### Development News Update ###TL;DR: If you prefer to skip the detailed explanation, feel free to check the attached pictures and their descriptions. They should be (hopefully) self-explanatory.
Hi everyone!
As I mentioned previously, the next patch will come with significantly improved features. I wanted to showcase some of these updates while I continue to finish the remaining tasks.
I've completed the next tier for the second tier of armors [1]. I'm finally happy with the result, using parts from
HALO REACH MOD and some original assets created by Hans Woofington. This new armor tier will have a different role. Being bulkier, it will significantly differ from the basic armor to avoid it becoming a no-brainer choice. This also extends the viability of the initial armor, which was saddening to see last less than a single month, especially after its previous visual upgrade. The pilot variant will receive a different chest piece and a unique helmet to further differentiate it. Additionally, to enhance the distinction [2], I've followed
Neoworm's designs and changed the general color palette of pilots from blueish to scarlet red, similar to the PS1 version. With this change, the
PS1 assets mod from N7kopper is now straightfoward compatible, coinciding with all the pilot-related cutscenes.
In the screenshot of the pilot[2], you'll notice new sprite work for some weapons. Some are new, and others are updates of previously available weapons. All melee weapons received an extra pass, so every tier now consists of a knife and a bigger blade of the equivalent technology. Some assets were borrowed and
kitbashed from Woofington's assets. Alien blades received a new appearance inspired by shredder gauntlets/Yautja wrist blades from the Predator franchise.
Inspired by
the demolition charge mod by DBarizo, I've introduced three breaching charges [2] to be used solely against UFO walls to create extra entrances and assault from more creative angles. These come in three varieties with increasing portability and reduced weight, although they function practically the same.
Next, we have the newest soldier type, the Tank Driver [3]. With the help of efrenspartano and using other mods as guidance (especially
GWotW), I implemented the mechanic where tanks are "armors worn by specialized units." This system is simply better than the archaic and aging vanilla tanks system. Note that while the system is in place, the artwork is still placeholder as while I struggled to understand how it worked. A better sprite will come soon, with the drift suit based again on
Neoworm's assets.
As an extra note, I managed to "smooth" the fur of dogs[4], making them look less pixelated. I can now create different fur patterns, so expect some variations in our four-legged friends' appearances. I'm also working on ideas related to them to add nuance to the mod's lore.
Additionally, I'm experimenting with a portable ballistic shield[5], thanks to efrenspartano's suggestions. I'm using the
HALO REACH MOD kig-yar gauntlet shield script to simulate its functionality as an independent item that can be dropped, tossed, or exchanged between troops. There are three variants: XCOM basic ballistic, an Xelloy improved version, and an energy variant. The last two are functioning in-game, but their sprites are placeholders.
In other news, I found the master file that controls the palette and colors used for the interfaces, thanks again to efrenspartano. My plan is to unify all menus[6] and interfaces into a coherent and consistent theme. Currently, I've only changed the main menus[7] and the geoscape sidebar. I'll wait for feedback from you (readabilty?, pleasant color choice?, general thoughts) before investing more time into this change.
And finally, after some discussion, I decided to follow efrenspartano's advice and include the use of filipH's "ammo sprite scripts." The idea is that every weapon will have a series of different sprites that change based on ammo count[8] (empty mags), special ammo[9][10] type chambered (AP,HE,Standard,overcharged, etc), inventory status (grenades being primed/unprimed, swords being off in backpacks but glowing in hands of troopers), etc. While this requires extra work, it's worth the effort. I've already finished about one-third of the weapon tiers, and now the hard part is implementing the script correctly. My plan is to finish all sprite work within the next week before focusing on the ruleset.
That's all for today's showcase. Thank you for your patience, especially if you made it through my detailed post. Stay tuned for more updates and showcases in the coming days.
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The community is very helpful, too.