This game was a final project for CS 401; a game design class by Ashwin
Law at Denison University, Fall Semester 2012.
Colin Leet developed all of the assets for the game, and the game's interface, and UX:
Kenny Wotterich developed the game's main AI systems (the player's drones, the transport, atlas drones, missile’s targeting, environmental design), along with designing and implementing many of the background systems of the game which aren't immediately visible to the player. Some examples of these systems include disabling enemy AI when the player isn't close to the ship to decrease the amount of processing needed; designing how the player's drone's targeting system interacts with (overriding) the drones’ scripted AI to attack user specified targets, keeping track of how many enemies the player has attacked, upgrades and leveling systems, creating new enemies for the player to kill. He also wrote and designed the game's tutorial; as the pausing functionality he implemented needed to override much of the AI used throughout the game.
We both worked on balancing the game's difficulty, tweaking the game's economy, playing with new game mechanics to figure out the best way of interacting with the game, while keeping it fun and maintaining a good difficulty curve.
The Atlas Sector has just recently been charted, and many traders have been travelling through it to trade at the newly-established outposts located in the sectors solar systems.
This sudden flock of trade has also attracted the attention of space pirates, eager to relieve poorly-defended traders of their cargo; you are one of these ships.
Formida Corporation "law" enforcement has only just begun to scour the area to try to secure it from the grasp of pirates; typically, they just hang around solar systems that have active mining colonies going on multiple planets.
Still, even with protecting such a small area pirates, like you, are currently wreaking a great deal of havoc. Yet the battle still rages, for the rewards of exotic trade are significant, and for many seeking to make a living, the dangerous trip into the Atlas Sector is worth the risk. The Formida Corporation isn't without its short coming though, after spending several years setting up your mining settlement on one of the far-flung worlds you finally collected enough Floratite to make a meaningful sale at one of the far-off trading posts. However, just after returning from your first sale, you discovered that Atlas Corp. had taken over your mining operation, calming that it has been theirs all along.
With there being next to no legal recourse in the neigh-anarchist state of the outer universe, you’re only recourse to get revenge was to steal a prototype fighting ship, organically based, it'll soon be a new standard in this region of the galaxy.
This beauty is capable of rapidly healing itself and generating weapons, missiles grown in a matter of seconds, fighters grown in little more time, self-repairing hulls, and shields - a first in this part of the galaxy.
The ship even comes with several design documents outlying more powerful systems, which it can fabricate, that is, if you can find the Floratite. You are the pilot of this lone pirate frigate, drifting in the vastness of space and seeking fortune. Your choices will be the difference between a quick death and eternal infamy. Choose, and act, wisely.
