In game design, there is honestly never enough time. Whether it is writing, sound, graphics or code, we always want more time to make it just a little bit better. The flip side is that updating some of these can seem like such a large task that smaller items can often push the updates back again and again. Sometimes though, you find the right balance and can push out some updates.
I’ll be spending my weekend on some final tweaks for the content we’re working on, but I’ll offer a glimpse of what is going on within the Star Pirates universe…
— Sensor Trouble —
“Captain” the pilot says, looking over his shoulder to you, “we’ve spotted a Battle Debris Scavenger Mk III in the debris field. It’s headed for the same coordinates we’ve plotted. It looks like it plans to take the salvage.”
“Like hell it will!” you shout back. All hands, weapon stations. I want that AI ship taken out. We’ll let the regenabots clean it up.
A few shots from your Fusion Blaster Array make quick work of the AI scavenger. You proceed to the debris field and spend the next few hours filling your cargo hold. While the ship systems are busy salvaging, you monitor communications from the nearby station. Your ship AI suddenly pipes up.
“Captain, I am receiving new data from the station. The AI Council has provided updated instructions for regenabots related to AI ships. It does not appear to affect any of my systems.”
“Very well” you reply “let me know if we receive any instructions as part of the update”.
Once full, you head back towards the station, and pass by the same spot where you blew up the scavenger. The regenabots will have been busy rebuilding the ship, but now that the field is empty it should just move on.
Your officer suddenly stands up from his station and looks your way.
“Captain, you should take a look at this. There is something strange about the repairs on the scavenger”
“What do you mean? Put the image up on the screen.”
As the image appears on screen, the whole crew goes quiet. What you seen on screen is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Your ship AI finally breaks the silence.
“Interesting. It would seem these regenabots also received the updated instructions. They are rebuilding the Battle Debris Scavenger to entirely new specifications.”
Soon the reconstruction is complete and the scavenger heads off to a new destination. You can only wonder at the speed with which the AIs introduced entirely new designs to existing equipment.
The wonders of technology…
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Have a good weekend everyone!