Exploration

In the vast expanse of planetary exploration, the player assumes the role of the captain, embarking on daring adventures across diverse landscapes. Upon landing on each planet, the captain engages in various activities essential for progressing. These activities include digging in the dirt with a trusty shovel and zapping obstacles with a Laser blaster, both tools that evolve as the journey unfolds.

To begin exploring any planet, the captain must first travel down to the cargo bay, and enter their shuttle. They will be able to select where on the planets surface they want to depart to. Once the captain is ready to return to their spaceship, they will return to their shuttle to head home.

Throughout the exploration, the captain must navigate the terrain while dodging local creep—threats that lurk amidst the rocks and soil. These creeps add an element of danger to the otherwise peaceful mission of discovery.

Tools

Tools, which evolve through upgrades, are essential for the captain's survival and success in uncovering the mysteries hidden within each planetary surface.

Shovel

The shovel serves as the primary tool for excavating resources and uncovering teleporters. Upgrades to the shovel enable the captain to charge it, allowing for the excavation of multiple spots in a single line by pressing and holding the left mouse button (or primary key). This enhanced functionality proves invaluable as the captain navigates the diverse terrain of each planet, searching for valuable artifacts and resources.

Laser Blaster

The laser blaster complements the shovel by providing a means to zap creeps, rocks, and grass that obstruct the captain's path. Similar to the shovel, the captain can upgrade the laser blaster to enhance its power and efficiency. Each upgrade provides a boost in power, enabling the captain to deal with increasingly resilient obstacles encountered during exploration. Additionally, by pressing and holding the left mouse button (or primary key), the captain can charge up the laser blaster to unleash a more powerful beam, capable of clearing larger obstacles or dealing greater damage to aggressive local fauna.

Teleporters

Teleporters are essential devices used for instant travel between different areas or levels on the planet. They are crucial for advancing to the next level of planetary exploration. Teleporters are spawned through a two-step process.

First, all potential locations for teleporters, such as diggable tiles or qualifying rocks and ores, are identified. The total number of these spots is then divided by a fixed number of tiles per teleporter, which varies based on the level and planet. Initial levels of the Grey Planet have a lower number of spots per teleporter, while advanced levels have a higher number due to the increased efficiency of advanced tools.

Second, a bonus teleporter mechanism is introduced once the player surpasses the initial threshold of spots. This mechanism increases the chance of spawning a bonus teleporter as the number of remaining objects decreases. The formula used for this bonus chance is 2% plus an additional percentage based on the remaining objects, making it more likely for a bonus teleporter to appear as more spots are cleared. This process ensures a balanced challenge that scales with the player's progress and tool efficiency.

Let's look at an example: if the player is on the initial levels (1-15) of the Grey Planet, the threshold is 30 objects. When the player arrives at a level, the total number of objects is calculated, and teleporters are placed immediately. For every 30 objects that can hide a teleporter, one will be hidden. This means if there are 60 potential spawn points, two teleporters will be hidden, and so on. Once the player has cleared their first 30 objects without finding a teleporter, the bonus chance mechanism activates in the background. As the player clears more of the level, not only do their chances of finding a teleporter increase due to the shrinking pool of remaining objects, but the probability of a bonus teleporter spawning also grows as the number of cleared objects rises and the number of remaining objects decreases.

Since shovel upgrades allow multiple plots to be uncovered simultaneously, digging is considered the more efficient method for locating teleporters. This method contrasts with the slower process of testing potential teleporter locations by zapping rocks, where each rock represents a single possibility, regardless of the rock's size or how many zaps are needed to break it.

History

• 1.0.5: Logic adjusted for all planet exploration teleporters to increase chances of appearing after threshold has passed and increases as level is explored. Reducing the chances of bad luck runs.