Mars Commander is getting closer to its full release. That’s why we’ve released a new demo version with lots of improvements. Here’s a list with many of them.

Graphics

• Removed the glass from the FPS cockpit to make the game’s colors pop.
• Added motion blur effect and chromatic aberration.
• Fixed a graphical bug where the ground in front of the player was sometimes too dark.
• Adjusted the positions of all weapons for the player, making them look a lot better.
• Increased the size of all mission maps to make the game more immersive.
• Created two additional main light sources that affect only vehicles and buildings respectively, with the idea being to make them stand out more.

UI

• Redid the UI for the RTS portion of the game to make it more intuitive.
• Changed the font type.
• Added 3d effect for the minimap and for unit info in FPS Mode.
• Added various small UI animations, such as for unit health and ammo depletion
• Added a picture to show who is speaking for all mission story texts.
• Added a database with units and structure to the Main Menu.
• Changed the title font type.
• Added an intro at the start of a new campaign to give more context to what the player is doing.
• Add a hints and tips section to the main menu that is different for missions.
• Greatly improved the minimap visuals.
• Made the minimap in RTS Mode clickable.
• Added images for each selected unit in RTS Mode, and made these clickable to switch to their respective cockpits.

AI

• Added breaking to all units
• Improved the way that Move orders work, especially their cancellation when finished.

Gameplay

• Removed manual Unit Production, but added automatic reinforcement during missions. (The idea is to create a smoother gameplay experience that focuses on the game’s core strengths).
• Made time stop during RTS Mode to give the player time to breathe and think. 
• Slightly increased the speed of all units
• Added Zoom Scope functionality to all units, but made sure to give Turrets an increased maximum zoom.
• Added manual pan controls to RTS mode.
• Added zoom controls to RTS mode.
• Changed unit switching from being UI based to being mouse-based. 
• Made structures placeable in RTS Mode instead of FPS Mode.
• Made orders executable in RTS Mode instead of FPS Mode.
• Story texts can now be advanced with both Tab and Enter.
• Made camera view rotation in FPS Mode (up and down) only possible when zoomed in, to create a more realistic feeling.
• Removed the functionality to switch to buildings, as this didn’t add anything to the game. Other units, including turrets, are still switchable.

Audio

• Changed all background music tracks to create a more dystopian settings
• Created a more immersive “jump” sound for vehicles.