Full Speed Ahead! Nom Nom Galaxy Update (Ver. 0.13)

Welcome back, Astroworkers!

Well, one month sure flies by! We've been hard at work on a multitude of things, both big and small, for this update. We're also getting Nom Nom Galaxy ready for the big game shows coming up in August. We won't get into where (or how) you'll see Nom Nom Galaxy this month, but we're pretty excited with the upcoming announcements! Look for more news next week! Because of the upcoming shows, we're holding some stuff back for this update anda few other features aren't completed. But that's what Early Access is all about - testing, testing, and more testing. We'd love to hear your feedback on the changes, so please leave comments! With that said, let's get to it!

Research

One issue that's come up in feedback constantly has been Astroworker walking speed. In a game that requires you to ship your stock as quickly as possible, being a slow poke doesn't bode well for future promotions. There were debates among the team on whether a speed boost the should be applied given to the Astroworker by default, as a research upgrade, or as a boost button. For now we've added a new research item to speed up the Astroworker by 30%, so please check it out and let us know what you think in the comments/forums. Limits on purchasing research at the end of each day have also been removed! Shopping spree! Finally, we've added a new structure, Storage, that allows you to store up to 6 ingredients! We think you'll really appreciate it when you see what else is coming...

• Removed the limit on the number of research upgraded you can purchase at the end of each day.
• New Astro-boots research available! Increase the speed of your Astroworker by 30%!
• Added Storage to research.

Environment

In order to accommodate some of the new and more varied environments we're working on, we've changed the way that oxygen works with water on the planets. Mon Cala, anyone?

• Oxygen will now deplete twice as fast when under water.
• Oxygen pockets can now be created underwater. These pockets will prevent water from entering, allowing you to expand your base underwater.

UI Changes

The planet select has been revamped to give you that universal flavor!

On the select rival screen before returning to a planet you've previously gotten 100% market share, the following information has been adjusted.

• Total days will now accurately report previous play sessions.
• Enemies defeated will be cumulative for all play sessions.
• Fixed bug where screenshots of previous play sessions were being overwritten.
• You now find more information about rival corporations at the rival selection screen before starting a planet.

Controls

• We've moved from the Maintenance Menu button for keyboard and mouse controls to the CTRL key.

Tutorial Changes

With Nom Nom Galaxy heading to show floors this month, we're shoring up some of the tutorials. This will be tweaked up until the last minute, so we're looking for feedback from the community on how to improve the tutorials. What did you find difficult to understand when you started playing?

• Game hints will now remain on the screen longer.
• Major hints during the tutorial will now pause the game.

Testing

The following features are still being implemented and may be have bugs.

• Astroworkers can now reset their base at the planet selection screen by pressing “Y” button on the controller, or “R” on the keyboard.
• You can now build a second office on planets you return to after beating a rival with 100% market share. Currently, this is only working on Egon.

Seasons

We've begun testing for seasons, and winter is coming! The seasons are currently on a 15 minute cycle and only switch between summer and winter. Also, the winter assets are still being completed so you'll only see a blue filter and some icy tiles for now.

• Winter effects
  -Grass, Sunflower, and Ivy will die, making it impossible to grow or harvest them.
  -Plants will not grow or spread seeds during winter.
  -Animal nests shrivel up, and animals don't leave their nests.

As you can see, winter is pretty harsh, so be sure to make good use of the new technology!

As always, please let us know what you think in the comments here, on our Steam Community, Facebook, or Twitter! See you next week!