It's been a while since I posted an update here, so it's high time I did.
The playtest builds of Unknown Horizons are coming thick and fast right now, we're up to v0.016-ALPHA and we're heading very fast to what I might consider a Demo build that would be suitable for Next Fest. I still have a full month to prepare for Next Fest, but at this point it's polish and tweaks for the demo build while I come up with the rest of the story that will form the main game.
That's not to say I'm not still adding new stuff. v0.0.16 has added Asteroid belts which are minable (if you have the right equipment) and there will soon be some more missions specifically targeted at mining. I also plan to tweak faction naming so that it's obvious what the faction focus is. Currently the focus doesn't really mean much (a bit of variance in pricing) but as I flesh things out a bit, it will mean different types of missions and different chances of certain products being available in the store etc... plus helping one faction with a particular focus will harm relations with other factions that share that focus, and possibly some others.
I've also tweaked how planetary systems form to make them a little more realistic. Earthlike planets are now a little less common, but will no longer require breathing apperatus, so you now cannot die of suffocation on a planet that contains an abundance of oxygen... duh. I have balanced out the reduced numbers of Earthlikes by adding new Terrestrial planets, which support plant life, but do not have a breathable atmosphere. I've also shifted where planet types form, so Icy planets and gas giants no longer form in the inner system, and will only form on the outer orbits.
Thanks to Chrillex, we're also starting to see some new music tracks. We already had the main intro music remastered so it is no longer AI generated, and Chrillex is working on some tracks for when you're visiting planets of flying in a star system.
So lots to try out in the latest build. I welcome comments and bug reports either here or on the Discord channel. If you're yet to get involved, head over to Steam to Wishlist Unknown Horizons now. and to register for the playtest.
As of typing I have approved 60 playtesters, and have about 100 in the queue waiting to join. As new features are released and more things need testing, I will be adding more playtesters, so make sure your name's on the list... as long as you're prepared to play a game that may contain bugs and incomplete features.
Have fund, and see you on the horizon!