Dev Update #15: Barren No More

This week I had the chance to dig into the asset distribution system that our programming team has been working on over the last week. I was absolutely blown away! This system allows us to mass distribute assets like rocks, power-ups, or debris, and then tweak those placements by hand. This is an extension of the resource distribution system that we discussed in a recent article, and really goes a long way in bringing our humble little asteroid to life. Gone are the days of a boring, monotonous landscape broken up only by hills and craters! This implementation marks the very early phases of making our locations more interesting and varied, both for gameplay purposes as well as for aesthetic considerations. We want Gears of Eden to provide you many rewards for exploration … not just finding items and furthering missions, but also finding exciting vistas and interesting natural features to wander over and enjoy.

For those of you who enjoy playing as a space tourist and taking “photos” of interesting scenes you come across in games, we implemented a new feature this week I know you’ll love (maybe as much as I do). The F2 key now toggles any graphical user interfaces on and off. When you find that perfect scene with inspired lighting, the right angle and perfect composition… you can quickly toggle all the information overlays off with the press of a single button and take your clean screenshot (without the hassle of having to navigate through any menus)! Yay! Even better, we’re also working on a variety of easy-to-use camera control options so you can position the camera where you want to make your own animations or screenshots as you explore the world of Gears of Eden!

One of the biggest breakthroughs this week was the implementation of our new inventory interface. Viewing and managing your inventory now looks better than ever! Of course, you can’t do much with your inventory right now, but we’re working on that right now! Work continues this week on implementing the first phases of our crafting systems. So, in the coming days, we will finally be putting those gathered bits of iron to work and craft items you can put to use!

That’s it for this update! If you haven’t done so already, check out the new media section of the site for the latest screenshots, animations and video. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or chat with us on Discord, and make sure you participate in our weekly poll!

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