Check out this screen snap of the fitting screen layout improvements along with more exposed stats
Info text has been expanded on for weaponry and stat adjustments are now properly displayed for secondary and turret weapons when equipping passive modules (something overlooked but was still being applied in gameplay!). You can also get an overview of all individual applied stat adjustments in the ship overview panel (top left), along with the adjusted stat values displayed for the ships equipment.
A lot more has been done for the next A-Spec First Assault update, but I shall leave that for a future update (and the lengthy patch notes) to be released in just over a couple of weeks.
This latest update was intended to include the campaign’s Chapter 4, which will be released in the next planned milestone release. With this features update out of the way I will be focussing on the story campaign. In an effort to get more content out of the space dock, new features will be limited to allowing progression through the campaign missions.
Patch Notes 0.17.0 Overview
New cruiser and battlecruiser ships available to fly in Skirmish, along with existing weapon variants for their slot sizes
New and improved Multiple Launch Missiles (MLMS-CTAT, MLMS-POXY)
Performance and visual improvements
Lots of other additions, bug fixes and improvements
Added
Missing descriptions for certain guns and turrets
Reinforced Armour Plating module L and XL sizes
Engine Optimiser XL modules
Engine Tuning XL size modules
Explosive Armour Protection XL size modules
Frictionless Coils XL modules
Kinetic Armour Protection XL modules
Kinetic Damage Enhancer L and XL modules
Magnetic Callibrations XL size modules
Nanite Repair Optimisation XL size modules
Thruster Optimiser XL size modules
Thruster Tuning XL size modules
XLarge Artillery Main Gun
Large Artillery Main Gun
Hardpoint and Launcher mounting sizes
Battlecruiser for enemy military faction
Cruiser for player military faction
Mining Outpost model
Science Vessel model (functions like all Transports)
Multiple Launch Missiles with Proximity detonator (MLMS-POXY) S size
Added scripting logic for defining Wingleader/Wingmen behaviours
Distinct debris for enemy faction transport
Changed
Added MLMS-POXY/02 secondary weapon to player starting ship default loadout in the main campaign
Reduced disk size requirements by using texture packing techniques (on going)
Changed Autogun muzzle flare VFX
Changed Autogun projectile VFX
Changed Autocannon muzzle flare VFX
Changed Autocannon projectile VFX
Changed Artillery muzzle flare VFX
Changed Artillery projectile VFX
Changed Railgun muzzle flare VFX
Primary weapons will target the center of a turret rather than the turret pivot point
Engine Optimiser S, M and L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with rulest
Engine Tuning L size modules modifier, prestige and cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Explosive Armour Protection L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Frictionless Coils S, M, L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Kinetic Armour Protection L modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Magnetic Callibrations L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Nanite Repair Optimisation L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Thruster Optimiser L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Thruster Tuning L size modules modifier, prestige and fitting cost values adjusted in line with ruleset
Allowed Substructures to be protected by the damageable layer of the parent on a per substructure basis
Update the dying throes of all enemy faction ships
Reduced number of particle explosions called for death explosions across all ships from prologue to campaign, by using fewer more appropriate sized particle explosions
Blaster 4/8/16 direct and subsystem damage along with Fitting and Prestige costs
Torpedo model and VFX
Rocket model and VFX
Multiple Launch Missiles model and VFX
Improved raycasting times for AI actor collision avoidance checks
Fixed
Medium and Large turrets now use correct size projectiles and muzzle flares for their sizes
Null Reference error in Subsystem Repair
When a substructure is destroyed any attached turrets are destroyed resulting in null reference exceptions
Using the “Target turret under reticule” targets turrets which are offline and under repair and therefore invisible
Engine subsystems will stop being repaired when 2 or more engine subsystems exist but at least 1 engine subsystem is attached to a substructure which has been destroyed
Reinforced Armour Plating modules missing Thruster Max Velocity modifier
Reinforced Armour Plating modules modifier values adjusted in line with ruleset
Calculations for DPS and RPS for guns with multiple rounds per shot (Blaster & Burst Cannons)
Turret highlights become disconnected from F2 Cruiser when targeted
Explosion VFX on ships are included in the target highlight
Sub-targeting turrets will use the wrong turret mesh for the highlight (and other weird highlight behaviour)
When a ship is fitted with the Kinetic Damage Protection module and a substructure (i.e. Turret) takes direct damage, the damage feeds down to the ships hull even though if the ship has enough armour to absorb the full amount of damage
Group spawning without a wing leader will clump spawn at same location (spawning inside each other)
PDCs are coming to A-Spec First Assault. You can rely on fast and nimble ships to outmaneuver missiles or equip PDCs to provide defence within a limited area of the ship.
Ships are fitted with turreted weaponry. Some of these turrets can be used as Point Defence Cannons that attempt to shoot down incoming missiles.
There are 3 operational modes the PDCs can be configured to:
Off – PDC-capable turrets will ignore incoming missiles and fall back on the turret’s orders.
Strict – PDC-capable turrets will only target shoot-down incoming missiles. Turret orders will be ignored.
Relaxed – PDC-capable turrets will follow turret orders but prioritize incoming missiles.
Separate from PDC operation modes, turret orders dictate target priorities for hostile ships. Turret orders are useful in focusing firepower on a single target or spreading firepower across multiple targets. Ship operators should familiarise themselves with both modes, especially when equipping PDC-capable turrets for efficient operation and ship protection.
The more PDC-capable turrets installed (or even bigger ones) the greater the protection from missile threats.
Watch this video to see PDC’s in action:
Try the demo and buy the Early Access for A-Spec First Assault on Steam.
The front lines of the war are dynamic and shifting rapidly. We need fast vessels to respond to emergencies and intercept hostile stragglers, with enough firepower to take them down, before they can group up into larger forces. With this need, we are authorizing the deployment of interceptor corvettes.
The Avdiivka provides similar speed with greater firepower than our light corvettes. A large range of turret mounts ensures the Avdiivka can be outfitted to respond to a range of incidents that require fast deployment. Excelling at adaptability, and quick strike capability to weaken or destroy hostile forces separated from main groups across the front lines.
Autospeed match ‘close’ setting does not work as expected
Colliders for Fighter, Gunship, Carrier, and Large Transport are not optimized for best-fitting
Jump-out animations are not scaled correctly for ships bigger than a gunship
Added
Avdiivka Interceptor Corvette (Unlocked from completing Chapter 1 Mission 3)
Armour plating module small and medium modules
Explosive Armour Protection small and medium modules
Kinetic Armour Protection small and medium modules
Additional icons for module items
New module inventory items are unlocked progressing through chapter 2 missions
Player fleet size increased to 3 after completing Chapter 2 Mission 3
Progress rewards will be retroactively unlocked based on players’ current progress
Changed
Balancing Ships to allow the player to approach a target strategically affecting ship Mass, Armour/Hull HP, max speed, and acceleration/deceleration for velocity and rotation
Percentages are now used for all module stats displays
Amended text layout for Loading a saved preset in ship fitting to limit text wrapping from long equipment item names
Adjusted prestige price, fitting, applied stats, and their values for module items
Module slots now have slot sizes that will only fit the same size module item
Starting a tutorial now goes straight into the mission, bypassing the ship selection screen
Fixed
The mouse cursor was never visible on the 1st time welcome screen
Ship stats displays for Yaw/Pitch/Roll and Horizontal/Vertical for acceleration are not updated in the ship fitting screen when modules applied
Null reference errors on ship loadouts with multiple launcher groups
Weapon models not being updated in fitting screen preview when added and/or removed
Null Reference error caused exiting the Vessel Fitting screen and then going straight back into it, preventing loadouts from being displayed correctly
The war is escalating, captain. Sumar forces are bringing in their bigger ships in an attempt to gain a foothold in the system. Bring your wingman and push back the tide.
Patch Notes 0.13.0
Overview
Chapter 2 campaign added with 3 new story missions, new side missions, and a new ‘Autogun’ weapon type
Unlock, customize and fly with a wingman
Ship fitting screen sorting and filtering
Many bug fixes and improvements
Known Issues
Autospeed match ‘close’ setting does not work as expected
Colliders for Fighter, Gunship, Carrier, and Large Transport are not optimized for best-fitting
Jump-out animations are not scaled correctly for ships bigger than a gunship
Added
Player campaign progress will be updated in line with changes that have occurred to Chapter 1 missions involving Prestige reward increases for the main missions and new weapon unlocks
Added Chapter 2 with three new story missions
Side Mission: Added new ‘Ambush’ mission type
Side Mission: Added new ‘Ambushed’ mission type
Side Missions Added a new variant of ‘Distress Call’ mission type
Railgun (S) is unlocked after completing Ch. 01 Mission 03
Player fleet size is increased to allow for 1 wingman after completing Ch. 01 Mission 03
Autogun (S) and X1-X3 versions unlocked after completing the Prologue
AI Actor can now follow assigned priority targets including subsystem targets
F3 key (Comms Action C) will order player wingmen to attack the subsystem component targeted by the player
When the player enables autopilot the player’s wingmen will move to enter formation during the autopilot transition cinematic
Allowed variable replacements in dialogue for transmission panel on the HUD
Player wingmen can be configured in empty fleet slots (slots are unlocked by progressing through the campaign)
Added options to reset the campaign to the start of the prologue or to the start of chapter 1, accessible via the campaign menu options button
Added Sort functionality to Ship Equipment Screen
Added Filter functionality to Ship Equipment Screen
Players can now use the cancel button press to exit out of the Options menus (i.e. by pressing the Escape key)
Added Prograde and Retrograde indicators to the flight HUD
Added Guided Bomb Minimum Range Release Condition (>= 2000m) for AI Actor consideration
Added the Sumar Cruiser as a selectable ship in Skirmish mode
Changed
Audio volume adjustments to avoid certain sounds drowning out others
Prestige Balance no longer abbreviated below values of 1 Million in the ship fitting screen
Briefing/Debriefing font has been replaced
Made improvements to text on the main menu screen to make them more easily readable against bright background elements
Adjusted text sizes to min-max range, and prevented text wrapping with text in the HUD Target Info Panel
Reduced MLRS missile damage
Went through briefings and debriefings for main and side missions to ensure they all used the same layout along with some typo and grammar fixes
Wingmen formations can now account for an indefinite number of wingmen without worrying they will spawn inside each other and become a Tuvix
The Options button in the Campaign Menu now opens a sub-menu, with the ability to open the game options added to a new button inside
Skirmish: Kherson default loadout changed due to cost adjustment of Railgun: Primary Railgun (M) replaced with Railgun (S); Rear Turret Blaster/2 X1’s replaced with Autogun/2 X2’s
Equipment not meant for the player’s eyes no longer shows up on the Equipment Fitting screen with exceptionally high values. Instead, they are no longer visible at all.
Adjusted font size for scaleability based on length of descriptors for inventory items
Adjusted turret long and short naming schemes
Fixed
Reinforced Amour Plating module text description now correctly refers to ‘armor’ instead of ‘shield’
The Briefing/Debriefing Scrollbar was not working as expected
AI Actor will no longer fire off a guided missile without a valid target locked
The directives panel will remain open if its list is cleared or the last objective is removed from the list
Improved Missile Pool calculation to avoid excessive pool counts being used
Emergency thrusters now engage to ensure ship control is maintained when engines are severely damaged
Railgun causes damage to armor and hull (but does not penetrate outer damageable layer)
Railgun subsystem damage scales based on the armor section it penetrated
Damage Control subsystem repair priorities were not being honored
Missile Null ref on collision with distinct debris
Missile Null Ref on collision with an asteroid
Removed code meant to prevent audio cascading but made it worse
Actor AI collision avoidance now works as correctly
Added missing audio priorities for Hydra Cannon and X1 Mini Gun sfx
When an AI actor wingman is first enabled it will engage nearby enemies, instead of waiting for wing leader orders
Default ship configuration is not applied properly in the level editor
Turrets and modules attached to a destroyed substructure are no longer referenced by the parent structure
Item rewards are unintentionally given via a legacy game mechanic. Rewards are still correctly granted for completing specific main story missions
‘Convoy Escort’ side mission had suffix numbering on the convoy random generator names
‘Convoy Escort’ side mission enemy wing was not given a display name
MLRS Missile MissingReferenceException: The object of type ‘Transform’ has been destroyed but you are still trying to access it
Text will be cut off in subsequent mission briefings and/or debriefings if previously the text was scrollable and the player scrolled down
HUD gun pips will no longer display when viewing the rear of the ship
HUD reticule now adjusts to the forward view of the ship (instead of being centered on the camera)
Prestige and Experience for kills incorrectly calculated or not calculated at the end of each completed campaign mission
Read on for the latest development news for A-Spec First Assault and what will be appearing in the next patch.
Storyline
I have planned how I would like A-Spec to finish by the end of the final mission in the campaign. As of writing this update, I have ideas for several chapters leading up to that endpoint. Currently, it’s looking like each chapter will be comprised of 3 story missions for a beginning, middle, and end for each chapter.
Chapter 2 Story Missions
3 additional story missions will be added for Chapter 2. They have already been scripted, the briefing and debriefing texts are 90% written, and all require extensive testing to ensure the scripting does not break during play.
One of these missions required additional improvements to the AI, to assist the player in completing their objectives. These improvements are 75% completed.
Side Missions
Chapter 1 included side missions, randomly presenting a new selection after each mission, for the player to choose from between main missions.
Chapter 2 will expand the number of side missions. I have about 2 dozen side mission themes to choose from which will also be used in the main story missions. I have yet to start on the side missions for Chapter 2, but will do so once the 3 main story missions are completed.
I’d like to know your feedback on how you feel about them so far. Like, are they fun for you, what would you like to see, would you rather just go through the main story missions, etc. Post them in the comments below!
Chapter 1 Briefings/Debriefings
The briefing and debriefing text for the Chapter 1 missions were written back before the prologue existed. Since the prologue is now starting to expose some of the game’s lore, they needed updating to fit in. They were also a bit bland. This is already completed.
Expect text and dialogue to continue evolving through development as I learn and improve on creative writing.
Wingmen
Players will be able to have wingmen join them as they progress through the campaign. Chapter 2 will open up a wingman slot, for ship selection and configuration of wingmen. This is optional, the player can choose to go alone and use that extra Prestige to fit better weapons and equipment to their ship.
Audio ImprovementsSome repetitive audio effects are cascading and these will be significantly reduced (if not eliminated).
Also, explosions were cutting off too soon, this is fixed.
Explosion Damage Bug
TL;DR: Explosions would sometimes not damage the target. This is now fixed.
There was an interesting (read annoying) bug where exploding missiles would not damage the target. I believed I had solved this in the previous patch, but by a stroke of luck, I was able to reliably replicate the problem and on investigating found the actual cause. This was most notable on missiles striking the Gunship, but applied to any weapon with explosion damage.
When a missile explodes it creates a collider sphere and checks for objects overlapping it. The sphere can be configured to expand each frame (like a shockwave). I added some code to keep the test performant and avoid re-checking past collisions. This is a bit difficult to explain, a ship can have multiple damageable parts (i.e. the main ship and child objects including attached turrets and additional substructures). These are made up of separate collider objects. If a child collider is checked before the main ship collider the ship will not take any damage. I removed the relevant check, ran some additional tests, and determined the poor attempt at making it performant didn’t make a difference. That single line of code is gone, the problem is gone, and no performance loss either.
Weapon Adjustments
Since explosion damage now works 100% of the time every time, I needed to reduce the MLRS explosion damage caused as became overpowered as a result.
Railgun damage has been scaled properly as they were overlooked the last time I re-scaled weapon damages. They are still very powerful and their Prestige and Fitting costs reflect that power.
A new, larger, enemy ship makes its appearance
The next patch will reveal a new much larger type of enemy ship whilst introducing a new game mechanic. I won’t explain more as it’s something the players can discover for themselves (or maybe they won’t notice?). If you follow me on Twitter, this is a feature that I was working on around 14 months ago, for this very same ship. Now that the ship will make its appearance, I am now able to include the mechanic. It’s functional and in the game, requiring some minor adjustments and additional configuration.
Bug fixes
I have found a lot of bugs since the last update. All that I have found has been squashed.
If you find a bug yourself, please let me know on either the Discord or the A-Spec Steam forum, explain the problem, and if you can repeat the problem or not.
If you can repeat the problem, provide the steps on how to do it, like a list of actions to perform to make the bug happen. Using that I can investigate and follow your steps to replicate the problem, and if I can replicate the problem I can then start working on a fix.
If it’s a bug that appears often, but also seemingly random, if you are willing to provide a video recording of that moment, it may help.
Ultimately I want to keep A-Spec free of jank and bugs. Most of the bugs I found myself, which should be the case as I am on the front line. Though I am only one guy, and bugs do fall through, I work quickly to resolve them.
Both bundles have 60% off. Buy to complete your collection and Steam adjust the bundle costs based on any games you already have in your library.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. I’m truly looking forward to the future of A-Spec First Assault. Given this is an Early Access game the first week sales were on par with Absolute Territory which was released as a full title.
Though putting it in perspective, Absolute Territory is still a failure sales-wise. I have learned a lot since then and hope to put that experience into making A-Spec a better success when the full release day arrives (which is still a while off).
The Drums of War update (Early Access version 0.12.3) for A-Spec First Assault brings huge enhancements to sound effects, removing harsh sounds and improving the quality of frequently played sound effects like gunshots and explosions.
AI behavior has been improved and they will now change their targets based on the biggest threat to them along with improvements to how they decide who to target next.
Help glyphs used in the tutorials and prologue missions for controller commands that don’t have a defined icon (there are so many types of flight devices out there) will now display the relevant control element name instead.
Check out this latest trailer showing off the gameplay you will experience in A-Spec First Assault prologue missions.
The first update for A-Spec First Assault, after being released into Early Access last week, is now live on Steam.
A new update is released for A-Spec First Assault bringing much-loved improvements to explosion visual effects, reading transmission dialogue, improvements to HUD/UI screen usage across various resolution ratios, more bug fixes, and even more improvements. See the full patch notes down below.
A civilian transport is being buzzed by hostile fighters.The civilian transport takes enemy weapons fire and starts venting plasma and atmosphere.Civilian transports docked at the mining station prepare to make a run through the blockade.
Patch Notes 0.12.1 Overview
Improved explosion visual effects
Transmission ticker added to flight HUD
Resolution ratio UI fix
Lots of bug fixes and improvements to prologue missions
Known Issues
Autospeed match ‘close’ setting does not work as expected
Colliders for Fighter, Gunship, Carrier, and Large Transport are not optimized for best-fitting
Jump-out animations are not scaled correctly for ships bigger than a gunship
Guard My Target command is not implemented
Fixed
UI cut off when using 1920×1200 resolution and other edge case resolutions
HUD Afterburn and Speed Indicator panels fail to maintain scaled positions across various screen resolutions
Advanced Navigation tutorial has reference to completing intermediate training
Explosions now look better than before
Distinct debris flickering when the player rotates the view
Prologue Mission 7: The briefing title states “Prologue 1” and should be “Prologue 7”
Various scripting improvements and fixes across all Prologue Missions
Pause menu background is not flush with the border
Spelling error in the tutorial weapons_01_primary transmission dialogue
Added
HUD Monitoring panel for tracking the status of important structures during campaign missions
Added External Orbit Camera during flight
Ticker text for displaying player-received transmissions in the top left of the HUD during flight
Prologue Mission 4: Added transports to the monitoring panel
Prologue Mission 4: Transports have now been given names better than Transport X
Prologue Mission 7: Added transports to the monitoring panel
Changed
Increased max range of distance indicators for missile alert to 8000
Wingman monitoring panel adjusted in size and now scales horizontally
Adjusted flight HUD element positions to make best use of screen space across a range of display resolutions
HUD Waypoint marker now has a border to make it stand out better on bright backgrounds
Prologue Mission 3: Beautiful Mind is now the first object to be targeted
First Person Camera positions for cockpit views moved nearer the model bounds and more central to that location (you’ll see less of your ship)
Removed the non-functional News button from the Campaign menu
A-Spec First Assault is available to buy now on Steam. Releasing into Early Access, A-Spec First Assault adds a mini prologue campaign designed to introduce new players to concepts and features over 7 missions.
Completing the prologue opens the campaign preview with 3 main and 5 side missions. These are the same missions made available in the demo.
The skirmish gameplay mode provides quick access into combat with abilities to change the loadout and number of ships on a 1 v 1 team singleplayer with AI teammates.
A-Spec First Assault offers a wide range of customization options for each ship. Equip your vessel with an array of primary projectile guns and secondary missile launchers, bolstering your frontal assault. Alternatively, opt for turreted guns that provide wider firing arcs, or adopt a balanced approach with a combination of both. Remember, bigger ships deliver greater firepower and make bigger targets.
Augment your ship’s performance with support modules, bolstering its core systems. Enhance agility, top speed, armor, hull strength, fire rate, firepower, and more, tailoring your vessel to your play style.
