The latest progress update for Squadron 42 reveals advancements in various areas, such as AI behavior, animation, audio, and gameplay features. With the game nearing its final quality and shippable state, there is anticipation for more updates and announcements at CitizenCon.
In the latest monthly report for Squadron 42, the AI content team focused on a single location, allowing them to receive detailed feedback from leadership and raise the quality of their work to a shippable level. They worked on hangar and mess hall locations, adding AI behaviors and interactions such as overseer behavior and NPCs reacting to a TV show. The AI features team improved various behaviors including AI waking up while restrained and calling for help, as well as using radar gadgets to locate enemies. They also worked on close combat encounters and improved combat behaviors.
The AI tech team finalized work on allowing NPCs to transition between EVA and gravity environments, as well as implementing simple behaviors for entering and exiting ships. They also worked on 2D Boyd agents that can move across terrain and implemented a system using the room system for NPC perception of audio stimuli. The animation team worked on various polish and refinement, including grenade throwing, healing, crouched sharp turns, and weapon reloads.
The audio team tagged generic animations with Foley sound effects to improve immersion, designed new weapon sound effects, and implemented sound for interactive devices. They also assessed the workload for flight experience improvements and started working on a new vibration system for dogfights. The gameplay features team worked on the in-game Sim pod, allowing players to practice skills, and made progress on formation flying and the minimap system. The vehicle features team focused on the vehicle aiming system, worked on physical damage tech, and improved vehicle loadout terminals.
The level design team focused on interstitials, ensuring scenes reached the expected quality threshold, and worked on fail states such as players being sent to the brig for punching a colleague. The narrative team prepared for performance capture shoots and reviewed dialogue for tutorials and instructions. The UI team worked on vehicle displays, MFDs for scanning, refuel and rearm terminals, and the vehicle loadout terminal. The core tech team improved building blocks’ runtime performance and added new features, and developed a new internal map system.
The visual effects team focused on the fire propagation system, creating new fire particles and improving gas cloud lightning effects. Overall, progress is being made in various areas, from AI and animation to audio and gameplay features. Many aspects of Squadron 42 are nearing final quality and shippable states, with promising developments that will likely impact the persistent universe as well. The goal of completing Squadron 42 is getting closer, and there is hope for more updates and announcements at CitizenCon.