tristen did a fantastic job making a really detailed yet strikingly clean model that I was able to just plop in the engine almost effortlessly. Big props to him, the guy is talented.
New Alien Concept
In addition to all that, our lead artist Rustybolts has made an incredible concept of what our main villains will probably look like.

I think it looks sufficiently spooky and believable as well. I'm super excited to have those things roaming our dark derelict spaceships!
Up Next
Next week is going to be a big content update, God-willing. Expect refined missions 2 and 3 as well as finally getting to play Mission 4 and 5. Can you say new Ensign per chance? We shall see, we shall see. so stay tuned you won't want to miss it!
See you next week!
Bonus
The following video has nothing to do with Ensign-1 but I feel it is something everyone should watch. Thanks to +Venn Stone for the tip off.
Very exciting! So much progress. :)
I liek the new Update, I think a couple more updates and I will make a video about it. Kep it up The game gets better and better:)
That linked video is rather awesome, also new cockpiiiiiittttt!