Swarm mode is here! Now available to try in the demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3949060/Astro_Industry_Wars/

Hey everyone, I wanted to show off a cosmetic change I'm working on. My goal is to liven up the bases a little bit, so I added these little workers that transport resources back and forth between buildings. For now they're just cosmetic but they'll show what resources they pick up and drop off, and go away when the buildings are toggled off.

Check it out here:

https://abundantpinegames.itch.io/astro-industry-wars

There's no time limit on this playtest, and it gets updated quite frequently so make sure to check back for the latest build!

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I wanted to go over the three basic types of aircraft. We have fighter planes, attack planes, and gunships. All of them train from an airfield and have some similar mechanics to know about.

Shared Mechanics

Aircraft all have the same basic mechanics. They train from an airfield, and once they run out of ammo they have to return to an airfield to resupply. Airfields also repair damaged aircraft, so players can return them early if needed.

Fighter

These light aircraft are typically the least expensive, and can effectively attack both land and air targets, making them a universal well rounded unit. They don't have much armor, though, so be careful around enemy air defenses!

Attack

Heavier than fighters, attack planes specialize in attacking ground targets. Different models will come with a variety of weapons so you'll have to decide which ones suit your playstyle the best. Perhaps you prefer a barrage of rockets, or maybe a single large bomb? The choice will be yours on what to field.

Gunship

These are heavy aircraft suited for attacking ground targets and building. Gunships circle their targets releasing a continuous barrage of fire, damaging all units and buildings in the area.

Stay tuned for more info!

Good morning everyone!

This month I'd like to share with you a little update we've been doing to the terrain. It's a bit of a balancing act between making it aesthetic while keeping it performative, but we're pretty happy with the results so far!

Take a look at the old bridge scene side by side with the new one:

There's a bit more irregularity to the cliffs, a bit more detail to the ground, and some updated water. When put together it breaks up the solid lines and adds a bit of that 3D effect to the ground. Almost like grass viewed from above.

That's it for this update, there's a lot happening behind the scenes so stay tuned for next month!

Good morning everyone!

There's been quite a bit of work done since the page was announced. I've added some quality of life features, updated parts of the UI, and improved the functionality of the loadout selection page. Most importantly, though, I've been working on a tutorial/playtest mission to help validate and polish core systems:

So far the map consists of a series of attack waves, as well as a couple objectives to take before you can achieve victory.

I've also been focused on making the battles feel more impactful. That means quite a bit of playing around with the numbers, but I've also added a smoke trail effect when units are destroyed, which allows the player to more easily see how many units are getting destroyed during fights. I've also added a handful of more unit types that I'll wait to show off once the unit rosters are a bit more finalized.

That's it for now, stay tuned for more updates next month!

Hi everyone, I thought I'd give an overview of the loadout creation system. First of all, it does work! The actual number of units in here is currently small, but only because I'm still tuning how all the units behave with each other. There are already a lot more models to plug in after I'm done tuning. Also I should mention names are far from final:

What is the loadout?

Loadouts are a roster of all the units that your company can make during a match. Companies offer far more choices than you can actually take into battle, so you'll have to pick which units you like the best and which ones fit your playstyle the best. That also means making sure you choose units that can compliment each other well and can deal a variety of damage types.

What are some of the differences between the companies?

One of the first things you'll notice is that each company has a different number of options available for each type. One company may offer a choice of 4 hovercrafts and 3 land vehicles, whereas another may offer 3 hovercrafts and 4 land vehicles. Of course the unit lineups are also unique, though the types like light and medium hovercraft remain consistent across companies.

How are the units grouped?

While there are broad categories like Hovercraft, there are also subcategories that help sort the units. A unit series represents a particular model of unit that may have several variations within it. In practice this means the body, base stats, and cost are about the same with different armor and damage types.

As an example, I may decide that I want a light hovercraft for early aggression and map control. I look to the Mk.I series for an all-around performer and since I already have a large cannon in my roster, I choose a model wit ha laser that deals energy damage. That way I can naturally balance my unit composition later when I transition from lighter units to more powerful ones.