AE R&D - What is new? What can we do now?

[dalolorn]

That icon would be located above the system, if I remember correctly - and would have the system icon, no text included. This sounds like it's something else entirely.

I think we're talking about different icons. I mean the small green shield icon with an arrow next to it, which is located next to (I presume) the name of the guy who levelled up, on the left.

I'm not sure anymore. Could you provide a screenshot to check whether we're talking about the same thing?

[Eagle]

That icon would be located above the system, if I remember correctly - and would have the system icon, no text included. This sounds like it's something else entirely.

I think we're talking about different icons. I mean the small green shield icon with an arrow next to it, which is located next to (I presume) the name of the guy who levelled up, on the left.

I'm not sure anymore. Could you provide a screenshot to check whether we're talking about the same thing?

I don't know how to provide screenshots, but if you watch the trailer on this site, pause at around 00:48 and look at the left. The icon appears after the shield was shot off, next to a name.

[dalolorn]

Yes, that is a new icon. Also, it cannot be a change in the way the game displays leveling, as the guy manning the shield (an Engi, I believe) has no stars, as you can notice by observing the shield system in the lower left corner of the screen.

[Eagle]

Yes, that is a new icon. Also, it cannot be a change in the way the game displays leveling, as the guy manning the shield (an Engi, I believe) has no stars, as you can notice by observing the shield system in the lower left corner of the screen.

I guess you're right . It just seemed so logical... They could, of course, have not finished it yet, and I don't know what it is if it doesn't have to do anything with levelling; it sure is a strange place for an icon for the drone...

BTW:

Also, did the Mantis teleport inside the player ship at 00:14 (from the doors to the helm)?

[Diet Water]

Also, did the Mantis teleport inside the player ship at 00:14 (from the doors to the helm)?

I don't think so, it looks like it was just a fade to skip the charging process between the weapons being turned on and being able to fire. The Mantis must have been moved to the Helm during that time(I'm guessing to help put out a fire, because it also has less health when the weapons fire).

[Sleeper Service]

Some people on reddit have unearthed some very early developer posts about the PDS.

Actually this whole page is full of ideas and brainstorming from mostly a year ago. It's like a trip back to the beginnings of FTLs development. I find it quite interesting that a lot of the ideas that are post here have come up already at the very beginning of games development. A lot of people clearly want a few core ideas (crew variety for example) to happen since a long time stuff. So maybe some of these ideas will actually be implemented with AE.

[Blazeboyfire]

Didn't read the comments maybe they aren't ships? maybe a creature i would guess the nebula would be associated with them maybe they latch on and NOM your ships or may be a new event IE Giant monster appears 1a PEWPEW it 1b RUN AWAYZZZZZZ anyways that is just a basic principle of my theory

[jep]

A little late, but:


To me it seems rather than a full level up (as said, there is no star by shields), I think it's reporting an incremental skill improvement. Might get a bit spammy, though.

[jep]

I created a gallery of all the images from the announcement video, minus the interstitial screens that didn't show any actual gameplay:

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/csrix03 ... lbzi4xxsva

Figured this might help a little when pointing to various neat new things. People can just post those screenshots in their message.

Speaking of which, I actually noticed there are TWO up arrows right before the one with the shield above. It goes by really quick and is at the edge of the screen, so it's easy to miss:



Shortly after hat, one of the arrows disappear and the screen zooms out so you can see the shield icon next to the other. To me, this confirms that it's likely it shows that every time a player gets an incremental skill improvement.

[jep]

Hey Sleeper, here are a bunch of shots of the various new features. Feel free to edit your first post to put these examples in. Sorry if the picspam is annoying anyone.


(Flak attack)








(shield drone)



(hacking stuff - hacking is a skill - hacking subsystem icon has a bar with drone and crosshair buttons)


(Mind control room and new medbay. Sometimes they still use the old + medbay is still shown - even on the enemy ship on the same screen - but that could just be WIP. Or maybe they realized the Red Cross has a logic-defying trademark on all red crosses. Seriously, look it up.)


(mind controlling boarders in the hacking room)




(regular mantis and light)


(what are the green dots?)


(weird manned/unmanned icons on sensors and doors - I think the yellow bar indicates if you man it, you get an extra free power - it's not from Zoltans because in that shot they're being manned by Engi/Rockmen)

I hope I don't hate mind control. In the original X-Com, it became a game balance issue. Seems like now it would give you another "must shut down" target to divert your fire from keeping enemy weapons on lockdown.