Starpoint Gemini 3 Skillshot Early Access Update Live

Back in September, Little Green Men Games launched their space action-RPG Starpoint Gemini 3 into Steam Early Access. Since then, the game has received a number of minor fixes and updates that you can check out over here. The latest update is slightly more substantial. Its main attraction is a new skill system that's described as “the perfect blend between using special abilities, passive bonuses and dogfightging.”

Here are the update notes:

Hello to you all again!

It is a perfect day to update the game with first announced roadmap update.

Following the loads of feedback we've received from our fans after the launch of Starpoint Gemini 3 into Early Access roughly a month ago, we've focused our attention on gameplay. Now introducing: SKILLSHOT UPDATE!

The Starpoint Gemini 3 combat system, lovingly (as well as sarcastically) called DAWGFIGHT SYSTEM, hits the next checkpoint. The latest update introduces the complete skill system, imagined not as a do-all-end-all mechanic that enables you to obliterate the entire universe with a single push of a button, but as the perfect blend between using special abilities, passive bonuses and dogfightging.

The skill system is here to extend the combat gameplay, not substitute it.

Skills are the crux of the latest content update, but there's plenty more to check out.

CHANGES
  • ADDED: skill system mechanics, both gameplay wise and VFX
  • ADDED: critical system failure (CSF) now applies to player in intended situations
  • ADDED: drydocks now have new ship modules available for purchase: wings, engines, hulls
  • ADDED: additional enemy ships to fight against
  • ADDED: various equipment items, including missiles countermeasures
  • ADDED: optimization to allow faster starchart loading
  • ADDED: various missile weapons, both guided, non-guided and torpedoes
  • ADDED: Steam cloud saves are now operational and work properly
  • ADDED: Steam trading cards are now implemented and work properly
  • ADDED: 3D sound
  • ADDED: various sounds including warnings and proximity alerts
  • ADDED: NavBuoy structures now have linked encounter events if attacked
  • ADDED: Space stations now have linked encounter events if attacked
  • ADDED: Ships on patrol paths now have linked encounter events if attacked
  • ADDED: Destructible container objects now have linked encounter events if attacked
  • ADDED: Anomalies can now appear in Gemini
  • ADDED: Asteroids now have linked encounter events if destroyed/mined
  • ADDED: Junkyard objects now have linked encounter events if destroyed/scavenged
  • ADDED: Player’s missiles can now miss the target, even when using guided projectile
  • ADDED: all campaign combat missions now have proper mission areas
  • ADDED: all asteroids now have correct explosions attached when destroyed
  • ADDED: visual shockwave on missile hit effects
  • ADDED: visual shockwave on ship exploding effects
  • ADDED: trails and particles on all wings ship parts in the game
  • ADDED: objective notifications on campaign mission on Extera
  • ADDED: Keyboard shortcuts for accessing starchart, inventory and skills panels
  • ADDED: Brazilian Portuguese translation to game
  • ADDED: various new movement sounds for player engines and cruise mode
  • ADDED: sliders in options menu now work properly in non 1K resolutions and ratios
  • ADDED: additional support for several more HOTAS devices
  • ADDED: it is now possible to avoid missiles, especially by using cut engines
  • UPDATED: The chance that NPC drops loot when destroyed is drastically lowered if the player can't be credited with the kill.
  • UPDATED: The entire loot drop system has been rebalanced
  • UPDATED: Energy cost of cannons is heavily increased
  • UPDATE: Rate of fire of cannons is increased
  • UPDATED: Damage of cannons is drastically increased
  • UPDATED: Damage of scatterguns is increased
  • UPDATED: Reduced the projectile count of some scatterguns
  • UPDATED: Player waypoint is now correctly attached to the starchart structure
  • UPDATED: Game menu has rearranged option hierarchy according to most frequent use
  • FIXED: an error in the Main menu background video
  • FIXED: after a cutscene, the camera reverts to the mode it previously had
  • FIXED: sector Pyros now has correctly placed Nav Buoys, NPC paths, structure hull levels, event scripts, ship and structure render distances
  • FIXED: sector Outerlands now has correctly placed Nav Buoys, NPC paths, structure hull levels, event scripts, ship and structure render distances
  • FIXED: sector Caterton now has correctly placed Nav Buoys, NPC paths, structure hull levels, event scripts, ship and structure render distances
  • FIXED: player cannot be attacked anymore while docked inside Pirate Harbor station
  • FIXED: player cannot be attacked anymore while docked inside Lunae station
  • FIXED: while using photo mode and orbit camera, weapons and camera view works properly now
  • FIXED: when undocking or respawning, the camera will appear in the correct position
  • FIXED: during camera shake effect, HUD elements don't follow the same pattern
  • FIXED: Avenger shotgun weapon doesn't exceed buffer limit anymore and CTD is eliminated
  • FIXED: when the game is paused, particles are still drawn normally
  • FIXED: missiles now explode as intended when reaching their destination
  • FIXED: different number of heavy and light weapons installed on wings don't cause a crash anymore
  • FIXED: HUD hint panel now shuts down properly
  • FIXED: when game is running in the background, mouse pointer performs normally
  • FIXED: waypoint for Liberland carrier in campaign mission now isn't hidden behind planet anymore
  • FIXED: waypoints don't hang on starchart when you jump back and forth using Starpoint or Tgate
  • FIXED: Magellan refinery now has correct collision sphere
  • FIXED: Pyros bartender now has correct facial animations when accepting all quests
  • FIXED: in freeroam player set starchart marker is properly removed after reload
  • FIXED: starchart doesn't crash anymore when reloading identical save game a few times
  • FIXED: removed exploit where equipment cooldown was evaded by un-equipping the item
  • TWEAKED: options menu works more smoothly and is more user friendly
  • TWEAKED: various balancing and AI related issues
  • TWEAKED: military patrol paths are reworked and improved in all sectors
These are the most important changes and additions. We hope the list is sufficient for this festive occasion we call Roadmap Update 1. The long journey through Early Access is now one milestone closer to completion, but there’s still massive work ahead of us! Some of you will also already recognize the improvements to some game elements you've specifically mentioned in your comments and feedback.

Along all of this, we've also tweaked, improved and polished many more details in the previously implemented parts of the game, mostly based on what you good people reported. Feel free to give it a go and see what else has been improved.

In the end, let us reiterate that this update is the first of a dozen major Early Access planned updates, and we also fully expect to throw in a number of unplanned updates along the way. The number of these will, in part, depend on what you report to us, and what ideas you throw at us on Steam forums

Have a nice weekend ahead, and don't hesitate to try out all the goodies we're prepared for you! In space no one can hear your enemy scream!

Cheers!
LGM Games team