E.X.O. v1.1.0
Post-jam update
The post-jam update for E.X.O. brings a vertical slice of improvements based on pilots’ feedback since the conclusion of No Video Jam 2. Thanks to everyone who participated; there were so many submissions to love!
With this release I feel that E.X.O. is in a very good place. Please let me know in the comments if you encounter any issues. I’m looking forward to bringing what I learned from this project back into S.E.A. for its next update.
Enjoy!
Key features
- Attractors upgrade. Pull adjacent materials toward the E.X.O. with this new upgrade track. Increasing levels expand the radius of attraction.
- Downgrades. Tune the E.X.O. exactly to your liking. Recoup some material costs with each downgrade.
- Material cues. Follow new audio and visual cues toward nearby materials. When sonifying terrain, metal detector sounds lead pilots to collectible orbs.
- New Game Plus. Freely explore new world seeds without losing any upgrades. A new confirmation screen prevents accidental loss of progress.
- Upper atmosphere. Enjoy new sounds, sights, and physics while exploring the upper atmosphere. Eventually it’s too thin to refuel jump jets, leaving pilots to fall to terminal velocity.
v1.1.0 changes
- Accessibility
- Added access hotkeys for height and velocity
- Added height and velocity to Status screen
- Added cue for when synthesis is complete
- Added z-coordinate to coordinates hotkey
- Exposed unavailable upgrades to screen readers
- Fixed access hotkeys clicking first item instead of focusing
- Improved verbosity of access hotkey alerts
- Rearranged coordinates and heading on Status screen
- Audio
- Added cue for jets running out of fuel
- Added cues for nearby materials when sonifying terrain
- Added binaural sub bass that fades in at extreme altitudes
- Added support for wind at extreme velocities
- Boosted faraway material sounds
- Tweaked some material sounds for clarity
- Graphics
- Added nearby material cues
- Added procedurally generated stars
- Added total eclipse of main star behind parent planet
- Faded out background to black on high altitudes
- Increased default draw distance to 35
- Materials
- Added gravitation toward player when attractors are online
- Fixed materials sometimes spawning abruptly
- Reweighted spawn chances based on cost demands
- Movement
- Applied atmospheric drag proportional to pressure and speed
- Reduced recharge of jump jets at lower atmospheric pressures
- Simulation
- Simulate atmospheric pressure and gravity as functions of altitude
- Terrain
- Added lowland and highland biomes for better extremes
- Adjusted range of mountain slopes
- Increased overall detail of generated terrain
- Upgrades
- Added ability to downgrade upgrades
- Added attractors upgrade which attracts nearby materials
- Added fifth level cargo racks
- Added fourth level upgrades for most upgrade tracks
- Fixed recycled materials not saving correctly
- Recoup some material costs when downgrading upgrades
- User interface
- Added confirmation when starting a new game
- Added exosuit level to Status screen
- Added New Game Plus option to keep upgrades when starting a new game
- Added downgrades to Statistics screen