Hi everyone! I thought I would post an update to give everyone an idea of how development is continuing along. Life has been on the wild side for me (Tim, the dev). I got very sick a few weeks ago, had family and friends visit from out of the country, and multiple family members are experiencing serious health issues. So long story short, I've been far less productive than usual. I've decided to delay the release of the new UI updates to June instead of releasing those changes last month (May, when they were planned). It turns out the UI updates and the new Game Mode that is planned for release in June are very tightly linked together, and it would be somewhat difficult to release one without the other. So by the end of June, I'll release both together! Thanks, everyone, for being patient with me, as life has been more difficult than normal. Soon I'll be back to normal productivity levels, and you'll be able to try out some updates to the game! In the meantime, here are some sneak peeks of the new look and the new game mode:
Why does the game need a revised UI? Well, one thing I've found is that the art direction of the game UI looks very different from the art direction of the card art. One of the goals of revamping the UI is to make the overall art direction of the game much more cohesive.
Above is some concept art of the new "Mission Overview" screen, the general hub for choosing encounters. With the new UI and Game Mode, the various enemy merc factions play a much bigger role. Whether or not your base is attacked is determined by how much you've pissed off a particular enemy PMC. This should make runs feel more dynamic and add an extra level of strategy.
The new game mode is based on shorter "Missions". They are objective-based runs that end once you reach the mission goal or are defeated by your enemies. Missions will allow players to play the game in more "bite-sized" chunks, as opposed to the longer Endless mode (which will still be playable!)
Each Mission will have 5 stages that get increasingly more challenging. Enemies and cards will increase in power, and modifiers will change how certain stats and statuses work. The aim is for each mission to feel unique and challenging in interesting ways. That's it for now, I can't wait to share with you all more about these upcoming changes!