Ships At Sea · published
Ahoy Captains,
We’re back with a closer look at one of the key features coming in v0.8.7: deployable support and daughter craft for the upcoming Class 4 Service/Wind Turbine Vessel, expanding its capabilities for offshore operations.
The Class 4 Service Ship comes equipped with two deployable support-rescue boats (MOB), each paired with its own crane. These aren’t simple spawnable extras. They are fully drivable, hands-on support craft that you’ll launch and recover.
Our goal with this system is to make ship operations feel more engaging. Whether you’re handling short-range tasks, transferring crew, or responding to emergencies, everything should feel physical and authentic.
Aren’t they beautiful? Which one would you captain first?
There’s no instant spawning here. You’ll operate the crane to lower the boats into the water and bring them back on board. The process is straightforward, whether you’re playing solo or in co-op.
This feature is still a work in progress, but it’s already becoming one of the most immersive systems we’ve built so far.
Once deployed, both daughter crafts are fully controllable. You’re free to move around the vessel, assist in operations, or handle nearby tasks independently.
As mentioned in our recently released major update v0.8.6, we’re continuing to improve character interactions and animations. On the smaller boat, your character will physically handle the outboard engine lever while steering. It’s a small detail, but it adds a lot to the overall feel and makes operating the boat more believable.
The smaller deployable boat will also include a protective cover, allowing it to be secured during rough weather.
We’ve also started working on a new layer of sound design, beginning with both boat and ship engines.
Sound plays a key role in making a simulation feel believable. We’re putting a strong focus on how vessels sound and respond in different situations, giving you clear, consistent audio feedback at all times.
This includes a wide range of new and improved effects, such as engine idle, varying RPM levels from cruising to full speed, steering and rudder movement, water interaction, hull impact with waves, and more.
Stay tuned—we’ll continue sharing more development progress. At the moment, our focus is on setting up the instruments on the second daughter craft and refining the crane systems for deployment and recovery.
In parallel, we’re working on further improvements, refinements, and performance optimizations to enhance overall stability. And this is just a few to mention - there is a lot on the horizon.
Until next time, Captains — Team Misc Games