This week's update adds the 'Space Explorer' role, a skill system for your crew, new skills and a new useable item. If you have any troubles, feel free to contact me at any time! I want to make sure, everyone has fun!
Space explorer
The space explorer is a new role for you to play. While merchants and space pirates generate threat by defeating civilian ships or earning too much money, the space explorer does not generate any threat at all! Without threat, you don't need to worry about almighty Nemesis ships that crush you. However, playing as a space explorer is not easy. Space pirates and merchants can see the entire galactic map, when they start the game. The space explorer only knows where jump sectors are, but they don't know what's in it!
There are several methods to explore a sector. The easiest way is to jump in a sector and check, what's in it. You can also accept missions from space stations or encounters. When accepting a mission, the target system is revealed. In addition, you can use a new pilot skill to scan surrounding systems!
Skill system
Your crew members gain experience when using any of their skills. Soldiers gain experience for defeating enemy ships, pilots just need to travel to gain experience, normal crewmen can heal or repair to gain experience, and so on. When pressing C or clicking on the button in the menu bar in the bottom left corner of your screen, you can access the crew skill window. A tool-tip shows a description of for each skill.
Many skills you can see in the crew view are skills you already know from the tool bar. However, there are a couple new passive skills. For example, all crew member can level-up their skills in laser pistol / rifle damage, damage reduction or getting additional health. Soldiers can increase the damage of all weapon turrets, etc. More skill are going to be added with future updates. In order to spend a skill point, simply click on the skill.
As I mentioned earlier, the pilot got a new active skill to scan surrounding systems. This skill is extremely useful, when you play a space explorer. However, you won't need to use with other roles.
Field Manual
The field manual is a new epic useable item you can loot from any space combat with a 3% drop chance. When using this item, all crew members gain one level.
Help view
The help view got its own dialog. You can still access it in the same way as before!
Coming up next...
In the last months I added new content and improvements every weekend and I spent many hours testing each update before I released it on Steam. Next week, I want to use the working time on quality assurance and playtesting. All features and options will be tested multiple times on several systems to make sure everything works fine. I will also prepare the game's core engine for the upcoming updates.
