Early Access: Release 9
It's finally here! Release 9 is about a foundational change... Many things will feel the same while others will seem completely new. More than anything this release is about moving to MonoGame. The content will see its biggest upgrade with the following releases. We have a few new folks helping with Missions and the Campaign now so look to that in the coming months!
Here is what is in this milestone release:
- Horizons has been ported to MonoGame. This is HUGE. It allows for many things that are already in Release 9, as well as many things we'll be doing. This is what took us the longest to achieve.
- Full 64bit support! Horizons will still run on 32bit systems but is now optimized to run (and perform better) on 64bit systems.
- Upgraded rendering engine. Everything will look a little bit clearer and crisper with the new engine.
- More ships!
- Completely new Dialog system allowing for more in-depth conversations than ever before.
- Completely new Module-based content directory structure. The 'worlds' folder will be going away soon, and it will be replaced by discrete folders for each type of asset in the game. This is HUGE as it will allow those of you that have created your own content to go even crazier and create it in your own directories, separated from the core Horizons content. This will also allow for DLC later on. You'll be able to create Modules that 'replace' the core Horizons content with you own.
- Completely new Web Socket engine.
- Upgraded Web Server engine.
- Revised Vessel XML structure.
- Open World mode: While it was teased in earlier releases it's really here now. This allows you to fly around the universe as you please. Comms officer can now select missions on the fly (in game).
- Comms can now control cargo on board the Horizons and it's vessels (Shuttles, etc).
- NPC can now have tasks, so they can have focused goals rather than generic AI behaviors.
Perhaps more than before... you will find plenty of things that are broken, misspelled, and just down right weird. All are probably my fault... At least, that's what the Horizons Team tells me. Anyway, have a blast! We have a lot more coming and a long (but exciting) road head. See you around the galaxy!
Cheers,
David "Auric" Hernly
Creator / Developer
