An exciting update lands today bringing a pack of new features to Dawn 2055!
Combat Overhaul
Combat was one of the oldest untouched mechanics in Dawn 2055. It had remained in almost its original form since the very beginning. Because its codebase was large and riddled with technical debt, overhauling it proved difficult and was continuously postponed. But now it is done! The new system makes combat more tactical by bringing it onto the actual map. Bullets are now rendered with graphics that depend on projectile type (arrows, bullets, lasers, explosions) and different tile types provide different amounts of cover. For example, some buildings can grant 60% damage reduction while standing out in the open in a desert provides none. Combat ranges have been removed completely and skills now affect how accurately a character handles a given weapon and how much critical damage they can inflict. In addition the environment has been made more dynamic and can now catch fire.
Because the update is very large and affects the game in a major way, some mechanics such as taking over towns or fights from encounters still use an adjusted legacy combat system. It is also planned to release a second part of this update with additional balancing and changes after receiving feedback from the community!
NPC AI
NPCs, just like boss NPCs, now move on the map as well and they fully utilize the new combat mechanics too. They can wander around, chase and fight the player or other NPCs, which makes the game world feel more lively. Theme point changes from defeating NPCs have also increased and are now affected by NPC vs NPC fights as well.
More Features
- Premium features have returned. Google Play payments will be integrated soon.
- AI encounters are enabled again. These encounters are driven by an LLM and can be unique each time. You can also gain items, bottle caps, mercenaries or survivors who join your settlement through them.
- Talking Mercs — mercenaries will periodically talk and comment on various player actions or events happening around them. You can also talk with your mercs to increase their morale!
- A large chunk of reported bugs have been fixed.