You might think Fishlabs was very busy polishing Valkyrie in the last couple of weeks. You would be right. In all the commotion and deadline pressure, however, there was still time to pay attention to detail. Or better, we took the time. This chapter will illuminate some of the remarkable fine print among the otherwise prominent changes to the epic sci-fi game Galaxy on Fire 2. Size matters and so do small changes. These low-key improvements are likely to escape your attention when flying through the add-on for the first time. All those details in sum make the game experience much more pleasant. After all, a truly immersive gaming experience is what we are after and what a Premium iPhone game is for. [full]
When it comes to immersion the biggest small change is the zoom when you head towards a station and the planet behind it. Since the planets themselves are 2D, they used to remain the same size when you headed towards a station. The planets will now get bigger the closer you get. This adds to the impression of being right inside the scene.
The asteroids have been reworked, too. Their surface is more elaborate these days. You might actually feel like standing on a galactic chunk of ore seeing the newly refurbished asteroid surface under your ship’s feet. To give the asteroid theme a new edge, too, the new systems in Valkyrie will feature far off asteroid fields. These are mere atmosphere, though, as you can neither reach nor mine them.
When you fly past the system’s sun in the background you will see a new lens flare effect. Will you notice the difference? A far more striking redo is the new explosion animation when you finish a ship. It will make the destruction of ships a highly enjoyable visual treat. We expect people to make good use of the Action Freeze tool and present ever more beautiful pictures of explosions in our forums.
The biggest bang in our portfolio of detail changes is set to change your perception of playing Galaxy on Fire 2 for good. The expanded field of view. You will see more and further into the distance- hence you will be able to operate more strategically with a wider view on what’s going on. At the same time, you need keep your inner focus so you don’t get lost when too much is going on. This fine change is both challenge and blessing and we are curious to hear what people say about game play with the effected field of view increase. Pictured below are both the old setting and the new one. Don’t be mistaken, the screenshots do not simply show a different position. Depicted is the exact same position with a different width in the field of view. What do you think about it?
