The silenced pistol weapon is working fine. It integrated well into my existing inventory and weapon system.
I have also added new improvements to the inventory system, including the ability to select and equip items using hotkeys, and various other minor changes.
The guis have been tested and slightly improved, and I have fixed some issues with the main menus.
I have also added the ability to unlock “blueprints” in the world which allow the player to manufacture vehicles and ship upgrades, etc.
I have made significant improvements to the spawning of random items.
I now have various different groups for different types of items (Weapons, health items, consumables, etc) and these can be changed from one place in the code.
I have also made improvements to the active camo item, and other items in the world.
The next step is to create a model for a silenced pistol to use with the new stealth mechanic.
I am still making improvements to and fixing bugs with the AI system.
The AI is now smarter, and behaved more realistically in combat. It is also, however, possible to hide and escape from the AI more easily.
The AI will also respond to gunshots, and investigate if a shot is heard.
In addition, different weapons produce different amounts of noise, rocket launchers and rifles are extremely noisy, but silenced weapons and bows are extremely quiet.
This reflects the fact that I want players to have the ability to play the game in any number of ways, from combat, to stealth, to diplomacy, etc.
Players can avoid the AI, engage in combat, or use stealth.
There are a few new features that I want to add in the next week or so, such as adding a silenced pistol weapon and an “active camo” item that will make the player completely invisible while it is in use.
There are other new features that I will probably need to postpone for a while, such as location-based damage (headshots do more damage than body shots, etc) and a “cone” of fire (so the closer a player is to a target, the more likely a weapon is to hit).
I could then make, for example, silenced pistols very quiet, but only effective at close range, while rifles are very effective at long range, but are extremely noisy.
I have been making extensive improvements to the AI in the project.
Firstly, I have added the Ability for AI to spawn within randomly generated buildings. These I enemies are programmed to defend static locations, instead of patrolling around like the existing AI enemies.
I have also added arc of sight and line of sight checks to the AI, in addition to a lot more features that substantiallyimprove the capabilities of the AI.
It is now possible to sneak past the AI by hiding behind objects, or approach from the rear undetected.
I am also working on fixing a number of bugs, and making additional quality of life improvements.
I have added a new weapon to the project, and made several improvements to the way that weapons function in the game.
I needed a weapon that could believably destroy large, armoured, targets, so I created a rocket launcher.
While adding this, I improved the way weapons are handled and reloaded in the project, and improved the inventory system, etc.
The rocket launcher will eventually have various firing modes, including the ability to fire a “drone” missile that can be controlled and detonated remotely.
I will also be adding the ability to destroy many other objects and buildings in the game, to increase the scope of gameplay that is possible.
I have added hackable cameras (Which can be rotated, etc) and hackable doors and gates.
This system is quite powerful, and I can extend it in the future to add even more features.
I have also added the ability to highlight nearby objects that can be hacked, and the ability to enable/disable turrets.
I have also run some tests in the field, and made some other minor changes and improvements.
The next step is to integrate these items with the world generator, so that they spawn at random as the player explores the world. I also want to add randomly spawning enemy AI characters and a stealth mechanic, as well as some new weapons, so that the player has more options in how they want to approach gameplay (IE, combat, hacking, or stealth, etc).
They will automatically scan for and attack the player when the player enters their range and arc of sight, etc.
I have also added ballistic trajectories to the turrets. The current turrets that I am using (for starships, etc) don’t need gravity, but turrets operating on planets do.
I have also added the ability for the turrets to damage the player, etc.
The next step is to add the hacking element, and add more items that can be interacted with.
I have created quite a few new art objects that I intend to use to create the concept for the hacking system.
I intend to add cameras, automated turrets, and other objects that can be hacked by the player. The player will then be able to control the turrets manully, shut them down, or order them to attack their allies.
The artwork is mainly done now, and the next step is to add the code for the turrets.
The next major goal is to add new gameplay elements and features to give the player more to do.
I will probably postpone the dynamic story element for a while, and focus on just creating a “sandbox” of possibilities. I can then use those features and possibilities to allow emergent gameplay and roleplaying to take place.
The next goal is to add in the ability for the player to hack into various electronic systems and automated turrets, cameras, etc. Before I can do this, I will need to add new structures that randomly spawn in the world, that the player can interact with.
The player should be able to destroy these objects, in addition to hacking them, and I will need to add improvements to the existing AI system to allow random NPC’s to interact with these items too.
This should take some time to do, so I will work on other features and bug fixes while working on this.
