My development style is very much lean, agile. When ever I introduce a new system I aim to only delivery the most minimum version of it I can think of and don't try to over plan it. Then I observe, receive feedback and adjust, expand or retreat based on what I learn. I try to have as a rapid feedback and iteration loops as possible to get to the best system as fast as possible, though sometimes this means starting with pretty simple systems.
This is why you see me patch multiple times a week and hopefully the game is always improving.
This was certainly the case with the new Crucible mechanics which is currently at its inception stage and was also the case with the AI navigation. The AI navigation operates in three modes:
I have spent 80% of my AI focus on the Evade portion which was the most essential and most complicated system. But I've gotten some really great player feedback which has pushed me towards reviewing Seek TargetAI which was still it its most simple initial revision and a bit glaringly bad.
The Seek Target is now aware of the ships upgraded thrust and rotate capabilities as well as its gunnery skills and will also take into account the heading and velocity of asteroids so that it will try to avoid crashing into its targets at full speed.
This should both make the early rounds where there a few asteroids a bit more active and well as increase the importance of the afterburner and gyro drive upgrades in the early rounds.
New
Improved