Update v0.8.80 is finally live! This is a big one, introducing Localization and a completely overhauled Controller-system! This update took quite some time to develop – a lot more time than anticipated, as I had to go through all text-elements in the game and fundamentally change them, to set up a framework for multiple languages. Now that the framework is in place, it will be significantly faster to add new languages in the future.

LOCALIZATION

Translations have been broken down into three portions: UI, Dialogue, and Descriptions. The purpose of this update has been to build the fundamental framework for switching between languages, and retrofit all UI-elements to be able to switch between languages displayed according to an index. This has been a slow and tedious process, as I never had localization in mind from the start, while programming my game. Now that the system is in place, adding new languages will be significantly faster. Another factor for this taking so long, is that most of these UI-elements are rasterized and have been delicately intertwined with respective glyphs;

• X,Circle, Square,Triangle, L2 & R2 for Dualsense (PS5/4)

• A, B, X, Y, LT & RT for XBox Gamepad

• B, A, Y, X, ZL & ZR for Joy-Cons/Nintendo-controller

To allow for these variations across six languages (and counting), I’ve set up an array-data structure. The game can now be played in:

• English

• Norwegian

• Spanish

• Catalan

• French

• Russian

Chinese & Japanese are confirmed to be added in the future.

NOTE: Dialogue has still not been translated (with few exceptions). This is left for last, when the script has been error-proofed and completely finalized, so I won't have to painstakingly update every language and ask my translators to look at the same scripts again, if I make edits.

VERSATILE GAMEPAD COMPATABILITY

And now for the controllers – In the last update, the XBox Gamepad was the only supported controller outside of mouse/keyboard. Now, the underlying system has been completely overhauled, utilizing the API; Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL). This allows any inputs to be read and interpreted from almost any controller-device you plug into the computer. The new system will read your device, and display the appropriate glyphs and button mapping accordingly. I’ve also made seamless transitions a priority, so the game will update its glyphs/mapping in real-time, if you press the mouse/keyboard-key and a controller button/joystick interchangeably. After doing some QA and extensive playtesting, I can confidently recommend the PS5 Dualsense-controller as the Developer’s choice.

The R1/Right Bumper is vacant right now, so I am open to suggestions on what action to map to this button.

QUALITY-OF-LIFE / MORE ADDITIONS

The Options Menu has been upgraded to have tabs divided into Settings/Language/Hardware. Some contextual prompt-texts have been replaced with more aesthetic icons. The Mission Objectives-tab has received a facelift. You can now assign any unlocked gun as an “AIRDROP”, so you can retrieve it during the mission at landing zones. The Laser Kit-item served no significant purpose besides vanity, so it’s been repurposed into the new Upgrade Kit-item. Apply it to your current gun to increase the firerate. A new Ammo Overview UI-element has been added; displaying all ammunition carried, not limited to the guns you're carrying – and can be viewed by accessing inventory.

The Recon Drone has received some love;

• Fixed the annoying bug that caused it to get stuck or bounce unpredictably.

• The Battery Bar drains by the pixel instead of cells to give you a clearer indication of how much power you have left.

• The movement has been made buttery smooth with joystick-inputs.

V0.8.80 Changelog:

• Cleaned up some outdated & unused assets to reduce file size bloat

• Asset production

  • Base tileset, M8

  • Improved assets, M1

• Made UI-layer initialize fully transparent on Mission Start

• Optimized code

  • Merged duplicated objects

  • Pause Menu-buttons

  • Start Screen-buttons

  • Game Over-buttons

  • Centralized code handling Layers

  • Utilized Signum-function where done manually

  • Replaced bloated/redundant code related to switching between primary & secondary weapon

  • Character animations, new index

• New Ammo Overview UI-element

  • Displays every ammy type carried by player

  • Access inventory to show

• Enhanced Start Screen

  • Removed external scene for Options Screen

  • A tab for showing Save Data-information (Temporarily disabled)

• Localization

  • UI-elements updated to accommodate multiple languages

  • Added an internal Language Index

    • Made all text and UI-elements adjust to index in real-time

  • Created Font “Artisan’s Crux” (Customized “Coder’s Crux”) for supporting latin accents (Spanish, Catalan, French, etc.)

  • Embedded Font “Monogram” for Russian localization

• Upgraded Options-Screen

  • Tabs

  • Sorted options into three tabs: Settings/Language/Hardware

• New SFX’s

  • Ground impact, Supply Drop

  • Open Supply Drop-crate

  • Equip/Ready for Shotgun

  • Equip/Ready for LMG

• New feature; Assign gun at Weapon Selection-screen for Airdrop

• Added health bar for Enemy Tank Unit

• Aesthetic improvements to Ordnance Selection, Weapon Selection-screen

• Controller/Gamepad Input complete overhaul

  • New glyphs for multiple input devices

  • Utilizing Simple DirectMedia Layer API, SDL Object by DarkWire Software

  • Compatibility with almost any device connected to computer, wired & bluetooth

  • Tailored compatibility with DualSense (PS5), XBox Gamepad, & Nintendo Joy-Cons

  • Seamless input device change

  • Gamepad/Keyboard Icon displaying device used

    • Keyboard/Mouse

    • PS5 DualSense

    • XBox Gamepad

    • Nintendo Joy-Cons

  • Index for input glyphs

• Improved Map Screen

  • Drag-n-Drop mouse movement

  • Map Legend in a collapsible UI-window

• VFX; pulsating arrow for Guidance UI

• Changed tileset-drawing order (Tested in Crew Quarters, M1)

• M1: Added ventilation shortcut; Data Terminal-room to Foyer, second floor

• M1: Small level design improvements, aesthetic and functional

• Updated Tutorial-assets, accommodating localization & new glyphs

• VFX; Added tiny shake on Magazine Counter when firing a bullet

• Game Over-screen enhancements

  • Pulsating “Game Over”-sprite

  • Added “Abort Mission”-option

• Enemy Status (“Alert”/”Searching”) accommodated to support localized strings

• Repurposed item: Laser Kit for Upgrade Kit

  • Made Laser more aesthetic

  • Increases firerate to applied gun

  • New Item Sprite

• Replaced contextual prompt-text with icons:

  • Drop-down from platform

  • Change Camera Mode

  • View Minimap

  • View Mission Objectives

• Drone Improvements

  • Fixed bug causing drone to bounce in wrong direction and/or get stuck

  • Removed unnecessary bobbing

  • Tailored movement for precise/smooth Joystick-input

  • Fixed bug causing crosshair to “flimmer”

  • Made drone stun gun able to fire with R2 / right bumper on Gamepad

• Mission Selection-screen

  • Wider space for mission description

  • Added text shadow to mission Description